Category Archives: Uncategorized

(1973-1975: Betty Plus Four–one of several bands I led and fronted over the decades. In my early years of teaching, we played weekends for thousands of people in Northeastern Alberta, about 200 gigs. My hairful years! The other guys worked at … Continue reading →

This is the church. This is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season … Continue reading →

(excerpt from “Hung up on a Dream”, by Rod Argent, classic Zombies Odessey and Oracle album, 1968) A sweet confusion filled my mind Until I woke up only finding everything was just a dream A dream unusual of its kind That … Continue reading →

Easy. Joni Mitchell. Proof: her exquisite, mature, 2 CD Travelogue album (2002). Highly recommended jazzy soundscapes. Nuanced voice. Pleasant to listen to. A truly jazzy interpreter-performer-songwriter. ………………… Further: Top female folksinger-songwriter of all time. Biggest catalogue of original material.  First significant, … Continue reading →

(Johnny Clegg signed photo in person, Winspear, 2011 Human Tour) And your life is a story like the wind And your life is a story like the wind… –“Great Heart”, Johnny Clegg

(re.Kirk Douglas’s 2009 1-man-performance-art-show) A very moving autobiographical artifact of his life. He had previously written 3 books about his life in conjunction with what he called his 1996 `stroke of luck`, but this was a filmed recording of his live performance. … Continue reading →

(inscription from the 1898 book discussed below, with the signature pawprint of the author) If you’re at all like me, you likely find it hard to identify with the primitive violence daily ongoing in other parts of the world, never … Continue reading →

(rare, signed limited edition page of my World of Tennessee Williams, an illustrated biography) “I have a life in my body, this dead tree, my body, has burst in flower! You’ve given me life. You can go!”–Lady to Val The Fugitive … Continue reading →

(for anyone who is or was a teacher, and for anyone who knows one) Today as we reach toward the apex of summer, there are many nervous mornings out there. The last week of July. Gulp! And when the calendar … Continue reading →