A Week of Americana. Part One: Moby Dick
Sean MurphyAs our nation prepares to celebrate another birthday this week, it seems like an appropriate time to revisit some posts that celebrate art, American style. The first one, fittingly, is…
Obama’s Next Move
So, back in March 2010, the day after Biden --with his typical ill-advised, but beautiful candor-- announced, within earshot of the mics "This is a big fucking deal", I had…
The Greek God of Walks Gets An Appropriate Walk-Off
Sometimes the gods smile. (Speaking of gods and the whole "Greek God of Walks" thing, that of course was a mistake made in the seminal Moneyball, when Youk, because of…
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown (Revisited)
How do you know you've made an indelible impact on culture? Here's how. Listen: this story has been told so many times it is inextricable from the history of…
Soul Kitchen
The cars crawl past all stuffed with eyes Street lights share their hollow glow Your brain seems bruised with numb surprise Still one place to go... That is all.
When I’m 64 (Plus Six): My Favorite Macca
Paul McCartney who, no matter where you stand on rock music, The Beatles or list-making, is indisputably one of the best --and most important-- popular musicians of the last…
A History of Violence
When you think about the distinctive ingredients of Americana, the elements that comprise what we think about when we think of what makes America so...American, it's easy to recite the clichéd…
Rodney King, R.I.P.
Some people, like Rosa Parks, seem determined (if not destined) to make history. Some, like Parks, are successful. Others are not (many of them are appearing right now on reality…
With You There To Help Me: Cheerio To An Old Teacher (Revisited)
Shortly after 2011 began, I noted the unhappy occasion of Gerry Rafferty's passing and did my best to articulate (and celebrate) what his work meant to me (original post here).…
Farewell to a Goodfella: Henry Hill, R.I.P.
Well, it finally happened, albeit a lot later than many of his enemies would have liked. The world's most famous --and recalcitrant-- bad-guy-turned-FBI-informant, Henry Hill, has passed away at age…