Net
Between 1994 and 1996, I wrote several freelance articles for this short-lived magazine, which emerged from the ashes of the Rockpool trade journal.  Click links to read articles.

The Raincoats
Issue #12, April 1994
The Raincoats were in town playing their first American shows in more than a decade.  I'd talked to Ana and Gina a few times in the past, and was excited to have a proper interview scheduled.  The day before we were to chat, Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home.  Kurt was, of course, a huge Raincoats fan: he rhapsodized about meeting them in the Incesticide liner notes, and he'd invited the band to open for Nirvana's pending European tour.  News of his suicide made it an emotional weekend, but it must have been far more so for Ana and Gina. Still, they went ahead with their interviews as scheduled, holding court one Saturday afternoon at an East Village restaurant/bar.  They answered all my questions, but I could tell that their minds were elsewhere.  I didn't know how to mention Kurt, so I just avoided the issue.  That night the Raincoats played at the Academy.  At the height of an amazing set, one of the best performances I have ever witnessed, they dedicated "The Void" to Kurt.  Wow, I thought: If he was able to see this, maybe he'd have found a reason to stay alive a bit longer.

Jale
Issue #15, August 1994
This Halifax four-piece released a few great 7" singles, a fine debut album (Dreamcake), and an underrated follow-up (So Wound) before splitting up.  I chatted with Jennifer Pierce and Alyson MacLeod before their show at CBGB, an immense six-band bill that included Cat Power, Run On, Heavens to Betsy, Excuse 17 and God Is My Co-Pilot.

Lois
Issue #17, December 1994
Lois answered some questions from her parents' house in Phoenix, Arizona right before Bet The Sky came out.

Two Pico
"Trip to Mall of America"
Issue #1, Summer 1999
Callie and I visited the biggest shopping mall in the United States.  I explored its appealing and alienating qualities in this article, which appeared in a Japanese fanzine published by my good friend Tomomi.  Clink link to read.

Miscellaneous/unpublished

The Sad Cafe
November 1999
First impressions on a new job and a nearby drive-through espresso stand.

A Visit from Low
April 2001
The Duluth three-piece discusses music and Mormonism. 

Books

Wipe Away My Eyes
by Erik Farseth
Abandoned House Books, 2001
Erik has published numerous fanzines over the years from his native Minneapolis.  Wipe Away My Eyes is a huge, sprawling collection of interviews and anecdotes.  It begins with the Reagan years and the subsequent birth of U.S. hardcore, dives into an extensive history of Minnesota independent culture, and finally winds up examining the phenomena of fanzines and riot grrrl.  I did a rather extensive mail interview with Erik, and large chunks of my answers made in the final edition.  I'm in here recounting Caught In Flux's beginnings and speaking about fanzines in general.  I also speak out a little about Ronald Reagan and his role in '80s hardcore iconography.

Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Rock Underground, 1981-1991
by Michael Azerrad
Little, Brown Books, 2001
I contributed to the Beat Happening chapter in small ways.  There was a discussion on SeaHunt, the Beat Happening YahooGroups list, about the the K philosophy and its enduring qualities.  Azerrad paraphrased some of my ideas from this posting, and used them in the chapter (with my permission, of course).  I also contributed some back issues of my zines.  These actions, minor as they were, earned Writer's Block and me credits in the acknowledgements section.  There's something strange and rewarding about seeing my old zine -- as imperfect, maligned, but heartfelt as it was -- enshrined in a book.