That night began just like every other night. I sat in my car. My car sat in an empty parking lot. The black grit some barista had the nerve to call coffee kept me warm enough. Headlights flashed through my passenger-side windows. I perked up and turned down the radio as a Jeep pulled into the parking lot and cruised over in my general direction. He was late, as usual. If he’s always late, and I show up early, am I the one with the problem? […]
Semisonic’s drummer on life in the ’90s music biz
Semisonic’s Feeling Strangely Fine came out in 1998. I was a slouchy eighth-grader who was battling severe nodular acne, braces, and a wildly inappropriate volume of palm sweat. Lucky for me, I also played guitar. Conversations with anyone were hard, but rocking out was natural. Music is where I felt comfortable and found myself. It’s how I made friends and a life. In So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star, Semisonic drummer Jake Slichter tells a similar story. He wasn’t a particularly cool teenager, but he […]
Cold and Muted and Excellent
In yesterday’s Chewbacca review, I did my best to sum up the recent transition of the Star Wars comic book rights from Dark Horse to Marvel: Star Wars fans were nervous when Marvel/Disney took over Star Wars comics from Dark Horse. For years, DH had told some amazing stories in the Star Wars universe through the medium of comics. It was unclear whether Marvel would live up to Dark Horse’s standards, or if it would just publish tie-in garbage. While I am only a casual Star […]
“GGWWWRGHH.”
A lot of Star Wars fans were nervous when Marvel/Disney took over Star Wars comics from Dark Horse. For years, DH had told some amazing stories in the Star Wars universe through the medium of comics. It was unclear whether Marvel would live up to Dark Horse’s standards, or if it would just publish tie-in garbage. While I am only a casual Star Wars fan, I am a true comic book nerd. I am happy to report that Marvel is doing great with Star Wars. They […]
[Uncomfortable Downward Glance Because a Couple Is Fighting in Front of You]
How in the world do I rate this book? On one hand, there is a lot of truth in it (“They say if you just let babies cry, they will eventually cry themselves out. This is not true. Not only will babies not cry themselves out, but the act of crying actually slows down time itself—the more you let them cry, the slower time goes.”) There is also comedy (“Having a rent-controlled apartment in New York is like living in medieval Europe and having spices.”) […]
This silver fox can write poems.
The two places that I learn about poetry are my local library and Half-Price Books. For free, I can browse the poetry section and choose colorful hardcovers and well-worn paperbacks. If the book isn’t for me, it’s no loss. If it is for me, hurrah! The last stack of books that I grabbed included Robert Pinsky’s Gulf Music. While the cover initially attracted me, Pinsky’s writing is virtuosic. He has a dazzling ability to craft word music that concisely yet artfully expresses big ideas. More than once, I said, […]
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