Author. Educator. Musician.
(Note: this is a letter I sent to the University of Southern Maine to urge them to keep the Stone House. This is a house in Wolf’s Neck in Freeport overlooking the ocean. The property is used by the Stonecoast writing program where I received my MFA. The school is considering selling this piece of …
Continue reading “Letter to the University of Southern Maine: Save the Stone House!”
Portland’s art calender is filled with poetry readings. From Port Veritas to Rhythmic Cypher, Portlandites can get their poetry fix a few nights a week. But what about us prose guys? Those of us who write and read in lines that wrap around the far edge of the page? You’re right, we have Word Portland. …
Continue reading “Literary Death Match Throws Down in Portland”
There’s no good way to end a highly acclaimed television series. The viewer’s expectations are insurmountable, and most likely contradictory. We want the characters to live forever and get what they want, but if a writer does this, we’ll complain that the end was cliche and boring. It’s the great human contradiction: we want to …
Continue reading “The Breaking Bad Finale: 7 Reasons Why It Worked”
I can be passive aggressive with the best of them. I can mope, make snide comments, and indirectly be an ass to someone without ever addressing the real issue. If I’m mad at you, you might not even know it, unless you’re tuned into my subtle, ninja-like passive aggressive behavior. I grew up in a …
Continue reading “The Dangers of Being Passive Aggressive: Take Heed Husbands and Writers”
Sunday’s finale of Mad Men’s penultimate season showed anti-hero Don Draper commit two of the most evocative acts in the show’s history. He told the truth. Twice. Well, that’s evocative for him anyway. He’s the ultimate liar. Here are some facts on his dubious nature. Fact One: His name is Dick Whitman, and he’s gone …
There’s a Nutella commercial on tv right now that grinds my effing gears. Click on the link to watch this domestic drivel, and then I’ll tell you why this commercial makes pure anger run through my veins. Enraged? I wasn’t the first time I watched it, but then the commercial kept playing, and, instead of …
Continue reading “Nutella’s Assault on Writers and Husbands”
The Moth is a storytelling godsend. For those who haven’t listened to The Moth Radio Hour on NPR (Sunday nights at 7 on MPBN), here’s how The Moth works: a storyteller takes the stage without any notes and tells a true story for ten minutes or less. Other than that, there aren’t any rules. Their …
Continue reading “Concert Review: The Moth Main Stage Event at the State Theater (6.6.13)”
Summer in Maine is a cold IPA on the back deck of In’finiti. It’s dreamy drives home from Crescent Beach. It’s blue sky views from the top of Bradbury State Park that make you feel infinite. Most importantly for this nerd, Summer is reading beach-appropriate books. You know, it’s tossing aside the dense copy of …
My literary romance with The Great Gatsby dates back a decade when I was studying literature as an undergraduate. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s lyrical prose wooed me. And his control of language and syntax continues to knock my socks off with each reading. His articulation of the seductive qualities of the American Experience is unmatched. The …
Continue reading “Movie Review: Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby”
I learned about the WTF podcast the way most people did. Word of mouth. A talented musician friend of mine told me about this comedian out in L.A. who interviews celebrities in his garage. “He has this great interview with Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad. Everyone seems to go to his garage for an interview,” …
Continue reading “What the…Marc Maron Deserves His Moment in the Spotlight”
DAVE PATTERSON 