BA of the Week: Caitlin Donohue of the SF Guardian
Every week we feature a different person from the community shedding a little light on their life of brokeitude. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something about the human spirit — probably not.
Wanna be a Broke-Ass of the Week? Holler at us here and we’ll send you the questionnaire.
photo by Erik Anderson
I don’t remember where it was that I originally met Caitlin, but ever since that day she’s been popping up in my world quite often. I guess that’s just how San Francisco works. Regardless, she’s rad (as you’ll be able to tell by her answers below. When I asked Caitlin what she wanted included in the intro, she said this:
I’ve lived in five countries but am sticking to the streets of San Francisco for the moment to cover food, bikes, nightlife, sex, and everything else that makes life worth living as the culture editor at the San Francisco Bay Guardian. They pay me a wage befiting an alt print journalist in the age of people getting their news from Facebook. I dig working there because it’s locally owned and I am no longer the weirdest person at the office. Also good to mention that I write the Guardian’s weed culture column, Herbwise. Still waiting on my first press samples for that one… What’s up, SF dispensaries?
Read below to see here answers to our incredibly harrowing questionnaire.
Name: Caitlin Donohue
Age: 26
Occupation: San Francisco Bay Guardian culture editor
What neighborhood do you live in?: I’ve been in the Western Addition for the past couple of years, but as of the end of September I’m yet another drunk bicyclist in the Mission.
What are you listening to these days?: Aloe Blacc, Asa, Little Dragon, Ana Tijoux, the new Das Racist album, the Ike and Tina Turner Collection. I will drop whatever I’m doing to see Bayonics live, every time.
Best money saving tip: A big smile. Um, next question.
What do you refuse to spend money on?: Furniture. It makes me feel like dying when I buy something that can’t fit in the trunk of a car.
Most expensive thing you’ve ever bought: I worked as a labor union organizer the summer after I graduated from college so I could buy a ticket to Australia and pay an exorbitant fee for a six month work visa.
How’d that feel?: Like wings. Although, after six months of bartending in Byron Bay I had a hellacious scar on my left shoulder blade from a shopping cart race-beer bottle mashup, sure enough liver damage, and a completely inappropriate crush on a 19-year old British boy. Still totally worth it. Couldn’t afford not to, really.
Favorite cheap eat: The papas pambazo at Reaction (2183 Mission) – it’s a sandwich with bread that’s been soaked in tomato sauce and then fried. That whole restaurant is glorious – you can eat a dinner that’s not a burrito for five bucks.
Favorite dive bar: I don’t get up the hill as often as I’d like, but Wild Side West in Bernal Heights has the most amazing bar garden in town and the regulars kick all kinds of ass. I guess that’s not really a dive bar, but damn where do you find a dive bar in San Francisco? Besides the Tenderloin.
Best deal you’ve ever gotten: I went to irritatingly preppy New England private school for college and every year my dad would get on the phone with the financial aid office and rage them until they gave us more money for me to go there. My dad is like the dad in Clueless, he’s terrifying in an argument even when you’re 3,000 miles away. From him I’ve learned that belligerence will get you far – and that when you’re dealing with The Man, there’s no need to be shy.
Favorite free thing to do: Bike out to Ocean Beach, snuggle in the dunes.
If you woke up a millionaire, what’s the first thing you’d buy?: I’d flash out the roof of the Guardian – pool, full bar, citrus trees, kitty cats.
Despite not having money, do you still love your life?: Hell yes. I work at a locally-owned business with a bunch of other progressive, crazy people, I get to write about pretty much whatever I want and hang out with the most interesting, gorgeous people in San Francisco. And usually they don’t have money either. It’s that kind of city. You learn about the beauty of barter.
Do you own my book?: No, but your book owns.
Best hangover cure: Hair of the dog is really more of a postponement than a cure, per se. But dammit if it doesn’t feel like a cure.
Are you a hipster?: That’s not a yes or no question. I believe in the hipsterism continuum.
