This is a place where I can think out loud, work through ideas, and talk about stuff that doesn't fit cleanly into the type of freelance writing I do. Some ideas will be fully formed, others, as the title implies, will be unfinished.
Hey, things aren't so hot right now, so I decided to collect a few of the good things and share them with you.
Published on September 15, 2025
A Benediction for Chicago on the Eve of Occupation
With the Trump Administration about to roll its ugly occupation into Chicago, I wanted to write a little lyrical love letter to the city.
Published on September 5, 2025
The Amazing Art of the Video Game Marquee
During this long, hot, difficult summer I took a trip to a huge video game arcade and ended up completely in love with the art of the game marquee.
Published on August 1, 2025
Six Scenes of Hulk Hogan, in Reverse
Hulk Hogan died this week. He transformed professional wrestling and he was a virulent racist who played a part in destroying free press in America and aided the rise of Donald Trump, brother.
Published on July 25, 2025
I took my dad's modest stamp collection to Chicago's last stamp dealer. The money wasn't good, but it was a perfect end.
Published on July 18, 2025
Sometimes you need to step out for a second, to take yourself out of the here and now and go somewhere else. With everything so *waves hands in all directions* right now, here are three places I'm going, if only for a moment.
Published on July 11, 2025
A meditation on death, grief, and the card game Magic: The Gathering.
Published on July 3, 2025
Things End: Punk Planet, Year 13
For more than a year, I've been writing essays about Punk Planet, the influential, incredible, miracle of a magazine I worked on for 13 years. For more than a year I've been dreading writing this ending, because the reality is this: Sometimes things end and you never, totally get over it.
Published on May 30, 2025
Have new posts sent directly to your email by subscribing to the newsletter version of this blog. No charge, no spam, just good times.
Or you can always subscribe via RSS or follow me on Mastodon or Bluesky where new posts are automatically posted.