I'm a Ph.D. dropout (English Dept, University of Chicago), former college instructor, ESL teacher, and Albertan. I left Chicago b/c I was miserable there, though I met some beautiful comrades in the course of trying to organize a labour union instead of reading boring novels. Still kind of figuring out what to do next, but I feel blessed to be here in Coast Salish Territory (aka Vancouver).

What else. Local music I like: Bison, Apollo Ghosts, Destroyer, New Pornographers, Golers. Other music I like: Magnetic Fields, Smog, Gang of Four, High on Fire, Electric Wizard, John Fahey, Shellac, Pissed Jeans, Baroness, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Nina Nastasia, Thin Lizzy, Nomeansno, Fugazi, Kylesa, Hot Snakes, Wire, PIL, The Ramones, The Fall, The Cramps, Sly and the Family Stone, etc, etc. (Also: jazz, classical, Sublime Frequencies-type world music, hip-hop, early country... )

I'm an introvert, but I like connecting with people and have been known to "go for it" at parties.

Plenty of people are worth meeting for an hour or two (i.e., a "date"); but if we're a little more compatible than that it likely means: you have some kind of critical perspective on the status quo; you like forms of culture that can't be purchased or experienced at Metrotown; and you enjoy metal-level conversation/thought that goes beyond evaluating what's fun and what's not. Likely, whether apparent to others or not, you're a bit of a freak.

More info below if you're bored, but I want to stress that if most of this stuff is unfamiliar and alienating to you, I'm not necessarily less interested in you (most of the boring stuff I keep to myself anyway).


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Past obsessions: The Situationists, Kathy Acker (novelist), Theodor Adorno (philosopher), pre-war blues, Zizek (philosopher), L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poetry, John Fahey (musician; nutball), the sound of rain on car roofs and tent tops, Donald Barthelme (writer), Lauren Berlant (academic), wandering in urban industrial areas, old bridges, long runs, garage and yard sales, the 19th century, Ubu Web...

Current fixations: Israeli Apartheid, what Jodi Dean calls "communicative capitalism," liberal delusions about Obama and democracy, other people's dogs, Werner Herzog's films (kind of a waning interest at this point actually), wheat paste and postering, select metal bands (see above), live music, WFMU, sleeping with the window open...

Burgeoning interests: you and everyone you know, visual art, speculative realism, evening tea, cycling, going to bed early, women with good bangs...

Constants: my mother's baking (esp. pies), baked goods, music, music, music, Marxist theory, unexpected hilarity, coffee, compassion and empathy, spooning, old houses, trees, water, wind, sky, fire, poking around small towns, intimate adventures...

May never get to stuff like: learning about Iranian classical music, learning to tie a necktie (maybe you can help me?), writing a book, following professional sports, shaving every morning, Twitter, being able to identify constellations in the night sky, owning property, flossing as much as I should.

Other stuff: I have a cat. We found each other in Taiwan and have cohabitated ever since those dark times. I am so happy not to have to fly with her these days (she's happy to be grounded too). I think The Daily Show is overrated but The Wire isn't. I dislike checking phone messages. I am liable to judge you (gasp!) if you wear those Lulu Lemon yoga pants around town or express contempt towards homeless people. I am OK with skinny jeans. I am essentially monolingual and this horrifies and shames me. I can be rather shy but I'm usually good one-on-one. I take feminism seriously. I respect vegetarians but I do enjoy meat on occasion (love sausage actually). I want to be infected by other people's passion(s).

Still reading?!

If anything about any of this appeals to you, I would love to learn about the things you love and the things you hate. Yup, YOU.

Go for a drink or hot beverage, maybe do some aimless drifting sur un pied d'égalité, maybe have some beers at Crab Park (summer only). Talk.