Bright Moments (Revisited)
Sean MurphyQuestion: What’s it all about? Answer: I don’t know. But I do know a few things. I know some of the things that make me tick. While my weapons of…
Fantômas: Fifteen Years Later
A writer should always set challenges: it keeps things interesting and guards against formulaic and predictable assessments. Still, as Harry Callahan sagely observed, "A man's gotta know his limitations." I…
Remembering (and Celebrating) The Kids In The Hall
(10/16: After yesterday's post, it seems appropriate (and always overdue) to remember how amazing KITH were (are)!) (From PopMatters, 10/07) The Kids in the Hall existed in a sort of…
Bright Moments (Again)*
Question: What’s it all about? Answer: I don’t know. But I do know a few things. I know some of the things that make me tick. While my weapons of…
Forever Never Changes: Remembering Arthur Lee
Arthur Lee died seven years ago today (August 3, 2006). I not only am keen to remember --and celebrate-- his life and work, I also appreciate the fact that the…
The Greatness of the Gatsby
Kathryn Schulz has seized the occasion of the newest—and probably not the last—screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby to take the great American novel down several pegs. Indeed, she is…
On Getting (or not getting) a PhD in Political Science and Bob Dylan, Remixed
The genius of the Inernet, again. Here's two very different, very brilliant things I stumbled upon today (h/t Andrew Sullivan and PopMatters): So You Want To Get a PhD in…
It’s Official: The Budos Is Upon Us
First off, can we get an Amen for Daptone Records? You know a label has arrived when you go from being pleasantly surprised at the consistent quality of each new…
Jason Moran (and Monk)
Over at PopMatters Will Layman has a great piece on pianist Jason Moran. Highly recommended. It also includes a wonderful video where Moran talks about his relationship with the music…
Essential Performance: Gene Hackman in ‘The Conversation’*
Harry Caul is a man less concerned with the answers to uneasy questions than the questions themselves. He is a well-regarded surveillance specialist; a self-employed spy who builds his own…