A while ago– and by “a while,” I mean a full two months– I had the privilege of interviewing my colleagues at The Nightly. It’s taken me a long time to write down, mostly because I was nervous to get started, but also because about half the hour-long Zoom call was us going off on tangents that had nothing to do with the questions. Originally I was sifting through to find relevant answers, but at the last minute, which is this minute, I decided I didn’t want to cut all those parts out. They were actually my favorite parts

Before I got into organizing, I had this idea of activists as superhuman fleshbags of righteous passion. I sort of felt too unclean to walk among them, which is Reason #1 why I think it’s a letdown to reduce activists to their activism: it can make people feel like they have to found a small country or sew the mummified head of Friedrich Engels onto the perfectly-preserved body of Karl Marx (few people know this, but Marx invented slugging) before they can get involved. Reason #2 is that it’s just a bummer. The activists I’ve met are obviously intelligent, principled, driven, etc., but these things aren’t more important than everything else about them. Part of being in a community is appreciating people’s humanity, not just their disembodied virtue. In the words of Anonymous Artichoke: “We’re just people.”

(Note: because being anonymous is fun and cool, we came up with aliases. I would like to clarify that Ebeneezer is spelled wrong on purpose, as the double E looks more visually pleasing combined with the double O.)

Question 1: What are some important things to know about you as a person?

Lemonman: I don’t know. This is the one question I did not even really have an answer to. Oh– I guess in general, I love living life and having fun. Like, that’s my motto. That’s my thing. That’s what I… you know, do. And I believe everybody should be able to just live life and have fun.

Clover: I also didn’t really have an answer, but fun facts about me, I guess… I really like hardware stores. 

Lemonman: You work there, too.

Clover: Yeah. They’re like, my favorite ever. Uh… that was kind of all I had. I’m learning how to cook. Hanging out.

Anonymous Artichoke: What draws you to hardware stores?

Clover: I like the gender dynamics. 

Anonymous Artichoke: I guess one thing that I kind of like to do right now– I’m trying to garden a bit, grow my own food. Just trying to do it all for free. Trying to live life. Um… just trying to figure out life, I don’t know. That’s about it. Stolen a lot of plants.

Ebeneezer Spooge: Alright. Everybody satisfied with their answers?

Clover: Do you wanna do it as well, Ebeneezer?

Ebeneezer Spooge: Um… important things to know about me as a person? I try really hard not to be awkward, and sometimes it makes me offputting. So if I am ever being offputting or anything, just let me know.

Question 2: What got you into activism, and what motivates your activism?

Lemonman: So, I hate to see people suffer– um… obviously, like any person does, and– oh, can you hear me? Okay. Yeah, I just hate to see suffering, and my view of the world is that a lot of suffering is caused by greed and hatred. And a lot of it stems from our dominant economic mode, as well as different forms of oppression that can be fought and untaught, and… I don’t know. I think the work of teaching and undoing is really important, and that’s what I want to do with my life.

Clover: Um… I, like a lot of white liberals– I was a liberal at the time– was politicized during the 2020 George Floyd uprisings. I was especially politicized around, like, landback, and thinking about that in connection to, obviously the U.S., but also other parts of the world, like Palestine. So I joined some orgs when I came to the University of Washington, was introduced to some sharper ideas than what I had by my peers, and kind of just stayed with it, and that sort of activist community. And, like what Lemonman said, not letting other people suffer.

Anonymous Artichoke: Kind of in a similar vein, I feel like I was also politicized during the 2020 uprisings, and… coming to Seattle especially, like, we did some organizing around housing in particular, ‘cause it’s particularly egregious compared to other parts of the state and the country… and tenants’ rights are at a very poor state here in the Puget Sound. And then I was involved for a while with more, I guess like, electoral organizing, but it became clear that nothing would come from that, and that that wasn’t a route toward actually accomplishing anything or relieving any suffering. And so, I don’t know. I’m just trying to find ways to help people directly around me.

Question 3: What are some elements of the world you would like to create?

Lemonman: I think some elements of the world I want to create… um, I think everybody wants to care for other people and be cared for, and unfortunately, every part– excuse me, this juice is very potent–

Ebeneezer Spooge: Carbonation?

