National Library Week 2014

Happy National Library Week! To celebrate, I asked some of my music friends how libraries have influenced their lives.

I couldn't afford sheet music in high school. The public library was the source of probably 75% of the music I learned to play during those years.
 --Jessica Auck

Jessica Auck

Literature is the single biggest influence in my life. There really is such a thing as a time machine. It's called a book. Our band has incorporated famous literary quotes and classic poetry into all our albums. One of our most popular songs is "I'm in Love with a Librarian."

 --Doug Fredericksen

Doug Fredericksen

I used to go to the University of Oregon library and copy old folk songs out of a few books they had there. Old English ballads and whatnot.
--Joel Swensen

Joel Swensen, my brother

I started playing guitar after I became a teacher some 25 years ago. I soon realized how many poems and stories I could bring to life through song. I had a parent that suggested I play for a story night at our public library. I did and it became a regular thing. It lead to a radio show on public radio and a band I play in plays annually for the library's Fall Festival. The library is a wonderful place for community and the written, and spoken word. I love the way stories cater to all ages.

--Kevin Barry

Kevin Barry

I know a lot about the history of Rock & Roll through reading, and it helps on my radio show. Go to WMFO.ORG Saturdays 1pm to 4pm.

--Brian Young

Brian Young

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance . . . It changed me.

--Jason Ohiyesa Crossman

Hooked on Phonics changed my life!
--BigDave

Gigglejuice.com

Dog wedding

At the time I didn't know it, but there was a dog at our wedding!

The ceremony took place on the steps of "The Little House" which is a vacation cottage located just steps away from the world famous Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace. A famous musician was renting the place and he gave us permission to get married on his porch!

And speaking of Pappy & Harriet's, check out this wonderful article about the famous roadhouse in the New York Times: 
Listen Up: In the California Desert, a One-of-a-Kind Music Venue Blossoms.

Alternative Christmas songs

Here are a few of my favorite not-so-merry Christmas songs:

River by Joni Mitchell

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on. . .

Mitchell, Joni. Blue. Burbank, CA: Reprise, 1971. Sound recording. 

Merry Christmas, Emily by Cracker

Emily was twenty three
Sitting on the ground
Under a dead palm tree
6th and Speedway
On Christmas day . . .

Brick by Ben Folds Five

6am, day after Christmas
I throw some clothes on in the dark
The smell of cold
Car seat is freezing
The world is sleeping
I am numb. . .




Christmas in Prison by John Prine

It was Christmas in prison
And the food was real good
We had turkey and pistols
Carved out of wood . . .




My friend Chris LeRoy does a great cover of this John Prine song. I like it as much as the original.



And speaking of John Prine . . .

My family had a very John Prine Thanksgiving:



And speaking of family . . . 

My cousin Allen Covert produced this Chanukah favorite:


Click to here to buy the song.

ps. It's pretty raunchy,  but I really liked Allen's most recent movie, That's My Boy.

See the guy in the red Izod shirt? That's my cousin!

pps. Happy Holidays, Love Rebecca.

Zombies in Love

This funny music video by my nephew Joseph Anderson features music by his band Bananas, with a guest appearance by the lovely Kayla. My niece Mary Anderson shot the video. She's a studio art major at NYU. I'm such a proud auntie.

Joe Bananas

If you love zombies, check out these books about the undead:

Curran, Robert. The Zombie Handbook: [an Essential Guide to Zombies And, More Importantly, How to Avoid Them]. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's, 2011. Print. 

Jones, Jen. The Girl's Guide to Zombies: Everything Vital About These Undead Monsters. 

Mankato, Minn: Capstone Press, 2011. Print. 

 Grahame-Smith, Seth, Tony Lee, Cliff Richards, and Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel. New York: Del Rey, 2010. Print.

Remembering

Uncle Brian, Chief, and me (circa 1968)

When I was little, my Uncle Brian (who was more like a big brother because he was only 8 years older than me and lived with us sometimes) was killed. When my mom and I stayed with my grandparents that summer, I slept in his old bedroom. I used to go into his closet and deeply breathe in his scent which still lingered on his clothes. (When I close my eyes and think back, I can still smell the inside of his favorite baseball cap and feel the soft, yet rough texture of his plaid flannel jacket.)

