Me. Laurie. 23 now. Journalist, writer, reader, tea-drinker, trying to stop being a smoker, punk out of my time. Move along there.

Since I last updated this, I've become a real journalist, copywriter and author; I keep a roof over my head with various writing projects, many of which involve my being paid to be an incurable shouty lefty. I'm also a political blogger, here - http://pennyred.blogspot.com/ - and other places. I spend the rest of my time ranting about socialist feminism, making art, playing music, singing, learning the guitar, reading a very great deal, taking care of my friends, and going out to clubs to remind myself how much I hate them.

Annoying the hell out of Tories.

I'm short, I have dark eyes and short dark hair, I'm clever, and I have a babyish sort of laugh which is either annoying or adorable, depending on who you ask. Oh, and I'm probably making a mess somewhere.

Books -'Jane Eyre', 'A Clockwork Orange', 'The Beauty Myth', the complete works of John Keats, the sermons of John Donne, the sonnets of Rochester, 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being', The 'Gormenghast' Trilogy, The Scar - in fact, anything China Mieville, 'Little, Big' by John Crowley, most Neil Gaiman, all Pratchett, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P Lovecraft, Jeanette Winterson, 'The Borribles', Quincey's 'Confessions of an English Opium Eater' and 'The English Mail-Coach'; 'The Invisibles', Anne Rice's delicious gay vampire porn, 'Down and Out in Paris and London', 'Crime and Punishment'...etc. many, many books.

Films - I like a lot of independent cinema. 'The Proposition' and 'Shortbus' are some of the best things I've seen recently. Lukas Moodysson is a phenomenal director, as is Almodovar, but I'm also a sucker for glitzy rock-musicals like 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Velvet Goldmine'. Dark, snappy comedies like 'Black Books' and 'Spaced' always make me giggle.

Music - Electro, Goth, Punkrock (modern and classic), a lot of Indie Rock and acoustic. I also nurse a vestigial love for mid-nineties RiotGrrl, spawned in my teenage lesbian days. Don't talk to me about jazz.

Food - Tea and toast. Most things taste better on toast.

books/ sex/ caffeine /friends /ideas /the internet

your mum.

I'd like to say that on a typical Friday night I'm getting dolled up to go out to a fabulous party. Normally, though, I'm in my bedroom with coffee and filthy cigarettes, typing furiously and muttering to myself.

I'm extremely bad at having secrets.

You're not a wanker, and you like to talk about politics. Oh, and you're kind. Kind people are great treasures, and I need more of them in my life.