Outside Reading — Bywater edition
A New Orleans Chef Navigates Disaster by Helen Rosner Helen Rosner offers an exceptional profile of Nina Compton, one of the more famous Top Chef runners-up (because most viewers found it baffling that she was denied the top prize). Because … Continue reading Outside Reading — Bywater edition
This Week’s Model — Mourn, “This Feeling is Disgusting”
Bashy, clashy, and gnashy, the new cut from Mourn couldn’t have arrived at a more ideal time. “This Feeling is Disgusting” addresses the experience of living in uncertainty. According to the band, the questions they had in mind were the … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Mourn, “This Feeling is Disgusting”
My Misspent Youth — The New Mutants by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz
I read a lot of comic books as a kid. This series of posts is about the comics I read, and, occasionally, the comics that I should have read. I don’t think I can convey how jarring it was when … Continue reading My Misspent Youth — The New Mutants by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz
Ceding the Floor
I post in this space every day (with the occasional self-gifted break), but I feel like today isn’t the right day for my words. The words of some other people are far more important. As the political party most complicit … Continue reading Ceding the Floor
Then Playing — Martha Marcy May Marlene; Personal Shopper; Cleo from 5 to 7
Martha Marcy May Marlene (Sean Durkin, 2011). The debut feature from director Sean Durkin takes a fraught subject and increases its power with shrewd understatement. The film opens as Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) flees a commune-like rural homestead, seeking assistance, with … Continue reading Then Playing — Martha Marcy May Marlene; Personal Shopper; Cleo from 5 to 7
Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Nineteen
#19 — Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance, 2010) Michelle Williams carries the weight of a weary life like few of her acting contemporaries. She’s been called upon to portray misery so often that it is all too easy to forget how … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 10s — Number Nineteen
College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #467 to #465
467. Various Artists, Quadrophenia (Music From The Soundtrack Of The Who Film) (1979) “The problem with a film like Quadrophenia is that it’s exploited something that’s already there,” Pete Townshend noted of the film based on the Who’s 1973 album … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #467 to #465
Outside Reading — Unzipped edition
Donald Trump’s USPS Attacks Threaten to Disrupt 2020 Election by Lily Herman Of all the colossal absurdities in a political era defined by them, perhaps none is quite so absurd than the fact that concerted effort is now required to … Continue reading Outside Reading — Unzipped edition
This Week’s Model — Carly Rae Jepsen, “Me and the Boys in the Band”
As she’s spun up new pop jelly beans in recent years, Carly Rae Jepsen has developed a reputation for ludicrous productivity, reportedly generating hundreds of new songs for each album. So it’s hardly surprisingly that a pesky annoyance such a … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Carly Rae Jepsen, “Me and the Boys in the Band”
The New Releases Shelf — Lianne La Havas
According to Lianne La Havas, she started writing songs for her latest album shortly after a breakup. That makes sense, because soul music is practically made for heartache. Or seduction, but the heartache brings out a sharper tang. The resulting … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Lianne La Havas
Coffee for Two 