New Jersey
My Little Corner of the World: Memories of Maxwell’s
It was 1997 and I felt like an ass. I’d moved to Hoboken from central Jersey three years earlier. It was closer to my job, closer to my East Village girlfriend, and there was Pier Platters and Maxwell’s: a world-class record store and one of the best rock clubs anywhere. Except Pier Platters—which was on […]
My Internet Radio Playlist, 7/30/13
EPISODE #87: MAXWELL’S The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME] Honorable mention: The Schramms — “Torn in Two” Health & Happiness Show — “How To Breathe” The Mekons — “Hard To Be Human Again” The dB’s — “Neverland” Saw at Maxwell’s three times: Kate Jacobs — “George Says” Bern & the Brights — “As Long As […]
My First Trip to Maxwell’s
In the mid-90s, my buddy Scott went to work for a new venture called New Jersey On-Line, now better known as nj.com. As I was a fellow music nerd and a Hoboken resident, Scott hired me as the fledgling site’s Maxwell’s correspondent. I added booker Todd’s numbers to my Rolodex: …and in late 1995 began […]
Other Bad Things That Mike Rice Did
Rutgers University fired men’s basketball coach Mike Rice today, after videotape revealed that Rice is a complete and total prick—an abusive, homophobic bully. Later today, additional video was released, uncovering even more offenses by the disgraced former coach. Several of these are listed below. Count on Salt in Wound to keep you up to the […]
Oh Sandy: An Anthology of Humor for a Serious Purpose
An essay of mine, “Holy Hoboken, Baptized by Sandy,” was accepted into Oh Sandy: An Anthology of Humor for a Serious Purpose, which is available in print and Kindle formats. In it, I chronicle my hopefully amusing observations of religion’s role in that post-Sandy week here in Hoboken. The good, the bad, and the odd. […]
Spotlight on Greenville
I’m proud of this neighborhood spotlight I wrote for the winter issue of NEW Magazine (which is being rebranded as JCI Magazine with the spring issue). The Greenville section of Jersey City has a fascinating past which urban decay has made many people forget. Business owners, artists, and community activists—a few of who I now […]
Movie Review: Two Pints Lighter
3.5 stars out of 5 The pinball museum was closed. I’d gone down to Asbury Park from Hoboken for the day and this had thrown a monkey wrench into my evening plans. They were holding a charity event there, autism, $100 entry. I’m a charitable guy, but, come on, a hundred bucks? I just wanted […]
Roll On, Corolla: A Boy & His Car
I don’t want to get all Giving Tree on you, but the car and I really did go a long way back. All the way to October 4, 1991. On that day, at Jim Coleman Toyota in Bethesda, Maryland, I took ownership of a brand-new, end-of-model-year, light blue Corolla. The address we wrote on the […]
Movie Review: Searching for Sugar Man
3.5 stars out of 5 Back in the summer, I saw the trailer for Searching for Sugar Man and thought, “I must see this movie.” The story was absolutely fascinating to me. Forty years ago, a U.S. musician named Rodriguez made a couple of albums that no one bought. He was promptly forgotten and then […]
Mail From the Farm
December 3, back home from visiting an art gallery and a movie alone, I fetch mail from my box in the first-floor vestibule, beige brightness filling the space from the fixture overhead Quiet darkness still trying to seep in through the front door’s wood-trimmed glass. Purple envelope from the farm. Old college roommate: business degree […]
Jack Silbert, curator