interviewprojects

[interviewprojects]

on wedlock, pouring words, and the world's most brilliant man by the name of Charles.

interview with dennis of thevagabondking.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: what are your opinions on the institution of marriage and how do you think it's changing? d: My parents were married for 20+ years before divorcing.  In those twenty years there was some good times and some bad times.  As a kid, I always thought that that was just the way it was,  that that was how marriages work.  But as time went on, I started to see the flaws in marriage.  They’d stop talking, for weeks on end.  There was no communication.  They stayed in the marriage for the children.  That’s a horrible by product of raising children.  The trap of staying in it.

And the fact that homosexuals can’t get married legally is even more telling of the institution of marriage.  Two people, willing to fight societies stigma’s head on, aren’t allowed to unite their love - ridiculous. 

The only thing that’s changing about marriage is that the divorce rate is increasing every year. 

n: what's your writing process? d: My process is very simple.  I sit down. I think back to everything I have seen thus far in my day and search for something that is worthy of a story.  I keep a small tablet of paper with me at all times.  I do a lot of people watching during the day.  I make notes. I give them back stories. Then I let that sit for a while.

I usually have spotify on and listen to music while I wait.

Usually the Foo Fighters or lately, I’ve been putting on the Mozart Symphony channel.  And then I just let loose of all that’s hiding inside my mind.  I don’t censor, edit or analyze the work.

Once it is out of me, it’s out of me. 

n: do you think not editing has harmed or helped your work? d: I think it’s probably done both.  I think a lot of the grammar snobs have lost what my writing is really about.  I’ve never claimed to be a writer of beautiful words.  My work is gritty, dirty, dark and raw.  Editing it, I feel, would eliminate the aura that I’m trying to create with my words. 

I don’t want to be remembered as the writer that wrote perfect stanzas.  Whose structure was solid.

I want people to remember the story told.  

n: generationally, where do you think your poetry fits in? d: If you look at my logo, it says heavy metal poetry.  I’d like to think my poetry is a hybrid of beat/bukowski and twisted into a modernized outlaw poetry type style.  That all sounds like a lot of fucking bullshit, right?

My writing doesn’t really fit in with poetry at all.  I don’t rhyme, i don’t structure, I just write from my guts and my heart and my pain and my bottle. 

It’s doubtful that I’ll be remembered as a writer in forty years.  I’m an internet poet who writes good shit from time to time, but in the end, there’s no one really reading the words the way we used to read them. 

n: what's your definition of the word obscene? d: Great question.  I think obscene is vulgarity without reason.  I think it’s physical abuse.  I think it’s war.  I think obscene is what you get when you lose sight of a vision. 

n: what do you do for a living? d: I’m technically unemployed.  I have what they call an “under the table” job, working with a band here in Illinois.  I do their social media marketing.  They’re currently shopping a CD in Nashville, having worked with a couple of Tim McGraw’s producers.

Other then that, I’m currently writing my second book and working on a new project called Rot Gut. 

n: why do you value Bukowski so much? d: He validates what I already thought.  I was writing like this before I’d ever heard of Bukowski.  When I found him it was sort of an epiphany.  All these years I’d hid my work thinking … I’d be committed if I shared what I wrote.  Then, I find out that there’s this mother fucker making people crazy with similar shit.

The guy's a genius.  Anyone that thinks other wise is still sucking on the tits of Walt Disney.  

n: do you think you'll make a good father? d: I think i’ll be a fantastic father.  I’m not going to be that father/parent that trips on the small details of life.  I’m going to teach him or her what life is really about.  I don’t believe in spoiling a child or buying its love.

There will be lots of reading and playing outside.  And love. 

n: better than your own was/is? d: My dad was always working when I was a kid.  He worked two jobs so my mom wouldn’t have to work.  So our relationship when I was younger was pretty nonexistent.  He was always tired when he was home.

I never got to play catch with him enough.  Maybe five times in my whole life.

But after I graduated and got past some issues, we became pretty good friends.  I’d say best friends really.  He’s my drinking buddy.  We watch hockey games together and we poke fun at society.  I have been very lucky with the father I received. 

That said, he’s not a good communicator and as the years progress he’s getting sicker.  He has C.O.P.D and I think the bitterness of dying is starting to flavor his personality.

It’s sad to watch. 

n: how has watching him changed your own perception of death? d: It saddens me that people fear it so much, to be honest.  I mean, we live with the fact that we’re going to die as soon as we become cognizant of what life is.  I wish he’d look at these last moments and cherish them.  It seems like a waste of life when you go into the end hating it.

I understand it’s probably not death that is bothering him or others in his shoes.  I imagine it’s more the pain of the ailment and maybe I’m projecting my sadness into his pain and imagining his bitterness.

I know i’m going to die.  The only fear of it I have is leaving Kristen in this world alone.  I don’t fear what’s after this.  I don’t fear the pain of death.  It’s all over eventually. 

x

#thevagabondking

[interviewprojects]

on twirling with Aladdin, epistolary's to your future self and not-so-foreign foreign travels.

interview with gillian of gigisaysrawr.

conducted by allie gidcomb.

a: have you ever been out of the country? g: only Canada when I was about two. that doesn't count.

a: finish this sentence: dear future me.. g: dear future me, calm down a little. don't stress yourself out, you know that never ends well.

a: in your opinion, what makes a word offensive? g:  the person who hears it. take the word "faggot" for example, people on Tumblr use it as a little joke, so-and-so is such a faggot!, we know it's a joke. however, if you go to someone who doesn't view that word the same way, it instantly becomes offensive. another good example is the word "retarded", if you say that to someone like me, I don't find it offensive. now, if you say it to a person who has a relative with special needs, the word becomes offensive.   a: if you didn't know what your name was, what would your name be? g: Jaymi! I've always loved that name, I don't know why. When I was younger and my friends and I would play pretend, that that was my name. a: speaking of when you were younger, did you ever have an imaginary friend? g:  No, but I would imagine that I was with all of the Disney characters. Aladdin is my favorite Disney movie so I would mostly be with them. I would often dance with them in the backyard...I wonder if the neighbors ever saw and thought that it was weird. Oh well.  a: are you a cat or dog person? g: cat person because they're so laid back and don't constantly bug you to go outside. however, my mother hates cats, so, we can't have one. I love my dog though.

