It’s been said many times before, but bears repeating: discomfort is our friend. This sounds insane to people who are born and raised in the west, particularly in the hyper-capitalist, marketing-infused US of A, where a large part of the economy runs on our willingness to fork over hard-earned dollars…

Live Music Review | FLAKEFEST, Vol. 1 at Mohawk | 6/28/24
A new live music review is up at The Cosmic Clash covering FLAKEFEST, Vol. 1 with Starflake and Como Las Movies. Read it now.

The Qreative Life Podcast | S2E12 | Debra Haas
In this episode of TQL podcast, Q talks with her friend Debra Haas about making jewelry and why its so important to her as a creative act. They discuss the difference between an art and a craft; how important it is to listen to practice self-care as an artist; and…

On Personal Style
I’ve been thinking a lot about personal style lately. It was even the subject of my last therapy session. I have a bunch of random thoughts that I’m going to put down here but forgive me if this post isn’t smooth and cohesive, because I’m still very much sorting through…

Q Review | Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas | Fernando A. Flores
A few months ago I went to a recently opened indie bookstore called Alienated Majesty, close to the University of Texas campus. It’s a cute place with all kinds of cool stuff you might not find in a larger, corporate chain. The staff was helpful, and when I went to…

Song Premiere | NuBooty | Starflake
Check out my review of the first single by the new Austin-based band Starflake on The Cosmic Clash:

The Qreative Life Podcast | S2E11 | Nelson Valente Aguilar
In this episode of The Qreative Life podcast, Q is joined by musician and frontman Nelson Valente Aguilar, founder of the nuevo cumbia band Como Las Movies. Listen as Aguilar describes the origins of his musical career, starting when he was five-years-old, and listen as he overcomes social, economic and…

Blog – 6.12.24
A few weeks ago I read this article in TIME Magazine about why obesity is rare in Japan. The whole thing was interesting, and it’s definitely worth considering how the Japanese lifestyle choices differ from ours. But for me, this was the real money quote: Western cooking, he said, is…

Q Review | Dead-End Memories | Banana Yoshimoto
“The words I read in books seemed to strike me more deeply, and with my senses sharpened by grief, I noticed the glittering transition of the seasons as clearly as if I held the grief in the palm of my hand. It had been a long while since I’d experienced…

Q Review | Death on Gokumon Island | Seishi Yokomizo
If you know me, you know that I love murder stories. 90% of my television viewing happens on BritBox and involves some detective or another solving capital crimes. Many of these stories are formulaic, steeped in genre tropes, but that’s part of the draw. It’s comforting, relaxing even, to solve…