{MINIPROMPT}: The Defining Things We Like and Dislike

What makes you unique? Inspired by Susan Sontag’s list of likes and dislikes, we compiled our personal little lists of what we’re into/out on and found out a lot about our shadow selves.

Kelaine Conochan

Things I like: trail mix, long runs, high top sneakers, neon colors, lying on the floor, lying in the sun, women’s sports, pickles, 90s R&B, salty cookies, jalapeños, saunas, spring green, mangos, thunderstorms, absurdist comedy, alphabetical bookshelves, bunnies, black tea, slippers.

Things I dislike: dresses, umbrellas, injustice, the passage of time, late stage capitalism, gossip, wind, business literature, SUVs, bookshelves organized by color, high waisted pants, antibacterial soap, Chinese takeout, winter, gender norms, tobacco smoke, sedentary lifestyles, birds.

Dan Farkas

Things I like: the delight of Chilean sea bass synergistically paired with a buttery Chard, the sound the basketball makes swishing through a brand new net, the Great Lakes, Mini-Coopers, the company of a good dog, a good cup of coffee on an unhurried morning, time to write, Stephen King novels up to and including It, landing a joke, Shawshank, Tom Hanks movies, New Zealand TV shows, popcorn, Warner Bros. cartoons, Superman, Batman, The Flash, Heath Ledger’s Joker; Rangers hockey, Mets baseball, Jets football; MSU; peak buzz, Washington Square Park and its Village, birds, grilled hotdogs and rosé, Iceland.

Things I dislike: British TV shows, cockroaches, polyps, “listen closely, our menu options have changed,” unwelcome introspection, that I have lost interest in the Knicks, vitriolic closed-minded, political discourse, that the Constitution’s second amendment is a social wedge issue, popcorn hulls, raking leaves, hangovers, the Five (the subway and Interstate).

Jay Heltzer

Things I like: cheeseburgers, cheap fountain pens that work better than expensive fountain pens, innovative stand-up comedians, fuckin’ Whoopie pies man, writing that emulates a bebop solo, Dusty Rhodes, dark comedy, talking like Stewie Griffin for no reason, pizza of every geographic persuasion, Frank Rosolino singing, getting a haircut on a cold day, science logic and reason, dogs that just want to say “Hi,” music in ⅝ & ⅞, putting on sweats right out of the dryer

Things I dislike: repression, raw tomatoes, take-out Mexican food (it always gets soggy), your religious ideology interfering with my life, telemarketing, animated movies with big stars for big stars’ sake, doing things one way because that’s the way you always did it, 2A defenders, sharpened pencils that keep breaking because the graphite is shattered, unsalted peanuts, and people who insist on speaker phone discussions in public.

Michael Maiello

Things I like: my wife Natasha’s art writing, Alfred Jarry, Tom Stoppard, Woody Allen, the view from the Manhattan side of the East River of a building that looks like it was made by Magritte, this idea I have for a novel I’m writing, The Hudsucker Proxy, Douglas Adams.

Things I dislike: the crunchy edges of pasta in baked dishes, DALL-E, ChatGPT, limoncello instead of cognac, and Jupiter’s moon Io (it knows why).

Jillian Conochan

Things I like: coffee, crystals, Bon Iver, BlackBerry, red pandas, tight ends, swimming pools, spontaneity, skincare, merch, musk, geography, watermelon, batting cages, plush toys, callback jokes, karaoke, cleaning floors, drinking milk with dessert, eyebrowz, my zodiac sign, Kanye West (sorry).

Things I dislike: California, superhero movies, Amazon, black licorice, green peppers, games of chance, Ryan Reynolds, Penn State, race swag bags, mosquito bites, country music, the misconceptions around donating clothes to a dumpster in a parking lot, prime numbers, petrichor, babies (sorry).

Devin Householder

Things I like:  firepits, early mornings, the first sip of perfect coffee, eggplant parm, money, honesty with kindness, Brandi Carlisle, classic vinyl jazz records w/subtle crackling, child’s pose, the perfect inside-out forehand struck deep in the corner, unexpected minor keys, 5-mile long endorphin highs, spring, Roku, just the right lighting in every room, lidocaine.

Things I dislike:  short attention spans, long fake fingernails, a sink full of dishes, profile pictures, money, letting people down, Ben Affleck, chemotherapy, being talked over, deceptive people, gluten-free bagels, Kanye West (sorry Jillian), Comcast, whiskey, catheters.

Kevin Shea

Things I like: Bethany Beach, NA beer, cooking Mexican dishes, family, LA, hard workouts, track and field, foldable slices, cold leftover Italian food, windmills, sports without overthinking sports, body surfing, kids, big city marathons, Team Fox, Orioles baseball, steamed crabs.

Things dislike: Running injuries, people telling me where I need to eat when visiting a city, guns, systemic racism, violent movies, cold weather, MAGA, Nike, Boston sports teams, school loans, regional sports networks, parking garages.

Sarah Razner

Things I like: books, fall days, dancing like a fool, movies that make me cry, writing, Earl Grey, the English Countryside, mysteries, honesty, a starry sky, pups, blazers, bold colors, glitter, açaí bowls, kindness, effort, whimsy, workouts, burying myself under a pile of blankets, the Olympics, girl power, podcasts, equality, fish as pets, Ed Sheeran, succulents, swimming on a summer day, and things I don’t need.

Things I dislike: allergies, unexpected snow, performative politics, Tucker Carlson, fish as food, Daddy Long Legs, bigotry, book bans, insurrections, over-caffeinated coffee, the wealth gap, Twilight, work surprises, alcohol, ads-based news, dry nonfiction, New Year’s, overstimulation, and apathy.

