KATE FOLK is the author of Out There: Stories (Random House, 2022). She lives in San Francisco.
My current favorite thing to read is: Reddit threads on the most recent show or movie I watched. Comments sections generally. And Twitter. I’ve found it tough to focus on books the last few weeks, in the lead-up to my own book coming out. I’m looking forward to getting back to it because my brain is starting to feel bad.
My current favorite thing to watch is: a varied diet of movies, TV shows, and ten-minute clips from shows like Shark Tank and Extreme Cheapskates.
My current favorite thing to listen to is: podcasts while I’m doing anything that doesn’t require reading, writing, or talking. So, while I’m cleaning, exercising, etc. I’ve got a podcast piping into my brain constantly, to the point where I start to feel kind of sick. I’ve also been listening to “Skyfall” by Adele on repeat while I’m driving, for some reason. It makes my life feel high stakes.
My current state of mind is: okay. I’m drinking a kombucha in bed and I’m flanked by my two cats. Across the room a candle is burning and giving off a nice scent. I’m a little bored and getting hungry. There’s an overripe banana in the kitchen I’m thinking about eating.
My current chemical romance involves: …I’ve been sober for 13 years, but nicotine is a classic loophole. Lately I’ve been into lozenges, not because I’m trying to quit smoking—I already quit some time ago—but just for fun I guess. It’s nice to have something to look forward to. It’s like an after-dinner mint with a kick.
My current words of wisdom are: [to] be impeccable with your words over email and text message because it could all come out in a lawsuit or something.
My current mode of transportation involves: my ’98 Corolla which is pretty banged up but runs great.
My current favorite fast food item is: French fries? Idk. Can’t go wrong with a fry.
My current workout routine consists of: 10 minutes of yoga, followed by either running 2.5 miles to a bench where I meditate, or some kind of strength thing. I stopped going to the gym in 2020 and I don’t think I need to go back, thanks to YouTube workout videos.
My current regrettable decision involves: …I try not to have regrets. I’m not sure free will is even a thing.
My current hopes and dreams are: to finish the novel I’m working on and make it the best version of itself. All I ever want is to feel fully immersed in whatever I’m doing creatively, to the point where everything else falls away.
My current hobbies include: …I brush my cats each one hundred strokes per day with a purple rubber object called the ZOOM GROOM. I’m getting better at cooking potatoes in various ways.
Kate Folk is online at katefolk.com.
Brian Alan Ellis runs House of Vlad Press, and is the author of several books, including Sad Laughter (Civil Coping Mechanisms, 2018) and Hobbies You Enjoy (serialized daily on Instagram: @hobbiesyouenjoy). His writing has appeared at Juked, Hobart, Fanzine, Monkeybicycle, Electric Literature, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, X-R-A-Y, Heavy Feather Review, and Yes Poetry, among other places. He lives in Florida.
Follow Vol. 1 Brooklyn on Twitter, Facebook, and sign up for our mailing list.