MMXI

What better time to do this than while hungover on New Year's Day?

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

huh. I can't think of anything really exceptional. Nothing standoutish. It was mostly a year of plodding along, scraping through, getting by, wrapping my head around the world.

OH!: drink Old Fashioneds. MAN! SO DELICIOUS!

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Last year I said: "Use more footnotes! Write more, create more. Be better, be less disappointing."

I used no footnotes.

I did write more, for a while. (Jürgen struggled , until the end of September, so so close to 60 000 words.)

I was no better.

I was no less disappointing.

For this year:

Again, write more.

Do more.

Be more.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Nope.

5. What countries did you visit?

Went to PEI for about a week in August. That was a wonderfully enjoyable temporary escape.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A job that I enjoy on at least some level. You see, I do understand that I am fortunate to have a job that lets me afford food and shelter and have a little left over at the end of the day, but it would be nice to find something I enjoy, that is fulfilling, that means something more than a paycheque. But a paycheque is certainly appreciated.

At least one completed work of something I can genuinely say is Good - you know: writing, music - that sort of thing. Or, failing that (which is an inevitability), more and stronger work on Jürgen.

Being an all-around better fella'd be all right, too.

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

June 17 - Jeanette Winterson's reading at the library. She's been my favourite writer since either the first time I read The Passion (there are no books I've read and re-read more) or the first time I re-opened Sexing the Cherry. She signed my copy of The Passion and it was, all-in-all, quite an exciting evening.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

I wasn't, you know, replete with achievement, but I am quite happy with how some of what I added to Jürgen turned out.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not doing enough of what I feel makes me me.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing serious.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Maybe Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? It's pretty great. I can't really think of any other stand out purchases of the year.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

G.'s. Always and ever G.'s.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?


14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent, vet bills, food, booze.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

From most to least:
G.
Sam and Hailey.
Jeanette Winterson.
Darkthrone. (they had this big resurgence with me. I can't really explain it, but they just started hitting me again. And I LOVE IT!)

16. What songs will always remind you of 2011?

I can't really think of any specific songs. Maybe "Beware" by Death Grips.
Other than that, I think 2011 would mostly be remembered in bands: Richard Laviolette and The Oil Spills and Cloud Rat

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Neither, really. 2011 was pretty level, I think. A bit more resigned, but keepin' on!
b) thinner or fatter? About the same, I'm pretty sure. A bit heavier, though, I believe.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer for a while—took some time to recover from more expensive rent coupled with heavy vet bills and a trip to PEI. But climbing back up!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Cool things.
Engaging.
Writing - I spend so much time sitting at my computer not writing. Why don't I turn some of that time into sitting at my computer writing?

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Complaining.
Being disappointing.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Spent it at the apartment and had a nice surprise visit from the folks.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?

Every single day in endless turnings and spirallings

22. How many one-night stands?



23. What was your favourite TV program?

Breaking Bad and Mad Men and Downton Abbey and I don't think we watched much else?

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Don't think so.

25. What was the best book you read?

My favourite question! I keep a list of everything I read. In WORDPERFECT (BECAUSE I CAN)!

In the order in which I read them (the top 20 of the 77 I made it through):

Sheila Heti - How Should a Person Be?
Roddy Doyle - Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
James Joyce - Ulysses
Günter Grass - The Box
Susan Orlean - The Orchid Thief
Nicholas Evans - The Loop
Anne Carson - Nox
Cathy Malkasian - Temperance
Leanne Shapton - Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry: Saturday, 14 February 2009, New York (Strachan & Quinn Auctioneers)
Zadie Smith - Changing My Mind
Werner Herzog - Conquest of the Useless: Reflections from the Making of Fitzcarraldo
Haruki Murakami - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Margaret Atwood - The Blind Assassin
Timothy Findley - Not Wanted on the Voyage
Adam Levin - The Instructions
Christopher Boucher - How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive
John Sayles - A Moment in the Sun
Dani Couture - Algoma
Jeanette Winterson - Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
Esi Edugyan - Half-Blood Blues

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Grindcore Karaoke

Holy shit. Thank you so much, Jay Randall.

Several of my top albums of 2011 came from this wicked label. That's a post for a later time, though—I'm still making cuts and rearranging.

27. What did you want and get?

There wasn't much that I was yearning for this year.

28. What did you want and not get?

An enjoyable job. Publication.

29. What was your favourite film of this year?

Well, I watched Fitzcarraldo again, so that one. Always that one.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Went out for brunch at Brunchworks and supper at Terroni. I turned 29.

Drank some boxwine at home afterward.

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Yet again: healthy Sam.

More time to spend with G.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

Lounge set.

33. What kept you sane?

G. and Sam and Hailey.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?



35. What political issue stirred you the most?

Toronto's municipal muddles.

36. Who did you miss?

Family. J&E

37. Who was the best new person you met?



38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011?