Favorite Things Of 2012

OMG. I just realized 2012 might've been the best year of my life--socially, writing-wise, happiness levels, etc. 

In no particular order, here are a bunch of the coolest things of my year:

Big Big Mess Reading in Akron with Layne, Christopher, and our country-sensation/hype woman Ashley. Started some of the most interesting and solid friendships of the year.

AWP Chicago, especially the Lit Party.

Over The Top Reading Tour. Again, solidified/kick-started some stellar friendships.

My summer road trip, pretty much everything about it, but especially: 

• Megabus trips to Chicago/ATL
• Having a bald eagle fly over me as I was kayaking Lake Monroe
• Hang-time in Tuscaloosa, including hoola-hoops, group writing time, and juggling
• Seeing the Katy Perry movie with Laura
• The Vouched ATL birthday bash
• King of the Hill night with Michael Straub
• Walks with Pinky
• Getting a tattoo in Akron with Ashley
• Reading in Kleinberg's basement/opening for a metal band
• Bro time with my actual brother
• Being at the final day of the World Disc Golf Championships in Charlotte
• A week at the beach with Layne 
• Seeing Japandroids in Chicago with Kleinberg

Favorite album of the year: Celebration Rock by Japandroids

Other favorite albums: Now Here's My Plan by Bonnie Prince Billy, Baptist Girls by Bro. Stephen, Savages by Bonesetters (Okay it was late 2011), Attack on Memory by Cloud Nothings 

Favorite book of the year: Bender by Dean Young

Other top books: The Collected Works Vol. 1 by Scott McClanahan, Sermons and Lectures Both Blank And Relentless by Matt Hart, Madness Rack and Honey by Mary Ruefle, the two chapbooks by Nick Sturm, The Map of the System of Human Knowledge by James Tadd Adcox, I Take Back The Sponge Cake by Loren Erdrich & Sierra Nelson, What Is Amazing by Heather Christle

Check out my list of my favorite small press stuff at Vouched

Regular e-mail chats with Ashley Farmer, Mike Young, A.T. Grant, and several more.

Regular poems dropping in my inbox from Zach Arnett, Nick Sturm, Wendy Xu and more.

Seasons 2 and 3 of The Voice

Taking over as Associate Editor for Magic Helicopter

My first Ace!

Reading at the Forklift, Ohio Pool Party

Weekly Elwood Disc Golf League

Playing in my first PDGA sanctioned disc golf event

Winning the Pank 2012 1000 Awesome Words contest, judged by Michael Martone

Having Tiny Hardcore Press publish my chapbook, Goodness Is A Fine Thing To Chase

Layne becoming my girlfriend!

Moving out of my parents house!

THEY CALL ME THE BUMP

I put this record on and I wanna drink whiskey and high-five pals and stomp my feet. What I am saying is that this is a great record post-bad-shit-that-looked-like-good-shit. I saw the light. And I ran like a fool. Records for me as a whole are about that booyeah moment where alone or not I wanna holler YES THANX. It is like when I was a silly fifth grader and I finally pronounced my Rs right and finally I could say Rachel’s name! You ask me if I love you. Don’t ask a question with such a funny word. That is one of my regrets, not telling that girl at age ten what was up. Also, bunkering up in my sorrow bed the last few weeks, never learning an instrument in that best period of life for such things TEENHOOD, being an idiot to my ex-wife like all the time a lot of the time. LETS ALL GO TO THE BAR. We need to admit that is okay advice sometimes. Speaking of which, I listen to this album and the lyrics are more straightforward than other Deer Tick albums and I know that is all right. Heavy is heavy. Sadscary is sadscary. And the devil is living in my basement. I’m trying hard to hide him from my wife. Hey man, the idiot was in my attic, but whatever. I get it. Sometimes, I crave for that old friend to yell STOP BEING SUCH A PUSSY in my face. Loud enough to hear! Louder please! I can’t hear. I can’t use my ears. Miss one speech and you’re uninformed to tears. This album has been unshuffling my cards for a while. not in that fix it! kind of way, but in the live it! way. Drugs and terror, which ones better? Oh and check out that cover art. Gorgeous in that rad way that screams I AM GONNA. You give me something to brag about. I said Ludacris made me feel tougher. I say Deer Tick makes me feel rambunctious and rowdy and somehow more sincere. I need that. Sometimes I’m a chair in a bar that no one sits in because it is so close to the door. I cut my way to the back of the line and I found you. I heard Deer Tick for the first time at Village Green Records, another place with a heavy door to the wind. Travis says you will like this. And I did! I’m not gonna stand around playing make believe. I didn’t buy it but yes I should have right then. I think I was hanging with my ex-wife (and already said how I behaved mondo lame, another lighter example). When I finally bought it I was hanging with another cute blond I thought would go WOW THIS RECORD but she liked that country station my dad bobbed his head to until he discovered that big classic country box set. We could be our invention, running from letting go. I think I wanna talk about this record as an example of who I am today March 8^th, 2012. I’m on a dating site and I kind of wanna write LISTEN TO THIS RECORD (along with Stale Champagne by State Champion, We Make Our Own Luck by In The Face Of War, and Recovery by Away With Vega, not to mention read these poems blah blah) to know who I am. I need you to make me shout. That line should be on there too. I’m tired of being anxious and lame and a sitter. Someone I think is the knees bees told me I was a charmer. I think she misspelled idiot. I hope she misspelled PERSON I LIKE LOTZ. Maybe GET IN THERE MAN. My therapist is making me write a list of what I want in a woman. Someone to make me warm and loud at once. Come on Miss K., wrap your lovin arms around me.

MIKE ADAMS MIKE ADAMS MIKE ADAMS

I'm a huge fan of Mike Adams: guitar/vocals for Husband&Wife (makers of one of my favorite albums of all time: Proud Flesh), one dude of XRA Records (REAL GOOD DIY LABEL), and guitar/vocals of Handbook For William (that silly fun band from my high school days).

AND NOW THIS, OSCILLATE WISELY, HIS SOLO ALBUM, PLAYIN SOME SERIOUS ROCK JAMS

I'm a huge fan of thoughtful lyrics, catchy jams, and a little fuzz. GOT IT.

Don't You Blanket When That Happens

To this end, I do not have to know.
It's all in fun, but gets so personal.
I know it so well I could quote it to you now.
It's fading
fast and we'll see if I care on the day it's gone.
This old world has tried to tell us 1000 times...
we'll lay in wait and carve out a better space.
I love it when that happens.
Too fast to climb, too far to fall,
when it turns out we need it all along.
Will this end?
It seems I have to know.
It wasn't then, but now I'm volatile.
I know it so well I could quote it to you now.
It's changing fast but we'll see if I'm dead on the day it's gone.
This old world has tried to tell us 1000 times the burden's great, but it's worse when you're out of shape.
I hate it when that happens.

I bought this album for Sara for her birthday. WHAT A GREAT IDEA.