Day 77: The Criminal Mind of Dutch Schultz

originally published March 17, 2012 Dutch Schultz. The name just oozes gangsteriness. So did the man. Born in 1902 with the decidedly less menacing name of Arthur Flegenheimer, Schultz was traumatized by his father’s departure when he was fourteen. He left school to find work, hooking up with Schultz Trucking in the Bronx. At the […]

Day 67: The Imp Of The Perverse – From Poe To Freud To Cheap Drugs

originally published March 7, 2012 So you’re looking for an excuse for why your life is the way it is. You’ve made sketchy choices, unconscionable decisions, slept with partners of questionable ethics and species. That’s okay, you’re not alone. As with any E-Z diagnosis (especially one on the internet, especially-especially one from this site), you […]

Day 46: A Tale Of Two Sonny Boys

originally published February 15, 2012 So who is Sonny Boy Williamson? You’ll have to be more specific. John Lee Curtis Williamson, born near Nashville in 1914, became one of the pioneers of blues harmonica, or ‘blues harp’ (which is an expression that will only hold up until someone figures out how to successfully incorporate an […]

Day 41: Trevor “The Punching Boxer Guy” Berbick

originally published February 10, 2012 I could have been a boxer. Of course, this would have necessitated a completely different childhood from the one I experienced, probably in a different city with different parents and a more gritty urban soundtrack playing as a dismal grey rain pierced through the neon glow of a dingy street […]

Day 30: The Sunken Scandals Of Ireland’s Swimming Past

originally published January 30, 2012 This morning started out beautifully. For school, I had written a short script for a Greatest American Hero video game, as well as another video game snippet in which you play the fast-food cashier who must contend with Clara Peller’s demands of “Where’s the beef?”. I was feeling creative, feeling […]