GOOD GIRL Q&As round two: but then again, cake
in round two, touch dominates and we're reminded that some of us are just born ahead of the curve. today, feel accomplished with Kelly Lorraine Andrews, Devika Sen, Claudia Bokulich, Andrea Blancas Beltran, and Kristin Økland.
what's your strategy for pulling yourself out of a terrible, no-good, very bad day?
KLA: I’m a firm believer in eating one’s feelings. my favorite coping foods are salted caramel gelato and Sour Patch Kids. I also enjoy rage-napping and shopping for houses online that I can’t afford. if all that fails, I watch the 2015 Christmas episode of SNL with Ryan Gosling - shit makes me laugh the whole time, every time.
DS: treating myself to dinner is always a good pick-me-up after a bad day, but if I’ve learned anything it’s that sometimes after a rough day you just need a hot shower and good night of sleep.
CB: going to my favorite bar for a couple beers. I need to be around people. it mostly pulls me out of a funk, with the occasional exception of making things worse...
ABB: put on Prince or Janelle Monáe and dance.
KØ: I tend to 'Internet window shop' a lot when I'm feeling down.
which of the traditional five (six?) senses are you most driven by?
KLA: sound is incredibly important to me as a poet and person. I’m attracted to lyric and rhythm in writing, people who have interesting voices, I’m attracted to the way words slide together, and discovering ways to make my body an instrument.
DS: I’m definitely most driven by my sense of touch. throughout my childhood and even until now I’ve always had to do things with my hands — origami, crochet, knitting, etc. now a lot of my work is process-based, and printmaking is labor intensive. I’m constantly using my hands, whether I’m pulling ink across a screen or creating tiny, tiny details with an x-acto. I also love experimenting with different textures. I think that being able to feel art is really important to experiencing it.
CB: I just got over a cold and couldn't taste a damn thing, so I have a newfound appreciation for my tastebuds and everything delicious. but what's life without touching and being touched?
ABB: taste.
KØ: I am a very visual person in terms of how I learn best, but then again, I also really like cake. tough choice.
what's your first memory of accomplishment as a kid?
KLA: I have a terrible memory, especially when it comes to childhood. but one distinct memory I have of feeling accomplished was after a summer of participating in the Pizza Hut book club. I was probably 7 or 8 years old, and I used to keep a numbered list of all the books I read in a spiral notebook. one summer I logged 100 books. I wish I still had that notebook. I can’t even imagine what other neurotic things I recorded in it.
DS: I think my first memory of accomplishment was when I was in first or second grade, when one of the watercolors I did in art class was used in a little calendar parents would sell at the annual school auction. it was a small accomplishment, but I remember being so proud — my parents bought, like, 5 calendars that year and put them all around the house.
CB: mastering the orgasm at the age of 6. [ed note: well played]
ABB: riding my bike without training wheels (then crashing into a rock wall...)
KØ: when I was 10 I won an art contest hosted by my elementary school and the local fire department; the theme was fire prevention, so I drew a bird on fire, and somehow that won. when they announced my name over the PA system the entire class got excited and pointed at me, screaming "YOU!! YOU WON!" and smiling. it's a pretty good memory.
do you respond better to words of kindness or tough love?
KLA: when it comes to poeming, I respond much better to words of kindness. I’m a huge critic of my work while also suffering from impostor syndrome, so I give myself a lot of toughness and not a lot of love, even when I get poems published. luckily, I’ve managed to surround myself with plenty of poets and people who are generous and thoughtful with their words, who support my writing, and who believe in me as a person.
DS: I respond better to words of kindness, but every once in a while I need some tough love.
CB: I like for people to be honest, but I have a tough time hearing the truth. I am SUPER sensitive and am very prone to hurt feelings which lead to discouragement and insecurities. so I prefer kindness :)
ABB: equal parts on different days.
KØ: depends on the context and my relationship to person I am interacting with, but critical feedback is generally better for me.