For a long time, whenever you went to A Novel Idea Bookstore in Lincoln, NE,you were greeted by the resident cat, Silas. The story goes that he just walked into the back of the store one day in 1995 and claimed the store as his own. He was one of the downtown area's most beloved icons and brought ma...

  Many of you already know of my love for Blossom Dearie so you can imagine how sad I am to hear about her death on Saturday.  She was 82. I was fortunate enough to get to see her perform live a few years ago at Danny's Skylight Room here in NYC when my parents came up for a visit.&#...

Astazi comemorez un an de la plecarea mamei mele spre alte locuri. Cum m-am gindit mult in ultimul an la acest lucru, la ce a insemnat ea pentru mine, si cum schimba acel eveniment ideile mele despre mine si lume, ar fi multe de spus, prea multe. Dar orice ar concepe mintea omeneasca in asemenea mom...

As longtime readers may know, there are four or five JMG entries that I repost every year. This is one of them. My dear friend Daniel Johnson, who threw the most kickass Groundhog's Day birthday parties for himself, would have been 52 years old today. His was a life that burned brightly and I am ill...

I was never a Prisoner obsessive (though I've always wanted to visit the Hotel Portmeirion), but I always thought Patrick McGoohan was one of the cool ones. He was always great guest star on Columbo, too, for which he won two Emmys. He was 80. If you're never seen The Prisoner, one of ...

My friend Joel called me on Christmas Day to inform me of the passing of Eartha Kitt (more on her below). Shortly before New Year's Eve, I began compiling a list of notable and not so notable celebrities who slipped the mortal bonds of Earth during this past year. Here's what I came up with: Johnny ...

-Where is the outrage? Why aren't we hearing stern condemnation from McCain, Romney and other Republican leaders? A serious candidate for Chairman of the Republican National Committee is distributing a music video called " Barack the Magic Negro" and it is totally and unquestionably ra...

The Church lost a giant yesterday with the passing of Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ. Cardinal Dulles was the only American theologian to become a prince of the Church having bypassed the episcopate. he was a convert to Catholicism from a prominent Presbyterian family. Born in Auburn, New York, on August...

... what middle aged cranky beatle fan it was who wrote it.John Lennon replies. 1969. I was reading your letter and wondering what middle aged cranky beatle fan it was who wrote it. I resisted looking at the the last page to find out. I kept thinking who it was, Queenie? Stuart's mother? Clive Epste...

Dee Dee Warwick: Foolish Fool From Foolish Fool (Mercury, 1969). Also on Best Of . Damn, so many legends are passing (Dolemite, RIP!) right now. Dee Dee Warwick's one of those soul singers who had this incredible voice but never really got her due (unlike her more famous, younger sister Dionne). The...