#gigisaysrawr

[interviewprojects]

on gasps, rain-laced gardens and the charming honey colored bear from the hundred acre wood.

interview with the ever-lovely nameless girl of bedbones.

conducted by allie gidcomb.

a: what's your name, love?  b:  I think my name makes me sad because it’s connected to so many things, it’s supposed to be connected to me, and oh, I tire of these obtrusive links to a world i haven’t ever truly felt a part of. there isn’t any real name for things like gasps or gripping hands or anything at all, is there? somehow the sounds are all mixed up and we pretend they make sense, and they don’t ever, do they? I wish my name was the sound love made when it came to the loneliest of people in camellia-laced park gardens or dimly lit motel bathrooms. I wish it wasn’t any sort of song or story that i or anyone i have ever known knew the words to.

a: too much or not enough? b: not enough, I think. oh, that does sound awful somehow. as if I believed I were invincible or invisible. when there isn’t very much, there isn’t too much room for the things that hurt, I think. I hope.

a: do you think too many people have abandoned books?  b:  I am unsure. I think that bookstores and libraries are a wonderful place for the people who have the hearts for them, and I think that’s lovely, it’s lovely that there are the secret beautiful things. it’s okay if not everyone adores books maybe, though it is heart-breaking that it sometimes seems as if not everyone adores what is most wonderful of all. 

a: what is the most attractive thing a person can do? b: be kind, undoubtedly and indefinitely. a: what compelled you to start writing? b:  oh my gosh, I have written forever! I used to write stories when I was littler. one was about a rose and I did a watercolor picture on the front cover and so many were about girls who did things, like they'd have different color eyes and hairs and lives. I wasn’t able to ever exactly finish a story and so I started writing little things that were smaller, so it was allowed to talk about one eye for a very long time, and I found out that these things were called poems maybe, and I was so happy! well I would write in diaries for so long of a time, though i don’t like to think about that because it made a man very mad and then whenever he would sit on the bed beside me I would feel very worried and shaky inside by my heart if I wasn’t wearing big enough of a sweater.

a: what (book) character do you most relate to?  b:  I think that maybe I am a little like the new baby named Annabelle that was the new sister to Jane and Michael in the book [by P.L. Travers] that is called Mary Poppins! I think that I am so because she thought an awful lot about where she might have come from and it wasn’t ever really from any place that was too near and she forgot the lovely things too, even though she was new, and she didn’t know how to be much at all afterwards, even though sometimes someone touched her hair in what must have been a nice way, at least once, maybe. because sometimes I can’t remember all the parts of my life because i’m not supposed to, just like her! or maybe I am like Piglet from [Milne's]Winnie the Pooh, because he was so happy all of the time and also worrisome!

a: have you ever danced in the rain?  b: I am not sure! I think I’ve worried about the rain! sometimes the whole world feels so invasive and I think it makes me want to hold my own hand in the back of a dark room, but oh maybe it doesn’t really because I love the garden when it’s rain-laced, I feel like such a small thing when i see how beautiful the roses and the lilies can be, and I try not to look at the pansies and the evening primrose as the world seems to ruin them when it does anything and I just can’t stand to see them drowned at all, I can’t stand to see them so tired, it’s always as if they’ve forgotten themselves entirely and I just can’t bear it! 

x

#bedbones

[interviewprojects]

on seventeen syllabism, handsome words, and Sharpie-scrawled photographs.

interview with the brilliant cameron of sleep-sweet.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: what's your favorite piece of classic lit? c: Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, or The Open Boat by Stephen Crane. I’m in love with both. 

n: does high school suck? c: I learned more about myself in high school than I have at any other time in my life. it was certainly an eye opening experience, especially going to a school that draws almost exclusively from downtown, but I met some amazing people, and again, I've grown so much because of the freedom and the environment. so no, I don't think so. let's call it a necessary evil. 

n: haikus or limericks? c: in the traditional, true sense of each or how each appear in modern writing? 

n: it’s an either or question. interpret it however you want and pick one.  c: fine. haikus. the sing-song quality of a limerick ruins any deep humour or depth in general. in my opinion, at least. 

n: write one? c:  those smiles that are     oft-worn in off-seasons are      worlds she left behind 

n: what's your guiltiest pleasure? c: listening to The Academy Is…; they’re fantastic and I love them. 

n: when was the last time you baked? c: probably six months ago. chocolate chip cookies with my father. 

n: aesthetically, what's your favorite word? just the way the letters look? c: attica, mutter, slip, or spill.

n: is there a question you really want me to ask because you have the perfect answer for it? c: ask something involved and off the wall. and I’ll answer in an involved and off the wall fashion.

n: what’s your opinion on animal testing?  c: I’m more concerned with animal farming than animal testing. I think that animal testing should be conducted once the product is considered to be theoretically safe in an ideal condition, but animals are not equal to people. we eat animals to live; it’s part of the food chain. and so do we use animals to further progress as a species. I disagree with superfluous and unnecessary animal testing, but I understand that it can be extremely practical. I think that animal factory-farming is a much greater problem, as it does harm to to both the animals and the people. 

n: why do you think people care more about probably safe shampoo being put on monkeys than they do about horrible farm conditions? c: because people are more reliant on food and as “revolutionary” and “progressive” this generation claims to be, it’s much less willing to challenge staples and basics that they’ve grown so dependent on. it’s much easier to switch shampoos than it is to give up all non-organic meat. 

