All I have is my love of love, and love is not loving. Today my beloved entrée to the land of concept albums, the record whose production quality still bears the standard, the galaxy’s greatest release by a metafictional band, turns 50. Similar to past honorary breakdowns (see here and here), I now break downContinue reading “Inspirations have I none…”
Category Archives: History
Denial! Betrayal! C. S. Lewis!
Or, the Triduum Well, friends, here we are, in the sweet spot between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the night of vigils and multiple readings of Scripture. Lifelong literature student and irrevocable cultural Catholic that I am—and having spent much of the past week down with a flu that’s been going around—I’ve seized upon thisContinue reading “Denial! Betrayal! C. S. Lewis!”
Anna Delvey, America’s iCon
Or, stop being so dramatic 🙄 Like much of the world, I was drawn into Shonda Rhimes’ new Netflix series Inventing Anna, which documents the almost unreal rise and fall of ‘fake German heiress’ Anna Sorokin, better known as Anna Delvey, over the mid-to-late-2010s. From boutique hotel rooms to glitzy trips abroad to stolen jets,Continue reading “Anna Delvey, America’s iCon”
News of the Soul: February
I’ve become the in-house reporter for the Berlin arts collective Soul and the City. Check out our first monthly roundup of events, workshops, and things to look forward to here. I took the photos too! (Psst—a certain masterclass with yours truly is featured. 😉) Take care of yourselves this Winterspring, folks! Love—Cecilia
A POD SOUNDS special!
In which we interrupt our regularly scheduled programming This past week on the pod I got my act together (well, the timing was somewhat planned, as we just finished the album portion of season 2) and released an episode I’d recorded back in mid-December. With our first-ever guest. Who isn’t a blood relative! On thisContinue reading “A POD SOUNDS special!”
Have you guys heard of the “Checkers speech”?!
Or, “Show me the money!” It’s been an educational week. Between this oratory byte and the hitherto-unknown exclamation “Great Caesar’s Ghost,” I have realized that I know absolutely nothing about American history, political or pop-cultural. So, as long as I’m back to square one, I thought I’d start it off right! What’s really weird aboutContinue reading “Have you guys heard of the “Checkers speech”?!”
David Bowie at 75
In which I *am* the young American Happy what would be three-quarters of a century to the one and only Starman. Though the ‘man’ part of that portmanteau, I think, belies his enormous contributions to bringing gender weirdness to the fore of the music industry and mainstream media. Hunky Dory has been on heavy rotationContinue reading “David Bowie at 75”
So Long, Freddie
In which I prolong the goodbye Today marks thirty years since Freddie Mercury, or the former Farrokh Bulsara, left us for a world where everyone’s inner ear finally matches his. He had something like a four-octave range, he could play the piano upside down, and he rocked a fur coat better than he had anyContinue reading “So Long, Freddie”
Edie, Again
A costumed tribute Halloween weekend was a strange one this year, and I had to delay and transform some planned things. It turned out to suit the personality I evoked, who was always fashionably late. Today marks fifty years since we lost Edith Minturn Sedgwick. I didn’t foresee at the time I first explored herContinue reading “Edie, Again”
Another brick out of the Wall
In which I chronicle a convergence This time of this year is special for the city I happen to be in as it commemorates the 60th anniversary of the raising of the Wall. Construction began on 13 August 1961, and things proceeded relatively quickly from there—by this point, there was a marked delineation and anContinue reading “Another brick out of the Wall”