All posts by Jack Feerick »

PopSmarts: This Summer I Hear the Drumming

PopSmarts: This Summer I Hear the Drumming

Jack Feerick May 9, 2013 6

Last week saw the anniversary of one of the most horrific events in American history, the shootings of four unarmed college students by National Guardsmen on the campus of Ohio’s Kent State University. Four

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PopSmarts: Looking for God in “Toy Story”

PopSmarts: Looking for God in “Toy Story”

Jack Feerick April 25, 2013 1

It’s not a revelation to anyone, anymore, to point out that Hollywood is no longer in the business of original ideas. It takes a great deal of money to make and market a movie

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PopSmarts: Going Clear with William Burroughs

PopSmarts: Going Clear with William Burroughs

Jack Feerick April 11, 2013 2

The works of William S. Burroughs are often lumped in with the Beat school; but although he was friendly with leading figures in the movement, his works were far more dark and paranoid than

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PopSmarts: The Judas Gospels

PopSmarts: The Judas Gospels

Jack Feerick March 28, 2013 0

 And so we come, by the turning of the year, to the end of Shrovetide and the beginning of the Christian liturgical calendar. When I was a choir director, these three days of Easter

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PopSmarts: Damned By Dawn!

PopSmarts: Damned By Dawn!

Jack Feerick March 14, 2013 1

It’s coming on St. Patrick’s Day now. That’s when all the amateur Irishmen come out for a night on the piss and an annual flirtation with Celtic folk music. In particular, the Pogues will

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PopSmarts: The Camera Always Lies

PopSmarts: The Camera Always Lies

Jack Feerick February 28, 2013 5

I’ve always been a know-it-all. I was the kid who actually did read the encyclopedia for fun, and I carried my reputation as a fount of useless knowledge into adulthood and into the workplace.

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CD Review: Richard Thompson, “Electric”

CD Review: Richard Thompson, “Electric”

Jack Feerick February 6, 2013 0

Richard Thompson — or, more properly, Richard Thompson, Esq., OBE — is arguably the finest white guitarist of his generation. He is also, sometimes, our greatest living songwriter. The former is a full-time position;

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Popdose at Kirkus Reviews: 2012 Round-Up!

Popdose at Kirkus Reviews: 2012 Round-Up!

Jack Feerick December 31, 2012 0

In any given year, more books cross my path than I could ever possibly read, let alone review. As this particular year winds down, I want to devote a column to the books that

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Popdose at Kirkus Reviews: Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?

Popdose at Kirkus Reviews: Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?

Jack Feerick December 24, 2012 0

For almost 80 years, Kirkus Reviews has served as the industry bible for bookstore buyers, librarians, and ordinary readers alike. Now Popdose joins the Kirkus Book Bloggers Network to explore the best — and

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