About Me — Keith R. Higgons
About Me
“One foot in the grave, the other one in the gutter.”
Raw meat, booze, on a counter, what could go wrong? And I can ASSURE you that whoever took this picture had a cigarette hanging from their mouth and was probably more than tipsy. Ah, the good old days.
How the Department of Children and Family Services never visited our house growing up is beyond me. But thankfully, they didn’t, and I was raised in a not too dysfunctional environment.
I never know what to say about myself, so we’ll start with the basic questions:
Where did you grow up? — I was born in Minneapolis, and we moved a bunch until I was about 13 when we settled in Dayton, Ohio. So, if we define “growing up” as coming of age, the short answer is Dayton, Ohio.
Did you like Ohio? — No. I didn’t. I hated it. I left for the East Coast one month after (barely) graduating high school. I would return for about 14 months before ultimately leaving for good.
Have you always written? — Hmm, well, yes. As an angsty teen, I kept a journal (that reminds me, I gotta burn those). I still journal. I studied film for a bit and wrote some very short and bad screenplays. I examined a lot of life and let writing fall by the side until my mid-30’s. Since then, I have written diligently. I’ve written plays (that were produced off-off-Broadway), I’ve written journalism (that was published), I’ve written screenplays (better now, but neither optioned nor produced), and I have blogged prodigiously.
Did you study writing? — Not in any of the colleges I attended. Not in any formal way. I took some writing workshops that I didn’t put much effort into, and I regret that now. I have a long-fought BA in Liberal Arts and an MA in Media Studies …and the debt that accompanies all that book learnin’.
What do you write about? — I have written about politics (still do sometimes, just not professionally any longer) and pets. That said, I would have to say the main focus of my writing over the past few years has centered on relationships and music. Sometimes, both:
One of My Favorite Live Shows
Shelby Lynne — Williamsburg Music Hall, July 8, 2008medium.com
When you write about relationships, what do you write about? — Oh, it depends. Sometimes it’s dating, sometimes it’s heartache (see above), sometimes it’s something different altogether.
The Online Dating Chronicles
popoff.us
That First Kiss.
A Story in 100 Words.medium.com
What motivates you to write? — If I’m honest, the challenge of stringing words together to form either a cogent thought or create an idea or story that didn’t exist in the world before I wrote it. So, hubris is undoubtedly a factor too.
Do you have a writing process? — Yep. Procrastination. I enjoy the way writing makes me feel. Do I enjoy the act of writing? No, not always. I liken writing to going to the gym. I go to the gym because it’s good for me and I like the way it makes me feel. But often I do NOT want to go. But if I don’t go, I get even pissier than if I had just gone. And much like you only get stronger by going to the gym, I only become a stronger writer by writing. But I would much rather eat a pint of ice cream (4 servings, my ass).
Do you have a favorite thing you have written? — I suppose it must be like what a parent feels like. If I’ve written something and it exists in the world, then I liked it enough to put it out there. I wrote a short play called The Salt Pit, produced in 2018, that I am quite pleased with. I’ve created a show called Nontraditional that I’m very proud of. I like some of my 100-word stories (even if they aren’t always stories as such). But no, I do not have one single thing I am proud of.
What is your favorite part of writing? — When I can lean back and become WAY too pleased at the way something flows. Or when I can make myself laugh out loud. I’m hyper-aware that I am more than likely the only one who notices the flow or gets the joke I laugh at. But maybe I’m not.
Do you make a living as a writer? — No. I get paid, yes, but I support myself doing computer and software stuff. Don’t ask. Even my eyes glaze over talking about my day job.
Favorite Movie? — Just one? The Godfather, Airplane, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Favorite Album? — The Replacements, Pleased to Meet Me. See sub-quote at the top.
Favorite Television Show? — Besides the one I created, The Wire. Hands down.
Favorite Artist? — Fine Art: Mark Rothko
Music: The Replacements
Writer: No one writer, I do like loads of gritty writers
Actor: Mark Rylance (the best living actor. full stop.)
Actress: Kate Winslet
All subject to change at any given moment.
Where do you write on Medium? — I think I am a writer for a bunch of Medium Publications, but the majority of my work can be found on:
The Riff
The Riff
A new publication on music and how it’s impacting our lives ❤ Write for us…medium.com
Pop Off
Super Shi##y Songs
A Playlist for the Strong Stomachedpopoff.us
etc. Magazine
This is only my work — sometimes it just takes too long for publications to publish things — case in point I have had a piece at The Ascent for about two weeks now, and despite emails asking about publication, it’s radio silence from them.
Idiot Wind
The modern Republican Party is a clown car of sycophants and racists.medium.com