People I like.

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Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:17:53 -0400

Hey guys! I don’t post on this blog very often but I DO on Thug Life. So go forth and follow my adventures through rap and revolution HERE

Matt Gasda Age: 22 Profession: Writer, Poet, Private girls...

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:51:50 -0500

Matt Gasda

Age: 22

Profession: Writer, Poet, Private girls school debate team coach

Location: Brooklyn

I once sent Matt an enraged text telling him” You are a mess-up-life coach and I hate you.” I love Matt. Obviously I wouldn’t put him in my prestigious collection of people if that text was in fact true. But he definitely is a (temporarily) mess up your life sprite. He pushes people to the edge of the cliff they are too afraid to jump over and then rejoices with them the next day when they realize at the bottom was a big trampoline and now they are higher than ever. He gives amazing advice (that a lot of the time you don’t want to hear) and knows everything, not in an annoying way, but in the most endearing way where you feel more knowledgeable after being with him. Matt dresses like a 1950s Parisian, falls in love with every woman he meets and lives a wild passionate romantic existence that you normally only see in nostalgic silent films. He spends most of his time alone, only working one day a week and the rest reading in coffee shops, typing on his typewriter and eating a completely raw diet. He lives in a tiny room in Bushwick split three ways with a couple, and he sleeps on the couch sometimes because he’s a really nice guy. He is wildly creative and just published his first book of poems which you should buy so you can be like him and read it in a quiet East Village coffee shop while sipping on ginger tea. Its called The Humanist. “It is a collection, above all other things, about the primacy of the imagination over boredom, fear, and ultimately, death. The Humanist argues that a meaningful life is not something that we must construct out the void. Rather, it contends that meaning is given to us as children, and that it may be uncovered not in rational reflection, but in a deep awareness of our own memories and feelings.” -From Matt

Matt has changed my life in many ways and I consider him to be one of the magical people of the world that bring hope to the fact that true artists still exist in my generation.

Buy Matts book The Humanist HERE

Nick Pizzaloto Age: 23 Profession: Drummer and Graphic...

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:14:00 -0400

Nick Pizzaloto

Age: 23

Profession: Drummer and Graphic Designer

Location: Currently on tour with the band Moving Mountains

Nick is my super cute uber talented dorky friend that makes the best designs ever and has a ridiculously amazing eye for simple clean lines. He designed my kick ass logo that everyone compliments all the time. Back in the day we had a brilliant idea to start a greeting card company for kids that didn’t want to spend the time to make home-made cards for their family on the holidays. We liked planning more than making, and that idea only went so far as Nick making a really cool logo and name, Homesick Owl Cards and us staying up really late dreaming of being rich off of it. He is super organized and symmetrical and matchey, everything he owns is very ‘nick style” and you can always recognize his work immediately. Nick is a drummer in the epic-spacey-emotional-rocky-atmospheric band Mov Mou and is always on tour now so I never get to see him. He has seen me at my worst and when we were younger I used to call him every Saturday and Sunday morning to tell him of all my regrets from the night before so he could console me. He was the first person I walked across the Brooklyn bridge with (a couple other guys came too) and I would recommend him to anyone that needs some style to their brand or maybe just their site about unicorns.. he can make anything look cool.

His site is HERE and you should go there.

He’s also a really great tweeter.

Desdemona Dallas Meck Age: 24 Profession: Journalist,...

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:03:19 -0400

Desdemona Dallas Meck

Age: 24

Profession: Journalist, hula-hooper, professional traveler and festival attender

Location: I think Washington but last number she called from was Cali..