Lemonman: Yeah, it’s the carbonation. I don’t usually like carbonated drinks, so I usually shake them up first. I love flat juice. Mmmm. I love flat juice.

Ebeneezer Spooge: I love flat root beer.

Lemonman: Flat root beer is so freaking good. A root beer float, those hit the spot. I kind of want one now. Anyway. I’ll drink a root beer float later. Or maybe tomorrow.

Anonymous Artichoke: That’s what you want to see in the world?

Lemonman: That’s what I want to see in the world. More root beer floats. Um… but no, what I want to see– oh, yeah, I was saying that every institution we’re forced to pass through– so, for a lot of us it starts in the family unit… and then for everybody, it’s going through school, possibly incarceration, the workplace, and the entire state in general. They’re set up to dominate you and make you feel like you need to be X, Y or Z way to be shown care or love. And I think that dismantling that and making love unconditional again-- or close to unconditional, just love for the world and love for other people-- is the main element that I want to see in my ideal world.

Clover: I definitely agree with that. Um… there are a lot of elements to a world I think that I would like. But definitely one where people have control over resources as they see fit. I also think about kid autonomy– I think this comes back to what Lemonman was saying, but like, ways that children are put into powerful systems, have power held over them in certain ways when they’re fully autonomous people. Also, people should just have houses. And food, and water and stuff like that.

Anonymous Artichoke: No, yeah, kind of building off of that, I’d like to see a world where you can do what you need to and what you want to do, as yourself and as a community, without the state and the police preventing you from doing that. Like, you should just be able to take land and build a house, for example, or build a community center or a farm. Like in Seattle, if you want to build a community garden or a bike lane or something, you have to go through this bureaucratic process, and they’ll say no, and you have to do it in a public meeting on their terms. That’s kind of ridiculous. And if you don’t, they’ll send the power of the state after you. And so, that… that’s ridiculous. And I just kind of, like… I just want to see the liberation of the community. Also, I have a zine, it’s really good– is it a “zyne” or a “zeen”?

Lemonman: “Zeen.”

Anonymous Artichoke: “Zeen.” I can’t find it because I just rearranged my entire room, but it’s really good. It’s on, like, queer and trans liberation during the eighties. Just like, communities keeping themselves safe. And, oh– ending, kind of, not state sanctions, but state-enforced austerity. Because a lot of these communities are just getting value basically stolen from them by the state, and if that money or those resources were to go just straight back to the communities, we could all take care of ourselves. Oh my God, you have a cat?

Ebeneezer Spooge: He always wants in, and then he wants out, and then he wants in, and then he wants out…

Question 4: What do you hope to accomplish at The Nightly?

Lemonman: So, again, my motto is living life and having fun. Um… I’m graduating soon, so there’s not a whole lot that I can change in the university at this point, which is, you know, sort of by design. Every medium through which you’re supposed to make change is incredibly slow and mechanical, and as soon as students leave, the progress that they make is usually torn down. So, you know, it is what it is, it’s the way that it is, but I want to help jumpstart an alternative media apparatus and hopefully see it grow past us and continue throughout the years. And help disseminate information from… you know, a left-wing perspective. ‘Cause The Daily freaking sucks, and… fuck The Daily.

Clover: Yeah. Definitely want to help contribute to the development of an alternative media apparatus, and a leftist one that can report on leftist events at UW, and progressive events, and also report on, like, the crimes of the university. I also kind of just find it fun to sometimes troll the university, and the other reactionary forces at UW. ‘Cause they’re just silly. And you might as well. 

Anonymous Artichoke: Primarily, The Daily is very very bad; they’re actually funded by the UW. They publish news with that in mind, and so they’re pretty much controlled by the administration and the state, and… it’s really just depressing. So building an alternative to that, like a place where news can be distributed and students can come to write news that’s not gonna be rejected by The Daily… I know in the past, I’ve had friends write op-eds to The Daily, and they’ve been from a left-wing socialist perspective, and they’ve just been denied. And so, a place where people are welcome— and where perspectives from the left and from the people are encouraged and can prosper— is what I hope we can create here, now and into the future.

Question 5: Are you optimistic about the future?

