Looking Closer
I'll conclude with a few words about the American Sniper hubbub. But first, here are some of the things that caught my attention on the Wild Wild Web in the last couple of weeks... Read more
I'll conclude with a few words about the American Sniper hubbub. But first, here are some of the things that caught my attention on the Wild Wild Web in the last couple of weeks... Read more
The first song of Joe Henry’s album Invisible Hour — my favorite record of 2014 — is the subject of the second installment in my new series called "Listening Closer." Plus: Two new albums well worth your time and attention. Read more
He's the great orator. Let's make a space for him to go on speaking. If you read great words from this great man today, feel free to share them in the Comments here. Read more
We need this movie. We need it for this reason: Wherever Martin Luther King Jr. carried his dream, racists and scoffers assembled. Americans have made some admirable progress since then. But is it over? Was the dream realized? When I praise this movie that was made in celebration of King's dream — guess what happens. The taunters and scoffers assemble. Read more
This week, I begin a new year-long adventure: "Listening Closer." I will write about one song every week, opening it up to consider what's inside, where it came from, what it might mean, and why it has caught my attention and stayed on my mind. Read more
In Selma — and I'm pretty sure about this — there is more gospel quoted, more gospel celebrated, more gospel embraced and openly lived out than in any so-called "Christian movie" released in 2014. (Except the one that was, you know, a Jesus movie.) Read more
By choosing intimacy over an epic scale, by going small instead of large, by discernment and selectivity over throwing everything available to her at the screen, Ava Duvernay has surpassed all expectations with a masterfully crafted film that will become a standard by which historical films are measured. Read more
Albums I wanted to hear every week; albums I would be happy to own in a variety of formats; albums I would like to put in the trunk of my car so that I can give them away to everyone I know; albums that made a significant difference in my head and heart this year. Read more
This year’s Favorite Films list accomplishes several things for me: 1) It reminds me that — for a variety of reasons (including the fact that I’m working full-time and going to school, and the fact that Seattle is getting major releases much later than New York and Los Angeles) — I have not yet found opportunities to see many of the best-reviewed films of 2014. A few of the films I am still eager to see include National Gallery, Episode of the Sea, Norte (The... Read more
Overdoing it? Yes. As long as War & Peace? Yes. But here it comes anyway: The list of my favorite recordings of 2014. I look forward to this every year. I started making “Favorite Music of the Year” lists when I was about 12 years old. I never dreamed that I would still be making those lists three decades later. And I certainly never dreamed that I’d be publishing them, or that I’d be reviewing music (or movies, for that matter) for... Read more
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