The Passion of Christopher Pierznik

Personality Over Policy: An American Tradition – "The Problem of Democracy" Reviewed

Of all the hand-wringing about our current state of politics, a major complaint is that today’s voters choose personality and attitude over policy and ability. However, students of history know that this has been the case for centuries in America, almost from its inception.

A Dream Shattered

It’s after 1 a.m. on a Saturday night/Sunday morning and while I’m ostensibly doing work for a class I’m taking, I can’t stop thinking about a phone call I received today. The bottle of wine I just finished is helping with the deep reflection, just FYI.

A Perfect Moment in an Imperfect Life

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.”
— Emily Brontë

As a parent and homeowner, it can be difficult to not become a slave to tasks.

“On Writing” for the Hip-Hop Culture: Rakim’s “Sweat the Technique” Reviewed

In most cases, progress and evolution happen slowly, over a period of time marked by small, incremental changes. Occasionally, however, a seismic shift occurs and a culture transforms overnight.

That is what happened in 1986 when a young man with a voice that sounded like it was from outer space came in the door and changed the game forever with “Eric B. Is President,” the first single from Eric B. & Rakim. The latter half of that duo was still in high school when he introduced a “new era of rhyme style” with complex internal rhymes full of multisyllabic words and a relaxed, composed delivery that was more conversational than shouting.

It was a new day in hip-hop.

I Approach Writing the Same Way the Coen Brothers Approach Movies

What genre of films do the Coen brothers make?

Gorilla Monsoon Rap – “Dream Team: A Stokely Hathaway Joint” Reviewed

Image result for griff scorcese dream team

There are times when being a musical artist creates a no-win situation. Fickle fans want you to grow, but keep making the same sort of music. They don’t want you to repeat yourself, but quickly become unhappy if the new stuff is too different from what they expected.

The Pierznik Monthly Newsletter Volume 58 (August/September 2019)

The latest iteration of my newsletter includes thoughts on the first day of school – for both kids and adults – family vacations, the juxtaposition of grandparents and grandchildren, writing about hip-hop again, and of course, the latest books I encountered.

A Wedding Is Not a Marriage

The ceremony should serve as the base camp of a mountain, but far too many people treat it like the peak