Meeting Ananda Lima and Roger Reeves

I was pleased to attend this school year's last installation of the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series, featuring authors/poets Ananda Lima and Roger Reeves, at Hope College last night.

Hearing Cody Daigle-Orians

Last night, author Cody Daigle-Orians was the featured guest at my local book club.  He joined us virtually and spoke about his latest book, The Ace and Aro Relationship Guide.

Quote of the Day

I would tell my younger self not to always fight the gatekeepers.  It's just important to look for a path around them.  Always look over their shoulders to see what's happening on the other side and how you're going to get there.  You don't have to jump in and fight everybody, because that doesn't always work.

-- Cyndi Lauper, "The Last Word," Rolling Stone

Quote of the Day

He was preternaturally curious.  He seemed always to be pushing at the edges of any situation to find the underbelly of wisdom and poetry.  He looked for the truth of a person, a situation, a moment, a question, an action.  More often than not, he found it, and offered it back to the rest of us, transformed into sublime jewels of rhymes and melodies and ideas that pushed far past convention.

-- Rosanne Cash, Tribute to Kris Kristofferson

Quote of the Day

Everybody has the Blues.  Everybody longs for meaning.  Everybody needs to love and be loved.  Everybody needs to clap hands and be happy ... In music, especially this broad category called Jazz, there is a stepping stone towards all of these.

-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote of the Day

The Blues tell the story of life's difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.

-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote of the Day

Jazz speaks for life ... This is triumphant music.

-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote of the Day

The blues had a baby and they named the baby rock and roll.

-- Muddy Waters