n: which have you been doing longer: writing or taking pictures? c: writing. I’ve been writing on and off since sixth grade, but only seriously since mid January. I had been taking (bad) pictures since last year, but late january/early february is when I really started getting passionate about it. 

n: which do you like better? c: neither. I think they compliment each other beautifully. pictures for when words aren’t precise enough, and words when pictures are too limiting. part of me wants to take dozens of polaroids and rant in sharpie over each one. 

n: what type of music do you listen to when you want to get inspired? c: indie rap, hardcore, spoken word, or emo. particularly Astronautalis, P.O.S., La Dispute, Otem Rellik, Merchant Ships, Park Jefferson, Midwest Pen Pals, and Listener. 

n: go listen to it and write me a line or two. c: I slept for ages, hoping you would slide your way off my bed, off my chest, but you didn't, and anchors pulled the clouds from your sky till they were knee-high and your tasteless lips were soaked by rain. the puddles kissed your lips like a man never could, when you would trip on a curb or broken heart, when you would grin because you knew something I didn't, and the city-stained rivulets that ran down the streets would rise up to kiss you, asphalt, grit, and watered down apathy to match your red, redder, reddest blush.

n: what are your religious beliefs? c: I think that there is a force, or forces, greater than us, infinitely. I think that there is no way of knowing any more than that. I believe it's irresponsible to assign "God" any human characteristics or emotions, or rather any physical or mental characteristics, because a God figure would have the ability to exist infinitely, across an infinite number of dimensions- in fact, it would transcend dimensions. it would transcend everything we could conceive, which is why I think it's ridiculous that so many religions claim knowledge based on hearsay about such an inconceivably vast concept. if I had to be classified, I'd be considered a deist. I find my divinity in the things we don't have names for. the aching in your lungs when you see a piece of gorgeous art or when you draw back breathless from a slow and lingering kiss. I honestly think the only absolute truths are the ones we can't express, because only those remain untainted by human expression. Richard Bach said it much more concisely though ("the Is" refers to an untainted concept of God). "The original sin is to limit the Is. Don't." 

n: summarize that in as few words as possible. c: it's wrong to restrict something infinite and inconceivable with words, laws, and human attributes. Instead, I look for the divinity inside myself, because honestly that's the only place where ideas are unfiltered by language and outward, limiting expression. I believe in a god of sorts, and I (extremely loosely) consider myself a deist.

x

#sleepsweet

[interviewprojects]

questions for middleofthenightdaydreams

interview with anna of iwishiwasinnyc and middleofthenightdaydreams.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: what style would you consider your poetry? a: I'm still trying to figure out that myself. ;-) I'd say that given the fact that it follows no rhyme, metric or any other formality, my writing is as uneducated as my heart, yet, equally honest.  

n: do you remember the first poem you ever read? did it change you? a: yes, it was "No te salves/Don't save yourself" from Mario Benedetti. for me it became like an ode to be brave and fight for what you want. also, it opened a new window, to see life through a different perspective, I was awed by all of his work because he could convey so many feelings and emotions in such simple yet profund ways.

n: what are your feelings about your hometown? a:  I've always lived in the same place. Mexico City. I like living in a big city such as mine. I have a lot of good memories and most of my friends are in here too so that makes it all the more treasurable.  I also lived in Dublin for a short time but it grew on my heart too.  

n: tell me three random words. first ones that come to mind. a: milk, purpose & connection. :-p

n: now use them all in a poem for me? a: I.

I once knew a girl 

Who had a 

One night stand 

With an angel. 

She didn’t know 

Right away. 

How could she? 

But she felt 

The connection 

And the rest of him. 

God works

In mysterious ways 

Right? 

Right? 

II.

I once knew a girl 

Who couldn’t 

Think too highly 

Of herself. 

She didn’t want 

To believe

How could she? 

But she felt 

At peace then 

And the rest of the night. 

T’was no coincidence

He had a purpose 

Didn’t he? 

Didn’t he? 

III. 

I once knew a girl 

Who woke up 

Different, refreshed

Anew. 

She didn’t want 

It to end or him to leave 

How could she? 

But she felt 

Whole again 

And him ever so close 

The only memory now

Is a milk-colored feather 

I treasure.

I do.  

n: ah, I love that. when you started posting poetry on tumblr, did you think you'd receive as much attention as you have?  a: nope. never. I actually started my Tumblr to follow John Mayer... later on I discovered the prose and poetry tags and discover all this incredible writer's world so I thought I'd give my writings a try too. I started writing when I was 15 but I had never published anything of mine. I am really flattered and awed by the response I've been given. and ever so thankful.  

n: how did you feel the first time you got featured? a: it wasn't all clear at first. I didn't really know what being featured meant. yep, I was that ...silly. I was also in Vegas and in the little time I had left to check my Tumblr, I noticed an unusual amount of likes on one of my pieces. "Ellie." then I found a message from Brienne congratulating me on the feature. I had to google what it meant to be featured... and then I was the happiest woman on earth. for me, it meant that my writing was worth, that someone out there thought it ought to be known. that awesome feeling is still there every time I get featured, I treasure every like and every feature dearly.  

n: do you have favorite last words? a: not really. I can think of many great quotes that I love but none are "last words"...  

n: on the subject of last words, do you have any (for this interview, anyway)?  a: yeah, I'd like to say that "my poetry may never rhyme, but the feelings that are portrayed in it come from the depths of my heart and because of that, my writing aims to relate to that amazing part of everyone, that achy part of our souls, where love is always given but also always needed." how about that, huh?  

x

#iwishiwasinnyc #middleofthenightdaydreams

[interviewprojects]

on the windy city, Ally Sheedy, and kin to raindrops on roses.

interview with sofia of sofia-swanson.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: have you lived in one place all your life?  s: I've been in Chicago for my entire existence, but where I feel at home has drastically changed. 

