Categories
Archives
-

-
Recent Posts
- “The Greeks already understood that there was more interest in portraying an unusual character than a usual character – that is the purpose of films and theatre.” — Isabelle Huppert
- On grief: Eric Church and Anderson Cooper
- “Life was bitter and I was not. All around me was poverty and sordidness but I refused to see it that way. By turning it into jokes, I made it bearable.” — Max Shulman
- “I couldn’t keep a dog and a James Joyce and a bookshop.” — Sylvia Beach
- 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- “Make the most of what you have and enjoy being female; enjoy being you.” — Bunny Yeager
- “My mother gave me my drive but my father gave me my dreams.” — Liza Minnelli
- “I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion.” — Jack Kerouac
- “I am not descended from flesh. I am God.”: It’s Vaslav Nijinsky’s Birthday
- “My aim is to imply rather than to overstate. Whenever the reader participates with his own interpretation, I feel that the book is much more successful.” — Ezra Jack Keats
Recent Comments
- dres on Supernatural: Season 2, Episode 18: “Hollywood Babylon”
- sheila on February 2026 Snapshots
- dres on Supernatural: Season 2, Episode 17: “Heart”
- wgh. on February 2026 Snapshots
- Andrea on The Books: “Kilmeny Of The Orchard” (L.M. Montgomery)
- Frances on “I am not descended from flesh. I am God.”: It’s Vaslav Nijinsky’s Birthday
- dres on Supernatural: Season 2, Episode 15: “Tall Tales”
- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Romeo & Juliet
- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Romeo & Juliet
- Duncan Gillies MacLaurin on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Jessie on Supernatural: Season 2, Episode 13: “Houses of the Holy”
- Ian on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Romeo & Juliet
- sheila on “I am not descended from flesh. I am God.”: It’s Vaslav Nijinsky’s Birthday
- Frances on “I am not descended from flesh. I am God.”: It’s Vaslav Nijinsky’s Birthday
- dres on Supernatural: Season 2, Episode 14: “Born Under a Bad Sign”
- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Romeo & Juliet
- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Romeo & Juliet
- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Romeo & Juliet
- Ian on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Romeo & Juliet
- dres on Supernatural: Season 2, Episode 13: “Houses of the Holy”
-
Tag Archives: Chuck Berry
“Respect isn’t enough. You’ve got to have a proprietary interest.” — Chuck Berry
“The epitome of what it is to be a rock ‘n’ roll guitar player, songwriter and singer.” — Joan Jett Listen, he was not a good person, nor was he well-liked, but legends don’t have to be good morally upstanding … Continue reading
Year in Review: Running my mouth in 2017
It’s been a God-awful year in so many unprecedented ways. It’s also been a great year for me professionally (which has brought with it its own set of challenges.) Here are some of the things I’ve written this year. Reviews, … Continue reading
Posted in Movies, Television
Tagged Actors Studio, B.B. King, Bette Davis, Carrie Fisher, Cate Blanchett, Chuck Berry, documentary, East of Eden, Elvis Presley, Greta Gerwig, Groundhog Day, Harry Dean Stanton, Howard Hawks, Isabelle Huppert, Jack Garfein, Jerry Lewis, Joachim Trier, Joan Crawford, John Steinbeck, July and Half of August, Kim Stanley, Kristen Stewart, Mary Astor, Pat McCurdy, Robert Duvall, Sam Shepard, Sofia Coppola, Supernatural, William Faulkner, women directors, year in writing
15 Comments
Autumnal iPod Shuffle
Been a while since I’ve done one of these. I am working 3, 4 jobs and my writing career has morphed into a semi-regular schedule of work – expected and unexpected – but I will NEVER give up this blog. … Continue reading
Posted in Music
Tagged Alexander Hamilton, Bob Dylan, Brenda Lee, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, Chuck Berry, ELO, Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, Eminem, Etta James, Foo Fighters, Frank Sinatra, Glee, Green Day, Huey Lewis, Indigo Girls, Jerry Lee Lewis, Liz Phair, Marilyn Monroe, Mike Viola, Robbie Williams, Sam Cooke, shuffle, The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, Waylon Jennings
17 Comments
Two Obsessives: Pat McCurdy and I Discuss Elvis
Pat McCurdy and I go way WAY back. He’s a brilliant songwriter and performer in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. I first saw him play in Chicago. (Well, actually, this isn’t true. I first saw him when I was 12 or 13 … Continue reading
Posted in Music
Tagged Chuck Berry, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, friends, Lester Bangs, Little Richard, Sam Phillips, The Beatles
Leave a comment
On Chuck Berry:
Two pieces I want to link to, written by people I know, yes, no shame in that, I know smart people! 1. Glenn Kenny writes a beautiful and smart essay on Berry for Rogerebert.com – Kenny really knows his music, … Continue reading
“Johnny B. Goode” in Outer Space
The Voyager spacecraft was launched in 1977 with many objects on board, a floating time capsule, and … maybe … a message to whomever might find it on the other end, light-years away. Included was the “Voyager Golden Record,” a … Continue reading
“If you had to give Rock ‘n’ Roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.” – John Lennon
“Memphis, Tennessee:” This is how you write a song. DAMN. There are multiple characters. An uncle who writes stuff on the wall. A mother who caused problems. There’s a location mentioned so exact you could locate it with GPS. There’s … Continue reading