Marybeth McDonough

Things I like: True Detective Season 1, getting a laugh, Grand Central Station, William Shakespeare, Pinterest, tartan, typewriters, the Statue of Liberty, ballet, museums, sour candy, Superman, tea time, bookstores, Coca-Cola, notebooks, emerald green, Hugh Jackman, dancing to Whitney Houston songs, the movies.

Things I dislike: True Detective Season 2, one uppers, spoilers for books and movies, “You’re on mute,” Reply All, recipes that throw everything in the pot including dry pasta, network television, never getting a response when you apply for a job, disloyalty, being rushed, being judged as a parent, isolation, lack of empathy, being a tea drinker in a coffee world.

Josh Bard

Things I like: Backdoor cuts, Pixar, fine sand, Simon Rich, bar trivia, ice cream, creativity, pass first PGs, competition, sandwiches, key changes, announcing key changes before they happen, Fenway Park, montages, geography, pop-a-shot, last third of a book, Chick-fil-A food

Things I dislike: Every gun in the history of the world, bad faith arguments, having to download single use phone apps, high fashion for high fashion’s sake, nepotism, liars, blaming cancel culture for actual consequences, picky eaters, bad effort, cops, career politicians, speakerphone in public, Chick-fil-A politics

Natalie Brandt

Things I like: memoirs, driving through small towns, plants that grow in sidewalk cracks, ceiling fans, cilantro, romance, making breakfast, hot baths, feeling small beside the ocean, reading recipes, the night sky without light pollution, coffee with cinnamon, indoor pools, wearing green, uncorking wine, anything by Lawrence Kasdan, paper calendars, the stillness of my car right after the engine shuts off, and disaster movies.

Things I dislike: potlucks, religion, being cold, phone calls, heirlooms, running late, the cosmetic section of department stores, wasting time, spiders, the sound of leaf blowers, the symphony, nausea, clutter, sitting at a bar alone, the lines on my forehead, blind adherence to tradition, cottage cheese, slasher films, being asked to choose a tipping option at every checkout counter, and having my wrists held.

Eric Mochnacz

Things I like: Ghosts stories on film. Domino’s pizza. Convenience of having someone else do my laundry. Ciders and IPAs. Survivor. Running outside. Coffee. Weird ice cream: Oreo, Coke and Pop-Tarts flavors. Classic horror movies. Being a Disney adult. Making out. Peloton. Travel. My intuition being right. Wordle. Scented candles. Waking up early. Sleeping with the windows open in spring and summer. I make friends with bartenders at every bar I go to.

Things I dislike: Getting ghosted. Judgment on my takeout choices. Doing laundry. Sour beers. Survivor contestants on other reality shows. People who run stop signs. Tea. Traditionalists.  “New Horror” horror movies. People who hate joy. Guys who expect butt stuff. Diet culture. Flying and current state of the airline industry. Conflict. Sudoku. Tree-shaped air fresheners. Going to bed after 11 pm. The fact foxes in heat sound like babies crying. The fact that I’m sitting at a bar alone.

Guest Poster Serenna Quaglietta

Things I like: fitness, Fendi, front stoop coffee, The Rock, pitbulls, tequila, astrology, astronomy, lipstick and an eye flick, dark chocolate, day drinking, Vikings, beach hiking, Wonder Woman, late nights with besties, NFG, earth science, the color red, my friends’ kids ONLY, concerts, crystals, warm weather, traveling, plants, soccer, Dallas Cowboys, clean sheets, mob movies, people watching

Things I dislike: liars, inconsistency, golf, Jell-O, Kardashians, sour anything, lima beans, litter bugs, bad tippers, people who don’t recycle, laziness, emptying the dishwasher, followers, small talk, people who don’t use their blinker, EDM, wasting food, snow, eye twitching, romcoms, olives, others not being present, Crocs, Delaware, ironing, black licorice, bullies, people chewing with their mouth open

Heather Shaff

Things I like: woods, birdsong, soft warm breezes, well-written novels, honesty, openness, caring for my body and eating well, the way my children smell, riding my bike, tree swings, integrity, intimacy of all kinds, napping, meditation, hugs, daydreaming, bravery, sunshine, beaches, runner’s high, karma, eyes, chocolate ice cream.

Things I dislike: ticks, being cold, politics, the current state of air travel, injuries, cruciferous vegetables, fear, incongruity between words and actions, spam of any kind, rigidity, revenge, violence, guns, phone trees, comfort zones, dogma, endings, closed-mindedness, climate change, potholes.

Sam Hedenberg

Things I like: Pocket notebooks. Spicy snacks. Flannel shirts. Chuck Klosterman pontificating on anything. Sugar-free Red Bull. Cheesesteaks. High-gravity IPAs. Coming up with a story idea in the shower. Sleeping in on Saturday. Backup quarterbacks with hearts of gold. Early 2000s pop punk. One-upping someone with a better story. People who hate Philly fans.

Things I dislike: People who recommend podcasts. Teacher pay scales. The rising cost of beef jerky. People who order flights at breweries. The Dallas Cowboys. Any Dallas Cowboys fan not from Texas. The Beltway. Subway—the sandwiches and the mode of transportation. People who “gift time back” to me after wrapping up an unnecessary Zoom meeting two minutes early. Hardboiled eggs. People who yell “what exit?” when I say I’m from NJ. Going to Costco on Saturday.

Sydney Walters

Things I like: *Controversial* The warm lettuce mixed in with Thai Food or a fresh burger, the pain and pleasure indivisible from ghost peppers, the way my clothes carry static electricity because I don’t buy dryer sheets, the forbidden smell of car exhaust.

Things I dislike: Meatloaf.