CURRENT MISSION

to learn everything i can about everything i encounter. to encounter everything.

ABOUT ME

i'm human, and i'm a writer. i write about humans, mostly.

PHILOSOPHY

"I don't think jazz has ever appealed to the younger generation. Anyway, I don't really know who this younger generation is. I don't think they could get into a jazz club anyway. But jazz is hard to follow; I mean you actually have to like jazz to follow it: and my motto is, never follow anything. I don't know what the motto of the younger generation is, but I would think they'd have to follow their parents. I mean, what would some parent say to his kid if the kid came home with a glass eye, a Charlie Mingus record and a pocketful of feathers? He'd say, "Who are you following?" And the poor kid would have to stand there with water in his shoes, a bow tie on his ear and soot pouring out of his belly button and say, "Jazz, Father, I've been following jazz." And his father would probably say, "Get a broom and clean up all that soot before you go to sleep." Then the kid's mother would tell her friends, "Oh yes, our little Donald, he's part of the younger generation, you know." - Bob Dylan

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I've surfed, and at home can offer my local knowledge. I just moved to San Francisco so I'd love to have an excuse to find new awesome places in the city.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

had a great experience in Bulgaria with two wonderful and inspiring hosts, and i have made some lovely friends this way.

Interests

cowboys and outlaws, the ocean from which my ancient ancestors once crawled, the desert and desert animals like snakes and coyotes, getting lost in big cities, eating foods i've never tried before, sustainable living, feeling small in the presence of vast, natural beauty, indian summers, autumn, foggy places, the blues and country music, theater, cooking, art, history, ...art history, Edward Hopper, storytelling and good storytellers, the unparalleled genius of William Shakespeare.

• animals
• arts
• writing
• singing
• theater
• beauty
• cooking
• clubbing
• music
• country music
• jazz
• blues
• backpacking
• art history
• history
• hitchhiking

Music, Movies, and Books

Robert Johnson, Otis Redding, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Fabrizio De Andrè, Nick Drake, the Kinks, Janis Joplin, the Beatles, Tom Waits, Patti Smith, the Clash, the Talking Heads, the Smiths, the Pixies, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, the Eels, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elliott Smith, the White Stripes, Other Lives, Wye Oak, Cat Power

Moby Dick by Herman Melville, the Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson, The Complete Short Stories and Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson, Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, Molloy by Samuel Beckett

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Dog Day Afternoon, Miller's Crossing, Grizzly Man, Cool Hand Luke

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

done: spent four days backpacking the island of Caprera in l'archipelago maddalena between Sardegna and Corsica. it was the first time i'd done something like that alone (well, not entirely alone. i had Captian Ahab and the crew of the Pequod to keep me company). also spent one month hitchhiking around Japan.
seen: random acts of kindness.

Teach, Learn, Share

i can teach you how to sing "Bella Ciao," an Italian Partisan song from WWII, sung by the anti-fascist resistance movement. i want to learn what makes each individual tick. i'll share my stories if you share yours, and probably even if you don't.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Serbia, Turkey, United States, Uruguay

Countries I’ve Lived In

Italy, United States