The Bookshelf Diaries (An Occasional Series): Rob Yardumian, Kate Atkinson, Don Felder
In recent years my reading list has been around 50 percent favorite series (see: Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Ace Atkins, Lee Child), 25 percent rock and roll (biographies or ro
Piecing the Puzzle
I bought my wife a jigsaw puzzle for her birthday, and have been paying for it ever since (metaphorically, that is; I think it cost $14.99). It’s one we had glanced at together e
Heroes
So, this is awkward. Some part of me has always known this day would come, of course, but until now I’ve been reluctant to share the truth with more than a handful of people. Now
Of Loss, and Moving on: Thoughts on The West Wing
Most of the great stories ever told involve, on some level, dealing with loss. Hell, most of the pretty good ones, too. It’s an essential part of the human experience: how does l
Sparks
I can’t begin to speculate on when or where the first book-signing in history was held, but I’d bet the house that someone in the audience asked—maybe in Latin or Aramaic—s
The Bookshelf Diaries (An Occasional Series): Carole King, Scott Turow, Greg Kihn
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” “Chains.” “The Loco-Motion.” “I’m into Something Good.” “Crying In the Rain.” “I Feel the Earth Move.” And of course: “(You
Synchronicity
It began, as it often does, on a walk. Walks just before lunch have become a part of my weekday routine recently, offering not just a touch of exercise, but a chance to clear my he
The Bookshelf Diaries (An Occasional Series): Rachman, King, Hill
This one didn’t come easy, in part because it doesn’t hew to our normal format of four discrete book reviews. Instead it only covers three, and two of them are closely related
The Power of Story
There’s something you should really know before getting in a car with me: if classic rock is playing, you’d best prepare yourself for an unsolicited history lesson at some poin
Dancing About Architecture
“Writing about music,” Elvis Costello once famously said, “is like dancing about architecture.” His point being, don’t review my work, because you’re wasting your t