n: have you seen the breakfast club? s: indeed.

n: to which character do you most relate? s: I'd say I relate to Allison the most. she's more of an introvert and hides herself until she really gets to know someone, she has parent issues that have effected her emotionally, and she's really the first character to want to open up later on in the movie once she's comfortable, all characteristics I have.   

n: tell me four of your favorite anythings. s: the word whimsical, tea, when someone else makes you smile, organizing.  

n: do you drink diet soda? s: it doesn't matter to me.

n: what's your biggest pet peeve?  s: lying over the smallest of issues and not giving someone a chance to explain.

x

#sofiaswanson

[interviewprojects]

on the greatest milestone of 1997, the morality of summer finn's actions, and lyrical microbiographies.

interview with my love kelly l-y-f-d-l.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: what's an interesting event that happened the year you were born? k: my birth, duh. no, I'm kidding, but I honestly couldn't tell you, unfortunately. I'm uneducated in things like that.

n: what's the absolute worst quality someone can have? k: it's terribly hard to be into someone that lacks conversation skills. 

n: how do you take your coffee? k: I take my coffee black, like I take my men. heheh, jokes. 

n: did you watch 500 Days of Summer? k: I've probably watched it 500 times actually, yes. 

n: was Summer a total bitch, or? k: total bitch. if she didn't like Tom, she shouldn't have taken him to Ikea or had shower sex with him. plus, she breaks up with him over pancakes. I have bad experiences with pancake dates, they lead to no good. 

n: describe yourself to me with a song lyric. k: oh geez, gimme a couple minutes. currently, at the moment - "I'm getting used to it, I'm getting over it." from the song Proper by Into It. Over it. 

x

#lyfdl

[interviewprojects]

on beating dead horses, the brat pack, and reverse anxiety.

interview with alister macquarrie of a-macquarrie.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: what do you think is the most overused, outdone cliché in writing? a: ee, tricky. I mean break-up poems or songs often annoy me - there's only so many forms they can take.

n: write about that. a: everyone meets, and everyone parts; but not everyone is interested in the inner workings of your heart.

n: best John Hughes movie and why? a: confession: I haven't seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off. so, The Breakfast Club.

n: I haven't either. oops. TBC will always be the best anyway. what's your favorite color ink? a: no doubt. black is dull, but I like dull. maybe black. simple and clean. 

n: how have you changed in the past year? a: I've become even more used to being on my own, which I didn't think was possible, but then I didn't realise how much of university would be sitting alone in a really quite depressing room. but I think there have been positive changes too; I mean I feel more confident than I was a year ago, both in what I'm writing and in myself and I feel less need to rely on other people these days so, all of that.

n: do you think it's better to not rely on anyone at all? a: instinctively I want to say yes, but we have to rely on other people, and it's healthy that we learn how. I think self-reliance is always good, but we shouldn't be afraid of relying on other people. but not for everything, and not all the time. quite a mealy-mouthed answer.

n: define the word "regret." a: kind of anxiety, but backwards. the brain really has no business making us anxious over things that are in the past. I don't know what evolutionary advantage there is in that.

x

#amacquarrie

[interviewprojects]

on the study of life, consequent poesy, and bad lit knockoffs.

interview with december of maltraites.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: what's your favorite kind of science? d: gah, this took me forever to think about (and I was trying to word it right), but I’d say biology because it studies about different functions in animals and in humans. it’s like a  ”whats inside and whats outside” kind of thing. 

n: can you write me something about it? d:��yes, I can.

one cell, two cell a million cells formed nine months later, a life is born eyes that see, hands that touch mouths that speak, hearts that love much.

it’s kind of rusty, never really wrote about biology, haha. 

n: do you have a favorite sea creature? d: I love killer whales. I also like the fact that they stay with their mate for life, it’s so cute. 

n: worst book you've ever read? d: umm, Atonement by Ian McEwan. to me, it was almost like a bad remake of To Kill A Mockingbird. 

n: if you had to pick a superpower, what would it be? d: mind reading, definitely mind reading. 

n: when was the last time you met someone new? d: like a week ago. I was working at a local library in my area and I met a musician. his name was Aaron (if memory serves me correctly), he was interesting.  

x

#maltraites

[interviewprojects]

on the magic of growing up (and wizardry), concocting the basics, and reflecting on the thug life.

interview with jonathan of emmakidneystone.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: most profound thing you've ever read? j: as much of a clichéd answer as this is, I would have to say the most profound thing I’ve ever read was the harry potter series. I think that J.K. Rowling did such an amazing job creating such an intricate storyline and characters. I truly felt that I had grown up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione by the end of the books, and in a way, I had. 

n: describe your current state of affairs in five words or less. j: content, relaxed, & relentless swimming. 

n: what's the highest you've ever counted? j: hm, what an interesting question. I’d love to say that I’ve counted to a giant number but i’m far too lazy for that… I honestly have no clue haha.

n: can you cook? j: I’d like to say I can, but sadly, no. I can only cook the mundane foods such as sandwiches and macaroni and cheese, if that even counts! 

n: define "self-destruct." j: I tend to over-think things so for me, self-destruct means to cause desolation to oneself by their own doing. 

n: have you picked out a senior quote? j: yes, I have. it’ll be something along the lines of “I didn’t choose the thug life, the thug life chose me.” hahaha. :-)

#emmakidneystone

[interviewprojects]

on the cotton candy queen, imagined first kisses, and the relative distance between apple and tree.

interview with codie of indications.

conducted by allie gidcomb.

