Which Music Cities Deserve Sonic Highways 2?

So the news of the Foo Fighters signing on to do another season of Sonic Highways with HBO broke about 2 months ago, which means this is not timely. However, it’s something I’ve been pondering recently since I just saw the Foo Fighters live about a month ago (Dave Grohl guitar throne and all) and binge-watched season one of Sonic Highways.

Grohl hinted at where the second season may or may not take place. It’s not surprising that they’re not giving it away too soon, but I started thinking about where they could go. Leaving aside the speculation that they might do a season across the pond, which 8 North American cities could be featured in season two? Continue reading “Which Music Cities Deserve Sonic Highways 2?”

The Doldrums of Summer Writing

They are upon this website like the haze that descends upon a blazing, stuffy afternoon. I’m not sure what it is about the middle of summer that makes any productive activity feel like a slog through knee-deep mud. Continue reading “The Doldrums of Summer Writing”

Impulsive Game of Thrones Theory / All of my hopes and dreams fulfilled

[A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE SPOILER ALERT, including names and events revealed in the books which have not been revealed in the show] Continue reading “Impulsive Game of Thrones Theory / All of my hopes and dreams fulfilled”

My Flag is Cooler than Yours, Part 2

Jessie and I argue. We usually run semantic circles around each other until we come to the realization that our views aren’t that different. So, we decided to put these debates into written and largely unedited form and publish them, because… #ideasandstuff. One of us begins with a question, and we go from there until a conclusion (or new question) is reached. We’ll see how this goes the first time around, and then we’ll probably come up with a witty/ironic/thematic name for it. This will be divided into 2 posts.

Click here for Part 1.
Continue reading “My Flag is Cooler than Yours, Part 2”

My Flag is Cooler than Yours, Part 1

Jessie and I argue. We usually run semantic circles around each other until we come to the realization that our views aren’t that different. So, we decided to put these debates into written and largely unedited form and publish them, because… #ideasandstuff. One of us begins with a question, and we go from there until a conclusion (or new question) is reached. We’ll see how this goes the first time around, and then we’ll probably come up with a witty/ironic/thematic name for it. This will be divided into (at least) 2 posts.

Steve D: Remember when we talked about having philosophical debates with with each other and posting them as dialogues? Let’s do that. In this email chain. I will pose the first question, and we’ll keep emailing back and forth until we reach some kind of conclusion (or impasse). Then you pose a related, but tangential question to begin anew in a fresh email chain. This means that you should actually check your email. Like probably at least once per day. Continue reading “My Flag is Cooler than Yours, Part 1”

The Story of 1,000 Stories: Piecing Together the Narrative Puzzle

Recently, I’ve decided to dive into reading two lengthy, in-depth fictional series at once for my leisure reading: The Wheel of Time and The Horus Heresy. About 3.5 books into these series, I’ve managed to stay focused on the wider story arcs of each while alternating between them. And so far, I am astounded at how brilliantly these two series are written, and how differently from each other. Continue reading “The Story of 1,000 Stories: Piecing Together the Narrative Puzzle”

Weird Words of the Something

Language is beautiful. Part of my interest in storytelling as an art, is in the way people communicate their stories. I love discovering the origins of words, how their uses have evolved, and how they are related to other words. It’s why I receive reference.com’s daily Word of the Day emails. Based on this etymological curiosity and the fact that I took (and passed!) Linguistics 101 in college, I think I qualify as an amateur linguist (probably). Continue reading “Weird Words of the Something”

The Lives I Might Have Lived

I’m a history buff. I studied history for my bachelor’s degree and area studies for my master’s. Since I was a child, I have fantasized about living in particular historical eras and places, being a part of the periods and events which have shaped humanity’s shared heritage. I also fell in love with the academic storytelling art of history; it is the story of the past, the narrative of how we understand ourselves and where we came from. Continue reading “The Lives I Might Have Lived”

My Thanksgiving without Water

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I normally have at least two Thanksgiving meals each year: one with my mother’s family, and one with my father’s family. I love getting together with my family — whichever family — and enjoying a feast of a day. Thanksgiving with my father’s family is particularly appealing, as the meal tends to span four or five courses, beginning at 2 or 3pm, and ending with coffee and/or liquor at 9pm. That’s an Italian-American dinner for you. Continue reading “My Thanksgiving without Water”

Shit, is November Nearly Over Already?

Welp, November ends on Sunday, as does NaNoWriMo 2014. I have 26,636 words written, and I know I will not be reaching 50,000 by the end of the month. Remember when I said I wanted to hit 35k last week? Same. Such is life. Continue reading “Shit, is November Nearly Over Already?”