ethics, photography, the way of nature, urban planning, writing, "economics" i.e. Economists monopolizing all human transactions as a vanity project - by giving it the name they give themselves, architecture
I want to play oh hell with Bill Clinton. I'd like to have a conversation with Bruce Springsteen. Rocco Siffriedi probably has some interesting things to say because he's passionately insane. Robert Rauschenberg. Irving Penn would have some great tips about how to handle going as far with your vision as possible, while Helmut Newton would be instructive in how to exist as a successful photographer. I imagine Eugene Richards would simply be a cool guy to hang with - and someone you'd never expect to be sharp as a tack. Roy Lichtenstein might be dry to hang out with, but what he accomplished I have always found amazing - so I wouldn't mind helping him work for a day. Bob Dylan is phenomenal, but I wouldn't want to degrade myself trying to get to him. Vaclav Havel would be a good person to talk to, while truly - in the depths of depths - the former economist Sebastian Salgado would have to rank very high for need of a conversation. I would like to meet the East Coast of Latvia and Estonia and Yulia - the former prime minister of Ukraine is the ideal of a beautiful, on it older woman. Oh. And I musn't forget TC Boyle. I have no idea if he's as fun to hang with as his books imply, but damn - that guy knows America better than all the Infinite Jesters, Corrections and all that crap put together. I did meet Al Franken the other month and I look forward to meeting Keith Ellison, the kick ass Muslim black dude that is going to represent our District in Washington DC. And of course Malcolm X, along with a host of European socialist scholars, along with Thomas Frank of What's the Matter with Kansas - Lou Barlow of the Folk Implosion, he's a smart survivor and out classed J.Mascis all over the freakin' map, I love his underdog spirit. Back to Europe - I'd like to meet Mitterand and particularly, Putin - what he is able to do in his head is amazing. Don't play Chess with the Russians reminds me that After the Empire's Emanual Todd of France would be an interesting guy to speak to. Jim Hightower fulfills an important function as do a lot of the people at the forefront of the sustainablity movement and who study farming as culture, rather than business, like Wendell Berry for example. And can't forget the Beehive Collective in my homeland and Common Courage press, also from the homeland - important people at the forefront. I'd love to meet Bush too - because that bitch has taken up SO much of everyone's time and thoughts and he needs to be shown just what a pain in the ass him, Cheney, Rove and the rest of the liars have been. Can't forget Tim Robbins, Jennifer Connelly and George Clooney. Not to mention the person who invented the clothespin, and the German industrial designer who designed the Canon T90 back in the 80s, thank you for your good work. Were it that film cameras had a place in todays world, I'd like to lay light on physical film again, it's more satisfying. Long day and longer night with Tom Waits.
historically: indy rock. currently: hiphop+club, eurotechno, bhangra
Fargo; Paris, Texas; Requiem for a Dream; 25th Hour; Drugstore Cowboy; Clockwork Orange; The Player; Fish Called Wanda; Z; Battle of Algiers; Wages of Fear (~1951); Tout de la Suite; Zoolander; Bowfinger; Undercover Brother
What's that?
The Tao of Health, Longevity and Sexuality; The Way of Life; The New Yorker; Harpers; TC Boyle; Dostevsky and Tolstoy currently.
Walker Evans; Anton Corbijn; Sebastian Salgado; Malcolm X; Duchamp; Jean Cocteau; Robert Rauschenburg; Beethoven; Mozart; Paul Wellstone; many 20th C. Artists