a: first things first, what made you fall in love with Katy Perry? c: growing up on rock and classical music, thanks to my parents, I'd like to say that sixth grade was when I changed a lot of my music taste. I can remember hanging out with a select few seventeen year olds that hopelessly "babysat" me every weekend. one day they started cranking up 'I Kissed a Girl' from a mixed CD in their garage and tried to teach me all of the words. I think I just felt badass that the whole concept of the song was about kissing the same sex. I wanted to hear more to 'fit in' with what I thought no one else could listen to at my age. I became so infatuated [with the song] that the girl ended up giving me her CD. a few days later I ended up looking her up everywhere I could. watching videos of her on talk shows and performing live. what I believe really got through to me was her ambition. to be different while other artists had stayed the same. she'd come off so confident in herself and that's when I knew that she was almost everything I ever wanted to be. she was beautiful, and used that to her advantage, but you could still tell how nervous and excited she got from time to time. she wasn't just another pretty dumb girl, like all of the girls I had known. her attitude reminded me a lot of myself, the side that no one got to see. I thought maybe we were one in the same. she was overall weird and quirky, but not afraid to show that. I loved how someone could have that much courage in themselves when I couldn't.

a: she's pretty phenomenal, is she not? have you ever had the chance to see her live? c: no, a girl could only dream. I remember getting super hyped for her California Dreams 2011 Tour, but then ended up missing it for a lousy soccer tournament in the rain. typical.

a: that's too bad. have you made any plans to see Katy Perry's Part Of Me 3D? c: of course. what fool wouldn't? dragging my best friend to the premiere when she holds nothing but hatred for Katy should only add to the excitement and fun. a: they're missing out. who knows, maybe by the end of the night they'll fall in love with KP too. alright now, on your other love: why do you think so many people diss tha Biebs [Justin Bieber]? c: I personally think it's because the media makes him out to be this hunky fresh teenager with thousands of age twelve girlfriends and a voice that will make you melt. if we're going to be completely honest, when I heard his first song on the radio, I mistook him for Kidzbop just like everybody else. many people can say that they hate him just for his squeaky voice, but I mean, like, what star has gotten that much hate their whole career for a 'girlish voice' besides Rebecca Black? to me it doesn't make a lot of sense. but to each their own. I just hope they don't forget that with everyone and their own comes an army of preteen girls.

a: oh boy. do you think you're anything like your mother? c: that answer is pretty infinite on both sides. my mother is one of those caring people; she is a kindergarten teacher after all, but she's got natural, motherly instincts. I guess that's the biggest difference between us. I choose not to feel sympathy for anyone, even my closest friends, because I just think its a lot easier for me. she could care — even foster — everyone and anyone as long as they haven't brought harm to me. she always needs to know people are okay, and if they aren't, well, she knows how to change that. it's like a natural instinct and I think that she's precious to deal with me. she is also very patient with people. I could never give so many chances to a person that's failed me time and time again, nor could I learn to try and teach something simple over and over to a clueless person. it's almost like she gets high off of the fact that people have become a better person with her help, but she doesn't like to hold it over their heads. the only thing I believe I got personality-wise from her was the way she can be very hypocritical. it's a vicious cycle but it shows bluntly on us both. I think, because she was so young when she and my dad wanted me, it's safe to say she's got some teenage essence left in her. she isn't one to do passive aggressive shit. she's a lovely person who blames herself for a lot of bad things that happen to me when she shouldn't. I guess that's why I blame myself for making these things pop into her head.

a: awww. I'm kind of tearing up. can you tell me where you see yourself ten years from now? c: I can see myself singing acoustically with my beat up guitar in some low key coffee shop, located on a corner just behind NYU where a small group of alumni go every day to discuss poetry and scenes performed during theater, that they fell in love with while eating scones and drinking black coffee with three packets of sugar. I can see myself already winning Grammy's and being on the Billboard chart for eight to nine years while making millions of fans who like the cute pop-rock stuff I've made into songs, even though I originally wrote that 'hit single' at the beach on a rainy day covered in half a dozen of Christmas (?) all because I had met a beautiful person. I could see myself settling down at the bridge of my career and then taking a break from tours and albums to live in a dusty New York apartment, baking really bad coconut snowflake cookies and spilling coffee on unfinished novels. I've written with the love of my life. I can see my nose being buried in a book every time I enter my own half-assed library, which is really just a bunch of different books stacked in different piles around a dully painted gray room. I'd probably really get into Sundance [Festival] films and wear sweaters every day. and without a doubt wear a different sweater every day. I can just see myself  really happy with someone that I love, and doing something that I love, no matter what that might be.

a: I think... that might be my favorite answer to that question. ever. last question, mon amie, can you describe your dream date to me? c: thank you! and this is going to sound cliché, but I've had this perfect idea set into my mind since I was eight. okay so: first off, it'd have to be a first date. must, must, must be! there's no denying that with awkward giggles and subtle blushes every few seconds your heart isn't totally pounding, and I want to be able to experience that with someone who's just as equally nervous as me. he/she would pick me up in their car and take me to a football game. whether it's their little brothers, best friends, or even theirs, we'd show up together. if its theirs, I'd root for them and tell everyone that they were mine when they scored a touchdown or made a great run. if it was someone else's, we would share an ICEE even though the winter weather was chilling us to the bone already, and when I would refuse to wear their jacket, they'd still put it around my shoulders, forgetting that the possibility of the players on the field hearing their teeth chatter was more likely than not. during the game we'd cheer at the top of our lungs and high five the strangers that sat around us. after, we'd hurry to their car and crank up the heat as high as it goes, even if it's only shooting out cold air. we'd turn up the volume to our favorite songs and pull into a little burger joint. there we would share fries, then finish our meals and have burping contests with our grape soda, despite the dirty looks we got from the one chef working there because we'd be the only two people there. we'd ask for change for a five and spend all our quarters getting Bratz stickers and bouncy balls. eventually our time would come to an end and when we pulled up to my house we'd share an awkward, yet perfect, kiss while still in the car and break into giggle fits because we may have accidentally tilted our heads the same way and bonked noses. so yeah. if that doesn't say a lot about me, I don't really know what will.

