KELBY LOSACK is the author of several novels, the latest of which is Letting Out the Devils. One half of the Agitator podcast with J. David Osborne. He lives with his wife and son in Gulf Coast Texas.
My current favorite things to read are: …for the Agitator podcast, J. David Osborne and I have been reading a lot of Ryu Murakami lately. Coin Locker Babies is the best coming-of-age novel, and In the Miso Soup is the best serial killer novel, easy. I’m over halfway through the Berserk manga and hyped that the torch will be carried to finish the series since the creator, Kentaro Miura, died. But yeah, Berserk is the deepest exploration of humanity I’ve ever read. It’s got everything. Like the Bible, but with better fight scenes.
My current favorite thing to watch is: …I just the other day remembered Samurai Champloo is a thing, so I’m finna revisit that.
My current favorite thing to listen to is: the homie Lunv D—he’s from right down the road, going to much bigger places—but he’s been steadily one-upping himself with an eclectic mix of singles this year, from nu-metal sludge rap to Spanish ballad cloudwave pop. His albums Diviner and Leap Year (a collab with Lord Bile) are low-key masterpieces. The tracks he’s been dropping lately, though, he’ll send them to me before they drop, and I’ll text back things like, “This is peak ecstasy high, but all sunshine and sky blue/candy pink vibes. I hear 80s synth pop, emo, and pixelwave all blended together. I dig it a lot bro. Catchy as hell too.”
My current state of mind is: pretty regular, I guess.
My current chemical romance involves: …bro, the new peach-flavor Monster is so good, I could kill a six-pack of them shits a day.
My current words of wisdom are: know yourself and be.
My current mode of transportation involves: dogging this 2012 Ford Escape into the ground. I’ve put 263,000 miles on it. The engine and brake lights are always on.
My current favorite fast food item is: that spicy chicken sandwich from Popeyes.
My current workout routine consists of: pull-ups on my kid’s swing set. My goal within the next two years is to be like those dudes on YouTube—like Hannibal the King—to become a monster of a human being just from playground and street calisthenics.
My current regrettable decision involves: …I have no regrets.
My current hopes and dreams include: stacking bread.
My current hobbies/projects include: collaborating with the homies on artistic shit and reading with my son.
Kelby Losack is online at kelbylosack.wordpress.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.