Posts by author
Max Gray
-
Weekend Rumpus Roundup
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 on earth. Author Eileen Shields, who lives part of the…
-
Song of the Day: “Baby What You Want Me To Do”
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 Want Me To Do,” from 1959, he sings, “You got…
-
Weekend Rumpus Roundup
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 novel and its capabilities. Edmond Caldwell’s Human Wishes/Enemy Combatant is…
-
Song of the Day: “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man”
It’s a good day, isn’t it? The sort of day where we feel the need to rock out a little bit, and let’s be honest, we “wouldn’t be satisfied” unless we do. Prince’s thrilling top ten single from 1987, “I…
-
Weekend Rumpus Roundup
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, helped him to accept the death of his father and…
-
Song of the Day: “Walking the Dog”
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 the 1960’s at the legendary Stax Records, where he was…
-
Weekend Rumpus Roundup
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 avowedly un-spookable—that woman, Mills admits, “knew what it meant to…
-
Song of the Day: “Just the One I Been Lookin’ For”
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 tenure at Stax Records, Taylor was reportedly dubbed the “Philosopher…
-
Weekend Rumpus Roundup
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. In the former, Zobell employs a cast of characters from…
-
Song of the Day: “My Sweet Lord”
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 sectarianism. Blending the words “Hallelujah” and “Hare Krishna,” the song…
-
Weekend Rumpus Roundup
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. No spoilers, but this particular missing person search ends happily.…
-
Song of the Day: “Good Day Bad”
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 name.” You don’t need to know that her surname means…