Clik here to view.
Twenty Years With My Oldest Friend
Twenty years ago this month, I began the longest continuous non-familial relationship of my life. At a school in the infamous burned-over city of Flint, Michigan, I started attending a summer music...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My Greatest Orchestral Hits
As noted in my previous post, this month is the 20th anniversary of me learning to play the cello. Over that time I’ve had the pleasure of playing in a number of different ensembles. Not counting...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Boyhood, Buzzfeed, T-Shirts, and Shakespeare: On Criticism, Tribalism, and...
If you use Facebook, you’ve probably noticed an incessant sort of targeted ad popping up in your feed of late, a targeted ad very specific in its targeting. For me, it takes a rather hideous hybrid...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Some Inadequate Thoughts on Ferguson
Editor’s Note – this post originated as a status I put up on Facebook. Though I feel social injustice deeply, I rarely speak up about it, for a complex set of reasons. I feel like the line between...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Teach Us To Die: The Holy Week Structure of John Michael McDonagh’s Calvary
This post involves a close reading of the recent film Calvary by John Michael McDonagh. Of necessity I will be discussing some plot points that could be considered SPOILERS. In my opinion this is a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Take Shelter and the Shame of Mental Illness
I spent this past weekend in Waco attending Baylor’s Symposium on Faith & Culture, where I presented a paper, and heard many other good ones. The topic this year, Faith & Film, was of course...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fish in a Barrel: Special “Worst Song of 2014 Crapathon” Edition
I have an embarrassing confession to make for someone with my pretensions to being cultured: I listen to a lot of top 40 radio. Like, tons. I’m more likely to be listening to my local mix station than...
View ArticleClik here to view.
David Benedictus Deserves to Have a Milne-stone Tied Around His Neck
I try not to get too upset about the vagaries of the culture industry, even when “best practices” extend to include abhorrent customs like the continuation of classic works by other authors. I never...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Babette’s Feast and the Uselessness of Grace: A Eulogy for The Dissolve
Last night provided me with the rare opportunity (in an age where repertory screenings have dwindled, especially outside major markets) to see a film I love in an actual theater. Columbia’s excellent...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Closing Up Shop, or The Erstwhile Erstwhile Philistine
Well folks, the time has finally come for me to bid you adieu. I have been running a blog called The Erstwhile Philistine for close to a decade now, first via Blogspot and now on WordPress. It has been...
View Article