Whatcha Watchin?
Issue #24
Slam poet-turned-mystery writer Maggie Estep loves horse racing and bicycle riding, but hates eating and shopping
By Amber Drea
Published: June 1st, 2005 | 12:41pm
While Maggie Estep awaits the release of Flamethrower, the third novel in her crime series, she fills her days with mostly nature-based activities. Aside from a few readings for the short-story anthology Brooklyn Noir 2: The Classics, summer plans include taking her dog to the beach and hanging with her 14-year-old foster horse, Dalton. From an artists’ colony in Florida, Estep shares her passions and aversions. — Amber Drea
Film: Eternal Sunshine Of the Spotless Mind. That Charlie Kaufman guy is so brilliant I want to hunt him down and hug him violently.
Boob tube: The Wire is my favorite. Of course, I’m fond of Sopranos and Curb Your Enthusiasm, too. I always found Jerry Seinfeld’s teeth offensive and could never really watch Seinfeld. Now, thanks to CYE, I can taste all that sick, lovely humor without a dose of those teeth.
Reads: I just read Temple Grandin’s Animals in Translation [about using autism to understand animal behavior], which was fascinating.
Mags: Velo News (bicycle magazine), Thoroughbred Times, and The New Yorker.
Listens: That most recent Nick Cave, The Lyre of Orpheus. I [can] never get enough [Bach]. And then I have to throw Joy Division on about once a week for old time’s sake. Pop music is going in a bizarre bubble-gummy phase right now, so I’ve tuned it out.
Eats: Food is a total burden. I want to be hooked up to an IV each morning and then not have to worry about it. I mean, I like some food, like Ethiopian food especially, but I'm not into cooking or shopping.
Hobbies: I have a beautiful custom-made Serotta racing bike, and I ride a couple hundred miles a week, except in winter when I just do a lot of yoga. I play classical piano, too. I went into debt for 13 years to buy a beautiful, old seven-foot Steinway grand.
Hangouts: Aqueduct Racetrack [in Jamaica, Queens], Coney Island, and Jacob Riis Park at Rockaway [Beach].
Shops: Clothing is like food — a pain in the ass. I’m not filthy rich and I don’t have time to devote lots of energy to finding cool clothes, so I just go to agnès b. every three months. It’s not cheap, but not brutally expensive, and the stuff is simple, well-made, and lovely. I supplement that stuff with cheap shirts, etc., from H&M or Target.
Browses: Daily Racing Form (drf.com) online. Sometimes I look at animal rescue sites, but then I end up adopting more animals, so that’s dangerous.
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