Dallas is one of the profiles I got really stressed about writing, she means so much to me it’s hard to do her justice in a little blurb. Dallas is my soul sister. We have lived in many of the same places at the same time and existed right next to each other but didn’t actually meet till I saw her on her long-board at SUNY Purchase my first year of college. Before we met, we danced on the same small stage while light beams and lasers shot through the fire around us and Benni Benassi pumped bass into a crowd of circus ravers. We even unknowingly lived around the corner from each other in Venice Beach, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Arizona, on and on obviously we were supposed to be friends. I’ve watched Dallas go from rocker, to activist, cowgirl, raver, hippie and now un-boxable and un-stoppable. She is truly another creature, a fiery earthy force, she is able to move through the world in a way most dream of, fluidly and magically. She attracts beauty and mystery everywhere she goes. Last time I saw her was at the Rainbow Gathering in Washington state and the entire day, everywhere we walked, every flower child grown up knew her and had some gift to offer her. The two of us spend our last night together puking and convinced we were going to die from eating bad brownies. She has lived with me many times at my Brooklyn casa in between her journeys and is always inspiring and grounding. She has wisdom that comes from someplace else, and reminds me of a an elven goddess from the lord of the rings but with crazier slightly sluttier and brighter colored clothes and jewelry. I love that we are able to always be best friends even though we live such different and far away lives. Someone write a book about this lady. Creative mama making the world more glittery and filled with fairy homes and rainbow confetti.

Seriously read her blog and discover a world totally different than yours HERE

Kevin Brady Age: 30, but really 22, but really 30.. who...

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:17:22 -0400

Kevin Brady

Age: 30, but really 22, but really 30.. who knows

Profession: Photographer

Location: Williamsburg

Kevin has a really sweet accent that makes me think he’s a surfer dude from Cali but he’s actually from New Mexico. We work together at a fun and hip photo booth company and have a bunch of fun making fun of people all day and getting hyped on caffeine. I consider him to be somewhat of a big bro, he has helped me prepare for presentations and gives excellent well thought out advice. He is literally the hardest worker I know and will go above and beyond to make sure the job is done and done in the best way possible. He’s kind of anal about having things a certain way, which is good, like his clothes always really match and his room is ridiculously organized and I’m pretty sure he must be somewhat of a Virgo. He is an amazing portrait photographer and you should look at his work HERE. Also, he is really obsessed with Instagram and photographs everything so I guess you should check his profile out HERE too.

Geneva Perezcastaneda Age: 25 Profession: Music...

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:08:00 -0400

Geneva Perezcastaneda

Age: 25

Profession: Music Journalist

Location: Brooklyn (but she’s married to LA and has a tattoo on her ring finger to prove it)

Geneva and I met the first week she moved to NY from LA and we were both assigned to cover a rock-show together for Filter Magazine. Her phone died before we could plan a spot to meet and neither of us knew what the other looked like but we had to find each other in a mass of 400 people lined up to get in. Geneva, being a bubbly and friendly Californian found me by introducing herself to every photographer there and finding out if they were named Jessica. Geneva’s sweet and innocent demeanor I first knew has has given way to a sassy Cuban, strong willed, genius, mastermind of writing that will beat you up if you suck and try to mess with her but will write an article about you that will boost your career into stardom if she digs you. She speaks 5 languages fluently, drinks root beer like its going out of style, writes moving pieces on hip hop musicians making a difference and gives girls everywhere a better name just by being her. This girl could accomplish anything, literally.

Dylan McDougle (DJ Fresh Direct) Age: Not...

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:10:00 -0400

Dylan McDougle (DJ Fresh Direct)

Age: Not important

Profession: DJ

Location: East Village

Dylan dropped out of the same college as me the same year but we didn’t end up meeting until we both lived in the city. Obviously, since we are both too cool for school, we hit it off, or I can’t really remember if we hit it off when we first met or if he just thought I was that annoying drunk girl at the club telling him he’s the best DJ ever for playing Alliyah. He is the best DJ ever and I wish I was more of a partier so I could hear him mix (but I normally fall asleep before he goes on). Dylan spends his days producing and recording with super famous cool kids and his nights mixing at places like Goldbar and Santos Party House. He’s incredibly sweet and bought me friend pickles in a basement burger place during our fun photoshoot in his hood. He comes from hippie parents like I do and seems to have a deeper sense of the world than most kids I’ve met in the club scene. Last we spoke he said he was moving home to re-examine his life and make sure he is headed in the best direction and doing it in the best way, I respect that. Cool kid, lots of talent, can’t wait to hear more of his stuff.

