A Poet, an Album, and That Highfalutin Word Ekphrasis

27 April 2026 Feeling a little Denis Johnson. Feeling a little Bruce Springsteen. Feeling a little other-wordly in a world between worlds. Poetry about music. Or inspired by. That’s what it feels like to read Devin Kelly’s book of poems called Blood on Blood. To quote Bianca Stone on the back cover, Kelly’s book is … Continue reading A Poet, an Album, and That Highfalutin Word Ekphrasis →

John Darnielle (Not Bob Dylan) and His Big Book of Annotated Lyrics

13 January 2026 Call me a sucker, but I bought (and am enjoying) John Darnielle’s book of lyrics he published recently called This Year. The central figure, the constant, the songwriter, John is the brains behind a little band called The Mountain Goats—a man and a band who’ve been with me since college. It all … Continue reading John Darnielle (Not Bob Dylan) and His Big Book of Annotated Lyrics →