Miscellaneous Mischief
Mark Lindquist's Blog
New Years Day 2023
Happy New Year "You can always begin again." Both Buddha and Bono said this so it must be true. For the Lindquist family, this has been a year of new beginnings, interesting firsts, and good stories. And, as I like to say, the person who dies with the most stories… Continue Reading
Happy 2022
Here we go again. New year, new beginnings, new mutations. Chelsea, Sloane and I have been fortunate to see most of you this year and we hope to see more of you in a glorious 2022. According to internet numerology, which you can always trust, “2022 stands for success and… Continue Reading
Willie Garson’s Friends
On September 21 my iPhone started buzzing with text messages from friends, some of whom I hadn't heard from in years or even decades. Willie Garson's death was tweeted by The New York Times as "Breaking News" and it echoed across the country. "Amazing how much love he's getting nationally,"… Continue Reading
Back from Borneo
Indonesia continues to intrigue. On this trip, our band went up river all the way to Borneo. We represent 17 victim families from the crash of Sriwijaya Air Flight SJ 182 outside of Jakarta. There are both similarities and differences with our successful lawsuit against Boeing in the crash of… Continue Reading
Happy New Year 2021
Today, January 31, is the last day I greet people with "Happy New Year!" I am always enthused about starting a new year. I'm extra enthused this year. We sent out our New Year e-card with a Lindquist family update on New Year's Day. If you're not already on our… Continue Reading
Gratitude
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. At least that's how I feel today. This is the day to do what we should do every day: give thanks, acknowledge our blessings, live with gratitude. Marcus Aurelius begins Book One of Meditations with a gratitude list. Specifically, he thanks people who taught him… Continue Reading
Summertime Blues
What's "the best live rock album ever" according to music critic Nik Cohn at The New York Times? Hint: it features a 15-minute version of "My Generation." Yes, "Live at Leeds." The Who. There are only six tracks on the original LP, while the CD has 14 songs. Both versions… Continue Reading
Coming Together by Staying Apart
Welcome to this special coronavirus quarantine edition of my blog. While this post lacks my usual book and movie recommendations, there are some life lessons with levity. Decades ago, Kurt Vonnegut said, “How should we behave during this Apocalypse? We should be unusually kind to one another, certainly. But we… Continue Reading
End of the World
News reports allege 38% of Americans blame Corona beer for the coronavirus. Maybe it’s fake news, maybe it’s true. Either way, I’m back in the U.S. after working in Jakarta and visiting Tokyo and it’s weird here. As a comedian on Twitter observed, this is a time for us to… Continue Reading
Happy New Year 2020
Chelsea and I went fully digital with our New Year card this year. If you missed it, lament not, it's still online. We appreciate all of you who stay in contact with us through the email list, thank you. In case you don't recognize the giant Adirondack chair in the… Continue Reading
Books Are Best Gifts
Happy Thanksgiving. Christmas is coming. 'Tis the season for gratitude and books. Books are, of course, the best gifts. While a bottle of single malt Islay Scotch is nothing to scoff at, liquor is still second to literature. I'm defining literature broadly to include "the entire body of writings of… Continue Reading
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Matt Nagle at the Tacoma Weekly wrote a smart cover story about the transition. It's a good read, though I might have titled it, "Planes Trains and Automobiles." Life Quotes One of my rules is to not read about myself. I broke the rule for this article. People suggested I… Continue Reading
Independence Day
I hope you enjoyed Independence Day. For the first time in a decade, I skipped the bands and the salmon bakes and the parades and escaped to our family beach place. It was awesome. Sloane loved hanging out with her cousins, taking boat rides, and playing on the beach. Seaside… Continue Reading
Global Safety
Some news is fake, but it's still cool to wake up in Jakarta and see your case on the front page of The New York Times next to a teaser about an old friend and fine writer, Bret Ellis. After reading the interview, which was more profile than dialogue, I… Continue Reading
Carnival Desires, German Edition
Thanks to German novelist Alice Winter for this cool spring shot of the German edition of Carnival Desires. The English version is available on Kindle. Vanity Fair called it a "witty, minimalist epic." Details magazine said it was "great postmodern literature." Published in 1990, it chronicles the adventures of a group of… Continue Reading