Check out his site HERE

Selena Coburn Age: 22 Profession: Dancer and Pilates...

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:36:02 -0400

Selena Coburn

Age: 22

Profession: Dancer and Pilates instructor

Location: Harlem

Selena shatters the stereotype for dancers in a million pieces and then break dances on top of it and throws it into the glass ceiling above women in general. She has been involved in non-profit work since high-school and runs her own which she doesn’t brag about ever. She is extremely passionate about helping other artists and creatives and I expect to see a huge world altering project come out of her brain by winter. She is pretty much running a pilates studio right now and knows how to strap people into torture machines for big bills, and also teaches little kids how to dance cool and stuff. She’s great and email her for private classes.

selenaecoburn@gmail.com

Tyler G Hall Age: 22 Profession: Being very funny… not...

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:28:52 -0400

Tyler G Hall

Age: 22

Profession: Being very funny… not sure what he actually does for work.

Location: Williamsburg

I met Tyler in Santa Monica at this trippy glow festival on the beach where we laid on pillows and stared at a ceiling projection of LA from a helicopter.. if he wasn’t actually on drugs the experience alone became one. Now he lives in Brooklyn, in fact he somehow managed to move into my dream home a year after I was supposed to rent it and it fell through, so I hate him a little for that but deep down I guess its cool cause I can go over there whenever I want. Tyler is the funniest person I’ve ever met. I know I’m a sensationalist, but this is for real. It’s in fact hard for me to listen to him speaking with out chuckling inside, I mean I’m sure he can be incredibly serious, like when he went to Harvard and had to be smart and fancy, I’ve just always seen him being incredibly smart and goofy. I think one day, probably soon, he will be famous for writing funny scripts for politicians or being a talks show host about retired peoples sex lives on NPR… not sure which.

His Hilarious blog:

http://tylerghall.tumblr.com/

Pete McHugh (Pete McAwesome) Age: 23 Profession:...

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:15:29 -0400

Pete McHugh (Pete McAwesome)

Age: 23

Profession: Musician

Location: Brooklyn, soon to be Israel

Pete is somewhat of an enigma. He kind of seems like an asshole when you meet him, or if you get on the other side of what he wants to happen - but he is indeed underneath, a very caring guy that strives for community and puts himself in leadership positions to help foster that goal. He is an incredibly talented musician and does cool weird musical projects that can be somewhat experimental for my warped tour taste but I always enjoy the experience. He knows a bunch about sacred geometry and I’m realizing typing this how little I know about him… enigma I tell you…

Check out his current musical project:

ELEMENO

White Blues aka Dave Theisen Age: 23 Profession: Mobile...

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:26:46 -0400

White Blues aka Dave Theisen

Age: 23

Profession: Mobile Journalist and Videographer for news station

White Blues was my boyfriends room-mate in college. He was/is the singer in White Blues and The Highway Shoes, what I consider to be art school boys with their shirts off wearing American flags singing country songs about getting fucked up and cigs and cars. They are truly epic. Blues is a journalist, a working one, crazy rare I know. He wakes up every morning at 4am and drives around the city shooting events for the news. He has a deep voice that is calming and commanding and all the women I know think he’s incredibly sexy (now single, hey ladies.) He is a handyman and gets shit done, last time he came over while I was busy making a drawing of strippers in crayons for my friends 70 somethingth birthday he asked if I had a wrench and then he fixed my chair. Great guy with great talent, musically and journalitically (new word).

Grant Watson Age: 22 Location: Brooklyn Profession: Account...

