Franz Nicolay – Band People: The Art of Making Music
I spent a few years in my 20s playing in a rock band with some friends. Skill-wise, I...
Book Review
Book Review
K-Ming Chang – Cecilia: A Study in Desperation
The idealized concept of young love has been a ripe source of artistic material for eons. We’ve seen...
Kathleen Dorothy Blackburn – Loose of Earth: A Memoir | Science, Faith, and Family
The power of group-think is nearly unstoppable. People have tried and failed to resist the unshakeable draw of...
Nghiem Tran – We’re Safe When We’re Alone | A Stupendous, Suspenseful Story
Being scared just to be scared isn’t for me. I especially don’t enjoy jump scares or shock value....
Hilary Leichter – Terrace Story | The Appeal of Bittersweet Narratives
Few things excite me more than digging into a really good book that actively keeps me guessing. I’m...
Francesca Royster – Black Country Music | Art as Cultural Revolution
Country music provided a solid third of my childhood musical diet. Another third came from actual children’s music,...
Eric Harvey – Who Got the Camera? | Reality Rap vs Tabloid Television in the ’90s
One of my most formative musical experiences occurred in Fall 1991. It was 7th grade. I’d made first...
Hell of a Hat – The Rise of ’90s Ska and Swing | Book Review
I’ve listened to ska music since 1996 and I can honestly say the spotlight currently shining on the...
David Scott Hay – The Fountain | Just What IS Art Anyway?
I was maybe 50 pages into The Fountain when two names jumped into my brain: Jay Acunzo and...
Architects of Self-Destruction: The Oral History of Leftover Crack | Book Review
Covering almost 30 years from the perspective of 60 people, Architects of Self-Destruction is for ska punk what The Dirt...