This morning I sat around watching it rain outside and trying to cull some signal moment from the many hours I spent with my friend Nellie Stone Johnson, the labor/civil rights legend who died April 2 at the age of 96—some little story that might sum her up for purposes of a remembrance like this. … Read more
You may recall a sampler CD that I sent to you last week containing 8 songs from Weezer’s forthcoming album, Maladroit. Please ignore that CD for the time being as I wasn’t supposed to have sent it yet. I was overeager for you all to hear it and I jumped the gun. Unfortunately, there is … Read more
In your review of the Xena DVD [The Broken Clock, March], your writer suggests that the Xena series paved the way for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon type films. I am writing to remind you that wirework fight scenes involving women and men have been utilized in Hong Kong cinema far before Xena existed. And while … Read more
To quote Maggie Smith in Gosford Park—“Yummy, yummy, yummy!!” What a splendid opening entre! Indie writers unite! Thanks especially for Billy Golfus’ memorial piece on Larry Kegan [“Last Song from the Big Chair,” March]. I didn’t know he’d left us and what a day to go! I’ll miss Larry around the planet. Looking forward to … Read more
As a native provincial, until recent years I’d always maintained the private notion that our city was smart rather than nice or mean (or nice and mean). But without a free non-monopoly press it hasn’t been possible to hear the voices of real individuals like I had been used to. The current formula of the … Read more
Steve Perry’s story on Carl Pohlad and the effort to eliminate the Twins was interesting and well written, but Perry could scarcely hide his contempt. That’s fine, but I think he inadvertently gives these old men way too much credit. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that these people are simply bumbling dilettantes … Read more
I think Bob Mould [The Broken Clock, March] deserves to do whatever he wants, and I know that no matter what he does I am going to respect him as the talented songwriter he is. What he has produced on Modulate is interesting; there is that underlying Bob Mould attitude that he will never lose, … Read more
Imagine yourself loaded into a watertight cask and rolled down into the deepest hold of an 18th century sailing ship. You are buffeted about in a sea-voyage of many months. The warmth is oppressive, even in the belly of the ship, and the humidity is worse. From time to time, you hear the scrabbling of … Read more
A wee nip, a bit of indulgence the night before, and the next day you’ve got a blistering headache. Your tongue’s as rough as a berber rug and somehow the cool tile of the bathroom floor is more comfortable than your space-age mattress. What’s to be done? When it comes to a hangover, sometimes the … Read more
White walls, white coats, white plates. No, this isn’t Ecolab. It’s the Walker Art Center’s cafeteria-restaurant situated quietly above one of the most beautiful contemporary art collections in the country. The people behind the counter believe their offerings should be equal to the stuff on the walls. Even though the menu changes daily—a rarity in … Read more