"In this box are all the words I know... Most of them you will never need, some you will use constantly, but with them you may ask all the questions which have never been answered and answer all the questions which have never been asked. All the great books of the past and all the ones yet to come are made with these words. With them there is no obstacle you cannot overcome. All you must learn to do is use them well and in the right places." - King Azaz the Unabridged, in The Phantom Tollbooth
I've written a lot of pieces in the decade I have been writing seriously online - too many things, to be sure. Here are a few that I think express who I am and what my potential is as a culture writer.
Reviews
My mixed review of James Bailey’s book Muriel Spark’s Early Fiction, for University Bookman.
My review of Boyhood for Books & Culture.
Dual review of Exodus: Gods and Kings and Force Majeure.
Features
The full text of my conversation with Anders Bergstrom about aging in film, for To Be Cont'd.
Two pieces I wrote for the movies section of Christianity Today, both about documentaries. The first is a piece exploring docs that fall in the tradition of Augustine's Confessions. The second is a piece that explores the ethics of laughing at characters in documentaries.
For Paste, I tried a bunch of bourbons under $10/bottle and ranked them.
Over at The Week, I wrote about why high schools should require film class.
A few pieces I've done for The A.V. Club. First, a Permanent Records piece on Randy Newman's concept album Good Old Boys. Second, a piece where I argue that the Coen brothers keep making the same film twice. Finally, a “Memory Wipe” where I revisit the pleasures of Bill Nye, The Science Guy.
I’ve also had the opportunity to write two pieces for the excellent film site Bright Wall/Dark Room. The first was a personal essay on my connection to the Winona Ryder version of Little Women. The other is a piece of cultural criticism, tying the 2011 version of Tinker. Tailor, Soldier, Spy to the management ethos of the postwar period.
My Old Site
The completish archive of The Erstwhile Philistine. Part One. Part Two.
Here are some selected highlights, for those too lazy to read my complete marginalia:
A piece comparing Paul Simon and Sufjan Stevens.
A slightly silly, slightly pretentious narrated recipe for Christmas brownies.
The first in my series of "Pairings" posts, where I match a drink with a cultural artifact.
The most interesting original idea I've ever had: The New Irony.
In which I envision the perfect culture filled birthday.
I tried to defend Pixar from accusations of a slump.
I humbled myself enough to admit I was wrong about Wes Anderson.
I look at the structure of the film Calvary and compare it to Holy Week.
Profiles
Kent Rollins, cowboy chef and poet.
Eyakem Gullilat, an outstanding Ethiopian/Oklahoman photographer.
Documentarian Morgan Neville.