x

[interviewprojects]

on cheesy pasta, constellatory predictions and unhomewardbound trips.

interview with megan of ho-biscuit.

conducted by allie gidcomb.

a: if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be? m: oh, that's a loaded question since I'm big on the foods. I suppose if it was only one thing I'd go with mac'n'cheese, for sure.

a: yessss, mac'n'cheese is basically the most delicious and easiest to make food product ever. do you know your zodiac sign or anything about it? m:  I know I'm an Aquarius and they're generally known to be sort of 'foot loose and fancy free' which I can definitely relate to. but then I always see them  being described as the day-dreamer, and head-up-in-the-clouds type people, and I'm not really like that at all. so, I guess you really have to take those things with a grain of salt. but I can't deny always reading my horoscope in Cosmo.

a: I'm an Aquarius too, that's awesome. you couldn't really make me believe in horoscopes though. the relative positions of the sun and the earth at the time of your birth have no affect on your personality. I guess it's debatable to some people. now, if you could be any mythical creature, which would you choose?  m: ha, Aquarius' unite! wow, okay. I think I'd want to be something on the human side of things. I like living a life I can comprehend and remember. I think I'd be a mermaid; they have always fascinated me — from the Disney-fied types to the more mythical Sirens. they're lovely and they get to live in the water which is definitely something I could get stoked about.

a: what (or you know, who, because come on) gives you butterflies in your tummy? m: unfortunately I am very much between love interests at the moment and my cross country move, where I literally know nobody, is not at all conducive to meeting butterfly inspiring people. I guess as far as things that make my tummy flip goes: roller coasters, bridges, elevators and the occasional thunder storm.

a: do you like the new place you're in? m: I do! I have some family here so it's not like I'll be ass fending for myself or anything scary like that. I really wanted a change of scenery and to get out of my horribly small town so I came here to work and save up money and I can go to college (hopefully) next fall. It's an average of about 30 degrees colder than what i'm used to and I hear winters are brutal which will be a huge challenge for someone like me, who only saw snow for the first time four years ago... but I'm really excited about it overall :-D

a: it sounds like it will be interesting. this is, unfortunately, my last question: did you ever run away from home when you were younger? and do you remember why? m:  I'm sure I'm probably the only kid who actually never did! not even like a little ways down the street with your backpack full of oreos and lunchables for sustenance. I know when I would get really mad at my parents I'd be super grumpy in my room and plan it all out, like what I would do and where I'd go and what I'd take but I never actually went through with anything. :-p

x

#hobiscuit

[interviewprojects]

on young love, Jeff Winger and Leslie Knope-ifying breakfast.

interview with princess spikes of unattempts.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: who was your childhood crush? ps: a dude named Quindarious Jackson. 

n: are you familiar with the television show Community? ps: yes, very! 

n: who’s your favorite? ps: Jeff. 

n: why's that? ps: because I find him to be very attractive. 

n: aw, Joel McHale is so cute. how closely do you pay attention to people’s eyebrows? ps: none at all. 

n: what was the last book you were forced to read for school?

n: did you hate it? ps: no. 

n: do you put whipped cream on waffles? ps: yes. 

x

[interviewprojects]

on namesakes, imposed body alterations and Tina Fey's greatest masterpiece.

interview with ellie of s-trikingmatches.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: you're the second ellie i've interviewed in two days. is it short for anything?  e: it's short for Eleanor; my mom has always loved Eleanor of Aquitaine and thought she was a very strong and unique woman, and she wanted to name me after her. though, I've never really been a huge fan of the name; people tell me it sounds like a name a grandma would have. I was also taught to spell my name wrong in kindergarten, but that's besides the point. 

n: what are your opinions on the so-called "society monster"/the concept that people are overly and unhealthily influenced by unrealistic societal opinions and desires? e: to be honest, it isn't really something that I consider to be "new" or even "groundbreaking." people have always fed off of what the people around them are saying. it's the reason women would nip and tuck themselves into rib-crushing corsets every morning, and guys would try out for the football team even though they would have rather be in a cooking class. people, no matter where you are in the world, feel very vulnerable about going out of their comfort zone in one way or the other, and I think that does come about from the so-called "society monster." I think you need to have a very firm mind to go into depth with some of the ideas that society will throw at you though, and sadly there are people that fall prey to this "monster" everyday. but, to me, our culture has made a lot of progress back into an unconventional lifestyle. individuality is being celebrated a lot more now then it was, maybe 10 years ago where all you saw on magazines were 14 year old models with eating disorders. there have always been flaws in our society, it's just that we don't recognize the ones in history because we cannot relate to those sorts of problems and lifestyles. but what we make of what other people are telling us to do, I think will really define how comfortable we are with ourselves and others. 

n: what's your favorite movie? e: umm, it's a 6-way tie between Wall-e, Mean Girls, The Devil Wears Prada, Up, Easy A, and Back To The Future. 

n: I know that this is unprofessional, but I kind of want to kiss you right now. which of those have you seen the most times? e: haha, that's quite alright. ;-) probably Back To The Future the most, it's a family favourite. though, with the amount of Mean Girls gifs that I've seen on Tumblr... I've probably seen that one 1,000 times over. 

n: what's your dream career? e: ever since I was little, I always dreamed of being an actress. Like, An Actress; one that eeeeverybody knows and fawns over whether they want to admit it or not. much to my dismay, however, I can never seem to really get into school productions (I either have prior engagements or a torn ACL), and neither of my parents find it to be a "suitable occupation." followed by my own little series of unfortunate events, I've turned over to photography — which I like, so maybe something good will come out of our generations pitiful rubble of self-entitlement and polaroids and I will maybe be able to hold my own. maybe. (and owning my own cupcake bakery would be fucking chill.) 

