“Every day of my life, I start with playing Bach, usually for about an hour, sometimes even before breakfast! It’s like taking care of your inner hygiene. There is something very pure about it.” As a lifelong Bachophile. I’ve loved Glenn Gould for about as long as I can remember. (Will we ever see the Crazy Keyboardin’ Canadian’s like again? I doubt it.) During my college years, however, I realized that another pianist was mounting a serious challenge to the once-though... Read more
I’m slightly behind the curve here — the speed at which “Star Wars” rumors fly ’round the Internet these days would make Doohan drool — but this little one from Fanhattan’s otherwise “Being Human”-themed interview with Drew Struzan is worth the effort. Who is Struzan, you ask? The artistic mastermind behind the spectacular “Star Wars” posters we all love so well. Yes, I said “all.” I will brook no opposition on this point; they are fantastic. So is his legendary... Read more
My youth is full of musical memories, ranging from Sunday afternoon brushes with my father’s classical record collection to my uncle’s frequent performances of Simon and Garfunkel classics in our family library. But to this day, one of the strongest (and most beloved) remains our weekly tidying of the house to the upbeat stylins’ of “The Best of the Bothy Band.” For someone blessed with a boundless supply of youthful energy, the most frequently played track was (unsurprisingly) the jig-and-reel set, “Leitrim Fancy/Round... Read more
In the wake — or, I fear, in the eye — of this week’s mind-boggling sports storm, Iván Fernández Anaya’s story was exactly what I needed to see (HT: Dreher and Mills): As they entered the finishing straight, he saw the Kenyan runner – the certain winner of the race – mistakenly pull up about 10 meters before the finish, thinking he had already crossed the line. Fernández Anaya quickly caught up with him, but instead of exploiting Mutai’s mistake to speed past and... Read more
In my more giddy moments I think that a simple comic strip featuring Calvin, a preternaturally bright six year-old, and Hobbes, his imaginary tiger friend, features some of the most lucid sentences committed to print. And when I sober up, I usually think exactly the same. Edd McCracken Edd McCracken has rendered me an invaluable service (matched only by Jason Morehead’s invaluable service in bringing McCracken’s service to my attention) by reminding me of something I already know, but which... Read more
The existence of this recording has restored my faith in the Internet – and, quite possibly, in humanity itself. (Sorry. I haven’t decided exactly how much hyperbole to use.) Thanks to BBC Radio 4 and jeremyirons.net, I am happy to present T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” featuring Jeremy Irons and Eileen Atkins. (The recording has some introductory material that attempts to set Eliot’s work in appropriate historical context; the recitation itself begins around the 16-minute mark). Jeremy Irons Reads T.S.... Read more
In the wake of yesterday’s unexpected (and Sunday-consuming) water heater repair, this morning’s “Bird and Moon” comic was just what the doctor had ordered: Sorrow over the fact that we will one day live in an Attenborough-less world — “Sadly, there is only one known David Attenborough in existence” — is offset by the instantaneous cinematic association I have with Attenborough’s name: the extraordinary BBC mini-series, “Blue Planet.” I cannot recommend it enough. Watching “The Deep” episode for the first time... Read more
Walking through this morning’s six inches of fresh (and falling) powder, I was reminded once again of the main reason why I, flying in the face of my 25+ years of SoCal residency, have come to so dearly love the Wyoming winters. I’ve never heard anything so quiet. For someone who was O-for-Snow during their childhood and the first decade or so of their adult life, the extraordinary muffling of a mid-winter snowfall had to be experienced to be believed. Once... Read more
My adopted hometown of Lander is a bit of a climbers’ Mecca. Each summer, the International Climbers Festival brings waves of out-of-towners to the “internationally renowned climbing area surrounding Lander,” where they spend a week swarming anything with finger and toe-holds enough to test their skills. And the “huge limestone, sandstone and granite cliff faces” that run through Sinks Canyon State Park are dotted with climbers no matter the season. An intriguing side-effect of this fascination with the climbing arts: “Slacklining”... Read more
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No Commentary Necessary — Vivaldi vs. Bartoli Edition
Every now and again, when I’m feeling particularly discouraged … or particularly buoyant … or sometimes for no reason at all, I hunt down this video. And marvel. Amazing. So amazing, in fact, that I’m at a loss to know what else one can say in the face of such exuberant and extraordinary ability. No commentary necessary, right? A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to sit in on a colleague’s class while he played this clip for... Read more