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:16:27 -0400

Grant Watson

Age: 22

Location: Brooklyn

Profession: Account Coordinator at Cornerstone/The Fader

I knew Grant all of last summer only on the weekends when I shot the Governors Island Converse shows and he interned for the events team that threw them. He was in NYC just for the few months of good weather (actually that summer was so hot we all died) and then after the end of his internship he went back home to Texas where I thought he would probably live forever. I was wrong, Grant decided to bite the Big Apple and now has a job doing what he loves- branding and marketing bands, has become a Brooklynite, and is now engaged and soon to be getting married!

Grant is an amazingly horrible rapper, an impressively bad Bushmills drinker and a wonderful human being that is super great at what he does and kind to everyone that encounters him.

Doug Roberts Age: 22 Location: Purchase NY Profession: Studying...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:34:27 -0400

Doug Roberts

Age: 22

Location: Purchase NY

Profession: Studying printmaking at SUNY Purchase

I think this pictures says it all. I love Doug.

Chase Bowman Age: 27? Profession: Cinematographer, Director of...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:30:36 -0400

Chase Bowman

Age: 27?

Profession: Cinematographer, Director of Photography

Chase is my idol. He’s cool and humble and will explain technical things to you in ways that make sense even though he’s like super famous and does videos for The Roots, and my new favorite band The Givers and has worked with Christopher Lloyd in one of his films, and shoots with anamorphic 35mm film while also owning the freaking RED camera. Chase and I met because we share a hippie clown that was both of our family friends growing up although Chase grew up on the East Coast a bit before me and then the clown moved West and was my families friend in AZ. The two of us come from similar hippie alternative backgrounds and I had heard about him for years before I moved to LA and met him while he was on vacation there. He has the coolest friends (the LA ones became my friends while I lived there) and when we both lived in NY I got the opportunity to go to this super hip potluck at his place in Brooklyn where my friend and I bought a pumpkin pie at the bodega and said we made it cause everyone there had made some cool vegan dish…

Chase is an exceptional artist and super friendly and one of the last redheads so he is already really special. He just moved away which sucks and he gave me an awesome old Polaroid camera which I need him to come back to teach me how to use.

Check out his work and hire him:

http://chasebowman.com/

Heather Craig Age: 24 Profession: Video Artist and...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:17:00 -0400

Heather Craig

Age: 24

Profession: Video Artist and photographer

Location: On tour with Porches Band

Heather is the cutest toughest videographer I know and she quit her amazing job to pursue her dream to make a documentary about the communities of people that support touring artists and the musicians that risk everything to make their tour happen. She’s currently roaming around the US on a short bus filled with sweaty large smelly men (that are also wonderful) living on a budget of nothing spit 8 ways between everyone traveling with them and surviving the many adventures and mis-adventures of breaking down in the desert, sleeping on wood floors, driving through heat that makes old people die and being the only girl in a group of boys.

I respect this chicks everything. She is the real deal. She’s what most artists claim to be.

Links:

Heathers Website

Ege Soyuer Age: 25 Location: Brooklyn Profession: Graphic...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:58:00 -0400

Ege Soyuer

Age: 25

Location: Brooklyn

Profession: Graphic designer (also amazing photographer)

The first time I really got to hang out with Ege was when he offered up his parents house for a shoot I was doing of a sculptor (our mutual friend) in between two naked Asian girls in his parents bed. The day was filled with more alcohol than I had imagined, as per the models requests, me almost falling off a ladder numerous times while holding my camera, and Ege being extremely care giving and calm, letting us rearrange the entire room, putting fragile objects into precarious positions and then making the whole crew lunch.

Ege is one of those super visual people that are extremely good at many different types of art. Although he doesn’t consider himself a photographer and when I tell people he is he denies it, he is so much better than most of the pros I know. He’s got a great eye and everything he shoots comes out raw and grainy and fabulously darkly mysterious and makes me think he’s way edgier than he seems.

He probably doesn’t like the picture I used because I told him it wont look girly and that I was cropping out him holding the flower, but I like it all frilly and whatnot and couldn’t bring myself to chop off anything. ;)

Links:

Personal website

Tumblr

Flickr

http://ihardlyknowher.com/ege

Matt Gaffney Age: 23 Location: On tour, probably Brooklyn again...

