Who killed Mr. Chippendale, and why? These two questions drive the narrative in Mel Glenn’s Who Killed Mr. Chippendale?: A Mystery in Poems (1999). Told from the perspectives of various characters representing different sectors of the school and community reacting to the murder of Mr. Chippendale, Who Killed Mr. Chippendale is developed through a series of interlocking free-verse poems. Many characters are introduced, the majority of whose voices are heard once and help to create a nuanced portrait of Mr. Chippendale–a mystery to his own colleagues despite […]
So Much Depends on Being Inspired
My pleasure while reading Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog (2001) just could not be contained as evidenced by the Cheshire grin plastered on my face from the beginning to end of this novella. Related in free verse from the perspective of Jack through dated entries that span a school year, Love That Dog is quite charming and delightful. Read the full review.
Macho, Macho Man: Eric Braeden
A bit of trivia from Eric Braeden’s autobiograhy, I’ll Be Damned (2017): Firstly, his years of active engagement in sports and physical activity has served him well: At 76 years old, Braeden has a body that most men would envy. For Pajiba-lingo connoisseurs, as an admirer of a particular type of older man, yes, Braeden’s body activates my lions. He has no formal acting training and “fell into” acting by chance. For years early in his career, he was typecast in roles as a villainous German […]
Dr. Bennet Omalu vs. NFL
“Huh?” was my response when the local radio update featured a clip of Jose Baez, the lawyer of former Patriots’ tight end and convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez, accusing the medical examiner’s office of holding Hernandez’ brain hostage and requested that the family’s wishes be honored by releasing the brain to Boston University for CTE analysis. Seemingly out of the loop, this is how I learned of Aaron Hernandez’ death by suicide a day before. Other than being surprised by the timing of his death–days after […]