September 7 marks twenty years since Warren Zevon passed away. As a fan, one is left to consider which is the greater tragedy; that his life was so short, that his fame was so fleeting, or that he is best remembered for a goofy novelty song about werewolves. “Mom and Papa bought a Chickering, Everyday […]
Author: Michael Shaw
The Aubrey-Maturin Novels
There are readers, and there are re-readers. More than once, wonderment was expressed in my hearing of the notion of reading a book one has already read. Which is a fair stance, if considered against the measureless mountains of Books I Haven’t Read Yet. But there are also those who can revisit a beloved work […]
For Warren Z.
I went to the Henley regatta,Intending to put out to sea,They pronounced me persona non grata,Goes to show that you can’t come and go as you please. -Warren Zevon
Hell In Texas
Oh, the Devil in hell, they say he was chained,And there for a thousand years he remained.He never complained, no, nor did he roam,But decided he’d start up a hell of his own. He’d start up a hell of his own,Where he could torment the souls of menFree from the walls of his prison den.So […]
Current Reading – Leon Russell by Bill Janovitz
The book is encyclopedic in coverage; Janovitz talks to very nearly everyone significant in Leon’s life and career, with the exception of ex-wife Mary. Born Russell Bridges in Tulsa OK, a child prodigy who began playing piano at 4, he became a fixture on the local music scene, then made the pilgramage to L.A. There […]