I’m not from New York and I don’t live in Atlanta, but they’re my landmarks. An island city and a landlocked one. There are 27 landlocked states. Of course. But Georgia isn’t one of them. I just live closer to the city where Sherman began his March to the “Sea” of Savannah, which sits at…
Writing
how i reeled in a thrasher with a plastic guitar hero hook
i think the only video game systems ive ever played were Atari, Nintendo, and xbox. That’s how i remember hearing them discussed. Just Nintendo as opposed to Sega. i really dont know. and i never cared until 2007. so it’s completely ironic and a little downright hilarious that the first of the “guitar hero” style…
on music and whatever
I decided to blog about it. Publicly, because i’m writing a memoir that i am not arrogant enough to think anyone but those closest to me might care to read. and, partially, because i want to include digital elements like this playlist of music that is videos that i wrote about in the cheesecake and…
Cheesecake and an apple
yes. artistic vision uncompromising. remember when music video was the main introduction to new music? #filteryourfeed Burgers slathered in grilled onions, provolone cheese, and bacon. A sweaty, salty treat packed with protein. And fat. “Make healthy choices” when the road forks in front of you. A devil on one side. Hm that side looks tasty,…
Trapped in a tin can
Songs can tear us apart and then apologize; build us up. Music has the power to heal. Within its crescendos we cry and inside its lyrics we soar.
These are the songs’ stories that show the power of music, specifically when it comes to figuring out who we are and where we fit in with respect to our personalities
The power of stillness
Musician Angie Aparo learns life-altering lessons from near-death experience Originally published July 16, 2017, by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution A pounding headache woke Angie Aparo early one April morning last year. A bout of nausea followed, sending him to the toilet. The pain was so severe; he was frightened. But he’d had his annual physical just…
Family legacy
Caring for ‘Pops’ gives Vince Zangaro apreview of what his future may hold. By Ellen EldridgeFor the Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionMay 7, 2017Photos by Bita Honarvar Orange juice. That was what Vince Zangaro asked his dad to get from the corner store. Thirty minutes later, Albert called on the verge of tears. He couldn’t remember how to…
‘I got my boy back’: How a family beat addiction and now helps others
Originally published March 2, 2017, for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Sue Hansen traces the memory on her arm, drawing out with her finger the letters A, B, C. That was how she learned from other parents of addicts how to help her son cope with life’s stresses and solve his own problems. “Awesome, bummer and cool”…
How Atlanta police handle calls involving the mentally ill
Originally published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Sept 25, 2016 When an Air Force veteran wandered through his Chamblee apartment complex naked, he was in crisis. Anthony Hill’s service in Afghanistan contributed to his post-traumatic stress disorder, which was complicated by his bipolar disorder. The DeKalb County police officer who responded to calls about Hill, and…
An open letter to the class of 1996
When I talk about my high school experience, I usually start by saying, “I was the homecoming queen.” But those who know me now don’t get the inside joke – that I was the anti-queen at the dance, dressed in a black gown with a beaded Cleopatra style silver wig on top of my…