Memberships
Long story short: I'm an artist and organizer in NYC, working in independent theater, and self-producing highly weird, anti-commercial art. I've become increasingly engaged politically, from electoral work to abolitionist and tenant organizing to direct action. I'm fortunate to have some freelance work for now, but the pandemic hustle is real, and it is hard.
Your support will help me focus on the work most important to my communities, audiences, and, well, to me. I'd like to spend more time writing, researching, organizing, creating, educating, canvassing, disrupting, performing, and all the things the rise-and-grind gets in the way of.
The content I create usually comes from one of three sources:
David Jenkins (theater-maker; conceptual artist; organizer)
Trained in Drama and Chinese, I've worked primarily in theater since moving back to NYC in 2007, before expanding into other and weirder media, including web and performance art.
Lately I've been organizing with the NYC Democratic Socialists of America and others around a variety of issues. I include reflections on this work in my Monthly Updates.
grillcover (web avatar)
Born in 1995 in the primordial swamps of AOL, "grillcover" has proliferated through various website accounts, video game handles, and other digital media to the point where its identity has become a distinct part of my extended body.
I've been extremely online for a while.
The D. W. J. (performer; stooge; meat popsicle)
"After a decade of gestating in the industry, the D.W.J. was born as a fully autonomous, semi-sentient human male construct designed for performance environments."
On the one hand, it's just a funny and bizarre way to "sell myself" and still feel comfortable working in entertainment. On the other hand, it's a deeply personal work of cybernetic art highlighting the atrocity of commodification.
Milestone: $42 of $800 / month
With this much per month, I can commit one full day per week to organizing without having to worry about how I'm going to pay my bills, or burning out as a volunteer organizer.
Posted by grillcover on Dec 12, 2022
The last couple months have been a torrent of trips, shows, deep organizing, and scrambling to catch what freelance work has actually come my way. I’m beginning to accept incomplete 2022 goals, ready to arise renewed with ambitious plans in the New Year. But today is one of my favorite da... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on Oct 01, 2022
Posted by grillcover on Jul 23, 2022
Reflections: (November/December 2021)The final months of 2021 were rough, but they weren’t without their highlights. When November began I was still miming in Colorado, out of time and space with friends and collaborators in another world. It really felt that way. Our shows had finished over t... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on Jul 18, 2022
Reflections: (September/October 2021)September was where things started to turn around for me– or really, where the bottom fell out. My months of mania had finally sunk me into a deep depression, and despite filling the holes in my heart with things to do I needed to eventually step away from ... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on Jul 16, 2022
Reflections: (July/August 2021)I've decided to combine months for the next few posts as things decompressed through the end of the year. Hopefully that’ll also help me catch up!For these two months closing out the summer, I don't think I really recognized my serious burnout. Rather than taking... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on May 22, 2022
Originally published: 2/22/2022 Reflections: (June 2021) In June I began to come apart. As mentioned in May, there were major climaxes approaching with the Democratic primary and the city budget. And near the end of May I'd been fortunate to receive a gig through my pals at BKBX for the end of Jun... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on May 22, 2022
Reflections: (May 2021) Where April seemed like a transition between big projects, May was to pedal to the metal and gearing back up for another climax in June. I was finding my rhythm, learning a ton, becoming more confident and discovering my potential, but also getting totally sucked in and over... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on May 21, 2022
Posted by grillcover on May 21, 2022
Originally published: 01/17/2022 Reflections: (April 2021) The organizing and protests around the budget had a huge impact on negotiations. It was clear we weren't going to be getting the full $50 billion from the slate of six bills, and certain aspects of them – like a billionaires' wealth ... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on May 21, 2022
Originally published: 01/11/2022 Reflections: (March 2021) This month things started to really blend as a relentless array of forces collided. Waves of work, org responsibilities, and intense emotional energy crashing over me. Everything still felt like life and death. Indeed, March 2021 began wit... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on May 21, 2022
Originally published: 01/05/2022 Reflections: (February 2021) It's impossible to overstate the impact that January had on me, and I went into February still fixated on the Capitol Riot, while most everyone seemed desperate to return to "normal." Vaccines were on the horizon, Biden was taking charg... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on May 21, 2022
Posted by grillcover on May 21, 2022
Originally published: 06/07/2021 "Just over five months ago, on 1/6/2021, I went on a day trip to Washington D.C. to stand with BLM and antifascist protesters against a third monthly MAGA rally. Everyone knew what was happening that day. I knew we were on the brink. Lacking mass support, local org... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on May 21, 2022
Originally published: 5/08/2021 Reflections: (December 2020 - January 2021)This update is coming much, much (edit: much) later than I'd like, but to keep striving toward that proper "monthly update" goal I'm going to make this post about just two months (down from three) and then hold myself to mak... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on May 21, 2022
Originally published: 12/18/2020 Reflections: (September - November 2020)The periodicity of my posts in 2020 is like a collapsing wave-- my last post covered the first eight months, then this post covering the past three; perhaps I'll get back to a steady monthly wavelength for the new year. I'd be... Continue reading
Posted by grillcover on May 20, 2022
Originally published: 9/19/2020 Reflections: (January - August 2020)This is going to be a bit different than past months. I'd kept my monthly Reflections & Intentions more or less on schedule, but this year's been a historic whirlwind and I haven't been able to keep up. I also have too much to ... Continue reading