Philadelphia Magazine |
Chatting With Jay McCarroll
By Jessica Remo
PM: And you’re teaching at Philadelphia University?
Jay: Wow, where are you getting all this info from?
PM: Google.
Jay: Yeah, that’s why I came back here. And I had a death in the family this summer and it was kind of the last straw for me.
PM: I’m sorry.
Jay: Oh thanks, it’s fine. It was my father, which kind of takes a toll on your system. And I was like, what did he live for? And he had built a whole world around himself. And I was like I don’t really have anything to show for myself other than like a half-assed attempt at everything in New York. I kind of had to reexamine who I was what I was after, what I wanted to do, and decided I wanted to come to Philly. I had been hearing about all the fun stuff that was going on back here, and boutiques opening and rent was still good. So I was like, why am I in New York, where I was completely lost, when I could be contributing to something, ya know, cool.
PM: Are your students starstruck? Do they all know who you are?
Jay: They know who I am. I think the ones that have me, hate me. The school has been a really awesome thing. The professors that I had are the support system for me now. They’re who I would bounce ideas off of anyway, and now they’re right there everyday. And I like being around the energy of the students in general, because they’re so wide-eyed.
PM: Are you done with all your Christmas shopping?
Jay: Oh no. Never. I’m making stuff and it’s never gonna end.
PM: What do you want for Christmas?
Jay: A unicorn.
PM: Doesn’t everybody. What are you wearing right now?
Jay: Ooooh God! Gross! I’m wearing a black hoodie and a black t-shirt and pajama pants and clogs. I should make something more glamorous up.
PM: And what’s hot for ’08?
Jay: I don’t follow any trends. I say where whatever the fuck you want to wear. Do you want me to make up fun trends for you? Everyone should be wearing stains. Stains on their shirts.
PM: Do you think you’ll be in Philly for a while?
Jay: I don’t even know where else I’d want to go. To tell you the truth, my family’s on the East Coast, and umm, I just got here. Shit! Why are you trying to make me leave already?
Jay: Wow, where are you getting all this info from?
PM: Google.
Jay: Yeah, that’s why I came back here. And I had a death in the family this summer and it was kind of the last straw for me.
PM: I’m sorry.
Jay: Oh thanks, it’s fine. It was my father, which kind of takes a toll on your system. And I was like, what did he live for? And he had built a whole world around himself. And I was like I don’t really have anything to show for myself other than like a half-assed attempt at everything in New York. I kind of had to reexamine who I was what I was after, what I wanted to do, and decided I wanted to come to Philly. I had been hearing about all the fun stuff that was going on back here, and boutiques opening and rent was still good. So I was like, why am I in New York, where I was completely lost, when I could be contributing to something, ya know, cool.
PM: Are your students starstruck? Do they all know who you are?
Jay: They know who I am. I think the ones that have me, hate me. The school has been a really awesome thing. The professors that I had are the support system for me now. They’re who I would bounce ideas off of anyway, and now they’re right there everyday. And I like being around the energy of the students in general, because they’re so wide-eyed.
PM: Are you done with all your Christmas shopping?
Jay: Oh no. Never. I’m making stuff and it’s never gonna end.
PM: What do you want for Christmas?
Jay: A unicorn.
PM: Doesn’t everybody. What are you wearing right now?
Jay: Ooooh God! Gross! I’m wearing a black hoodie and a black t-shirt and pajama pants and clogs. I should make something more glamorous up.
PM: And what’s hot for ’08?
Jay: I don’t follow any trends. I say where whatever the fuck you want to wear. Do you want me to make up fun trends for you? Everyone should be wearing stains. Stains on their shirts.
PM: Do you think you’ll be in Philly for a while?
Jay: I don’t even know where else I’d want to go. To tell you the truth, my family’s on the East Coast, and umm, I just got here. Shit! Why are you trying to make me leave already?
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Posted by Zoe | Jan. 2, 2008 at 10:12 PM