Nov 06
Such Tiny Ambitions The bro-culture, podcasting, manosphere spent years raging about cancel culture, beating their chests, swearing all they wanted was free speech, the ability to be authentic without woke inquisitors breathing down their necks. They spoke of masculine preemption the way some speak of rigged elections: with conviction and little evidence. Every microphone became …
Mar 27
New Orleans Bob at Tower Records We walked toward a man, mid-forties maybe, waving bills at passersby. His words blurred, his intention precise: a jazz journal. Not a record or CD, but something denser, a quarterly thick with modal theory, footnotes marching down the page. “I’m Bob”, he said, from a wheelchair. Needing nimble feet …
Oct 30
Giving Water to a Drowning Man Lord, when will I feel less like drowning? I grew up listening to country music, savoring the pain songs about tragic romance. Words that pulled me toward a rawer truth, holding close the weight of life’s hard edges. I couldn’t wait until I grew up, got divorced, and wrote …
Oct 24
One for a nickel, two for a dime We’re both waiting, in a way. Me—for caffeine to offer a boost during the drive home. Him—for something less abstract: a dollar, a nod, a moment of being seen. The foam clings to my lip, and I wipe it away without thinking. He wipes rain from his …
