hey oh! i love beer.

so this is summer, huh? i'm fine with making an initial post. if you don't know what's up, this is a collective. if you want to be a part of this, find us on facebook or some other networking site. you know us well enough.

since this is the Summer Teen Diary, it's important that i relate this to the summer, and when i was a teenager. so let's get this underway.

if there's anything i love to do more than anything in the summer, it's listen to music and read books. hopefully the rest of the gang will follow suit here. if you want to know something about someone, spend two minutes with them (according to one of my favorite fiction characters), or take a look at their music and readings. so here is what i plan on reading this summer.

1) Bablyon Revisited and Other Stories - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The last thing of Fitzgerald's I've read was The Great Gatsby, and this was back in high school. I'm almost a senior in college now. Being a sort of borderline alcoholic myself, I've been turned on to the lifestyle Fitz led. I am also an avid ex-pat, "Lost Generation" fan, and short story enthusiast.

2) The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
One of my favorite books. Sometimes you just need a picker-upper.

3) Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
It's possible that this is the only book I read this summer. I'm fine with that. 1,000 + pages? psh.

4) On the Road - Jack Kerouac
This is another book on the list of books i am trying to get through. Though I'm not much for the beatnik movement i've heard interesting things about Jack's style, so it's worth trying.

5) The Sheltering Sky - Paul Bowles
Also on the list. During WW II, an estranged couple travels to the North African desert to find some common ground...but things take a turn for the worst.


Summertime also brings a sense of music. I'm talking roadtrips. Making out with a girl. Sitting on your porch, smoking a pipe. Hanging out by the campfire. This is what I will be jamming out to the most. No particular order.

1) Alopecia - Why?
This is sort of the indie hip-hop i've been dreaming of.

2) Some Girls - The Rolling Stones
Chill out in your backyard, light a campfire, and dive into the New York era of the Stones.

3) Ancient Melodies of the Future - Built to Spill
This is a newbie. But I am excited to learn more and more about this band. "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss" is awesome.

4) The '59 Sound - The Gaslight Anthem
This is summer jams right here. Yea, you can take the Springsteen comparisons. But enough of that. It's fun and enjoyable.

5) Stay What You Are - Saves the Day
If I had to listen to only one album each summer, this is the one. Hands down.



This is Summer Teen Diary. each of us has our own aspect to contribute, whether it be words, art, lists, reviews, or updates on our Hot or Not photo.

-erik