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:46:00 -0400

Matt Gaffney

Age: 23

Location: On tour, probably Brooklyn again after that

Profession: Drummer and current NYU music masters student

Matt was my first drum teacher, well he only gave me one lesson, and I haven’t taken a class since then so he was also my best teacher. Matt’s super goofy and sometimes everything that comes out of his mouth sounds like snoopy to me but he is an incredibly serious drummer and is considered the best to have come from our college which is where we met. He is super connective and one of the best listeners I know, actually one of the few since most of us are talkers. He is so ridiculously giving and nice if he likes you but if you piss him off he is not so nice, which I think makes him even more endearing.

Links:

The band he is currently on tour with

Juliet Orbach Age: 22 Location: Brooklyn, sometimes LA, recently...

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:12:00 -0400

Juliet Orbach

Age: 22

Location: Brooklyn, sometimes LA, recently Alaska

Juliet and I lived together last summer, the worst summer of my life, the hottest summer in history, the summer we spent our nights on my bed covered in frozen towels with all the fans from the house surrounding us, still sweating. So, our bodies and souls are now perma-mended from the many days of heat induced hallucinations. Juliet has been a big part of my life here in NY and we have gone on many adventures together including one in a stretch limo on New Years in San Fran when we couldn’t find another ride to a Christmas ornament factory for a random companies party.

Juliet is a sculptor, a performance artist, a photographer and the best fucking beet cooker in the world. Her artwork is conceptual and intelligent in a way that sometimes takes me a day to understand but when I do I’m always utterly impressed by her thought process and rigorous work flow. She can literally do anything at all and has taught herself programming, woodworking, how to wrap yourself up in rope and hang from it in weird ways etc. She has a commanding and grounded presence that is calming and artistically inspiring.

I think Juliet is one of those rare people that come into this world on a serious artistic mission and I’m very interested to see how all of her many talents come to play out in her nomadic and earth mama life.

Tim Brunet Age: Cant figure it out. Location: Los Angeles...

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:55:00 -0400

Tim Brunet

Age: Cant figure it out.

Location: Los Angeles California

Profession: Visual Artist

Tim should be on TV, He’s got a great story about everything and anything you could ever think of and they are all true, I think. I feel bad I might have laughed at too many of his not-jokes, but everything he says just sounds so much more humorous than when other people would say it. I met Tim while walking down a steep hill over hollywood Blvd from a friends birthday party which I had just missed. After hitchiking with my friends and I he led us to late night salvation of protein style/animal style double double burgers and extra crispy fries at iN & OUT and we all fell in love with how cool and funny he was and had such a blast that we ended up planning to meet up the following morning for another adventure. The next day he took us all to a secret beach in Malibu and showed us where to get the best tri-steak sandwhiches i’ve ever had and brought sangria and a boombox. He does kick ass visuals for big events like The Electric Daisy Carnival and has created his own ploitical system which will one day take over. He has brilliant ideas about musician utopias and what 5 bands would make the best show on the beach ever and I’m waiting for him to come to Brooklyn so I can take him to this secret beach I know, Coney.

Links:

Not yet, but soon The Visualante will have a website

Ali Longo Age: I think she’s 21 now Location: Crown...

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:09:47 -0400

Ali Longo

Age: I think she’s 21 now

Location: Crown Heights Brooklyn NY

I met Ali on my 21st birthday, a day when I had 4 birthday parties happening at 4 different locations throughout a mile radius (I never showed up at one, and had blueberry vodka dumped on my head by a jealous girl at another… different story) Anyway, I found out Ali didn’t go to my school but soon she would come every weekend with a bottle of Whiskey in her hand which she would finish without chaser in a matter of hours, which I learned that fateful cold January night. Ali is a tiny, introspective and adorable chick with a fiery attitude and a family of Gothic musicians. She designs costumes, makes vegan pies, sings like an angel, and knows everything there is to know about Moonies.