“Have you heard Foreign Dialogue yet?” asked Martin. “It’s fantastic.” Elaine sipped her coffee. “I heard it.” “Do you agree?” “Depends.” “It sounds like Some Girls.” “That’s a problem.” Martin […]

Mustafa, the Lyft driver, told me he was from Turkey. We were moving through the city inside the temporary confessional space that Ubers and Lyfts become. Strangers exchange opinions they […]

There is a story that Stalin requested a recording of a Mozart concerto which Maria Yudina had performed live, only to discover none existed. The orchestra and technicians were summoned […]

A friend put me through a mock interrogation to prepare the PhD defense tomorrow. His questions were excellent, sharp, thoughtful, direct, the sort of questions that make you grateful and […]

Right about the time the band’s miracle tune escaped the petri dish and went viral, the agents showed up in tailored suits with calculators and suddenly every show was worth […]

John Hammond Jr. had the kind of face that looked like it might explode while he played. Not from anger. From effort. The harmonica demanded it. His cheeks pulled in […]

“Have you listened to The Idea of North all the way through?” “I tried,” the second one said. “I kept waiting for the music to start.” “That is the music.” […]

One of the clubs made a deal with me, they only charged a percentage of the door. Then, weeks later, they sent a contract stipulating I had to pay almost […]