Commonplace Book: “I can’t complain.”
I think this quote really brings the room together. But that’s just my opinion, man. Continue reading Commonplace Book: “I can’t complain.”
American Odd: Zippy Stories, by Bill Griffith
This week I write about Zippy the Pinhead for my ongoing essay series, American Odd. Are we having fun yet? Continue reading American Odd: Zippy Stories, by Bill Griffith
CCLaP Fridays: Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial, by Kenji Yoshino
This week I review “Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial,” by Kenji Yoshino, about the court case that eventually repealed Prop 8. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial, by Kenji Yoshino
Stormtrooper Families, by Andrew Wackerfuss @ NYJB
“Stormtrooper Families” offers a much-needed historical reckoning against commonly held falsehoods, bringing lucid scholarship to a neglected area in the history of the Nazi regime. Continue reading Stormtrooper Families, by Andrew Wackerfuss @ NYJB
American Odd: California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture, by Jim Heimann
I continue my essay series, American Odd, with a look at the history of the American roadside attraction in Jim Heimann’s classic California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture. Continue reading American Odd: California Crazy and Beyond: Roadside Vernacular Architecture, by Jim Heimann
CCLaP Fridays: Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech, by Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark
This week I review a dictionary of political speak, a primer for what passes as political discourse in this country. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech, by Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark
The Spirits of Milwaukee: Great Lakes Distillery and Central Standard Craft Distillery
Milwaukee has become a foodie haven and is known for its food and beverages. Milwaukee is home to not only beer but spirits. And really good spirits at that. Continue reading The Spirits of Milwaukee: Great Lakes Distillery and Central Standard Craft Distillery
Twenty-One Days of a Neurasthenic, by Octave Mirbeau @ NYJB
What’s the best cure for a man who hates the mountains? Send him to the mountains. What’s the best cure for a misanthrope? Send him to live with other people. Thus begins “Twenty-One Days of a Neurasthenic” by Octave Mirbeau (1848–1917). Continue reading Twenty-One Days of a Neurasthenic, by Octave Mirbeau @ NYJB
The Donna Kossy Interview
As part of American Odd, my new themed essay series over at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography, I wrote an essay on the cult classic book Kooks: A Guide to the Outer Limits of Human Belief, by Donna Kossy. In this interview, Donna Kossy and I discuss Kooks, kooks, and the educational importance of strange belief systems. Continue reading The Donna Kossy Interview
American Odd: The Manson File, by Nikolas Schreck
I continue my CCLaP essay series “American Odd” with “The Manson File,” by Nikolas Schreck, an anthology of poetry, prose, and art by Charles Manson. Continue reading American Odd: The Manson File, by Nikolas Schreck
The Driftless Area Review 