V. Oh yes, I do recall that statement about Turner. I dunno though... I just don't see her as being relevant any more. What do people talk about when they talk about her--how she survived Ike (but what does that say about her being with him and staying with him in the first place) and her legs. I … [Read more...]

IV. Don't remember feminism coming up before the final chapters...? That whole section on Tina Turner, where I call her an earlier and more important force for feminist values than Gloria Steinem? That didn't ring any bells? As far as I'm concerned, "feminism" is still CATCHING UP with Tina Turner. … [Read more...]

Until i heard CCH Pounder on yesterday's Fresh Air, I hadn't realized that FX's the Shield had won a Peabody Award, those things they give out to Jon Stewart. This year's list includes SOUTH PARK, Brian Williams and the whole Katrina gang, and Scully as Dedlock in BLEAK HOUSE. But can anyone argue … [Read more...]

III. I agree--"gender" has become a buzzword, especially in academia, and in gay circles. So, were you trying to address the idea that men have no role models and how men relate to feminism? Because I don't recall reading anything like that. In fact, I was startled how little feminism came up when … [Read more...]

II. I've been trying to figure out a way to engage with you on some of your arguments. I deliberately steered clear of the homosexual themes in part because they don't reflect my direct experience but also because I felt a firm groundwork needed to be laid first before somebody could come along and … [Read more...]

I. Date: May 16, 2006 10:33 PM Subject: finished your book To: Tim Riley and boy do I have comments. They are too lengthy to go into right now, but I hope to soon. In the meantime... My main question is: What is this book about? What I expected was a book about Madonna, Bowie, Elton, Mick, k.d. … [Read more...]

SPIN CYCLE In ONE WEEK, the Bush Administration, mired in DEEP POISON-POLL DOO-DOO, still managed to turn the story from this (G.O.P. LAWMAKERS FAULT A TOP PICK TO LEAD THE C.I.A.) to this (Bush's Picks for C.I.A. and a Court Succeed). Imagine the kind of success they could enjoy elsewhere if they … [Read more...]

LINE OF THE MONTH "Crime watch on the braid..." Marjene reluctantly agrees with her neighbor to keep an eye on her own polygamist wife. SONG TITLES TO LIVE BY from Willie Nelson on Imus in the Morning: "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body Except Mine." … [Read more...]

CAN YOU UNDERSTAND MY PAIN?"* Despite some SHAMELESS name-dropping (never a good sign), Goldstein's "Satellite Dylan" piece in The Nation (nice cover!) steers things back to the bard's misogyny, which he usually skates on: I don't claim that Dylan is determined by machismo -- there's much more … [Read more...]

Time was when a set of Chopin Nocturnes didn't really make waves... everybody does'em, and recently the fad has centered more around the Preludes. Both can be mistaken for student pieces, but like everything else by our beloved Freddie, they're all student pieces and every pianist is gonna play them … [Read more...]

THE BOB DYLAN ENCYCLOPEDIA by Michael Gray (832 pp, Continuum) While not the David Thomson of rock, Gray aims pretty high, and hits enough marks to keep you going back for more (see Marcus, Greil, and Lee, CP). Without ever describing his tone or solo style, his incisive entry on Robbie Robertson … [Read more...]

THE MOST RADICAL WRITER IN AMERICA If I were lucky enough to be teaching a Freshman expos-lit course, I'd bring this in (from 5/02/06): Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, released a video in which he showed his face and claimed that the Bush Administration had lied about its … [Read more...]

On May 4, 2006, at 2:07 PM, JB wrote: Dear fellow music lovers:  As you know, I collect lists.  Over the years, I have assembled a list of the top records of all time, as identified by various critics and publications.  These lists usually focus on rock, pop and r&b, with very little attention to … [Read more...]

blog of the week What Would Jesus Blog? LOVE LIKE A TRUCK On two new releases, the Bottle Rockets make like special prosecutor's on the country's warrantless wire-tapping WMD-lying ass: Zoysia and Live in Heilbronn Germanny July 17, 2005 on which they make Neil Young's "Cortez" lie down and beg … [Read more...]

FINISH THAT THOUGHT [DEPT OF FISH IN A BARREL] "I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English..." and all those Texas towns should all be English and the Latin on our judicial buildings should be in … [Read more...]