When he was dying in the hospital, I remember being very angry with my mother for leaving me behind in Connecticut. In fact, I am still ashamed of something I said to her on the phone. I thought that perhaps the whole thing was a farce and everyone was really having a party and just didn’t want to invite me. I said to my poor grieving mother, “I hope you’re having fun.” Even though I was only 10, I still find it hard to forgive myself for that nasty comment.

The Scar is the most accurate depiction of a grieving child that I have ever read. The main character of this outstanding picture book by Charlotte Moundlic and Olivier Tallec is a young boy who has recently lost his mother. Even though it’s hot and stuffy inside, he doesn’t want anyone to open the windows because he wants to keep his mother’s scent in the house. Unlike many children’s books about death, the story is not overly sweet or sentimental. For instance, the boy even yells at his father and grandmother. When the grandmother consoles him and says that his mother lives in his heart, the boy runs until he is out of breath so that he can feel his mother beating in his chest.

Although it's about the loss of a mother, this book is for anyone who has ever lost a household member. Highly recommended.

Moundlic, Charlotte, and Olivier Tallec. The Scar. Somerville, Mass: Candlewick Press, 2011. Print.

Happy Birthday, Richie Havens!

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As you probably already know, Richie Havens was the opening performer at the Woodstock Festival in the summer of 1969. Many years later, my mom and I bumped into the legendary musician while we were strolling around the Guilford Green one summer afternoon. I said "hi" and he gave us a HUGE smile and said "hello" back. It was awesome.



In my opinion, nobody covers the Beatles better than Richie Havens. Check out his rendition of Here Comes the Sun. You can buy it on the official Richie Havens website RichieHavens.com.

The Last Exorcism

About the theater experience:

Marc and I went to see The Last Exorcism last night. (It was funny, but not all that scary.) We are not big horror fans--we chose to see it because it was playing at the fancy theater. Tickets are $22 each, but you get free popcorn, valet parking, and a reserved sofa or a really big comfy chair. Since they serve alcohol, you have to be at least 21 to get in. It's usually a very mellow affair, but last night's crowd was a bit rowdy.


When the show started, one couple was having a noisy conversation that had nothing to do with the movie. When an old guy shushed them, one of the talkers replied, "you white people are so retarded." The old guy said, "What did you say to me?" The old guy's wife wisely told everyone to knock it off and watch the movie. So everyone did. Until the end when there was some booing. One person started cursing and complaining about the movie before it was even over. The main complaint was the ending. It was abrupt and it came about too soon. (When you pay $22 for a ticket, you want to get at least 2 hours worth of entertainment.)


About the movie:

The Last Exorcism is a fake documentary about a Louisiana preacher who earns extra cash doing fake exorcisms. The acting is excellent. I predict that Caleb Landry Jones will win some "Best Supporting Actor" awards. (Until I looked him up on IMDb, I would have sworn that he was a real local, not an actor.)

As I mentioned earlier, the movie is more funny than scary. Since it's short and the ending is disappointing, I would not recommend seeing it for full price. Try to catch a bargain matinee or wait for the DVD.


If you want to see a really good movie about a Louisiana preacher, check out The Apostle. It stars Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Bob Thornton (he's an idiot, but a pretty good actor), and June Carter Cash. My cousin Nicholas Anderson has a part in it, too!

Nicholas Anderson

Life's too short to fold your underwear.

Flanagan, Caitlin. To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife.
New York: Little, Brown, 2006.

In the past, I didn't like it when my mother-in-law would try to clean or redecorate our home. (During one of her visits, I came home from work to find the living room furniture all rearranged!) However, I have recently decided to change my ways and give her carte blanche to clean to her heart's content. If she's not too proud to let me empty her bedpan (after her hip replacement), or to bathe and dress her son (after his recent triple bypass surgery), then I'm not going to be embarrassed by a little dust. I majored in Spanish not Home Economics, and it's my theory that life's too short to fold your underwear. So there.

ps. I'm not really all that sloppy.

pps. She did a great job on the laundry.

ppps. Our baseboards look pretty good now, too.

