G. S. Carnivals
10-07-2009, 05:18 AM
TLO Member Interview: unknown
Conducted by Phillip Stecco
1) How did you first encounter the work of Thomas Ligotti?
I was browsing through the Horror section at Border's one day. I was in high school, and I was on a big Clive Barker kick. I walked by The Nightmare Factory and saw the blurb on the cover about Ligotti's work being comparable to Clive Barker, so I picked it up and that was that.
2) What are some of your favorite works by Mr. Ligotti?
I've always loved "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World." The scene near the end where the strangers wander into the town and are confronted by the scarecrow is one of my favorite scenes out of anything I've ever read. "Teatro Grottesco" also holds a special place in my heart.
3) What other writers do you enjoy reading?
It's pretty broad and varied. Paul Auster, H.P. Lovecraft, Roald Dahl, Cormac McCarthy, Bukowski, Neal Stephenson, Raymond Carver, Tyler Dilts, Simon Logan, Michael Cisco... anything good really that has some integrity to it
4) Do you have any favorite singers or musicians?
The members of Agalloch write some of my favorite music. I'm also a huge fan of Primordial. Their singer, Nemtheanga, is a very empowering and emotional singer. He's also extremely intelligent, which is always nice. Outside of metal, I really enjoy most works by Mike Patton...he's always doing something interesting. Classically speaking, Mussorgsky, Philip Glass, Michael Gordon... I could go on for hours.
5) Do you have any favorite artists in the visual media?
Besides Aeron Alfrey? :) Nobody really in particular. I love art, but I don't really pay too much attention to names and particular works.
6) What are some of your favorite movies?
Oh man. Anything really by Ingmar Bergman or David Lynch. They've created some of my favorite movies. The same goes for The Coen Brothers; I've seen The Big Lebowski way too many times (if that's possible).
7) Do you watch television?
I do actually. I love watching The History and History International Channels, as well as The Discovery Channel and all its subchannels (Science Channel, etc...). I really like The National Geographic Channel as well. I generally go for channels with programs that have some substance in them.
8) What foods do you enjoy eating?
Haha. I'll pretty much eat anything. I love Mexican, Japanese, American, Italian, Chinese... if you stick it in front of me, chances are I'll eat it. This is ironic because I'm super skinny, yet I eat like a bastard. It'll all catch up with me at some point I'm sure.
9) Do you have any odd hobbies or collecting fetishes?
I have a lapel pin collection. They're all on a cork board in my room. I started the collection off on my own on a trip to Alaska in elementary school, and then I kind of slacked off on buying the pins myself. Now my dad mails me pins from wherever he is travelling to.
10) What recreational activities do you enjoy?
I'm a big hiking freak. I love getting out on the trails. I'm also a beer snob. I'd consider beer a hobby. Aside from those two things I don't have a lot of time for much else. I work two jobs and go to school full time, so my schedule for most of the year is pretty packed.
11) What makes you laugh?
John Goodman waving a gun around in a bowling alley comparing bowling to Vietnam. Aside from that, my girlfriend knows where to tickle me to get a good laugh out of me.
12) Life?
What about it? I don't know. it's there haha. I have a really apathetic existentialist approach to it. I didn't choose to be born... might as well make the most out of it and enjoy the show.
13) Death?
It happens. Given my views on life, you'd think I wouldn't worry too much about death, but I am very concerned about it. There's a lot I'd like to do in life, and a lot I have already done. I'm not afraid of death, but I'd like to stave it off as long as I can.
14) Work?
Heh. It pays the bills. I don't know. I always tell people my dream jobs are being a washed up/has been lounge singer in Reno, Nevada and being a sheepherder on the West Coast of Ireland. Until I obtain those two things, I'll hopefully be doing something with my English degree. I'd be fine with just drinking beer and listening to heavy metal all day and hiking. Can I get paid for that? My goal is to have a job that doesn't require me having an alarm clock.
15) Do you have any interesting work anecdotes to relate?
One of my jobs is a receiver at a grocery store. That entails telling dirty jokes with truck drivers, learning of their Neo-Nazi familial connections, learning of their stints in jail and getting free stuff from them. It's actually a lot of fun... waking up at 5am sucks though.
16) What is your earliest childhood memory?
I was just discussing this with my girlfriend the other day. The earliest childhood memory I have is when I'm two or three and crawling around on the carpet in my family's living room and hitting my head on the table. I'm not sure if it actually happened or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.
17) What is your fondest childhood memory?
Oh man I don't know. It's kind of sad really because I always remember the saddest childhood memories. I guess my fondest childhood memory is just riding my bike up and down my neighborhood street and just being happy and free without a care in the world. Those were the days.
18) Who has been the most influential person in your life?
It's shifted from one time in my life to another. At one point it was my uncle, then it was a teacher, then it wasn't anybody, then it was a book or my mom or somebody. The earth has been the most influential person in my life. Can I say that? I'm saying that.
19) Do you have a special plan for this world?
I certainly don't. Haha. I don't know. My views on humanity and the human race change from day to day. Most of the time I wish the human race wasn't around, and then other times I have real hope and optimism for the human race. I guess this is why I'm going to be a teacher. I certainly have some rather unfavorable views that would count me out from being president.
20) What else should we know about you?
My name is Michael Koger and I'm 22 years old. I think I've been on this website for like 4 or 5 years now. It's gone through some interesting changes. I guess that's it. I don't know. I know nothing.
