Comments for d a v e m a d d e n

Comment on 2013 by Seth Madej

Seth Madej — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:49:21 +0000

I perhaps wasn’t effusive enough in my praise for your writing for Harper’s. No matter how the piece turns out (though I have no doubt it will be excellent) just being handed the gig is a major accomplishment. The analogy in my world is being given the chance to write the one-per-season freelance episode of your favorite show.

Comment on “World of Pauline Lewis” – Television Personalities (tab) by Nick

Nick — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:43:07 +0000

I love theTVPS, if you sussed any more of their songs, I’d love to know them, take care

Comment on I’m Moving to California, Part 1 by Richard Gilbert

Richard Gilbert — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:50:54 +0000

California? Too easy. May mad Alabama continue to hurt you into poetry.

Comment on I’m Moving to California, Part 1 by dave

dave — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:14:22 +0000

END
WOMB
LYNCHING!

-reads some sidewalk chalking by the Quad

Comment on “Swans on the Lake” by Aimee Schmidt

Aimee Schmidt — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 01:40:46 +0000

I, too, suddenly, had the tune revolving around my head. Thanks for those lyrics.
Under the willlll-owwww

Comment on “Swans on the Lake” by Leslie Funderburk

Leslie Funderburk — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:43:41 +0000

I can’t believe I found this after 60 years. My family could not afford piano lessons for me so after the kids across the street had their lessons I went over & they taught me what they had learned. I can only play with one hand but I learned “Swans on the Lake” & every time I get near a piano I try to play it. At age 69 I have decided to learn to play the piano & was shocked to find out I could purchase this music book from the 1950′s. I love the internet. Thanks for a trip down memory lane.

Comment on Little Casear’s Deep Dish Pizza vs Domino’s Handmade Pan Pizza by Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:08:26 +0000

I actually highly recommend trying the new deep dish. The dough really makes the difference, it’s completely different from their normal crust and has a lot more flavor. It’s worth the extra few bucks.

Comment on “Swans on the Lake” by Valerie Mitcham

Valerie Mitcham — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 02:17:00 +0000

Oh, my goodness! Thank you for putting these lyrics out there. My sister sang part of that song on a voice mail to me today and I could only remember part of it and I sure couldn’t remember the title. It was so much fun to play that song on the piano back in the day….circa 1970…I’m so glad you posted it! Thank you!

Comment on The Personal in “Personal Essay” by Seth Madej

Seth Madej — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:43:22 +0000

I love your pushing back on this issue. The Talbot view on personal revelation in essays reminds me of the debate I’ve been having lately about nudity in movies. There’s a way-past-antiquated notion still lingering in the film world that nudity in mainstream movies is somehow brave or groundbreaking or shocking. That was true decades ago, but the opposite is true now. Some filmmakers and critics just haven’t caught up.

The idea that a nonfiction writer somehow needs to be excused or protected for writing about herself, that putting one’s vulnerabilities on display is a brave choice, is equally way past antiquated. Intensely personal revelation is rampant throughout both fiction and nonfiction and has become immensely popular among readers. Writers focused on their own personal vulnerabilities are much more likely to be given a pass for bad writing than writers who write about something other than themselves. Talbot et al. need to catch up.

Comment on Very Good Paragraphs by dave

dave — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 01:16:59 +0000

Oh and it keeps coming. Carson on what she’s trying to do with her writing: “[I]t’s really important to get somehow into the mind and make it move somewhere it has never moved before. That happens partly because the material is mysterious or unknown but mostly because of the way you push the material around from word to word in a sentence. And it’s that that I’m more interested in doing, generally, than mystifying by having unexpected content or bizarre forms. It’s more like: Given whatever material we’re going to talk about, and we all know what it is, how can we move within it in a way we’ve never moved before, mentally? That seems like the most exciting thing to do with your head. I think it’s a weakness to fall back into merely mystifying the audience, which anybody can do. You know, throw in a bit of Hegel. Who knows what that means? But to actually take a piece of Hegel and move it around in a way that shows you something about Hegel is a satisfying challenge.”