Being Humble and Hardworking While also Being a Bit Different
Most longtime readers know of my fascination with the guitar. Many of you also know that I’m working on a book about guitar players. One of the most interesting musicians I’ve encountered in a while is John 5. I’ve spent the morning listening to his new instrumental disc The Art of Malice and I’m amazed…
continue readingFloods, Nashville, and Literary Musings
Hopefully the folks in Nashville are finally starting to dry out. Although it will undoubtedly be a difficult journey as those affected by the floods begin the process of putting their lives back together. In The New York Times, Ann Patchett provides an interesting perspective on floods in her op-ed piece, “Our Deluge, Drop by…
continue readingPalahniuk’s Tell All Reviewed
It’s late spring-early summer, so that must mean it’s time for a new Chuck Palahniuk novel. The Kansas State Collegian features a interesting article of Palahniuk’s new work, Tell All. I was the world’s biggest Palahniuk fan through the first five or six books. Then I started to cool towards his work. I couldn’t get…
continue readingTroubles Facing the Horse Industry, and Some Good Books
On the front page of the New York Times website yesterday was an interesting article on the massive challenges facing the horse racing industry. Joe Drape’s article features a number of staggering statistics about the decline in the sport. One of the most eye-catching is the fact that the stud fee for Smarty Jones used…
continue readingRIP Alan Sillitoe
On Sunday, British writer Alan Sillitoe passed away at 82 years of age. He was perhaps best-known for his story “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.” A generous graduate school professor turned me on to Sillitoe’s work when I reached that inevitiable point that male writers seem to reach where they get pissed off.…
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