Social Science

If you happen to fly AirTran this month, check out my piece on the Science Cafe phenomenon sweeping the hipster-geek nation in Go, their inflight magazine. If you're grounded for November, you can read it here.

Invasion of the Body Slammers: Citypaper, Nov. 12

This week's cover story is my long-in-gestation piece about the South Philly indie pro wrestling scene. Spent a lot of time over the past few months at the old ECW Arena, and will be back a few times in the coming weeks, especially for the crowning of the first Dragon Gate USA champion!

Also in this busy week's paper, a feature review of Lee Daniel's histrionic and histrionically-named Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire (despite what the cover would have you believe, however, I wouldn't say it "lives up to the hype" - I actively disliked much if not most of it, but ended up giving it a B+ because it does live up to what it sets out to do. This is why letter-grading is reductive and silly, folks); a short review of the would-be art-world satire (Untitled); a music pick for Peter Apfelbaum's New York Hieroglyphics at the Painted Bride; and Soundadvice blurbs for Chris' Israeli Jazz Festival and for sax minimalist John Butcher at the Powel House.

Daily News, Sept.-Oct.

Two features recently: one, a piece on Brat Productions' theatrical spectacle-cum-haunted house show Haunted Poe; the other, a rundown on the Kimmel's Jazz Up Close series honoring Billie Holiday.

Metro, October

This month: A piece untangling the snarled saga of the 18 1/2 Philadelphia Film Festival; and a look at the Rosenbach's Hand-On Tours of Bram Stoker's notes for Dracula.

Citypaper, October

Oct. 1: Soundadvice blurbs for singer Gretchen Parlato (there's a JazzTimes feature forthcoming on her as well) and for the final edition of the SciFi Philly series; and a review of Paris.

Oct. 8: Soundadvice blurbs for Orrin Evans' Tarbaby and Han Bennink's new Third Man Trio, and a pick for Cuong Vu's mind-blowing electric quartet.

Oct. 15: A review of Spike Jonze's somber rethinking of Where the Wild Things Are; a review of Chris Rock's doc Good Hair, playing in the Philly Film Fest; a book review, of R. Crumb's illustrated version of Genesis (the Biblical version, not the prog-rock-turned-schmaltz-pop band); and Soundadvice blurbs for Phantom Limb with trumpeter Nate Wooley and Arturo Stable at the Painted Bride.

Oct. 22: A feature on Malcolm McLaren, whose series of "musical portraits", Shallow 1-21, is on exhibit at PAFA; reviews of Chris Rock's Good Hair (expanded from the Film Fest version) and the ad-world doc Art & Copy; and Soundadvice blurbs for Ben Goldberg's supergroup quartet Go Home and Dave Douglas' Brass Ecstasy, preforming Don Cherry.

Oct. 29: A short piece on the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival.

Metro, September

This month: An interview with The Books, a look at the Rosenbach's Where the Wild Things Are exhibit; a piece on Melvin Van Peebles' new graphic novel; and a peek into the Michener Museum's wonderful Jim Henson exhibit.

Citypaper, September

For the remainder of the month:
Sept. 10: A review of the German terrorist biopic The Baader-Meinhof Complex.
Sept. 17: For the Fall Guide, a feature on the Design Center at Philadelphia University's nifty Lace in Translation exhibit; the annual (but smaller than ever!) CP Fall Jazz Calendar; a Soundadvice blurb for Philly-born saxophonist Seth Meicht and his Big Sound Ensemble, at UArts; a film pick for I-House's Guy Maddin retrospective and an arts pick for the "Dance With Camera" exhibit at ICA; and finally, a review of Diablo Cody's Juno-horror Jennifer's Body.
Sept. 24: A well-deserved CP Choice Award for Peregrine Arts' visionary Hidden City festival; a Books pick for Howard Dean's health care prescription; and a review of the gimmicky eco-doc No Impact Man.