It’s weird to be talking so much lately about growing up poor when I’ve spent my life pretending that I didn’t and or feeling ashamed about it all. Now, as the subject of white, rural poverty seems to be in the miasma of the 2020 election and some think it’s a Rosetta Stone to understanding … More history remembers those who write the elegies
I feel like the Pierre Moran Mall disappeared when I wasn’t looking. It was a huge part of my life from the earliest of the 1980s well into the late 1990s, and then, it was gone. … More Pierre Moran Mall
I spent a couple of hours at Elkhart’s Concord Mall today. This is a mall near to my heart. I cannot count the hours I spent there, the happy times, the ears pierced, the popcorn eaten, the stickers bought. Not now, anyway. … More Concord Mall
This popped up in my inbox the other day, and, oh Ticketmaster, you don’t know what you’re asking. How do I describe for other Monkees fans – or for anyone, for that matter – how the concert was? How do I describe how any of this has gone? Begin at the beginning. It’s a very … More Now It’s Part of You
I recently had a fabulous time flying with my dog, Buttercup. But in preparing for the trip, I found nothing but horror stories and heartbreaking posts on message boards all over the internet. Not helpful! I needed some friendly advice about how to best prepare for flying with a pet, and couldn’t find much. So, … More Travel Dog’s Travel Tips
I think that would a good album title for vaguely holiday-ish but not overtly Christmas music. Anyway, here’s a picture I took.
Written for grad school in 2009, this piece is a fun look at how one song has endured through twenty-five plus years and scores of use in various media. Kicky drums and tambourine open the song, beating out a sense of excitement about what’s to come. Almost any listener knows the song … More From Exuberance to Irony: “Walking on Sunshine” in Film
A little while ago, I was listening to this podcast, on which the special guest was one of my friends from grad school, Chris. The subject of John Hughes movies came up, as it will, and inevitably the hosts noted that Hughes had a keen ear for the music of the time. OMD’s If You Leave was mentioned, … More Isn’t She Pretty in Pink?
Here’s one of my favorites, first re-introduced by Mystery Science Theater 3000 in the early 90s. Watch that version – it’s fantastic. What To Do on a Date (1950), produced by the prolific and amazing Chicago-based Coronet Films, is the story of gooney high school guy, Nick, as he learns how to ask class cutie Kay on … More What To Do on a Date
So I’m hanging out by myself for a while. He’ll be home weekends. I’ll be FINE. Still, I’m making a I’m Sad But Okay Playlist to get me through this first week of being faux-single. Songs NOT to include: Leaving On a Jet Plane Darling, Be Home Soon Only the Lonely It’s Too Late What’ll … More On My Own