Lorenz, Patricia. Life's Too Short to Fold Your Underwear: Real-Life Wit and Wisdom to Help You Sort Out What Matters Most. New York: Guideposts Books, 2007.

Smokin' Hot Daddies

Grandpa and me, circa 1967.

Back in the old days, smoking was not a crime. Heck, people even smoked in front of their kids! Here are some smokin' hot dads from my home picture book collection:

Littledale, Harold. Alexander. New York: Parents' Magazine Press, 1964.


Andersen, H. C., Rose Dobbs, and Gustav Hjortlund. Andersen's Fairy Tales.

New York: Random House, 1958.

Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1939.

Brown, Margaret Wise, and Leonard Weisgard. The Quiet Noisy Book. New York:Harper & Row,1950.

Kent, Jack. Just Only John. New York: Parents' Magazine Press, 1968.

Smokers are also featured in Babar's Voyage, Le Petit Nicolas, and Curious George, but I left those books at the library. Can you think of any others?

Family stories

This month I read three really good novels about family life.

Berg, Elizabeth. Home Safe: A Novel. New York: Random House, 2009.

Lipman, Elinor. The Family Man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.

Meno, Joe. The Great Perhaps: A Novel. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2009.

The Roses

Midler, B., & Rothchild, P. A. (1986). The rose The original soundtrack recording. [S.l.]: Atlantic.

I'm kind of on a Bette Midler kick:

I always get a little teary eyed when I hear that song. It makes me think of my two favorite roses: my aunt Rosie and my great grandmother Rose Siciliano. Great Grandma lived to the ripe old age of 101. Aunt Rosie was not as fortunate. She was killed by a stoned teenage driver only three months after our cousin Joe was murdered in the World Trade Center.

Aunt Rosie, Me, Mom (2000).

Happy Birthday, Robert Duvall!

Tender mercies. Troy, MI: Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2002.

Today is the birthday of Academy Award winning actor, Robert Duvall. Some of his most notable roles include Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Hagin in The Godfather, Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies, and Mr. Hilyer in Rambling Rose.

Rambling Rose. Santa Monica, Calif: Artisan Entertainment, 2002.

Robert Duvall wrote, directed, and starred in The Apostle. My cousin Nicholas sang in a church choir which was featured in the film. I knew nothing about this until I went to the movie and saw his face on the big screen. I was so startled that I screamed out loud in the middle of the theater!

The apostle. Universal City, CA: Universal Home Video, 2003.

ps. Nicholas now lives in Japan where he teaches English as a second language.

New Year's Eve at the Hickman residence

Our apologies to The Coasters:



Disclaimers:

Excuse #1: I have a colossal ear infection and, at the moment, I can only hear out of my right ear.

Excuse #2: I can't laugh and sing at the same time.

Excuse #3: This is our first run-through of the song.

Excuse #4: It's New Year's!!!!!

Have a happy and healthy new year!

Love,
The Hickmen

ps. Here's the real deal:



ps. You can buy the original recording here.

The book Joe read

My cousin Joe got a bass guitar for Christmas. I was really blown away when I heard him play. I asked how long he'd been taking lessons, and he told me that he'd never picked up a bass before!

Joe read this book in the morning.

Coryat, Karl. The Bass Player Book. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 1999.

He tuned up with Grandma in the afternoon.

And by sundown, he was playing this song flawlessly.

Jones, Rickie Lee. Rickie Lee Jones. [Burbank, Calif.]: Warner Bros. Records, 1984.

My brother's band

Check out my little brother's new band, A Well Built Gun.

Veterans Day

Have you thanked a Vet today? I hate to admit it, but I almost forgot.





Thank you, Uncle Billy. I love you.

New band

Check out my brother Joel's new band, Well Built Gun.

Happy Birthday, Mary!

Happy Sweet Sixteen to my cousin, Mary!

Best wishes from Chuck Berry:

Ringo:

and the Beatles:

Altered Images:

Neil Sedaka:

The Crests:

Bruce:

and Cracker, of course!

Mom

I love my Mom.

Uncle Vinny shot this photo back in the fifties.