Outside Reading — Hazy Shade edition
Is It Possible to Enjoy This Winter? by Molly Young Ostensibly a review of Wintering, a new memoir by Katherine May, this piece by Molly Young expounds on all manner of concerns that relate to the oncoming season of snow … Continue reading Outside Reading — Hazy Shade edition
This Week’s Model — Tigers Jaw, “Lemon Mouth”
It takes diligence to track the minor shifts and major changes Tigers Jaw has experienced over the years. Formed in Scranton, Pennsylvania a decade and a half ago, the group has undergone significant roster changes and refined their sound along … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Tigers Jaw, “Lemon Mouth”
Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Four
#4 — Cold War (Paweł Pawlikowski, 2018) Cold War is the story of Zula (Joanna Kulig) and Wiktor (Tomasz Kot). Not long after the end of World War II, Wiktor is one of the people charged with presiding over a … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Four
Laughing Matters — The Ben Stiller Show, “Kill Doug Szathkey”
Sometimes comedy illuminates hard truths with a pointed urgency that other means can’t quite achieve. Sometimes comedy is just funny. This series of posts is mostly about the former instances, but the latter is valuable, too. I was a college … Continue reading Laughing Matters — The Ben Stiller Show, “Kill Doug Szathkey”
Then Playing — The Trial of the Chicago 7; Slice; Horse Girl
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Aaron Sorkin, 2020). Aaron Sorkin finds the ideal vehicle for his talky liberal indignation in the sham legal case leveled against a group of protestors who were bullied and brutalized by Chicago police officers … Continue reading Then Playing — The Trial of the Chicago 7; Slice; Horse Girl
Now Playing — Happiest Season
Nearly twenty-five years ago, The Birdcage was released to enthusiastic reviews. There were dissenters within the critical community, though, including at least one writer I remember who took great offense at the Mike Nichols–directed film mining comedy from gay men … Continue reading Now Playing — Happiest Season
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #425 to #423
425. Big Country, The Seer (1986) The intent was a return to the band’s roots. Big Country had the sort of hit debut that bands dream about. The Crossing, released in 1983, sold enough copies to earn a gold certification … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #425 to #423
Outside Reading — If We Make It Through December edition
In Praise of Phoebe Bridgers, a Thoroughly Good Celebrity by Madeline Ducharme Writing for Slate, Madeline Ducharme offers an accounting of Phoebe Bridgers’s contributions to the culture in recent months, and it’s a welcome compendium of good things in a … Continue reading Outside Reading — If We Make It Through December edition
This Week’s Model — Arlo Parks, “Caroline”
It’s a tricky time to be an emerging artist. Arlo Parks started 2020 with a headlining tour through Europe that couldn’t be completed because of public heath lockdowns, prompting the need to find other ways to keep her name out … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Arlo Parks, “Caroline”
My Writers — Tommy Orange
I was standing in a bookstore in Chicago when I first encountered the words of Tommy Orange. His debut novel, There There, had already been out for some time, gathering rave reviews, awards, and other accolades. Browsing for a new … Continue reading My Writers — Tommy Orange
