I’m just beginning to get into the music of Morton Feldman. His Rothko Chapel occupies a different space then I’m used to hearing in much 20th Century music. “Difficult” and “abrasive” are terms that more readily come to mind, but Rothko Chapel seems spare and, dare I say, beautiful—a word not traditionally used when describing … Continue reading Haunting the Chapel
“Saturn,” one of my favorite Sun Ra tunes, is also part of the amazing class of 1959 (on Jazz In Silhouette) which included recordings such as Kind of Blue by Miles Davis, Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus, The Shape of Jazz to Come by Ornette Coleman, Dave Brubeck’s Time Out, and Giant Steps recorded in … Continue reading The Sound of Joy Is Enlightenment
Since 2012 began with the world’s end in mind, I thought I’d start 2013 with something else in mind. From Sir James George Frazer’s The Golden Bough: “In some parts of Breadalbane it was formerly the custom on New Year’s Day to take a dog to the door, give him a bit of bread, and … Continue reading Allow the soul time to return
4. The bird with the coolest name for the “Metallica” font: Archaeopteryx “Without its feathers, Archaeopteryx looks much like a small coelurosaur such as a dromaeosaurid or troodontid.” Yup. More of that here and interesting info on bird/dinosaur history here. 5. The bird with the coolest name for any font: The Blue-footed Booby Everything you … Continue reading Fowl Play: For the Birds: Pt. 2
Even though I should have started these entries earlier, I guess it’s never too late to give thanks. Since I have gnawed their bones on occasion, I decided I should give thanks to some of my favorite feathery friends. 1. Sam the Eagle The Muppets gloriously warped me from the beginning and I’ve always loved … Continue reading Fowl Play: For the Birds: Pt. 1
If there’s ever been a constant in my life, it’s been books. My grandparents had a massive collection and my mother and grandmother regularly took me to the library. I remember the day I was finally old enough to get my own card. It was exciting, particularly for such a shy and nerdy kid. Right … Continue reading I like big books and I cannot lie…
It’s been busy around here. I haven’t been in my classroom for a week because of flooding from a sprinkler. My daughter’s first Halloween and Day of the Dead, a debate tournament, a wedding reception, along with the normal but neverending stack of essays to grade have made for a week busier than usual. My … Continue reading Fresh Out of the Oven and Back Into the Classroom
I think I’ve said in an earlier post how much I love the artwork of this holiday. Every year I swear I am going to decorate and every year I fail and instead offer up a morbid epitaph. The “calaveras literarias” are becoming a tradition for me. And, yes, tonight is grocery night. And, yes, … Continue reading Happy Days of the Dead
Here’s my example for the writing assignment in the last post: Man named “Lucky” missing, possibly eaten by tiger By Frank N. Berry A former children’s TV and commercial star, known as “Lucky”, may have been abducted from his home in General Mills last Tuesday. At the crime scene in front of his home, police … Continue reading Poe’s Hoaxes, Pt. 2
Stephen McClurg 