What I read in 2022
Believe it or not, I read 112 books in 2022. Many were fantastic, but not all of them. I’ve taken my lists from past years off this site, but I’ve decided to add this list here for old time’s sake.
Category: Biography
Narrative Bio
I’ve been writing and creating across time and space between Maine and Washington for the last two decades. I live on Duwamish and Coast Salish land, and work at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland.
Questions with Rob McLennan
Today I’m very grateful to ongoing collaborator Rob McLennan, who invited me (back in January) to respond to his question prompts, “12 or 20.” I don’t often share much about my creative process apart from a few close friends, and Rob’s questions allowed me to dive in. You can read the questions (and see a fun image of me from the Olympic Peninsula) here.
The Start of 2020 in Media
How to begin the year 2020 in my consumption patterns? With a footnote that says, this is how I begin: Games The Outer Worlds, Plague Tale: Innocence, Life is Strange 2, and Call of Duty (this last one is for a very special project that will hopefully send the new decade into a more critically-thinking space). Music Roxy Music, Taylor Swift, Swans, Stereolab, Sonic Youth, Ritchie Valens, Ricky Martin, Prince, Prefab Sprout, Jimi Hendrix, Jim
My Favorite Albums from 2019
I listened to 215 albums in 2019. Incredible, really, now that I’ve been able to track the albums I listen to and find appropriate ways of listening to them. They weren’t all released in 2019, of course, but many were. Below you’ll find my favorite albums that came out last year. This is a new type of post for me, so feels a bit basic, but I have the data, so why not share it?
On Harm and Abuse: A Reflection on My Past
This post is meant to serve as a personal reflection and a relatively-public expression/acknowledgment of my violence, harm, and the abuse I committed between 2014 and 2016. It is only a partial exploration, one that has had precursors and will continue indefinitely as long as I am still alive and thinking. Please email gregbem @ gmail.com if you are inclined to communicate about this.
Ten Years Ago
“I was in a band.”
“Profile of an Anarcho-Leftist, Poet/Librarian, Gentrifier” by Paul Nelson
Friend and nearly-neighbor Paul Nelson recently interviewed me about all sorts of things, as part of a series for the South Seattle Emerald. I wholeheartedly approve of the piece, which is found here. Additionally, visit this page on Paul’s site for the audio recording of the interview, and other fun additions. Many thanks to Paul for taking the time to think I was a good person to profile!