Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
Their new album, Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not, doesn’t reinvent the band’s sound; however, it does contain some of their best work. This is a natural extension of a long career, not just a cute or tired continuation of it.
Boxed In
As U.S. immigration policy changes rapidly, is it fair that undocumented workers face the law without representation? Three years ago, countless stacks of cardboard boxes filled the basement closet of a tall, narrow building at Broad and Market in Trenton. Arranged without logic and hard to reach, each of these boxes opened to reveal the endless […]
Nixon’s Ghost
What separates Trump from his predecessors is his willingness, and the willingness of his supporters, to give up any pretense of subtly or slyness. Trump’s campaign, despite what the headlines say, is not unprecedented in this way. It has simply set at center stage the racial politics that Republicans have long trafficked in but preferred to dress in finer rhetorical disguises.
Slapstick
The toy’s full name was Slapstick: An Authentic Comedy Toy for the Whole Family!TM, Slapstick himself being a kind of flesh-colored kidney-bean-shaped almost-humanoid character with googly eyeballs and kind of oozy chunky rubbery skin (which was in fact made of rubber with chunks in it, but no ooze; eventually the ACTC (Authentic Comedy Toy Company) […]
The Roller Rink
After a couple of weeks of summer classes, I agreed to join Mindy and a few of the other students for an afternoon trip to the local roller rink.
A Manali Vigil
In the dark, I imagined the worst, as one is prone to do when female, abroad, and alone. I had locked the door from the inside, and had checked on all the windows. But this was India; taking a door off its hinges probably wouldn’t be that hard.
The Nass 100
Every spring, the staff of the Nassau Weekly compile a list of things they do not want to see next year. However, I realized it was unnecessary to involve other people in such a task, as I am disproportionately outraged. Also, my therapist thought it would be a useful exercise.
“Brecht in Southampton – Personal Pleasures”
Morning at the coffeeshop Cheating traffic, the back-roads White clouds, the pale sky Parking near water, a book Midday at the bay, the breeze Water on your feet and scallop shells My sister’s laughter—baby mischief, feeling glad Scanning the view, white sails White rocks, sand, beach grass Sunsets, borrowed sunglasses Old friends Newer music Bonfires […]
I can see the neighbors
from here, leaning out beyond their yard. They are fence-prone and rubber-necked. Looking in, maybe. I sense a vulturish curiosity and sink back. Meanwhile, my dad has fallen asleep on the couch. He is darker than I remember, has more brown spots and silver near the temples. His head has […]
A Fall from Grace
“That night, for the first time, I tried to fall asleep without praying. My room was completely silent; it was a strangely feeble, prickling silence, as if a wound were healing.”
Going It Alone
“We aren’t like the stars, so isolated, separated by light years.”