Lemonman: The future in general? I have no expectations. I don’t know how things will turn out, but I do know that at least I’ll do my part, and all my friends are gonna do their part, to make sure that… you know, we at least go down kicking regardless of what happens. And I know that’s not specific, but again, in general, like… the state of the world isn’t in our control, but you know. We can try. That’s my answer.

Clover: Yeah. I’m definitely scared of, like, climate change especially. And I’m scared of all the other numerous violences that are ongoing and that will continue until at least some part of the future. Definitely still inspired, and… yeah, inspired, by the love and care I see around me. Especially in the people who are thinking about these things and trying to act against it in all the ways we can.

Anonymous Artichoke: Yeah, I really resonated with what Lemonman said. We gotta go down kicking, um, and screaming– but I guess just in general, I don’t know how optimistic I am about kind of the world more generally. But I think the thing I am optimistic about is kind of just like, the community we can build and the small ways we can improve our own lives and the lives of the people around us. 

Ebeneezer Spooge: That is all the questions I had prepared, but I did have one more–

Lemonman: Wait, are you gonna answer?

Ebeneezer Spooge: Me? All of them?

Lemonman: You don’t have to. I’m just asking.

Ebeneezer Spooge: Sure. Um… all of them, or just the last one?

Lemonman: Yeah, sure, maybe the last one.

Ebeneezer Spooge: I… have no idea whether or not to be optimistic about the future, but I feel like you kind of… you have to act as though you are optimistic. ‘Cause if you act as if there’s no hope, there’s not gonna be any hope, ‘cause you’re not gonna be doing anything. And even if you could’ve done something to prevent the end of the world, then you’ll never know, ‘cause you just thought it was a predetermined thing. So you have to go in with the mindset that you are able to change things, to be able to change things. 

What was your other question?

Ebeneezer Spooge: Oh. I know this is kind of an anonymous operation, so I was gonna ask you guys if you want to, like, invent alter egos.

Anonymous Artichoke: Could be kind of cool. We could use the Google Chrome, you know, like Anonymous Fox, Anonymous Giraffe.

Lemonman: Do you need first name, last name, or just a first name?

Ebeneezer Spooge: You just need a first name. 

Lemonman: So it doesn’t have to be a real name. It could be, like, “The Professor.”

Ebeneezer Spooge: You can go as supervillain as you want with this shit.

Lemonman: The Professor. It’s so evil.

Anonymous Artichoke: It’s pretty despicable.

Ebeneezer Spooge: I know. But it’s evil for a good cause.

Any closing statements?

Anonymous Artichoke: I guess just like, I don’t know. We’re trying not to take ourselves too seriously. We’re just people. We’re just students. And also, like, you should include yourself because you’re definitely part of The Nightly team.

Ebeneezer Spooge: I’m very glad that you guys invited me to be part of this. I’m super excited to be working with y’all.

Anonymous Artichoke: Make sure to come up with your own alter ego.

Ebeneezer Spooge: Oh, I will. I will have no problem with that. I’ve got like three, at least, already.

Anonymous Artichoke: Oh– The Doctor would be a fun one.

Ebeneezer Spooge: That’s kind of taken by Doctor Who, though.

Anonymous Artichoke: Yeah, that’s true. I was thinking more of, like– Lemonman, I was thinking of your SoundCloud.

Ebeneezer Spooge: You have a SoundCloud?

Clover: Can we publish your rap songs on The Nightly?

Lemonman: No, thank you.

Anonymous Artichoke: They’re all about math, right? Like, there’s one where the dog gets integrated, and then they have to take a differential of the dog…

Clover: Wait, that sounds awesome.

Ebeneezer Spooge: We can make it our theme song!

Question: Episode VI - Return of the Closing Statement

Clover: Just, inviting other students to get involved with The Nightly. We are open to new members.

Lemonman: And mine was just about, like, the not trying to take ourselves too seriously. I think that love for one another dies when you take things too serious. Um… and so just fun, and sort of as a community element. And also yeah, just, we’re very silly. And I mean that in a serious, serious way. We’re seriously, seriously silly, and there’s no need to be intimidated by any of us. We’re just students. So feel free to join The Nightly.

Published 8-14-23