Essays on literature, books, music, writers, artists, and the creative life. Topics range from classic authors and poetry to rock music, songwriting, reading, and the enduring power of art. Focus on classical music and famous literature. From an AP English teacher.
A VERY “HUMAN” STORY, SET AMIDST GREAT INHUMANITY “…this life-giving, tenacious connection between parent and child.” I found myself, on a rare morning with not much planned, reading that the film version of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” opened today. A big fan of the novel, I attended the first possible showing today at 10:10 a.m. … Read more
Are the Star Wars films overrated? Do they age well? Movies for teenage boys? The first Star Wars films were iconic, meaningful presences in my childhood. The sage of the Skywalker family, the Empire, the Rebellion, and the Jedi captivated my pre-teen imagination. Star Wars, the first of these films, opened in theaters in 1977. … Read more
ARTISTIC MASTERY“Hewitt is one of these world-class musicians whose live performances of even the most technically difficult music do not contain any mistakes of note, yet still I was a bit dislocated at hearing such a different interpretation of this music.” So I saw Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt at the Orange County Performing Arts Center … Read more
“BRILLIANT DISGUISE” A man looks into the camera and sings his song of confusion and heartache. The entire music video is just one shot, and the camera slowly zooms in while the artist looks you straight in the eye and sings from the heart. No special effects. No lip-syncing. Just the singer and his guitar. … Read more
FATHER AND DAUGHTER DURING NAP TIME Summer of 2007 As a teacher, I have my summers off. To be more specific, my last day of work was June 15th and my next day will be August 15th (not including one college class I taught Tuesdays and Thursday evenings for six weeks). I will have had … Read more
KURT VONNEGUT ON THE DEATH OF KURT VONNEGUT Writer Kurt Vonnegut died today. He was 94 years old. I read a number of his novels while in high school, being told he was a “classic.” I remember reading him with mild amusement, and in the twenty five years since I have rarely thought of his … Read more
“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy, it is the wine of a new procreation, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for men and makes them drunk with the spirit.”Ludwig van Beethovenquoted in Marion M Scott, Beethoven (1934) I generally don’t listen to much Ludwig van Beethoven. He … Read more