Conducted by Phillip Stecco
1) How did you first encounter the work of Thomas Ligotti?
I was browsing through the Horror section at Border's one day. I was in high school, and I was on a big Clive Barker kick. I walked by The Nightmare Factory and saw the blurb on the cover about Ligotti's work being comparable to Clive Barker, so I picked it up and that was that.
2) What are some of your favorite works by Mr. Ligotti?
I've always loved "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World." The scene near the end where the strangers wander into the town and are confronted by the scarecrow is one of my favorite scenes out of anything I've ever read. "Teatro Grottesco" also holds a special place in my heart.
3) What other writers do you enjoy reading?
It's pretty broad and varied. Paul Auster, H.P. Lovecraft, Roald Dahl, Cormac McCarthy, Bukowski, Neal Stephenson, Raymond Carver, Tyler Dilts, Simon Logan, Michael Cisco... anything good really that has some integrity to it
4) Do you have any favorite singers or musicians?
The members of Agalloch write some of my favorite music. I'm also a huge fan of Primordial. Their singer, Nemtheanga, is a very empowering and emotional singer. He's also extremely intelligent, which is always nice. Outside of metal, I really enjoy most works by Mike Patton...he's always doing something interesting. Classically speaking, Mussorgsky, Philip Glass, Michael Gordon... I could go on for hours.
5) Do you have any favorite artists in the visual media?
Besides Aeron Alfrey? :) Nobody really in particular. I love art, but I don't really pay too much attention to names and particular works.
6) What are some of your favorite movies?
Oh man. Anything really by Ingmar Bergman or David Lynch. They've created some of my favorite movies. The same goes for The Coen Brothers; I've seen The Big Lebowski way too many times (if that's possible).
7) Do you watch television?
I do actually. I love watching The History and History International Channels, as well as The Discovery Channel and all its subchannels (Science Channel, etc...). I really like The National Geographic Channel as well. I generally go for channels with programs that have some substance in them.
8) What foods do you enjoy eating?
Haha. I'll pretty much eat anything. I love Mexican, Japanese, American, Italian, Chinese... if you stick it in front of me, chances are I'll eat it. This is ironic because I'm super skinny, yet I eat like a bastard. It'll all catch up with me at some point I'm sure.
9) Do you have any odd hobbies or collecting fetishes?
I have a lapel pin collection. They're all on a cork board in my room. I started the collection off on my own on a trip to Alaska in elementary school, and then I kind of slacked off on buying the pins myself. Now my dad mails me pins from wherever he is travelling to.
10) What recreational activities do you enjoy?
I'm a big hiking freak. I love getting out on the trails. I'm also a beer snob. I'd consider beer a hobby. Aside from those two things I don't have a lot of time for much else. I work two jobs and go to school full time, so my schedule for most of the year is pretty packed.
11) What makes you laugh?
John Goodman waving a gun around in a bowling alley comparing bowling to Vietnam. Aside from that, my girlfriend knows where to tickle me to get a good laugh out of me.
12) Life?
What about it? I don't know. it's there haha. I have a really apathetic existentialist approach to it. I didn't choose to be born... might as well make the most out of it and enjoy the show.
13) Death?
It happens. Given my views on life, you'd think I wouldn't worry too much about death, but I am very concerned about it. There's a lot I'd like to do in life, and a lot I have already done. I'm not afraid of death, but I'd like to stave it off as long as I can.
14) Work?
Heh. It pays the bills. I don't know. I always tell people my dream jobs are being a washed up/has been lounge singer in Reno, Nevada and being a sheepherder on the West Coast of Ireland. Until I obtain those two things, I'll hopefully be doing something with my English degree. I'd be fine with just drinking beer and listening to heavy metal all day and hiking. Can I get paid for that? My goal is to have a job that doesn't require me having an alarm clock.
15) Do you have any interesting work anecdotes to relate?
One of my jobs is a receiver at a grocery store. That entails telling dirty jokes with truck drivers, learning of their Neo-Nazi familial connections, learning of their stints in jail and getting free stuff from them. It's actually a lot of fun... waking up at 5am sucks though.
16) What is your earliest childhood memory?
I was just discussing this with my girlfriend the other day. The earliest childhood memory I have is when I'm two or three and crawling around on the carpet in my family's living room and hitting my head on the table. I'm not sure if it actually happened or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.
17) What is your fondest childhood memory?
Oh man I don't know. It's kind of sad really because I always remember the saddest childhood memories. I guess my fondest childhood memory is just riding my bike up and down my neighborhood street and just being happy and free without a care in the world. Those were the days.
18) Who has been the most influential person in your life?
It's shifted from one time in my life to another. At one point it was my uncle, then it was a teacher, then it wasn't anybody, then it was a book or my mom or somebody. The earth has been the most influential person in my life. Can I say that? I'm saying that.
19) Do you have a special plan for this world?
I certainly don't. Haha. I don't know. My views on humanity and the human race change from day to day. Most of the time I wish the human race wasn't around, and then other times I have real hope and optimism for the human race. I guess this is why I'm going to be a teacher. I certainly have some rather unfavorable views that would count me out from being president.
20) What else should we know about you?
My name is Michael Koger and I'm 22 years old. I think I've been on this website for like 4 or 5 years now. It's gone through some interesting changes. I guess that's it. I don't know. I know nothing.