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In Conversation with Jack Berry

Jack Berry is a Nashville-based blues guitarist and singer noted for producing music that’s deeply rootsy yet informed by new and original musical sensibilities, sometimes described as “alternative blues” and “wild bunch blues.” Berry has just released the single “The Bull” from his soon-to-be-released album, Mean Machine. Recently he took the time to answer Wanda… Read more »

From Where I Sit – Part of My Tribe

I felt like a funeral crasher recently when I drove my elderly mother and aunt to their cousin’s service. I didn’t know the deceased man from Adam. In the room of three hundred I knew precisely three people outside of my mom, aunt, and uncle. When first asked to drive (because my mom isn’t confident… Read more »

Dear Barb – Bad Dates

Dear Barb: My best friend Sue used to be so nice and now she’s a bitch! We used to do all kinds of stuff together like skiing, going on vacations, running and spending time with our other friends. Now she ignores us and spends all her time with her possessive boyfriend. When I try to… Read more »

The Fit Student – Go Easy on Yourself

Always pat yourself on the back and stand tall. By improving your confidence, rewarding yourself, solving problems, and valuing your worth, you create a buffer against anxiety, depression, and many other long-term illnesses. In other words, you go easy on yourself. The bookManaging Your Mind by Gillian Butler, Ph.D. and Tony Hope, M.D, has perils… Read more »

The Writer’s Toolbox – Trailing Away

Most students recognize ellipses when the triple dots are used to cover omitted text in a quotation. But what happens when ellipses are used outside an academic or nonfiction context and represent omitted verbal text, as in faltering or trailing-away speech in fiction dialogue? In this case they’re often referred to as suspension points, and… Read more »

Music Review – Ken Stead

Artist: Ken Stead Album: Fear Has No Place Here Folk and country inspired rock music has been playing more on the radio. Which is great, in my opinion, since I find that when pop music that gets overplayed it tends to sound the same after a while. So it is with great pleasure that I… Read more »

The Mindful Bard – The Ruling Class

Film: The Ruling Class Director: Peter Medak Adapted from the play by Peter Barnes LADY CLAIRE GURNEY: How did it happen? How did you come to be in this state? JACK GURNEY: Like every prophet I saw visions, I heard voices, I ran. The voices of Saint Frances, Socrates, General Gordon, and Timothy Leary, they… Read more »

From Where I Sit – Strong Enough

Most of us consider our homes our sanctuary, our safe haven from the world. Home is the one place where we can be ourselves. Pretenses fall away and our authentic unvarnished selves are revealed. We let our hair down, wear our shabbiest comfy clothing, eat standing up at the counter, burp, cry, and fall asleep… Read more »

In Conversation with Jerod McBrayer of Worth Taking

Worth Taking is a San Francisco-based power pop-punk collective renowned for pure, simple, energising, and, yes, hopeful paeans to the unique dangers and opportunities accompanying the period of adolescence. The band, comprised of Jerod McBrayer, Chris Self, and Chase Kossack, is now touring its second LP, Hangman (listen to the track “Different Now” here), which… Read more »