Carlo | July 23, 2012
James Holmes looked like Bozo the Clown in his court appearance today. No wonder, since he was the easily and well armed Joker who mutilated the nation’s innocence—again—in a crowded theater in suburban Denver Friday night. Colorado seems to be a magnet for crazy. Gnashing of teeth, words of sobriety and comfort, nuanced posturing, and […]
Category: Culture, Personal, Political |
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Tags: Obama, politics
Carlo | July 6, 2012
A vague post today, like Obama’s 2012 campaign “slogan.” But forward nevertheless, if by fits and starts. I missed posting a blog Tuesday though I’d sworn to post one every Tuesday. Have to remind Siri, my iPhone helper, to remind me to do that, not to mention other tasks. We spent the last week of […]
Category: Books, Culture, Music, Northern Ohio, Personal, Travel |
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Tags: books, Cleveland, Dazz Band, Entertainment, Facebook, Invisible Soul, jazz, Media, Music, O'Jays, soul music, Travel
Carlo | June 26, 2012
It’s our third day in our house a block from the beach in Stone Harbor, the Jersey Shore town we hanker to visit at least once a year. Yesterday was stormy and grey with patches of dry, a perfect day to play tourist in tourist-savvy Cape May, down the road apiece. On Sunday, I made […]
Category: Books, Culture, Film, Personal, Travel |
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Tags: criticism, literature, Movies, Pittsburgh, Travel
Carlo | June 19, 2012
Last Friday, I sent off a chapter about Motown and its relationship to Cleveland soul music. It went to an editor at an academic press in the South who said he’d get back to me about it first week in July. Here’s hoping. Motown’s Fateful Shadow is the longest chapter I’ve written yet, and it’s […]
Category: Books, Culture, Music, Northern Ohio, Personal, Reviews |
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Tags: Cleveland, Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories, criticism, Detroit, Facebook, literature, Media, Music, Rock 'n' roll, soul music
Carlo | June 13, 2012
Missed my blog entry yesterday. Woke up midway through the night anxious about it, so here it is. Just read a story about how Romney is seizing on Obama’s misspeakings, painting the president as out of touch. No matter that gaffemeister Romney is genetically out of touch himself. What matters is that Romney’s turning the […]
Category: Culture, Music, Northern Ohio, Personal, Political |
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Tags: Cleveland, criticism, Detroit, Entertainment, Media, Obama, politics
Carlo | June 5, 2012
So I don’t miss my commitment, here’s my weekly blog. Believe it or not, it’s again about Invisible Soul. On Sunday, I headlined a two-hour program of Invisible Soul tracks largely based on Boddie Recording Company, the three-CD set Numero Group released in November. I, Shari and Jeff also included some tracks friends have given […]
Category: Culture, Interviews, Music, Northern Ohio, Personal, Radio, Reviews |
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Tags: Cleveland, Detroit, Entertainment, Media, soul music
Carlo | May 29, 2012
I spent most of this afternoon listening to tracks from Boddie Recording Company, the three-CD box Numero Group released in November. I’m selecting ones to play this Sunday afternoon over WRUW (91.1 FM), the Case Western Reserve radio station. Shari Wilkins and Jeff Bishop, who DJ there, asked me whether I’d head a show based […]
Category: Books, Culture, Interviews, Music, Northern Ohio, Personal, Radio, Reviews |
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Tags: Cleveland, Entertainment, soul music
Carlo | May 22, 2012
I’ve been poring over the interviews at the core of Invisible Soul all week, trying to see what’s common, what themes to earmark for the book’s sectioning. It’s coming slowly; naturally, most cover a variety of topics that have to be separated out and organized. But some also lend themselves to standalones because stories they […]
Category: Books, Culture, Music, Northern Ohio, Personal |
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Tags: Canada, Cleveland, criticism, soul music
Carlo | May 15, 2012
My book, Invisible Soul, has been in gestation for nearly a year and a half now, but I still feel as if it’s in the earliest stage. I’ve written (and revised and rewritten) several chapters, at one time up to six; now there are about three, and I’m not totally satisfied with any of them. […]
Category: Books, Culture, Music, Northern Ohio, Personal |
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Tags: Cleveland, Entertainment, literature, Media, soul music
Carlo | May 8, 2012
Last week’s blog was about a Facebook friend who posted a “billboard” likening President Obama to Ronald McDonald. Today’s Plain Dealer recounts a Romney campaign stop in which Ohio auditor Dave Yost makes the same comparison, quoting from the same playbook. I didn’t argue with the Facebook friend, though that side of him infuriates me. […]
Category: Culture, Personal, Political |
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Tags: Cleveland, newspapers, Plain Dealer, politics