Harvard on a Saturday evening

Greenery

Rejuvenating rain falls in sheets of silver across the parched prairie. Accompanied by the orchestral rants of thunder, the prodding lightning, and the walking wind. Creatures scurry for quick cover amongst the overgrowth, while the greenery opens its welcoming arms. The ever darkening sky is not intimidating; rather, faded with experience, resting in its own mind. 

Northampton, Massachusetts

This is one of my absolute favorite photos that I have taken. I knew it would look good when I first snapped it, but once I saw it on my computer, I realized that it closely resembled an excellent photo taken of Nick Drake around 1970. Pictured is my best friend, Matt.

Our cats, Kobe and Casper, "cuddling." 

Androgyny at Ease; or Shopping for Dryer Sheets

While shopping at a local department store today (the one that is closely related to a bull's eye), I noticed that a young person was staring at my t-shirt for minutes. Not thinking anything of it, I continued to place my paper towels, paper plates, dryer sheets, and soda pop (as manufactured by a company based in Atlanta and whose name is historically linked to an opiate) on the filthy black conveyor belt. The cashier, a friendly 40-something Latina, made some small talk about the weather (it has rained in my area for the last week), typical human stuff. Every few seconds I glanced toward my observer, and the kid continued to stare directly at my shirt. The reason for my usage of nondescript terms like kid and young person is because I could not, and cannot, ascertain the sex of this person. He/she was rather tall and quite lanky, with long dark hair and earrings. Nothing seemed particularly feminine except for the pink tie-dyed shirt, purple bracelets, and lavender shoes (not really shoes, rather those extremely annoying plastic shoes named for a relative of the alligator). Androgyny aside, his/her eyes never appeared to blink. I looked down at my shirt, a rather nice blue t-shirt featuring an early '80's British band (named for an animal that is known for changing appearances), but I didn't see any mustard stains or revealing holes. I looked up and made eye contact with the cashier. She smiled. She had noticed the shirt pervert as well. Returning a smile, I inserted my credit card into the payment machine, signed my signature (which is highly artful and quite impressive), grabbed my bags and walked away. About 10 yards away, I looked over my shoulder and the person still stared in my direction. Bags in hand, I ditched my cart in the cart overflow, and walked briskly to my car (briskly for me in my current state of shape is not very impressive), depositing my bags into the back of my car. As I drove off, I passed by the starer, who had just left the store. He/she smiled and waved. I returned the gestures. 

Top 5 Bob Dylan Albums

With such a variety of albums available, many people are intimidated by the vast discography of Bob Dylan. Often I have people ask me to make them a mixed CD of my favorite songs or songs they should know from him. I become very excited when an eager listener asks me for suggestions as to what album to buy. While Bob has a number of eternal singles, he is truly an album artist. So many of his best songs are buried deep on side 2 of the respective album. 

Here are my top 5 Bob Dylan albums:

1. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)

This is the first album where Bob showcased his burgeoning writing skill. He had penned a pair of songs for his eponymous debut, but those songs pale in comparison to these tunes. There are political mindbenders like "Masters of War," "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," and "Blowin' in the Wind." There are also beautifully written songs like "Girl From the North Country" and "Don't Think Twice It's Alright." Both the former and latter rank among my favorite Dylan songs ever. 

2. John Wesley Harding (1967)

JWH is the ultimate in narrative writing. Bob takes common historical figures and stories and absurdly twists them into tales of love, revenge, and religious fervor. Coming off of his 3 (mostly) electric albums, Bob surprised everyone (including CBS) with this 12 song album of acoustic storytelling. "As I Went Out One Morning" is my favorite Dylan track of all-time. Other standout songs include the title track, "Dear Landlord," and "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." This album also contains the original version of "All Along the Watchtower."

3. Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

The groundbreaking electric rocker that features the epic "Like a Rolling Stone" also includes the eerily apocalyptic "Desolation Row" and the dust-kicking classics, "Tombstone Blues" and the title track. This is the first album to feature the avant-garde, absurdist lyrical approach that Dylan embraced during this period. Epic jams, crazy lyrics, and killer guitar abound out on Highway 61.

4. Time Out of Mind (1997)

Counted out by many fans and critics, Bob returned with a vengeance on this 1997 classic album. Returning to his strong narrative roots, he delivered his best album in over 20 years (1989's Oh Mercy was a gem as well, but not as good as Time...). With many songs touching on mortality ("Million Miles," "Tryin' to Get to Heaven," "Not Dark Yet"), Dylan seemed to predict his own demise. Upon finishing this album he had a serious health scare and remained hospitalized for some time. He recovered, and this album went on to win the Grammy for best album.

5. Blood on the Tracks (1974)

This 1974 gem was born out of a very emotional devolution of Dylan's first marriage. The songs are deeply emotional and emit a sense of frustration, longing, and despair. With water as the prominent symbol of the album, the listener really feels the pain of loss. The album's standout track, "Tangled Up in Blue" is a rollicking lesson in perfect juxtaposition - profound lyrics shrouded in an fun, uptempo jam.