Welcome to 2007! We are halfway through the first month of the new year, and our writers are already rising to the challenge of making this year even better than last. Stick with us throughout as we continue to bring you the most interesting and varied collection of news, reviews, and opinions you're likely to read anywhere.
MUSIC
From Music Editor Connie Phillips:DJRadiohead kicked off a new column honoring those who are nominated for 2007 Blues Music Awards. In this first installment he looks at Watermelon Slim & The Workers, giving readers an entertaining history lesson.
Joan Hunt also launched a blues-related column. In Diggin' The Blues: Bo Carter she uncovers and shines a light on this little known artist.
In Music Review: Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos, Bryan Price takes an expansive look at both the artist and the album, sharing a wealth of knowledge in an engaging way.
BOOKS
From Books Editor Natalie Bennett:How to get boys to read? That's a puzzle exercising many parents and teachers, but Mel Odom has an answer: great books. He writes entertainingly, but with passion, about Wiley And Grampa #4 Super Soccer Freak Show, which obviously fits that description.
By contrast, Richard Marcus's interview with Christopher Moore, author of You Suck, is definitely for adults, as are the books. Richard responds to his subject's light touch with some playful thoughts of his own, and the whole comes together beautifully.
From Asst. Books Editor Gordon Hauptfleisch:
Though not without its merits, C. Michael Bailey says, the bland Power Failure: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Enron falls short of conveying the Enron story as the "Everyman morality play" it essentially is, with "larger-than-life characters, lust, greed, gluttony, and all of the requisite waste and conspicuous consumption." C. Michael not only deftly articulates this deficiency , but he also puts the book in context with other books about Enron, providing a useful overview and more comprehensive picture.
Article comments
1 - Duke De Mondo
Thank you Lisa, and all editors!
2 - Glen Boyd
Its nice to see this feature back after the (much deserved I'm sure) hiatus. Gives us lowly scribblers a benchmark to strive for and also provides a nice overview of the best of the week to our readers. We missed ya!
-Glen
3 - DJRadiohead
Thanks, Connie, and congrats to all the other picks for this week.
4 - Richard Marcus
I wonder at the connection between Christopher Moore and The War on Drugs - as do a lot of people after reading Christopher Moore's books. Thank you Dave and Natalie
Richard Marcus
5 - Clavos
Thanks for the pick, Editors. It's always gratifying to have one's efforts recognized.