n: I'd watch you/look at your stuff/eat your cupcakes. realistically, what do you see yourself doing? e: ohh, thank you! :3 probably photography still, or really anything in the arts. I know for sure that I don't want a serious job like a doctor or lawyer. I could never handle something like that; I laugh too much, and swear worse than a sailor. 

n: what's it like where you live? e: ...wow, now that I'm thinking about it, my town sounds like something out of a storybook. I live in rural Pennsylvania, in a tiny town of around 9,000. We have a Mars chocolate plant right in town, and every few days the air smells like brownie batter mixed with chocolate chips drizzled in heaven. every summer the week before school starts we have a big 5-day fair that everybody goes to; mainly just to walk around, see the friends you didn't get to see all summer, and drink The Most Fantastic Milkshakes Ever. we also pride ourselves on having a fucking plethora of pizza joints to hit up whenever your hungry; one of them is even a truck! :-D (like, no literally, we have seven pizza shops plus the pizza truck. beat that.) 

our football team sucks. ass. it's quite pathetic really, we can't even win our own homecoming game. miraculously though, every fall everybody shows up to the games on Friday nights. all of the "cool middle schoolers" — which is practically an oxymoron in itself — will hang out on this one hill by the far goal post and do God-knows-what. (I wouldn't know since I wasn't cool, so my presence never graced that hill.) the rest of us just walk around, ignoring the game, and eat these amazingly greasy cheesy fries provided by the local Catholic church. nothing too crazy ever really happens outside of school. every once and a while some kid will scribble a fake bomb threat on a bathroom stall and we get to leave school early. it's awesome. it's also rather ritual that on every half day everybody will team up with their friends and walk into town. if you're quick, you can call into the local Subway and pre-order your subs before all the other students get there and you have to wait an hour and a half in line for your lunch. then, most people will walk over to the local café and eat there. one member of the group will be hustled into buying some shit mocha drink so they don't get kicked out by the owner. other people will head straight to the local park and goof off on the swings and jungle-gyms. and that's pretty much the extent of it.

the craziest thing that's happened lately was a few months ago when the owner of a convenience store was arrested for selling pot and bath salts. it was pretty legit, they had to call in a SWAT member and everything. OH! and this year for the senior prank a bunch of dipshits spray painted giant red dicks on the side walk, and there was a $500 reward up for anybody that came forth and snitched so that they could be arrested. I don't think anybody ever did tell... we also have a small private college right in town. it has a lot of really adorably quaint houses built around it for the students to live in, plus the most gorgeous pond where you can go chill and throw bread at geese. 

in short, I love my town, just not the people in it. most of the kids at my school just don't care; they want to "get out" and they somehow figure that blowing off school and smoking pot until they fry their wasted little brains is gonna get them somewhere. we also have some random hick guy that drives around in his big souped-up Chevy blasting country music with a huge-ass Confederate flag blowing out the back of it. though, I guess that's just Pennsylvania...  

n: holy shit. I'm moving in with you. do you play any instruments? e: please, by all means do. this town needs some better people in it. <3333 I do, I do! I've been playing the violin since 3rd grade, so almost 8 years. I only started playing because my older sister played, and obviously being the younger sister I wanted to do everything she did. but she's stopped playing now, and I'm still at it. I've convinced myself that if I ever learn how to play Tchaikovsky's Valse Scherzo op.23 that I will be able to honestly die happy.  

n: okay, quick - sure or unsure? e: uh, er... I'm not really sure about what it is exactly that I am suppose to be sure or unsure about... but let's go with sure! we could all use a little confidence every now and then. :-) 

x

#strikingmatches

[interviewprojects]

on how to punish evil children, illusionary women and MTV's Teen Mom.

interview with kyle of dumb-it-d0wn.

conducted by allie gidcomb.

a: okay, here we go. :-) who, in your opinion, is the best musician of all time? k: Probably George Watsky because he uses a lot of different types of music on his albums.

a: ooh. he's a slam-poet too right? :3 alright i'm going to send you a video and you tell me your opinion about what happens in it? [x] k: yeah he does poetry too. as for the video, it’s awful. I don’t understand why, or really how, anyone can be that mean. I might understand if she were doing something to them but she was just sitting there. whoever was driving the bus should have done something because it’s not like they wouldn’t have realized what was happening. it’s really awful. 

a: it was pretty awful. oh god. it pissed a lot of people off to see that video. if you were the parents of any of those children what would your reaction have been? k:  probably lock them in the basement. :-p lol jk. I honestly couldn’t even think of a punishment that could properly get across the point I would try to make. nothing that is legal in this day and age, at least.

a: could you describe your dream girl to me (in detail)? k: someone with kinda puffy hair, bangs, colored is nice (red, blue, et cetera). I don’t mind undercuts. they have to be shorter than me by a few inches, no taller than like 5’4, 5’5. the more exotic colored eyes the better. I hate brown eyes. I really do. multicolored eyes are the best. I don’t really mind what type of fashion they wear, but I’m not really a fan of real fancy looking stuff. I’m laid back, as are my clothes, so that would be my preference. they have to be able to make me laugh. they need to have the same basic type of humor as I do. easygoing, easy to talk to, they need to be some amount of intelligent. if they don’t understand a word I use that’s at least high school level, then I can’t date them. I hate when girls play dumb to look cute. you look fucking stupid. they don’t need to like the same kind of music as me, that really doesn’t bother me. they can take playful teasing, and dish it out. I really just want a girl who can deal with me.

a:  woah. you've really thought about this, aww. how surprised would you be [with yourself] if your dream girl had brown eyes and was taller than you? k:  I would be surprised but it wouldn’t really bother me. it sounds cliché but the personality is really what matters to me.

