Author Archives: Justin
About Justin
Justin Kern pays the annual bill to own this domain that contains his name. What you see here is a sampling of how he chooses to use that online space. He lives in Milwaukee and still plays Sega Genesis.The Museum of the Unintentional, on display again
Originally rejected by The Ephemerist (summer 2023 edition) Our collections bring us together in this space, in person or remote. But does the same hold true if the collection centers on the uncollectible, presented to the unfamiliar? This spring, for … Continue reading
“The Now End of the Universe”
A band I’m in, FUDGY, is closing out 2020 with the release of “The Now End of the Universe”, our 30-song, two LP big idea/goof album. You can only purchase it by making a donation to the nonprofit Pathfinders. They … Continue reading
New Pitchin’
I’ve begun to write a quarterly column for the Wisconsin Horseshoes Pitchers Association newsletter. It’s called “The Cruel Shoes”. My guy Todd says I should change my bio so that it only mentions that I write for this newsletter. We’ll … Continue reading
“The Pure Devil”: Excerpts of Grief and Remembrances from Victims’ Families During the Sentencing of Jeffrey Dahmer
Lost in the glamorization of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer are the lives he took. His apartment building in the Avenues West neighborhood is gone, the chocolate factory he worked at in the Valley, too, as are many of the nightclubs … Continue reading
“Blighted”
(This piece of FOIA bric-a-brac didn’t make the final cut for “The Milwaukee Anthology,” a collection edited by me and to be published in April 2018 by BELT. Submitted here for your consideration.) While an Ikea briefly stole the show, … Continue reading
Deflate
(This is a non-fiction piece I wrote that no one else wants to publish so I get to here. It takes place from 2007-2017 in Wisconsin.) Paul’s hands submerged into an inflated blue balloon as the village cop knocked on … Continue reading
Constitutional
We, the group of friends and acquaintances, in order to re-read or finally read America’s signature legal document, in the face of Tyranny, with a belief in Freedom, and an uncertainty on the Framework of It All, did ordain and … Continue reading