ABOUT ME
I’ve always been a person who spends a lot of time in my own head. When I was a kid, I was the loner in the corner at recess, playing with his action figures while everyone else played tag. I would ride my bike for hours, pretending I was in some crazy action adventure. Play time for me meant hours with my friends, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I’m the baby of the family, and when the difference between your older brother and sister is eight/six years, you tend to miss out on that socialization. So comic books and television raised me.
I grew out of that isolation shell in high school and college, immersing myself in every social school activity I could find. I wanted to be a part of it all. My random pop culture knowledge was the perfect ice breaker, and I quickly grew into the guy who always had something to say about the latest entertainment news.
It was only natural that my love for entertainment and my strong interior dialogue would flourish when the pen hit the paper.
I started writing for my student newspaper in high school in New York (What up KMHS!). I then moved to Providence, Rhode Island, where I attended college and continued writing. I received my BA in English and Theater. I wrote for my college newspaper, The Cowl, serving as an Editor of the Arts & Entertainment section and briefly as Editor-in-Chief. I began writing for a monthly publication in Providence called The Providence Monthly, and then transitioned to a full time writer / Account Executive there. Became Editor-in-Chief of a publication called Campus Connection there for a few years. And then moved back to New York because, well, Rhode Island has the highest unemployment rate in the country and I didn’t want to be part of that.
Now, I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and work in college textbook publishing. I’m 28 years old, have been in a committed relationship with my DVR since 2003, and have a dog named Peanut.
ABOUT NINEDAVES
In the late ’90s, I found myself at an Edna’s Goldfish show at The Vanderbuilt in Long Island, New York. Don’t ask how – I probably hadn’t heard a single Edna’s Goldfish song at the time. In fact, I was probably just going because other people I knew were going. What can I say – if everyone in my life were jumping off a bridge, I’d be like, “What time are we meeting? Should I bring beer? What are you wearing? Does anyone want to commute together?”
Anyway, one of the opening bands for Edna’s Goldfish was Nine Days. At the time, they had only released a few independent albums, and were just prepping their first mainstream album. As I listened to them, I found myself really invested in their music – and ended up leaving the Edna’s Goldfish show with their first three CDs and a giant smile on my face. It was 1998! I was starving for good music!
As I became more and more invested in Nine Days, I found myself becoming friendly with the guys. I would go to shows, talk to them as much as I could, and try and find out more about them. Eventually, I became so attached and such a staple at their shows that I was once referred to me as NineDaves.
Little did I know, the name would stick.
Nine Days, of course, didn’t. The guys went on to one-hit wonder status with their single “Absolutely (Story of a Girl).” It was a top 10 hit. But it was over-played, and they never really caught on. Eventually, they were dropped by their record label. They’ve since released a few things here and there. They’ve split up a few times. Got back together. Honestly, I lost touch.
And who really cares, because this isn’t about them.
First, NineDaves was the secret AIM screenname I would go on to stalk check on people I no longer talked to. It was catchy and no one needed to know about it. Kind of like my love for Nine Days…
Then, NineDaves became the e-mail account I would use to sign up for random websites. It was my account page. Amazon, eBay, etc.
And when I discovered message boards, NineDaves was the obvious posting name. It was easy to write, easy to remember, and it I liked it. I associate it with good times.
Soon I found I had branded myself. NineDaves was recognized on message boards. Dave is too general. My last name would be too specific. NineDaves was the perfect blend of anonymity and individuality.
It’s been over ten years with NineDaves, and I have to say, I’m kind of embarrassed where the name came from. Still, I’m clearly happy it’s here. Just goes to show: those stupid decisions you make in your youth really do last.
ABOUT NINEDAVES.COM
I never really wanted to write a book. Most writers dream of writing the “Next Great American Novel.” I always wanted to write the “Next Great American Blog Post.” So after years of writing on other blogs, I decided to start my own.
NineDaves.com launched in July 2008 as a place to put my random thoughts – all the things I wish I was seeing on other blogs out there. I do at least nine posts a day, on nine different topics, and take the weekends off to relax. I welcome guest blogging, so feel free to e-mail me anytime.
I have been also written for and been featured on other blogs, including ew.com and fuckedinparkslope.com. You can find a full list of my work in the ND ON THE WEB section.