 Life in TechnicolorBy
Mary Beth Ellis
If Gen X is bound by predetermined media images, what does that mean for those who follow? Indeed, GenY can now summon favorite videos on command, and, ironically, they now share an older generation’s ties to album covers.  Death and the Salesman in MargaritavilleBy
Mary Beth Ellis
My husband and I sat sullenly in the holding pen timeshare sales office, awaiting the exchange of 90 minutes of our life for theme park tickets. As we were ushered into the sales office, we were overwhelmed by a hard sell and…Jimmy Buffett.  Workin’ Hard For Your MoneyBy
Mary Beth Ellis
I’ve just made the thousandth attempt to successfully apply productivity literature to my life. There are heaps and heaps of this stuff— “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” “Never Check Your Email In the Morning,” “The Now Habit.” I just returned my most recent attempt, “Getting Things Done,” to the library. [...]  When Rockers Change Diapers…By
Mary Beth Ellis
When Rockers Change Diapers……sometimes their music changes, too.  From the Album StackBy
Mary Beth Ellis
I just came across a stack of record albums in my parents’ basement, and I sat down to a half-hour in a time machine. They’re flat and heavy and yellow, and, I am sure, quite wonderfully scratchy. I wouldn’t know; I haven’t had a record player in my possession since Barack Obama was [...]  Litpop: Songs About BooksBy
Mary Beth Ellis
We English majors may not have a great deal to recommend us at the job fair outside of an ability to identify a good comma splice, but we do have our own place in the music world. Somebody has to spell-check all those lyrics, after all, and the most astute rockers have paid proper [...]  Songs from the VineBy
Mary Beth Ellis
As a certified wine snob—I’ve been trained as a wine educator, which means I have an “Official Right” to mock any kind of alcohol which issues from a spigot attached to a box—most people assume that I’d recommend soft jazz to drink by. You know, that Sunday morning NPR messy-jazzy stuff that sounds like, [...]  The Unmentionable: Could the Beatles even sing?By
Mary Beth Ellis
Let us first stipulate that I am on good terms with The Beatles. I recognize their innovative approach to studio work, their marketing savvy, and their place both as musical revolutionaries and as a cultural touchstone. I realize all these things despite the influence of a Beatles-obsessed ex who ordered pizzas in a [...] |
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