Peter

City of Residence: Denver, CO

Age: 17

Length of time in the scene: 1 year

Occupation: "Water Quality Supervisor, Electronics Assembler & Tester, Lawn Mower." He worked at Water World for a few summers, and as an electronics person, "I test all kinds of parts, program EPROMs, and the occasional prototype assembly." He's also interested in working at Hot Topic.

Education: "I am still in high school. Sad, but true." He's a senior at Ranum High School, ranked number one academically.

Musical taste: "Joy Division, The Cure, Rammstein, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Jimi Hendrix, NIN"

Distinctions in appearance: "Long black hair, long sharp nails, often with designs painted on them with black and silver polish. Lots of silver rings. I am still trying new things, new music, new explorations, so I imagine that my appearance will continue to change and evolve."

Hobbies, activities, interests: "Computers, poetry, meditation, metalwork, art films, cooking. I know way too much Pascal, a functional amount of C++, some Delphi. I built my current computer from the Motherboard up. In Metal working, I love to weld, but I don't do it too often. I am also an amateur silversmith, and I have made rings for many of my friends and for myself. For films, I like to watch David Lynch, Rodriguez, and Smith as far as directors go. My favorite movies: Rocky Horror Picture Show, Lost Highway, Chasing Amy, El Mariachi. With my poetry, the only good stuff is in sonnet form, Petrarchan Rhyme Scheme. I've been accepted for publication in several places, but my poetry is a very intimate part of me, so I use a pen name. If you ever see Sonnet #1 by Peter Storm, that's my favorite."

Spiritual, philosophical, religious affiliation: "Nietzscheian Atheist"

Goals, dreams: "I want to find someone with whom I can be comfortable. I want to live a life of variety. I want to find a job I can love. I want a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich once in a while. I want to experience many environments and meet thousands of people. Hopefully I'll like the people, at least a few, or I might go mad. I like apricot jelly the best. I imagine I'll attend college, but I 'm not very enthused about it."

Do you consider yourself gothic?: "If I had to pick a social group that I most identified with, it would be the Goths. I like the music, the attitude, the style, the haunts, and the ambiance." Gothic is "more comfortable at night. Intelligent, but not dispassionate. In the conventional world, the more intelligent a person is, the less they are expected to rely on emotion and intuition. In the goths, the smarter one is, the more one learns to listen to these things. It is peaceful, fearless, but not reckless. Strong in heart, body, and mind. I feel as though they know me, and can see through any pretense I might put up. I know them, and I think we understand each other. Most of goth culture, by this I mean the people and the clothing and the decor, to me shows a beauty, but also a vulnerability. Robert Smith's voice pulling at my insides, but suggesting that it might stop any time. Silk, old lace, and dusty velvet are so smooth and enchanting to the touch, but easily torn by even a child. A conversation with a friend. Every word is vital and from the heart, but the person is exposed, and you feel as though if you were to touch them, you would be touching pure nerves to pure nerves. Sometimes you do touch them, and find out that you were right."

"I like vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks."

8/18/97 updated 9/25/97