Richard Fernandez has written another great great article. Probably one of his best, and that’s saying something. Someone in the comments section there made reference to this 1902 Kipling poem which I’d never even seen before. I was impressed enough … Continue reading →
Read it, but have a good stiff drink by your side. And lock up all sharp objects. Because if you’re not already profoundly depressed, his essay will depress you. I can’t quarrel with what he writes; it’s what I would … Continue reading →
Brat’s victory last night made me think of this song from the musical “Fiorello.” I saw it as a child and it was one of my favorites, although it’s hardly ever performed today. It has several really clever songs about … Continue reading →
A nice change of pace sent by a reader. Enjoy:
Continue reading →I’ll start by saying that Nureyev was not my favorite dancer, although I saw him perform in person many times and appreciated his blazing energy and the excitement he brought to the stage whenever he danced. He was Dionysian rather … Continue reading →
…a big box of Kleenex if you’re going to watch this one: I like country music because I really like lyrics, and country music songs often have schmaltzy but really fine lyrics, resembling short and accessible old-fashioned poems. A few … Continue reading →
The news that Maya Angelou has died at the age of 86 reminds me of how deeply impressed I was when I read her book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings when it first came out in 1969. Those … Continue reading →
I’ve posted this song before, but I think it bears repeating, especially on Memorial Day weekend. It’s Tim McGraw’s extraordinarily moving song “If You’re Reading This:”
Continue reading →Clogging fifty years ago (hat tip: “cornei”), from some baby boomers: And here’s a much more recent manifestation. There are some interesting stylistic changes—and of course, this is more formal and regimented, perhaps because it’s a competition: What do the … Continue reading →
The other day I wrote about a child singer from Norway who invokes the memory of Billie Holiday. Here’s a British kid with a different old-fashioned style: The original: I’d never heard the full song in the original version before … Continue reading →
This NY Times article is about the contest by which Newark, New Jersey elected its new mayor, Councilman Ras Baraka, who according to the Times is “the fiery scion of a militant poet.” The contest—between two black Democrats—was both expensive … Continue reading →
We’ve become familiar with those “Fill-In-the-Blank-Country’s Got Talent” videos that feature an unlikely person—shy, young, fat, or weird, or sometimes several of those characteristics—belting out a song. The style is usually either diva-esque, operatic, or rock. The judges look stunned … Continue reading →