Lizzy Cooperman
Where were you raised? Has the landscape of that place influenced your work in any way?
I grew up in New Hope, Minnesota, mere blocks from a 7-11 where I'd wait for my mom to run in and buy soft pack Carlton 120s. Eventually, I'd buy my own at the Sinclair across the street. A few blocks down was Medicine Lake where we’d drink in the woods with guys from the car wash and bury our cans in the snow. In the opposite direction was Snyder's, where I spent my teen years debating buying Sun-In, but instead left with Starburst. People who weren’t from my town said “No hope for New Hope” as a joke but it felt like a diagnosis. I never go back to visit, but I've been writing about my mom and her smoking and her death, and it often leads back to New Hope. It feels like planet Krypton to me in that I can't handle long-term exposure.
Do you collect anything?
I collect old mail, but not on purpose.
What was the last thing that you fell in love with?
I love Target's very own Opalhouse candle Crystal Flora. All the way down to the font. Two wicks. One love.
What do you love most about yourself?
This might sound like a cop out, but I love my relationship to solitude. Is that an actual thing about me? I'd argue that it is & plan on defending it in a court of law.
What is your favorite smell? How does it make you feel? Or what memory does it bring you toward?
Oh wow it didn’t take long for me to return to Crystal Flora. That's my unshakeable number one. It brings me right back to Target, which I find to be very stabilizing! Coffee is a strong second--not on the breath but in the cup. I also love the slurping sound of coffeemakers.
How do you recharge your creative battery?
I do this by writing Morning Pages (The Artist's Way), going on walks, making wish lists, and staring off into space.
What book are you reading?
I'm reading the incredible poetry of Dorriane Laux.
Who are your role models?
My new role model is a man named Craig who I met last week in Palm Springs. I was staying at a friend's house and accidentally locked myself out. I had to call a locksmith, and when he left, his tire blew out in the driveway. This happened in a gated community, and a woman complained that he was blocking the driveway. News of this flat tire spread through the community like wildfire, and three older men emerged from their respective homes to help this locksmith fix it.
One of the men who helped out was Craig. He was sunshine personified, and incredibly kind toward this locksmith who, sadly, didn't have the most pleasant demeanor. Craig stuck around for hours and even insisted that the locksmith let him drive him to a nearby Auto Zone to get a part he needed. Later that day, Craig brought me a stack of magazines about Palm Springs, and an envelope with my name on it. Inside there was a fifty dollar bill with a note from him and his partner that read, "Have dinner on us."
I went inside and told myself, "Be more like Craig." He really embodied Don Miguel Ruiz's Four Agreements-- especially in that he didn't take the locksmith's attitude personally, and instead tried his best and remained true to his nature. I'm forever indebted to artists like Laurie Anderson and Anne Sexton for their massive influences on me, but my actual role model today is Craig. His shirt was also impeccably tucked into his pants, and I could be more like Craig in that department, too.
If you could change one thing about our world, what would it be? Is there an individual or an organization doing work in this area that you want us to know about?
In my dream world, everyone has access to free healthcare, healthy food and a nice bathtub! Endless sparkling water and free audiobooks. The pendant lights of their choosing. Also (KEY CHANGE), in my ideal world, doctors would be required to learn more about Lyme Disease than what they just read on WebMD (I had a doctor google "Lyme" once in his office) and they'd also know how to treat it. I care about the work that ILADS (Internantional Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) is doing with helping people get proper Lyme diagnoses and treatment. I guess they're not really in "the area" as specified in the prompt but I'm sticking with my answer!
If I was not afraid, I would…
I would have finished this a couple weeks ago. It scares me to answer questions that will live online forever!
