It happened earlier this Spring: my mother was visiting and we had all just wrapped watching the Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. As I was clearing out the dishes and getting her a refill, she asked Nia and Layla if they had something to do in their rooms as she wanted to discuss some family… Continue reading “Conscious,” “Gentle,” Whatever: PLEASE Just Be a Parent.
Category: Pop Life
Miscellaneous topics, trends and columns
‘Greatest Country’ WHERE?
When Layla walked through the front door on Tuesday, I folded her into a hug. “I’m glad you’re safe,” I told her, kissing her cheek. “Did you know what happened earlier today in Uvalde?” Confused, shook her head no. I pulled her into the bedroom and directed her attention to the horror unfolding in real… Continue reading ‘Greatest Country’ WHERE?
Our Baby Girl, Our Future: Looking Forward, Lurching Back
This Saturday, Calvin and I will officially become the parents of two teenagers, as our youngest daughter Layla, will be turning 13. As many parents do, we appreciate her progress so far and fondly remember the months and moments that shaped her entering our lives. When I was still expecting Layla, it felt more like… Continue reading Our Baby Girl, Our Future: Looking Forward, Lurching Back
Mary J. Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Preview/Review Link
According to an idiom popularized by rapper and ‘business, man’ Jay-Z, “Men lie and women lie, but numbers don’t.” So even by this simple metric, Mary J Blige has “the numbers” that count: over 70 million in album sales, fifteen albums, nine Grammy Awards, a pair of Academy Award nominations and….oh yes, that single crown… Continue reading Mary J. Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Preview/Review Link
Critical Truths, Racist Lies
On Independence Day in 2020, a clamoring throng toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus Baltimore neighborhood of Little Italy. When the cheering protesters dragged it down and sunk it beneath the depths of Inner Harbor, the statue became the latest symbol of societal change and a harbinger of a larger reckoning about the hypocrisy and… Continue reading Critical Truths, Racist Lies