Adapted from Ghosts and Ballyhoo: Memoirs of a Failed L.A. Music Journalist. The person I came closest to murdering is a lot like those who now threaten to murder me. Odd coincidence. So There You Are I met “Carmen” the Cardinal Ghost on November 6, 1987. Two days later, she invited me to her apartment…
The arrival of the man intended
May 5, 2014
Mom always told me that I was the happiest baby and toddler she’d ever seen. To be frank, I have no memory of being happy. Today, however, I announce the arrival of the man intended. He showed up after fifty-one years. You might find it hard to accept why I’m now truly, permanently happy; the…
You are quite safe here
January 26, 2014
The first time I heard “Paranoimia,” by Art of Noise, I was in a cafe in Tokyo. There was a video jukebox by the door. Since I loved the band, I chose this unknown song, curious to see what it was like. I was floored. It wasn’t just the brilliant musicianship or the imagery; the…
One size never fits all
January 4, 2014
Every time I turn around, someone is telling me I should adopt their mindset. I don’t know what it is about public exposure, but it immediately makes people start lecturing others on what to think. Is it the need to control? I never understood that particular urge. My father was so controlling that he’d stick…
Thanks for the clarity
November 28, 2013
On this Thanksgiving Day, I say, “Thanks for the clarity, whomever or whatever you are, if you’re up-out-in there.” I think the way the system is set up is that the more clearly you can think and see, the more becomes comprehensible and visible. If I have my car radio turned all the way up,…
That which was lost has been found
November 18, 2013
In 1975, when we moved from Tyler, Texas, to Rijswijk, the Netherlands, we had to put much of our furniture and possessions in storage. Most of the rental homes in the Netherlands were furnished. We rented a storage facility, had our things packed up, and flew off to Holland. When we moved to Stavanger, Norway,…