First, “Creative Thinking,” by Grant Snider. Then, the grandiosity of nature suffuses Ketchum, Idaho, the setting of the Sunday Essay and the place where Ernest Hemingway spent his last days…
The distinctive tone of influential blues man Jimmy Reid can be heard throughout modern rock music, from Z.Z. Top to The Rolling Stones. In his hit song “Baby What You…
Literary experimentation, when it is well done, tickles the senses and stimulates the mind. The best kind—the “murderous and sharp” kind, according to Jacob Bacharach—urges its readers to reevaluate the…
First, “Making the Leap,” by Grant Snider. Michael Wong, in his very funny and poignant essay “Jack of Hearts,” explains how the idea of magic, as defined by his grandfather,…
The prolific soul artist Rufus Thomas released a number of singles during his career, including “Do the Funky Chicken,” “(Do the) Push and Pull,” and “Breakdown.” But it was during…
In the latest “The Last Book I Loved,” S. Hope Mills tackles the thriller-esque 1959 novel, The Haunting of Hill House. Shirley Jackson’s talents are strong enough to spook even the…
The late Johnnie Taylor boasted a prolific musical career spanning almost 40 years and several different record labels, including a number of collaborations with legendary crooner Sam Cooke. During his…
First, the Picasso Blues. This weekend’s reviews included a revealing summary of Bonnie Zobell’s book, What Happened Here, by Anna March, and Jac Jemc’s collection, A Different Bed Every Time.…
Whatever your spiritual orientation, the implicit message of George Harrison’s 1971 single “My Sweet Lord” is undeniably uplifting. The track was allegedly written as a paean in opposition to religious…
In “Hunting For The Little Prince,” Sigal Samuel invites us to tag along as she pursues the real-life inspiration for the blonde-haired protagonist of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s famous children’s book.…
Meshell Ndegeocello probably knows the difficulty her audience has pronouncing her name. Maybe that’s why, on her latest album, Comet, Come To Me, she urges us: “if you love me, forget my…