August 28, 2006


Meet the Flockers: Brian Beatty

Writer. Comedian. Dude with a beard.


I was born and raised in Brazil, Indiana, which was just as exotic as it sounds. I now live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which isn’t as “nice” as the locals let on. Nor is it as brutally cold. Liars. I’ve also lived in Chicago and Kirksville, Missouri and Bowling Green, Ohio. Bowling Green was a real shithole.

In addition to writing ridiculous little jokes, poems and stories, I play guitar and banjo and visit art museums. I also spend an inordinate amount of time in used book and CD stores. To support these habits and pay the mortgage on the house my girlfriend and I bought two years ago, I work at a design firm, writing ads and brochures and things that begin with the other 24 letters of the alphabet.

In a previous life I call my late 20s, I was a manager for the college division of Barnes & Noble and wore a tie to work every day. I also used to write book and music reviews for magazines, until I realized that constant critical thinking was destroying any joy I had for my own work.

Now my personal philosophy is, “Nobody important is keeping score, so do what you think is interesting.” I recommend it to everyone.

posted by Brian Beatty in Meet the Flockers 

comments

8 Responses to “Meet the Flockers: Brian Beatty”

  1. Andrew Simone on August 28th, 2006 at 9:10 am

    “Nobody important is keeping score, so do what you think is interesting.”

    It has taken me 26 years to begin to realize that.

  2. Mark Pittman on August 28th, 2006 at 9:31 am

    Brian, we seem to have a lot in common. Yesterday, I spent $130 dollars on used CDs. I once worked at Barnes and Noble. I play guitar. And I, too, had to stop writing criticism for an online entertainment site because it was “detroying any joy…”, etc. Your personal philosophy makes a lot of sense to me.

    However, I have never lived in Bowling Green, nor would I.

  3. me on August 30th, 2006 at 11:37 am

    The alternative would be:

    Nobody really cares what you are doing, so do what you think is interesting.

  4. Brian Beatty on August 30th, 2006 at 11:57 am

    Andrew: Be glad it only took you 26 years. It took me 36. And some days, I still forget.

    Mark: Avoid all of Ohio, if possible.

    Me: Maybe. Maybe not.

  5. Chris on August 30th, 2006 at 2:50 pm

    So true. (It’s taken me 34, and a hell of a lot of undergraduate and graduate education, to figure that one out.) Rock on, brother.

  6. Todd Pitman on August 30th, 2006 at 9:59 pm

    It drives me nuts when people are better than me at putting into words what I think. Well said, Brian.

  7. Mark Pittman on August 31st, 2006 at 1:49 pm

    Another coincidence: I’m also 36.

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