“Last night I had the strangest dream…” No doubt it was the result of watching this documentary about jazz pianist Bill Evans previously that evening: The 1950s and 60s were a magical time for jazz, and Evans was among the best of the best. This doc features tons of great footage of the club scene…
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Blog 4.24.24
I spent a lot of years mercilessly driving myself toward productivity. It wasn’t very nice. I treated myself like a machine, and when I couldn’t keep up with the demands that I placed on myself, I’d feel guilty and worthless. This is a particular kind of neurosis that I think a lot of people can…
Q Review | Junky | William S. Burroughs
I picked this up on sale at BookPeople late last year and finally got around to reading it. I’d read The Naked Lunch by Burroughs ages ago during a formative time in my life. It was sufficiently disorienting, so I knew what I was in for. Turns out Junky (1953) – Burroughs’ first published book…
Blog 4.23.24
Today I have a break in the writing action because it’s time to clean the damn house. Back when I was working full-time and raising two kids, I used to be much more fastidious about keeping up with it. It’s amusing to find that the more time I have, the less I want to use…
Blog 4.22.24
I had a perfectly lovely spring weekend so I’m kicking off the week refreshed and optimistic. On Saturday, I hung out with my BFF all day. She had to make charoset and I assisted by cutting up a buttload of apples. I enjoy cutting fruit and veg, so I volunteered for the task. It was…
Blog 4.18.24
This blog post is going to sound a little whiny, but I need to get it out before I start writing today. I met with one of my writing partners early this morning for our regular exchange/feedback sesh, and her feedback was fantastic. But as usual, after receiving feedback I feel like I’m just terrible…
Blog 4.17.24
I had an opportunity to interview filmmaker Geoff Marslett yesterday for an upcoming podcast episode, and it was a powerful conversation about the challenges independent artists face, and the line we have to walk between our wildest creative impulses and marketability. To me, it feels like a paradox. Art, by its very nature, is disruptive….
Live Music Review: The Bright Light Social Hour at The Historic Scoot Inn, 4/13/24
Check out my review of The Bright Light Social Hour’s performance at The Historic Scoot Inn in Austin, Texas on 4/13/24 on The Cosmic Clash.
Blog 4.16.24
I’ve just turned 50 and I’m slowing down. What’s interesting about this is that my slowing down isn’t happening because I’m aging. That part is pretty easy, actually. I just wake up every day and voila! I’m older. But the slowing down – that’s new. And while it’s connected to me getting older, it’s not…
Blog 4.15.24
I’m starting another one of my social media sabbaticals today. This time I’ll be “offline” for six weeks. Once again, I feel a profound sense of relief to be able to step away, and I wonder how much longer I can maintain a personal presence on these platforms. The whole thing really has become an…