a: personality will always be important to everyone, even if they favor looks (I think). clichés are clichés for a reason. true or false? k:  well there’s a quote from Watsky in “A Letter to my 16 Year-Old Self” where he says “but as stereotypes start with a grain of truth, clichés begin with a boulder.” so true :-)   a:  I like that. is there someone from the past you really miss and would like to locate? k: uhh. I would think that at some point I would want to locate my dad. not really at this point in time. but someday probably.   a: worst show on television and why? k:  teen mom. a large portion of that show is people yelling or crying (and I’m not talking about the babies). it’s just sad to watch.

a: MTV has had their fair share of shitty television to be honest. okay, and my last question is what are you most afraid of?  k:  if we’re talking feelings then disappointing people. I really am afraid of not being good enough or doing good enough for other people. if we’re talking normal fears then needles. that shit is scary. 

x

#dumbitd0wn

[interviewprojects]

on the king's death, mortal lovin', and feeling colorful.

interview with cry of theblueofmyoblivion.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: do you remember what you were doing when you heard michael jackson died? c: not really. :-/ I know I wasn’t doing anything that day. I’d never been a fan of him before his death (which is unfortunate because I love his music now) but I was shocked when I found out. 

n: sexiest mythical creature? c: well, according to myth, vampires are supposed to be sexy, but I personally see them as pretentious. I’ll be honest with you, I like (mortal) humans best out of everything because we’re so fascinating. I mean, we all know we’re going to die and that alone makes it a fact nothing, not even friendships or love or anything last forever. and that hurts. but we go after that anyway for our own selfish reasons. everyone’s way to go about it is different, and I love that. I know that sounds like a stupid answer, but all the mythological creatures are immortal, right? the invincibility takes away your reason for being who you are. you don’t have to show your true colors if you’ll never die. so I’ll always pick mortals. 

n: what do you think is the most important principle of psychology? c: I probably don’t have favorite principle of psychology. however, lately, I’ve been quite interested in the topic of mental disorders and psychoanalysis. 

n: what's the scariest movie ever? c: The Unborn scared me the most out of any movie, but that’s honestly probably because the movie has an eerie focus on twins and I am a twin. 

n: twins fascinate me. what's it like? c: it’s really not that special. my twin and I are separate people. however, you do get stereotyped. one time at Christmas, they gave my twin and me identical presents and I was so angry because everyone else got customized/personalized things to represent who they are, in a sense, and my twin and I got the same thing. I know that makes me sound ungrateful, but it’s a huge insult to your individuality. also, we don’t share the same friends or hobbies or even dress alike. the thing is, people (and the media, for some stupid reason) expect us to, and that’s what makes the life of a twin different. for me, anyway. 

n: so... you can't read each other's minds? c: haha, no, not that I know of, but you know what’s pretty cool? one year during state testing at school, the proctor sat with the door open in my room and peeked into the room where my sister was, and she said we were moving/doing the same way/things at the exact same time, in perfect unison. we have also spoken in perfect unison without trying before on multiple occasions. but that’s the closest thing to twin-telepathy we get. still, pretty cool, I’d say. 

n: how long have you known your best friend? c: I’ve known Lexxie since February 2011. I’ve known Brii since August 2010 but we never became best friends ‘til March 2011. and I’ve known LJ since July 2011. I’ve known Gomez since some time in seventh grade (about three years). I’ve known Kyle since April 2011. I’ve known Andrew since August 2011. that isn’t a long time to be best friends, I know, but they’re the first real friends I’ve never had and we don’t have lives other than each other. :-p I love them to death. they’re my favorite people. I’d give up Naruto, Johnny Craig, and even soda for them, which is saying a lot for me. 

n: is blue the most metaphorical color? why? c: I don’t know if I’d say that, but blue is my favorite color for things to be. (however, I’d say black was my favorite color in general.) but, if you were to give it a metaphor, I like blue the most because it does represent sadness. I would call myself a sad person, I suppose. But I also just like blue because it’s a cool color.

then again, people DO describe themselves as “feeling blue.” I’ve never heard of anyone feeling pink or red. 

x

#theblueofmyoblivion

[interviewprojects]

on escaping dilemmas, misleading lexemes and innate desires to skip town.

interview with cristina of d3rp-ina.

conducted by nicole delcore.

n: what was the the last book you read? c: the last book I read was Dead To You by Lisa McMann. it had a slow start. ... it was such a whatthefuck book.

n: how do you personally go about escaping your problems? c: I do a lot of things… I go out and play sports. one of the things I do a lot is zoning out, and just black out. it’s kinda bad though…. 'cause I tend to feel like I’m stuck in a dream in a neverending sleep. work out. I play guitar, and just….stay positive. problems are going to keep coming back in life. they aren’t going to stay there forever but they are going to stay for awhile, and based on the choices you make, they are going to get worse or be little bird shit problems that you could fix right away... make sure the ones I care about are free of their problems for sometime. I go and tell one person, it helps to talk it out, it helps to have someone listen to the bullshit, and say nothing, just nod, because they don’t know what it’s like to go though what you may be going through, but they will listen because…deep down they love you. or they are nosey, who knows. but out of all things I prefer to write it out. I don’t write my problems out anymore though, because all of my poems and pages I wrote were all crumpled up in a ball, and stuck in the hole in my wall. my dad patched up that hole a year ago… sorry, I’m kinda all over the place about this topic. I usually go about escaping my problems differently, each time.  

n: what’s your favorite word? c: pulchritudinous.

n: construct a sentence using that word. c: you are very pulchritudinous. it’s a big word for beautiful. I like it because it sounds as if you are describing something that is, well, unpleasing to the eye - but it means beautiful. everything is beautiful. well, mostly everything.  even big words that sound ugly! 

n: are you wanderlust? c: yesssssssssss. I want to get out of the small town I live in and just explore. I want to travel all over, like Europe, and Asia and Canada especially. I really want to go to Spain, I have family there so I want to go live with them…. but I just want to be an explorer, there’s a lot of things out in the real world I want to experience. 

x

#d3rpina