"a decade in review" re Tao Lin, ages 16 - 26
2000 Reads ~7 Kurt Vonnegut books in succession. Graduates high school. Eats Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich while taking bath in afternoon sunlight. Listens to Satanic Surfers, Strung Out, Choking Victim, Propagandhi on repeat.
2001 Enrolls at NYU. "Sleeps through" 9/11. Makes "insensitive" 9/11 comment in staircase to attractive girl in dorm who grins in response. Walks aimlessly in the East Village weekend nights listening to The Emo Diaries Vol. 1-4, "Don't Break Me" by Samiam, Mineral, Blacktop Cadence, The Weakerthans on repeat. Eats ramen noodles often. Reads "Reasons to Live" and "At The Gates of the Animal Kingdom" by Amy Hempel repeatedly.
2002 Enters relationship with NYU student. Writes Palahniuk-esque story set in an office. Begins ~100k-word novel. Finally comprehends the word "abstract." Meets Carles. Reads White Noise, Nicholson Baker, Lorrie Moore.
2003 Relationship ends. Reads The Broom of the System, Why Did I Ever. Completes ~100k-word novel. Finally comprehends the word "categorically." Reads Jean Rhys. Moves to New Jersey. Reads Kafka's diaries. Begins Bed. Eats at Vietnamese restaurant alone in Jersey City. Writes whale poem. Feels "severely depressed"/"cripplingly lonely."
2004 Eats Chinese food alone in room on floor. Listens to Azure Ray, Jejune, "Lifted" by Bright Eyes. Feels "very alone." Reads Chilly Scenes of Winter, Joy Williams, Frederick Barthelme, Bobbie Ann Mason. Called "post-modern" derogatorily in Advanced Fiction. Completes Bed. Moves to Wall Street. Begins you are a little bit happier than i am.
2005 Begins blog entitled Reader of Depressing Books. Begins Eeeee Eee Eeee. Reads Richard Yates, Noah Cicero. ~25 editors reject Bed. Eats flaxseeds on pasta. Reads Matthew Rohrer. Completes you are a little bit happier than i am.
2006 Completes Eeeee Eee Eeee. Begins Richard Yates. Eats nutritional yeast on okra. Begins cognitive-behavioral therapy. Moves to rural Pennsylvania. Reads Peter Singer, Kobo Abe, "Disturbing the Peace" by Richard Yates.
2007 Moves into "decrepit" room in Brooklyn. Reads Ben Lerner, Maxwell Perkins biography, ~20 graphic-novels. Completes cognitive-behavioral therapy. Writes Cho Seung-Hui essay. Sees "Cache" with Brandon Scott Gorrell. Reads James Purdy. Eats cupcakes from Baby Cakes. Writes essay for The Stranger linked by Gawker.
2008 Begins Shoplifting from American Apparel. Reads in Kansas. Sells $12k shares in 2nd novel. Quits Angelica Kitchen job. Orders $800 mattress online. Cancels order next day. Listens to Modest Mouse, Line and a Dot, The Stupid Stupid Henchmen on repeat. Completes Shoplifting from American Apparel. Creates Muumuu House.
2009 Blogs "from" Germany. Publishes sometimes my heart pushes my ribs, TBBC, during my nervous breakdown i want to have a biographer present via Muumuu House. Attempts to retroactively "go viral." Writes essay re good/bad in art. Drinks first green smoothie. Is interviewed by Michael Silveblatt. Reads Pan. Completes final edits re Richard Yates.
2001 Enrolls at NYU. "Sleeps through" 9/11. Makes "insensitive" 9/11 comment in staircase to attractive girl in dorm who grins in response. Walks aimlessly in the East Village weekend nights listening to The Emo Diaries Vol. 1-4, "Don't Break Me" by Samiam, Mineral, Blacktop Cadence, The Weakerthans on repeat. Eats ramen noodles often. Reads "Reasons to Live" and "At The Gates of the Animal Kingdom" by Amy Hempel repeatedly.
2002 Enters relationship with NYU student. Writes Palahniuk-esque story set in an office. Begins ~100k-word novel. Finally comprehends the word "abstract." Meets Carles. Reads White Noise, Nicholson Baker, Lorrie Moore.
2003 Relationship ends. Reads The Broom of the System, Why Did I Ever. Completes ~100k-word novel. Finally comprehends the word "categorically." Reads Jean Rhys. Moves to New Jersey. Reads Kafka's diaries. Begins Bed. Eats at Vietnamese restaurant alone in Jersey City. Writes whale poem. Feels "severely depressed"/"cripplingly lonely."
2004 Eats Chinese food alone in room on floor. Listens to Azure Ray, Jejune, "Lifted" by Bright Eyes. Feels "very alone." Reads Chilly Scenes of Winter, Joy Williams, Frederick Barthelme, Bobbie Ann Mason. Called "post-modern" derogatorily in Advanced Fiction. Completes Bed. Moves to Wall Street. Begins you are a little bit happier than i am.
2005 Begins blog entitled Reader of Depressing Books. Begins Eeeee Eee Eeee. Reads Richard Yates, Noah Cicero. ~25 editors reject Bed. Eats flaxseeds on pasta. Reads Matthew Rohrer. Completes you are a little bit happier than i am.
2006 Completes Eeeee Eee Eeee. Begins Richard Yates. Eats nutritional yeast on okra. Begins cognitive-behavioral therapy. Moves to rural Pennsylvania. Reads Peter Singer, Kobo Abe, "Disturbing the Peace" by Richard Yates.
2007 Moves into "decrepit" room in Brooklyn. Reads Ben Lerner, Maxwell Perkins biography, ~20 graphic-novels. Completes cognitive-behavioral therapy. Writes Cho Seung-Hui essay. Sees "Cache" with Brandon Scott Gorrell. Reads James Purdy. Eats cupcakes from Baby Cakes. Writes essay for The Stranger linked by Gawker.
2008 Begins Shoplifting from American Apparel. Reads in Kansas. Sells $12k shares in 2nd novel. Quits Angelica Kitchen job. Orders $800 mattress online. Cancels order next day. Listens to Modest Mouse, Line and a Dot, The Stupid Stupid Henchmen on repeat. Completes Shoplifting from American Apparel. Creates Muumuu House.
2009 Blogs "from" Germany. Publishes sometimes my heart pushes my ribs, TBBC, during my nervous breakdown i want to have a biographer present via Muumuu House. Attempts to retroactively "go viral." Writes essay re good/bad in art. Drinks first green smoothie. Is interviewed by Michael Silveblatt. Reads Pan. Completes final edits re Richard Yates.
