PinnedPublished inThe RiffHow “Get Back” Made Me Love The Beatles (All Over Again)I thought I’d be the last person to care about “Get Back.” But the Beatles doc is unexpectedly touching. Get ready for some deep feelings.Jan 16, 2022Jan 16, 2022
PinnedKristallnacht: Fear, Illusion, and A Young Man with a GunAn autocrat bent on subverting norms, a nation on edge, a young man with a gun. Kristallnacht erupted 82 years ago this week. Will it…Nov 11, 20201Nov 11, 20201
Published inThe RiffNew Clear Days: How “Turning Japanese” Saved a Boy Lost at SeaIn 1980 I was 9, and terrified of nuclear war. History may have forgotten The Vapors, but they threw me a lifeline when I needed it most.Aug 4, 20211Aug 4, 20211
Published inClimate ConsciousIn the Smoke: A Postcard from PortlandClimate change is a game of winners and losers; as PDX suffered the world’s worst air quality, a short drive reminded me of my place in it.Sep 22, 2020Sep 22, 2020
Published inRe / verbForwards and Backwards in Time with Erik SatieA reissue of a haunting early synth LP invites serious time travel; in asking “Where are we?” it’s the perfect soundtrack for the moment.Aug 24, 20201Aug 24, 20201
Why Ram Dass Matters More than EverWill Ram Dass be included in “Notable Deaths of 2019”? He should be; bringing “conscious death” to the masses was the role of a lifetime.Dec 30, 20191Dec 30, 20191
Reagan’s Brain: Was Alzheimer’s a Cause or an Effect?When Reagan revealed his diagnosis, I was unmoved. But new theories about the brain demand a more nuanced — and more complicated —…Apr 19, 20193Apr 19, 20193
Is Russian Doll the First Post-Ayahuasca Television Show?Perhaps this is the moment the dark hallucinogenic brew finally emerges from the shadows (or at least the suburbs of Portland and…Mar 28, 20191Mar 28, 20191
Toad and MeMoving with unhurried precision, the woman handed me a small wooden pipe and a lighter. Pressing myself more upright on the couch, I…Mar 12, 20191Mar 12, 20191
