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Alanja Oliver

Here's a picture of Alanja that I took in a hotel room in Vegas.

City of residence: Salt Lake City, UT

Age: 24

Length of time "in the scene": 8 years

Occupation: Fuji Film Processor

Education: "I'd like to say self-educated, but I did graduate high school." Two years at Davis High School, graduated from Mountain High in 1993.

Musical taste: "A lot of everything, Corpus Delecti, 45 Grave, And Also the Trees, Death in June, Xymox, Christian Death, Gitane Demone, Chris and Cosey, Kate Bush, Social Distortion, Crass, Elvis, and Chopin."

Distinctions in appearance: "It's very hard for me to commit to anything, although I do have an interesting tattoo I did myself on my foot. I also have the Hebrew symbol for Guardian Angel on my right shoulder and a band around my left ankle. I mostly use piercings, excessive jewelry, different makeup styles and a varied wardrobe to express whatever mood I'm in." The homemade tattoo is several flowers on a vine on her foot with each flower having personal symbolism. She has 14 piercings in her ears and a septum piercing. She also had a piercing in the webbing between her thumb and forefinger that is now grown in. Her hair color is, to say the least, subject to change. She's had it bright fluorescent orange/lime green, blue/purple hair, pink, red/black, and now all purple.

Hobbies, activities, interests: "I'm a classically trained pianist, and I have a knack for interior decorating and fashion that I'd like to explore. I have an interest in religion and history that people like to forget happened. I enjoy reading and dancing and basically socializing." She taught herself piano at age thirteen and took lessons for three years. She likes to study history that people overlook such as European history, wars, and religions like Paganism, witchcraft, and the Druids. She reads a lot of history and nonfiction and enjoys authors like the Bronte sisters, Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare, Flaubert (Madame Bovary), and George Orwell.

Spiritual, philosophical, religious affiliation: "I don't believe that spiritual belief should be affiliated with any group or person. I'd have to say I haven't decided on anything set in stone because everything constantly evolves as I study more possibilities." She doesn't follow an organized set of beliefs, but she thinks that religious rituals have value because they respect a force, something greater than ourselves. She believes in the power of the mind and that rituals can channel the energy in the mind. It can link you into the consciousness of humanity and of a higher power. Religion is two sides of an energy force, good and evil, not necessarily God and Satan. People have the freedom to use these forces. As a general principle she likes: do what thou wilt as long as you don't interfere with anyone else.

Goals, dreams: "Actually I like to wing it most of the time. I'd like to travel to Europe soon and maybe when I'm ready, have a child and a companion to settle down with, but they do not need to happen together." As far as marriage and children she said it depends on her personal inclination and circumstance. She plans to take things as they come.

Do you consider yourself gothic?: "I'd like to imagine that my beliefs, habits, quirks, appearance, etc. could not be placed in one category. (That's a no.)"

4/25/97 last updated 11/29/99