Updated: January 2, 2021 Continuing, for some reason, to chronicle every book and short story I’ve read since The Lord of the Rings in the spring of 2017. Part 1 (2017) | Part 2 (2018) | Part 3 (2019) | “Selected readings from the Old Lady Book Club” Critical remarks are avoided… Rereads coopt the register mark… “Library Book Club” selections […]
Week one The game: Steelers at Patriots The beer: Four Quarters Blackboard Jungle Imperial Tropical Stout The result: Win, 33–3; Cowboys win, 35–17 Week two The game: Patriots at Dolphins The beer: Rapscallion Red Ale The result: Win, 43–0; Ravens win, 23 –17 Week three The game: Jets at Patriots The beer: Cisco 182.5 India […]
Welcome back to May, dear friend and reader! Is this better? Are you again comfortable? Are you even there? Welcome, also, to another round of Remember When? as I parse my own archives. Last year’s Volume 10 was that in spades, compiling a Best of Me on the way to six thousand more words. I […]
Updated: January 1, 2020 Continuing, for some reason, to chronicle every book and short story I’ve read since The Lord of the Rings in the spring of 2017. Part 1 (2017) | Part 2 (2018) | “Selected readings from the Old Lady Book Club” Critical remarks are avoided… Rereads coopt the register mark… “Library Book Club” selections are noted […]
Week one The game: Texans at Patriots The beer: Clown Shoes Rexx Imperial Red Ale The result: Win, 27–20; Titans/Jarrod lose (times four), 27–20 Week two The game: Patriots at Jaguars The beer: 603 NH Ale The result: Loss, 31–20 Week three The game: Patriots at Lions The beer: Riverwalk Cash Bus Pale Ale The […]
“It’s very gratifying to say that Captain Beefheart’s [Trout Mask Replica] is a total success, a brilliant, stunning enlargement and clarification of his art. Which is not to say that it’s in any sense slick, ‘artistic’ or easy.” – Lester Bangs, Rolling Stone “If one is to enjoy Trout Mask Replica’s twenty-eight songs on a […]
The beer: Montauk Session India Pale Ale The commentary: “Bitter? Nah.” A little, actually. We almost missed training camp and that would have been a shame. The Patriots only release the open-to-the-public portion of the schedule a few dates at a time with little notice (shocker) and the lack of joint sessions with another team […]
This might be a June thing from now on. “June thirtieth” has a nice ring to it. June thirtieth, June thirtieth, noon girly plinth, poon whirling myth… let’s keep this short. (Too late.) If someone had told me in August 2005 when I drafted my first post—which had no resemblance whatsoever to what is purported […]
The game: Patriots vs. Eagles The beer: Collective Arts Stranger Than Fiction Porter The result: Fuuuuuuck The commentary: There I was, chain-drinking bombers with the first setting up a presumed—upon winning—deep dive into socialized literature. Said plans, though, were scrapped early when our defense declared “No more!” So what better time to revisit a Super […]
The game: Titans at Patriots The beer: Mayflower Oatmeal Stout The result: Win, 35–14 The commentary: I would never have read Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry were it not for the Ladies. From the book club’s first meeting—back when the Pats had won a game more than it lost—and nominations were flying […]
More Cream Please 