Category: Review

• The Lion King

  It’s hard for me to watch The Lion King objectively as an adult when it’s so deeply ingrained into my being, having been released when I was 7 years old and subjected to countless subsequent rewatches in our family VCR—not to mention inspiring my own adult creative endeavors. But rewatching it now—with my 4-year-old son […]

  March 1, 2023

  Film, Review

  Disney, film, movies, The Lion King

• Our Art, Our Lives: On ‘Salty’ and ‘The Last Movie Stars’

  When we make our art, we are also making our lives. And I’m sure that the reverse is equally true. That line is from Look & See, the beautiful documentary about the life and work of Wendell Berry. I think about it often, and I thought about it again recently as I feasted on two […]

  August 15, 2022

  Books, Film, Review, Television

  acting, books, film, food, Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman, review, synchronicity, television

• Favorite Films of 2001

  I’m creating my movie best-of lists retroactively. See all of them. We’re now over 20 years away from the films in question. This means my impressions of the ones I haven’t rewatched somewhat recently are encased in metaphorical amber, for better or worse. It also means I wouldn’t have seen a good number of them […]

  April 10, 2022

  Film, Review

  best of, film, lists, Lord of the Rings, Memento, movies, review

• Courage & Camaraderie in ‘Band of Brothers’

  Band of Brothers, the 2001 Tom Hanks-produced HBO miniseries that dramatized the history of Easy Company paratroopers throughout World War II, was a formative viewing experience for me, especially on the heels of Saving Private Ryan. That was as a youngster interested in history and World War II, and as the grandson of a veteran […]

  March 17, 2022

  Media, Review, Television

  Band Of Brothers, HBO, podcasts, television, Tom Hanks, World War II

• Favorite Books of 2021

  In 2021 I read 31 books. That’s 13 more than my record-low in 2020, so that’s nice. Regardless, my prime directive as a librarian and reader remains to follow my own reading values. Don’t worry about the quantity. Read serendipitously and at whim. Don’t forget fiction. And heed the Pollanian reading maxim. With that in […]

  January 13, 2022

  Books, Review

  best of, books, lists, review

• Favorite Films of 2021

  In 2021 I only saw three movies in theaters, which is two more than I saw in 2020. A personal historic low, it probably goes without saying. But ultimately I’m just grateful to be able to watch great movies, whether at the theater, on a streaming service, or with a library Blu-ray. To that end, […]

  January 9, 2022

  Film, Review

  best of, film, lists, movies, review, The Beatles

• On Paper Trails and Typewriting Females

  I just finished reading Cameron Blevins’ new book Paper Trails: The US Post and the Making of the American West, which I learned a lot from (see my full notes and quotes from the book below). One thing that popped out to me was the role of women in the Post Office’s workforce. Women made […]

  June 23, 2021

  America, Books, History, Review, Technology, Typewriters

  books, post office, technically first, technology, typewriters

• The Ghost Map

  When I learned Steven Johnson (my favorite author) has a new book out, it prompted me to finally read one of his previous books that’s been on my list for a while. The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World was a timely read, […]

  June 16, 2021

  Books, Review, Science

  books, quotes, review, Steven Johnson

• My favorite Boomtown moments

  After writing my paean to Boomtown, the cry of the masses rang out from sea to shining sea with a resounding message: “More Boomtown content!!!” I live to serve. During my latest rewatch, I took note of the moments that have stuck with me in the almost 20 years since the series debuted. I considered […]

  March 29, 2021

  Review, Television

  Boomtown, lists, television

• Boomtown, the one-season wonder

  At least once a week something makes me think of Boomtown, one of my favorite TV shows of all time. Not to be confused with the excellent book Boom Town (my favorite of 2018), Boomtown was a one-season wonder that aired on NBC from 2002-2003 when I was a freshman in high school. (To be […]

  March 18, 2021

  Review, Television

  Boomtown, NBC, television