CURRENT MISSION

learn, grow, enjoy, contribute

ABOUT ME

I was raised in three different small towns in New Jersey and am currently a college student and poet in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I write poetry and collaborate with other local artists on performances. I've been hosting D.I.Y. shows and poetry readings at my house and other venues for the last couple of years. Lately, I've been getting particularly into sound poetry. I love anything with a touch of the weird. I'm very inspired by some of the art that I'm aware of coming out of Iceland right now, which is the main reason I wanted to visit Reykjavik. I'm hoping to meet people who are involved in making and proliferating art (particularly experimental music/performance) and get inspired!

Community is very important to me. I've found that sharing food is one of the best ways to strengthen bonds between any group of people, and so I love cooking for people! Ideally, I'd only use responsibly-sourced ingredients. I feel that we derive both physical and spiritual nourishment from the things we eat, and there is a lot of violence in our conventional food systems that I don't want to ingest.

PHILOSOPHY

I believe that the best thing any of us can do is give love to each other. My goal is always to increase positivity in whatever situation I find myself in.

While sometimes, in close relationships, conflict is important, it should always be used as a tool of compassion and growth. I believe that we are all connected and valuable, that we all have something to contribute. In my life, I want to honor myself, the earth, and everybody else living on it. I also want to form real, important, close relationships with people. That's really the most valuable thing, right?

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I want to discover and get involved in new creative communities. Are you a poet/musician/performer? Let's collaborate! Show me your favorite places to perform or see a show, and I will show you mine!

My roommates and I welcome performers from all over to our home. We will promote a show for you, cook a meal, gather donations for your travels, and host you on either a futon or an air mattress on our floor. We love experimental, genre-bending performances and weirdos!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I haven't had a lot of experience using this website yet, but I recently went on a poetry tour which involved a lot of sleeping-on-strangers-couches. It was a fantastic experience. My roommate and collaborator and I hopped on with a band from Virginia and drove with them from Milwaukee to Seattle, WA.

I've also hosted a lot of performers and cool folks in my own house. We always have a great time, sharing food, stories, ideas and creativity.

Interests

Community, collaboration, poetry, sound art, performance art, experimentation, food, low-impact living, health, magic, beauty, people, etc!

• arts
• poetry
• performing arts
• beauty
• dining
• cooking
• yoga
• meditation
• gardening
• reading
• socializing
• magic
• music

Music, Movies, and Books

I don't like making these kinds of lists, because I always feel anxious about including everything, or making an accurate portrait of my taste, or making myself look cool or whatever. I've talked a bit about my taste in art stuff elsewhere in my profile. Besides that, I like a lot of the same silly movies everybody else likes (especially 80s high school comedies, like Heathers for example), and rock-n-roll (though I'm not into super-aggressive hardcore stuff), and books that do things you didn't know you could do with written language.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Reading poetry to drunks on a dock in Seattle. Following a wild horse to a waterfall in Hawaii. Soaking up the sun on a lake in Wyoming. Participating in a structured group around spirituality in Chicago. Sleeping in a haunted house on an abandoned fairground in South Dakota. Every single walk by the Milwaukee River.

Teach, Learn, Share

First of all, that description of Couchsurfing University gets pretty close to my ideal world. Things I'm interested in talking about: herbal medecine, holistic health, yoga, meditation, organic farming/backyard gardening, techniques for making sound art, artists who inspire us, group dynamics and building functioning communities, co-operative structures, shamanic spiritual practice, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States