The past several months have been emotional and hectic. The world lost my political hero, friend, and biographical subject, Rev. Jesse Jackson. I wrote a lengthy tribute to him that doubles as a reflection on our relationship.

I wrote about the ongoing assault on human rights and democracy from the Trump administration after interviewing an ICE observer in Minneapolis, the debut solo album of Warren Haynes, which includes protest songs about poverty, police brutality, and political corruption, and many other topics. I also continued my interview series with the legendary novelist, James Lee Burke.

Finally, I launched my Substack, Absurdia Now.

You can find my recent work at my respective pages at the Washington Monthly, CounterPunch, CrimeReads, and UnHerd.

Since my last updates, I’ve written several essay and stories.

First, I paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, writing that his life is a model for art over the algorithm. He was one of the last rebels.

Also, on the subject of music, I interviewed Warren Haynes for a story about how jam music captures the spirit of creativity and individuality in a culture descending into dull conformity.

Similarly, I also wrote a laudatory essay about David Foster Wallace. After spending time in the town where he lived for most of his adult life – Bloomington, IL – I write that he was a prophet of American loneliness.

With direct political commentary, I wrote about the hypocrisy surrounding conversations about political violence, and also about the obsequious and dangerous capitulation to Donald Trump.

Finally, I also interviewed Dr. Roger Mitchell, the president of the National Medical Association, the largest advocacy organization of Black doctors, about public health, healthcare policy, and the Trump assault on higher education and DEI.

I’ve had two essays and one interview published since my last update.

First, I wrote about how the so-called “renegades” and “heterodox thinkers” of the podcast world are little more than Fox New with infomercials. Joe Rogan and his ilk degrade public discourse, making the country bleaker, all while advertising themselves as mavericks and rebels. In reality, they are propagandists for reactionary power. Read at UnHerd.

Next, I interviewed one of America’s most dedicated and heroic advocates of justice, Stacy Bannerman. Bannerman is the leading crusader for justice and services for the victims of military-connected domestic violence, a taboo topic that, despite its overwhelming frequency and danger, few will even discuss. Read at the Washington Monthly.

Finally, I write a personal reflection on how many people refuse to discuss topics of discomfort, mainly death and grief. Since the loss of my friend, Alanna Ford (my essay on her is linked in the post immediately below), I’ve had the consistent experience of telling people about her death only to receive blank stares and/or incoherent mumbles. As other writers, such as the late Barbara Ehrenreich, have observed there is a direct connection between America’s refusal to deal with death, and its myriad sociopolitical crises. Read the essay, “In the Candyland: American Neuroses and the Indifference to Suffering,” in CounterPunch.

Over the past few months, I’ve written several stories and essay.

Chasing the Rainbow Coalition: An examination of Jesse Jackson’s groundbreaking support for LGBTQ people during this presidential campaigns of the 1980s, for the Progressive Magazine.

Bruce Springsteen and American Liberalism: A celebration of Springsteen’s big-hearted liberalism of universality, as opposed to the fascist right and too often parochial left, for UnHerd.

How Francis Fukuyama and ‘The Big Lebowski’ Explain Trump’s Victory: An analysis of American nihilism, and the electoral triumph of fascism, for the Washington Monthly.

The Dangers of Blue Collar Populism: A lengthy examination of how the bipartisan coalescence around, what I call, “blue collar populism,” is foolish and dangerous, for Liberties.

Why Progressives Should Talk to their Enemies: A revisitation of Jesse Jackson’s 1977 “debate” with (more like Jackson’s demolition of…) David Duke, for UnHerd.

Techno-Authoritarianism and CyberPunk: A review of the film 2073, for CrimeReads.

The Exurban Dream vs. The American Dream: An examination of how Donald Trump’s most fervent and loyal base of voters in exurbia threatens American democracy, for the Washington Monthly.

Liberties published my in-depth, detailed analysis of David Foster Wallace’s work, and how it applies to US democracy.

The Washington Monthly published my essay on how the historian, Ronald Takaki’s work illuminates the “main thing” of American democracy, and the 2024 election. The publication also ran my interview with Tavis Smiley.

CrimeReads published my essay on the controversial Kevin Costner film, “The Postman.”

I wrote a tribute to Phil Donahue for Salon.

Having not updated the site since the publication of my new book, Exurbia Now, I will throw all my recent writing onto this post.

I wrote about the brilliant, subversive, and prophetic Gore Vidal novel, Myra Breckinridge, for CrimeReads, where I also interviewed one of America’s best novelists, James Lee Burke.

On the subject of politics, I’ve written about MSNBC‘s delusions regarding President Biden, the truth-telling style of Hillary Clinton, which explains her unpopularity with certain voters, and how Ted Kennedy gave a prescient warning about the danger of appointing Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.

Read on…