Allegedly. I admire (and envy) McEwan as a writer, but don’t think of him as a funny man, even in comparison to an old devil like Kingsley Amis, and doubt that his novel will turn out to be hilarious, despite this inspiring scene: The impetus for this novel came in 2005 when he was partContinue reading “Ian McEwan To Write Funny Global Warming Novel”
Author Archives: Kit Stolz
The Confessions of Cassandra
The Ojai Music Festival is known for its adventurous spirit, for its lust for risk — musically speaking. In turn, Libbey Bowl audiences are known for their patience, and often they are rewarded with the unforgettable. When Steve Reich’s difficult "Four Organs" was premiered in New York in the early l970’s, a near-riot erupted. WhenContinue reading “The Confessions of Cassandra”
Big Mo: Landslide Win Predicted for Obama in Missouri
Jay Roberts, an experienced St. Louis pol, tells Off the Bus: "We’re going to be one of the top four-to-six battlegrounds and at the end of the day, we’re going to go blue and take back a state that has historically been Democratic — and that includes sweeping a new Democratic governor, Jay Nixon, intoContinue reading “Big Mo: Landslide Win Predicted for Obama in Missouri”
Celtics Get Off the Mat, Win Round One
Pierce sustains a strained knee; Perkins a strained ankle. But despite hearing "a pop" in his knee, Pierce overcomes the pain, comes out of the locker room. gets back into the game. Hits a couple of big shots, and the Celts pull out tgame one in Boston. Lakers rattle out a dozen shots, lose byContinue reading “Celtics Get Off the Mat, Win Round One”
Genius Loves Company: Dawn Upshaw edition
My story on the Ojai Music Festival, to begin this evening, featuring the great Dawn Upshaw (here). …when asked how it felt to be proclaimed a genius to the world, Upshaw, speaking on the phone from her studio in New York, sounds ever-so-slightly embarrassed, insisting that “only the media” call it the genius grant, sayingContinue reading “Genius Loves Company: Dawn Upshaw edition”
A Day in the Life, 41 Years Later
For the first time ever, Paul McCartney performs what many consider perhaps the greatest rock song ever (here) at an anniversary concert for Sgt. Pepper’s in Liverpool. And thanks to the miracle of the Internet, you can see it too! Funny thing is, Paul flubs the lines he sung in the song, but gets John’sContinue reading “A Day in the Life, 41 Years Later”
Are Bush and Cheney Trying to Get McCain Defeated?
Monday Dick Cheney makes a hillbilly/incest joke at West Virginia’s expense, and after all the notable politicians in the state — Republicans and Democrats alike — protest, has to take it back. Tuesday Bush reveals that "we’ll be in Iraq for forty years" thus perfectly reinforcing McCain’s gaffe about being in Iraq for 100 years.Continue reading “Are Bush and Cheney Trying to Get McCain Defeated?”
Closed Minds — Libertarian and Religious — Think Alike
Often on the right hand side of the political dial I hear claims that environmentalism is "a religion." I guess by this it’s meant that some people, maybe including me, think the earth is sacred. Horrors! Instead of contesting this, I’m beginning to think enviros should agree, and point out that to many on theContinue reading “Closed Minds — Libertarian and Religious — Think Alike”
Bush: Dumber Than A Comic Book
The Washington Post brings up the the "confused pep-talk" that our Prez gave to his top commanders after four contractors were brutally killed in Fallujah in 2004, according to Ricardo Sanchez, then the commander of US forces in Iraq: "Kick ass!" he quotes the president as saying. "If somebody tries to stop the march toContinue reading “Bush: Dumber Than A Comic Book”
Extreme Weather, Coming to Your Town Soon
The new graphics columnist for The New York Times illustrates issues powerfully, as in today’s column. Charles Blow’s words make the point we all know: According to the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, there have been more than four times as many weather-related disasters in the last 30 years than in theContinue reading “Extreme Weather, Coming to Your Town Soon”
Kit Stolz 