Every Day is Veterans Day
Sean MurphyI. Personal Remember when Born in the U.S.A. was ubiquitous? The album and the song. Springsteen was already a big deal, but he wasn't ubiquitous. (A lot more on how Bruce went…
Original Poem: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, 1967: MUHAMMAD ALI REFUSES ARMY INDUCTION*
My thanks to Words & Sports Quarterly for publishing my poem about how America handled Muhammad Ali and his (spiritually & politically astute, prescient) conscientious objection to the Vietnam war.…
Frederic Forrest: RIP, Chef
If you're a fan of Francis Ford Coppola, you are familiar with Frederic Forrest. If you're an ardent fan of Francis Ford Coppola, you appreciate the rare gifts Frederic Forrest…
Remembering Michael Cimino’s Masterpiece, ‘The Deer Hunter’
Imagine this: Michael Cimino, fresh off five Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director) and the next big “thing” fails to complete the filming of Heaven’s Gate (1980) and…
Memorial Day*
I. I'll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive Cyrus has never actually discussed his brief stint in the army that took him to Vietnam. On a couple of occasions…
Memorial Day*
I. I'll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive Cyrus has never actually discussed his brief stint in the army that took him to Vietnam. On a couple of occasions…
The Things They Carry, Continued…
Two stories from today's New York Times. What a coincidence. ON THIS DAY On March 16, 1968, during the Vietnam War, the My Lai Massacre was carried out by…
Billy Bang: Goodbye and Rest in Peace
This hurts. Of course jazz enthusiasts are (always have been?) a small if discerning bunch, so it's unlikely the sudden passing of Billy Bang will register as much as it…
Memorial Day*
I. I'll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive Cyrus has never actually discussed his brief stint in the army that took him to Vietnam. On a couple of…
1973: The Things They Carried
From NYT: On March 29, 1973, the last United States troops left South Vietnam, ending America's direct military involvement in the Vietnam War. I can't recall the last time I watched…