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Heir apparent to a knight errant
In the beginning, there was John D. MacDonald. And lo, it was good. Then John D’s protagonist — handsome, hairy-chested hero Travis McGee — begat other knights errant, including a loveable serial killer, an amateur-sleuth photographer, a renegade roadkill-eating former governor and a … Continue reading
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Remembering a walk on the moon
“For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon … Continue reading
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Tagged Buzz Aldrin, Gerard DeGroot, NASA, Neil Armstrong, science, space, space program, The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe, Wayne Biddle
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Tom of all trades
Marshall McLuhan once likened the Sunday New York Times to a warm bath – something to slip into for comfort and pleasure. We’re borrowing that line to tell you that Tom Corcoran has just run a nice, toasty tub for … Continue reading
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Tagged books, Carl Hiaasen, Florida, Hunter S. Thompson, Jim Harrison, Jimmy Buffett, John Frinzi, music, mysteries, Randy Wayne White, Tom Corcoran, writing
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Passing it on (how a teacher affects eternity)
A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. Henry Adams I never took a class from Buddy Davis, but he taught me a lot. Years ago, when I was beginning my teaching career in Kentucky, I’d … Continue reading
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The golden age of rock’n'roll autobiographies
We may look back on this era someday and realize that this was the golden age of rock’n’roll autobiographies. Or not. But you have to agree that we are on a roll. First we had Eric Clapton’s wonderful, soul-searching Autobiography. You could … Continue reading
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Tagged Bob Dylan, Bobby Keys, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Gregg Allman, Keith Richards
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The life and times of the great hippie poet
I’ve written several biographies and I’m kind of proud of them. But then I got this new biography of Richard Brautigan. It’s as if I’m standing at the urinal, looking down, congratulating myself. You know, that’s not bad . . . I’m … Continue reading
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Let us now praise famous Stooges
It’s a miracle I survived childhood. We didn’t have seatbelts in cars, all of the walls were coated in lead-based paint, and once a week a truck used to drive through my neighborhood spraying DDT. And don’t forget The Three … Continue reading
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Of fathers playing catch with sons, pastimes national and enduring, and cabbages and kings
For me, it’s not hard to decide what sport has produced the greatest books. It’s the national pastime, of course, the game that has defined our nation. Not to go all Ken Burns on you, but this game says so much about … Continue reading
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Books, glued to my fingers
It’s one of those cliches that always rises to the top of a book critic’s bag of tricks: “I couldn’t out it down.” But I’m here to tell you it’s true. I just ripped through two books that were stuck … Continue reading
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Thinkin’ ’bout the blues and stuff
These are tough days for philosophers. When any hodad with a wireless connection can present himself / herself to the world as a pundit, who has times for well-educated deep thinkers who routinely spelunk to the depths of metaphysics? So … Continue reading
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