AGE: 26.
OCCUPATION: Librarian.
RESIDENCE: Mystic.
BORN, RAISED & GREW UP IN: Mostly Westerly.
RIGHT NOW I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF: Writing a book called "Diva," exploring gay history, my favorite singers, and how music can be a site of refuge and community. By writing a book I mean I have like five sporadic essays. But that’s still the middle!
I AM COPING WITH LIFE IN THE AGE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BY: Video chatting with friends as often as I can. Writing in my journal. Drawing. Hikes. Music.
MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: This summer I answered reference questions by mail for incarcerated people in prisons across the country. Incarcerated people have severely restricted access to information, especially during the pandemic. Most of the letters I answered were from people due to be released soon looking for help finding jobs, housing, and other social services. Go to sentencingproject.org for more info about mass incarceration in the United States and its racial disparities. The organization OpenDoors in Providence does a lot of work to support formerly incarcerated people in Rhode Island.
TOP ON MY BUCKET LIST: Publishing a book ... and traveling ... and learning Spanish.
I ALWAYS CARRY: A black pen. Either a G2 Pilot or a 0.7 Sharpie S-Gel if you want to get specific.
WHAT I WANTED TO BE WHEN I GREW UP: A lot of science-related things, actually. Astronomer, marine biologist, meteorologist, veterinarian, geneticist.
MY HEROES ARE: Hometown heroes? Anne Barnhart, who somehow manages to show up for everything her students do and leaves a trail of goodwill everywhere she goes; Melanie Desantis, who is always blooming the change she wants to see in the world in chaotic good fashion; and Kayla Kennedy, who has spoken out about what’s important to her with more conviction and strength than anyone I know.
FAVORITE AUTHORS: (A-Z): James Baldwin, Joan Didion, Kiese Laymon, Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Mary Oliver, Morgan Parker, Tommy Pico, Claudia Rankine, Adrienne Rich ... among many others.
BOOKS ON MY NIGHT STAND: "Thick and Other Essays," by Tressie McMillan Cottom, and "How to Write an Autobiographical Novel," by Alexander Chee.
TOP THREE SONGS ON MY PLAYLIST: That depends on the playlist!
LAST THREE SONGS I SELECTED ON SPOTIFY: "Sable on Blonde" by Stevie Nicks, "You Sent Me Flying" by Amy Winehouse, and "telepatia" by Kali Uchis.
FAVORITE THREE MOVIES OF ALL TIME: "Pan’s Labyrinth," "Kill Bill," and "Black Swan."
FAVORITE TV SHOWS: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The L Word," and "Veronica Mars."
FAVORITE RADIO STATION/SHOWS: I don’t really listen to the radio.
TOP COMFORT FOOD: A big bowl of noodles and veggies.
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES I USE MOSTLY: Instagram.
TRAITS I MOST ADMIRE: Honesty, bravery, initiative, and a little bit of attitude.
PET PEEVES: Just wear the mask. It’s a piece of fabric and a lot more comfortable than a respirator.
FAVORITE QUOTATION: “Until we know the assumptions in which we are drenched, we cannot know ourselves.” –Adrienne Rich
MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT OUR LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD: Staring out across the ocean, especially on a clear night. It’s a beautiful place to live. I worry about how climate change will impact this place.
CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: A hot shower in the morning. I could if I had to, but it’s one of the privileges I’m most consciously grateful for.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: I used to have a black belt in karate.
BEST ADVICE I EVER RECEIVED: “Think idealistically but plan logistically.”
ADVICE I BEST LIKE TO GIVE: “You should write about that.”
IF I RULED THE WORLD I WOULD: I don’t know about world ruler — sounds suspicious. But I would like to wave a magic wand that made people think deeply about why they believe what they believe and what kinds of agendas those beliefs serve.
IF I WON THE LOTTERY, THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS: Pay off my student loan debt and the student loan and/or medical debt of all my friends and many other talented and driven young people who will never be free to offer all they have to offer to this world because they’re indebted from seeking an education or medical care.
I DRIVE A: Black 2013 Hyundai Accent with a semi-operational trunk library of books you can view on beyondthestacks.libib.com
I WISH I DROVE A: Broomstick.
ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE: Iced coffee.
IF I COULD INVITE ONE SPECIAL PERSON TO JOIN ME FOR DINNER AND CONVERSATION, I WOULD INVITE: Right this second? Probably Nina Turner, who is running for Congress in Ohio. I hope she runs for president one day.
— Interview arranged and edited by Nancy Burns-Fusaro
The Link LonkJanuary 31, 2021 at 08:40AM
https://www.thewesterlysun.com/lifestyle/in-the-easy-chair/in-the-easy-chair-with-erik-caswell/article_bb487fda-4ea7-11eb-99d4-1bcaf668960c.html
In the Easy Chair with Erik Caswell - The Westerly Sun
https://news.google.com/search?q=easy&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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