Lion Air Lawsuit
I recently returned from another trip to Indonesia. We now represent 26 of the victim families in the Lion Air crash. Our case continues to gain strength. On the other side of the globe, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crashed on a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. There… Continue Reading
Suing Boeing
On behalf of the families of 17 victims of the Lion Air crash in Indonesia, we filed a lawsuit against Boeing. You can read about it on my lawyer website or Tacoma Weekly or watch Q13 coverage. These families are heartbroken and need vigorous representation. In short, our lawsuit alleges two main points.… Continue Reading
Splendid Moments, Memorable Adventures
"This is a brief life, but in its brevity it offers us some splendid moments, memorable adventures," Rudyard Kipling observed. I've written a few words about our lawsuit against Lion Air on my Medium page. And I'm continuing to add photos to my Instagram, which is now my primary social… Continue Reading
Back In the USA
Back in the U.S. after more than a month working in Indonesia. I documented the adventure on my Instagram. In January I joined a personal injury firm. We are representing a large number of family members who lost loved ones in the crash of Lion Air 610 out of Jakarta. My… Continue Reading
Happy New Year 2019
Happy new year! “And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been, full of work that has never been done." Here is my 2018 year-end list of books and movies. These are not necessarily the best.… Continue Reading
Sometimes in Winter
Wherever I go I feel at home when I see my books or my friends' books on the shelves. Books are the best gifts and that's what I'm buying this holiday season. My recommendations include anything by Ryan Holiday, particularly The Obstacle is the Way and Trust Me, I'm Lying,… Continue Reading
Mahalo and Carnival Desires
Happy Thanksgiving and Mahalo! As Maya Angelou said, "Be present in all things and grateful for all things." Back from a holiday in Hawaii, the Lindquists are feeling the Mahalo spirit. You can see more pictures on my Instagram. I've updated my Medium page and included a review of Carnival… Continue Reading
Thank You
I'm grateful for the support, assistance, and friendship through three elections. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’ve kept my faith that public service and politics are a noble endeavor. I'm proud of the campaign we ran and the contributions our supporters made, bringing much needed graciousness… Continue Reading
#Vote
Trees are bending, leaves are flying, election season is ending. I appreciate everyone who stepped up to help our campaign. We focused on public safety and public service and had a good time. At our last event of the '18 season at the Swiss in Tacoma, I played "Wild Thing" and… Continue Reading
Writers and Public Officials
This week I spoke at the City Club of Tacoma. My closing was atypical in that I focused less on public safety and more on public affairs. In my opening, I discussed our innovative initiatives to make the community safer and reform the justice system, but in closing I told… Continue Reading
Transgressive Fiction
Here's a new literary website for you: transgressivefiction. It's cool. People sometimes ask if I read a piece about myself or my work and the answer is always, "No." When I was a young novelist, my editor advised me against reading my reviews or profiles, good or bad. Eventually I… Continue Reading
August Activities
The events are endless, from street fairs to community celebrations, but for Sloane it is always about face painting. Chelsea and I appreciate all of you who greet us, share stories, and encourage us to keep up the good fight. We are grateful for the volunteers who continue to step up.… Continue Reading
Summertime
It's summertime, and the livin' is busy. Chelsea, Sloane, and I have been all over the county, from the Gig Harbor Maritime Parade to Meeker Days in Puyallup to the Buckley Log Show. We appreciate seeing friends everywhere we go. Pierce County is big, diverse, and friendly. I appreciate every… Continue Reading
Keep Our Prosecutor
Keep our community safe, keep our prosecutor. That's what good people in Pierce County are saying this year. I'm a career Prosecutor going into my tenth year. Time does fly. I've been appointed, elected, and re-elected. Now I'm running again to keep serving. Our public safety successes have been remarkable… Continue Reading
Kickoff Concert with The Beatniks
The Keep Our Prosecutor Kickoff Concert with The Beatniks is Saturday, April 14, at 6 pm. Join us, thanks! Tacoma Mayor Woodards will welcome the crowd, Detective Ed Troyer will serve as Emcee, and The Beatniks will rock the Landmark Temple Theatre in Tacoma! We expect musical guest stars as… Continue Reading
