Curiosity is what keeps me open to a sense of hope. It staves off negativity.
I want to have a sense of openness and optimism, even if that means being open to things that are potentially dark.
When real is gone, then there is no longer a litmus test for that which deviates from it. It's all real because it's all 'real.'
The value of kitsch exists in its novelty and in its connotations to more legitimate counterparts.
At its core, kitsch feels like something less than art; it panders to the middle and is flagrantly anti-art, though it often apes or references art. This referential, ersatz quality is why it's so fun to collect.
Much of the music I remember from camp was unofficial: the songs a counselor would play for us on acoustic guitar or that an older camper would sing after telling us a tale of his hard-knock life. We couldn't get enough of 'One Tin Soldier' or 'Cat's in the Cradle.'
In the high-stakes and elitist world of music collecting and fandom, we operate from an ab ovo perspective. The seed, the first incarnation - that is the most pure, the most lauded. Minutemen trumps Firehose, Throwing Muses beats Belly, Joy Division over New Order, Operation Ivy ruled Rancid, Undertones instead of That Petrol Emotion.
From the ashes of Bauhaus, Love and Rockets transformed its grandiosity and excesses into boldness and virtuosity. Plus, it wasn't afraid of a catchy hook or two.
Writing 'Monitor Mix' was a very edifying and inspiring few years.
From dancing around to Michael Jackson and Madonna as a kid to having my mind blown by the first sounds of punk and indie rock, to getting to play my own songs and have people listen, music is what got me through.
I really like sardonicism and wit. I love the writing of Joy Williams and Lorrie Moore. I like Tina Fey, Amy Schumer.
My sister's great. She's very bright; she's very private.
I think my sister loves being an observer more than I do.
The process of coming out, as much as other people want to couch it in terms of politics, it's a very personal journey.
Meals and eating and that sort of ritual of gathering at a table is such a part of childhood, and that was such a strange moment. It made me nervous to watch my mom cook for us and then not engage in the act of eating with us.
Music was a means through which I could meet people and sort of begin the process of exploring who I was or who I could be.
When people grow up with a family characterized by chaos and uncertainty and fragility, you look for a substitution for that.
In the realm of fakery, I would choose 'Rock Band' over 'American Idol' or over any of the other flimsy truths masquerading as music.
Not even the creators of 'Rock Band' could possibly believe that playing the game is tantamount to making your own music. There is, however, a sad similarity between 'Rock Band' and some actual bands, and that is the attempt at realness.
I went to a liberal arts college wherein grading was qualitative and we had to write our own evaluations.
