1. Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken I have an ARC of this on my kindle, but I’m kind of afraid to read it. I know it’s going to be great. I have yet to be disappointed…
Browsing Category Music
Day 23 of 200: We Can Ride the Boogie
I have nothing profound or interesting to say about the death of Aretha Franklin, though I spent most of the day listening to her. To be frank, I don’t have anything profound or interesting to…
Day 18 of 200: Flap Your Wings & Fly Away From Here
In my memory I’m much younger than 26 the summer of 1998 when Liz Phair’s “Whitechocolatespaceegg” came out. Three years post-college and I was working at not my first, but second shitty gas station job…
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover*, Ranked
I’ve been obsessed with Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” for a few weeks. I throw back my head and sing, “hop on the bus, Gus, don’t need to discuss much” at least…
Don’t Let it Burn, Don’t Let it Fade
News of Dolores O’Riordan’s death has picked me up from where I sat on the chilly blue couch here in 2018 and plummeted me back to Eau Claire circa 1993 (or maybe 1994). Specifically it’s…
Three Scenes From My Life with a Tom Petty Soundtrack
Scene 1: 1996 A bright, sunny day in August, most of my family is huddled under the trees in a small, family cemetery on McColl Road in Savage. They’ve close the road because there are…
Random Flashback: A Trip Through Billy Ocean’s Greatest Hits (all three of them)
In my memory Rick Marciniak serenades me with “Get Out of My Dreams, Get into My Car” (GOOMDGIMYC) after math class in 8th grade. He sings while walking beside me all the way from the…
Some Thoughts on Trouble Boys, The Replacements’ Biography
So . . . nearly a year after getting the book in hardcover and like nine days after downloading the audiobook read by Mary Lucia, I’ve finished Trouble Boys: The True Story of The Replacements…
Update: My Heart is Not Dead Yet
If you are just joining us, I have a fear of my heart dying. Not in the really, truly dead, no heartbeat, brain ceases functioning kind of dying, but a metaphorical death whereby nothing pleases,…
Reasons I Cannot Stop Listening to ‘Alabama Pines’ Today
My friend Carrie & I once had a discussion about which Jason Isbell song we could write a book (or maybe it was a short story) about. I think she chose “Outfit” or maybe it…