Happy New Year 2018
Happy new year! I've updated my "Have a Pleasant New Year" article, a precursor to my "Zen Lawyer" column. I hope you experience plenty of pleasantness this year. Chelsea, Sloane and I are always enthusiastic about the spirit of adventure and growth inherent in a new year. Possibilities. If you are… Continue Reading
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving! "Gratitude is not only the greatest of all the virtues, but the parent of all others." Marcus Cicero Ladenburg, Strickland, Lindquist. Sounds like a law firm, but it's actually the co-authors of this editorial on Tacoma, the city we are grateful for. We compare Tacoma's past reputation with today's… Continue Reading
Commencement Speech
I was happy to honor the 2017 graduates of Clover Park Technical College as their commencement speaker. There was a contagious spirit of initiative, adventure, and accomplishment in the Tacoma Dome. Here is the text of my speech, which was titled #fivehashtags. In an early draft, I included one of my… Continue Reading
Carnival Desires Redux
In June of 1992, Atlantic Monthly Press published my second novel, Carnival Desires. Details magazine called it, “Great postmodern literature. Romantic and cynical, true and original, full of modern ideas and seductive moments … " Vanity Fair called it, "a witty minimalist epic." Now I'm older and it's available on… Continue Reading
Happy New Year 2016
Happy new year! "Tomorrow is the first page of a 365 page book. Write a good one." Brad Paisley, a country music star, wrote this. My musical taste generally runs a different direction, but I like this line. I wrapped up my "Zen Lawyer" column for Pierce County Lawyer this year.… Continue Reading
Signed Books and Spirits Auction
Please join us November 17, 2016, at Kings Books in Tacoma, 7pm, for our 8th Annual Signed Books and Spirits Auction. #KeepOurProsecutor Guest star auctioneers will be auctioning off signed books from Governor Jay Inslee, U.S. Representative Denny Heck, and, of course, me. New York Times bestselling authors Maria Semple… Continue Reading
So You Wanna Be
Highlight of 2016 -- so far -- was playing guitar with Peter Buck of R.E.M. and the Beatniks at our summer celebration. A great time was had by hundreds. You can find pics and vids at www.marklindquist.org or my Facebook page. Our next event will be the 8th Annual Signed Book and… Continue Reading
Happy Mid-Year
Happy mid-year! If you're in the NW, please join The Beatniks and surprise guests at our family-friendly summer celebration at Ruston Plaza, Saturday, July 30, 2 pm. For more details, go to our Facebook Event page, thank you. Zen Lawyer, Chapter 13, features one of my favorite riffs about integrity and quality… Continue Reading
Zen Lawyer and Meditation
My Instagram account just went public. Zen Lawyer, chapter 10, features a crash course on one-minute meditation. Try it. I continue to write book reviews for the Seattle Times, including, most recently, "Breem Gives Me Hiccups & Other Stories" by Jesse Eisenberg, star of "The Social Network." In the never… Continue Reading
Maybe
Closing out a good 2014, looking forward to a good 2015. In addition to various community and family activities, I was re-elected with more than 96% of the vote, I successfully tried another murder case, made progress on a new novel, wrote book reviews for The Seattle Times, and continued my… Continue Reading
Kickoff Concert
I'm running for reelection. We have everything you would want in a campaign, except an opponent. Robert F. Kennedy said, "About twenty percent of the people are opposed to everything all of the time," but I still picked up more than 96% of the vote in the primary. The kick-off… Continue Reading
Sports, Law, and Life Lessons
John McGrath wrote a good story about an unusually entertaining Continuing Legal Education class featuring sports, law, and life lessons. In summary, be cool. Mary Ann Gwinn, the blessed Books Editor for The Seattle Times, put together an honorable tribute for the 40th Anniversary of Elliott Bay Books in Seattle.… Continue Reading
Interview with Molly Ringwald
"When it Happens to You," Molly Ringwald's "novel in stories," is out in paperback. I interviewed Molly for The Oregonian. We talked music, books, and the Bad Old Days. Speaking of the Bad Old Days, in 2001 I interviewed Peter Buck for the Hartford Courant. We talked music, books, and the… Continue Reading
Welcome to My Blog
Welcome to my updated website, 2013 version. Thanks for visiting. I'm more active on Facebook than here, and I have an attorney website. I will mostly used this blog to recommend books, movies, life lessons and so on. I will also posts links to articles I've written or read. “The purpose of… Continue Reading