October, before it had a name. Still, though, a month of low iron skies and protracted sulks and cold rain and bursts of crisp radiance that never lost their ability to dazzle and surprise. A flash of revelation even as the hammer fell: We will miss this world when it’s gone, or when we are. … Read more
Standing on the wide brick steps of the State Department Store, I scanned the crowd for Khaidavyn Chilaajav, director of the Union of Mongolian Writers, who I was to meet for dinner. Its plaza crowded with taxis and pedestrians, the store is still the hub of downtown, though no longer Ulaanbaatar’s only retail center as … Read more
MUSIC Walking in Minneapolis Singer-songwriter Marc Cohen — best known for “Walking in Memphis” — is in town tonight promoting his latest album, Join the Parade. Cohen has come a long way since Carly Simon discovered him. He’s even come a long way from that Best New Artist Grammy he won in 1991. In fact, … Read more
Universities shape mind. Universities teach us to "think." But do they teach us to think for ourselves, or simply to think like "they" do. And who are "they" anyhow? Do they really want diversity? Do they really want diversity of thought? These are some of the questions raised by Evan Coyne Maloney’s new documentary, Indoctrinate … Read more
EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division 1. Boston Celtics (1st Playoff seed) Why: Three yeoman stars all accoustomed to carrying the load. A pair of role starters, Perkins and Rondo, who are better than advertised. Glue guys for points (House) and defense (Posey) off the bench. Worries: Mediocre coach, Ray Allen’s ankles. Overrated: The plus-30 ages of … Read more
This is the week to check out the Midtown Global Market … I know you’ve been meaning to get back there. Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday: Anyone can give out Snickers or Double Bubble, don’t you want to be the cool Halloween House that gives our Chupa Chups or Pocky sticks? Check out the global … Read more
So this time it’s the Native Americans going after Tom Barnard. I’ll watch with amusement to see if Clyde Bellecourt can extract even an ounce of pain from the Twin Cities’ most dominant entertainer (and, in my opinion, most potent "new media" political pundit). But based on historical precedent, I’m be betting heavily that Barnard … Read more
BOOKS & AUTHORS Frank Warren Can’t Keep a Secret Pssst. Wanna hear a secret? How about 100,000 of them? PostSecret contains over 100,000 postcards from across the globe, each with some kind of secret — from the poetic to the perverse. And the man responsible for the site, Frank Warren, is in town today, promoting … Read more
It seems Dennis Lehane is our era’s Raymond Chandler, creating dark, brooding, atmospheric crime dramas. Only instead of the damp glitz of southern California, his working-class Boston — namely Dorchester — is like the Dublin of James Joyce and Jonathan Swift: a maelstrom of the poor and the poorer, people scrabbling for power, for dignity, … Read more
Courtesy of Wolves stat guru Paul Swanson, here are the plus/minus total for the Wolves this exhibition season. 2007-08 Minnesota Timberwolves Preseason Plus/Minus Report (Final) Raw Minutes Team Opp Minutes Team Opp Net Player Plus/Minus On Floor Pts/48 Pts/48 On Bench Pts/48 Pts/48 Plus/Minus Telfair, Sebastian +25 74.3 101.4 85.2 319.7 88.4 97.9 +25.6 Ratliff, … Read more