Author: Christopher Pierznik

Christopher Pierznik is the author of 9 books and has contributed to numerous websites on a variety of topics including music, sports, movies, TV, personal finance, and life. He works in corporate finance and lives in northern New Jersey with his family. His dream is to one day be a member of the Wu-Tang Clan.

I Was There

I Was There (Twice!): Talula’s Table – “The Toughest Reservation in America”

Post author By Christopher Pierznik
Post date June 8, 2021
No Comments on I Was There (Twice!): Talula’s Table – “The Toughest Reservation in America”

“When foodies hear ‘tough reservation,’ they generally think French Laundry in Napa or Le Cirque in New York — both known for their six-month waiting lists. That’s a snap compared with a spot at Talula’s Table.”
— NPR

Back when we lived in Philly, I kept seeing news items and breathless reports about Talula’s Table, the gourmet market in Kennet Square, a historic borough about 40 miles southwest of the city, that closed every evening to transform into a cozy spot that served dinner to one group at the lone table in the center of the market.

I dreamed of sitting at that mythical Farm Table, surrounded by close friends, door locked, the only people able to eat there that night.

Tags Fine Dining, Food Porn, Friendship, Talula's Table

Children Fatherhood Life Parenting

A Return to the Terrible Twos

Post author By Christopher Pierznik
Post date May 26, 2021
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A Dispatch from the Trenches

“Having a two-year-old is like having a blender without a lid.”
— Jerry Seinfeld

This is a dispatch from the war. I’m writing this from the trenches, in the heart of the conflict.

After what has felt like hours of intense battle, the rebel soldier has deployed her ultimate weapon, the one that is unleashed when all else fails: standing in the center of the kitchen, screaming at the top of her lungs as droplets of saltwater jump from her eyes.

What could have caused such a reaction? What did the oppressive totalitarian government do to the people to cause this emotionally-charged attack from the rebel?

Dinner was served.

Tags Children, Fatherhood, Kids, Parenthood, Parenting, Parents, Terrible Twos, War

Hip-Hop Rap

The Godfather of the Hip-Hop Magazine

Post author By Christopher Pierznik
Post date May 3, 2021
2 Comments on The Godfather of the Hip-Hop Magazine

A one-on-one interview with Brian Nagata, the man behind RapZines

For us hip-hop superfans that came of age long before the internet and streaming era, we had to get our fix in other ways. Years before blogs and social media, we got our info from the scant TV programs that focused on the culture – Yo! MTV Raps; Urban Xpressions; Rap City – but most of our knowledge and insight came from publications.

The Source was the bible, but there were others. Only in these magazines could we get a regular diet of in-depth features, reviews, and previews of everything happening in and around the music.

No one appreciates that fact more than Brian Nagata, the founder, owner, and operator of Rapzines.

Tags Collecting, Hip-Hop, Magazines, Nostalgia, Rap

The Pierznik Monthly

The New Pierznik Monthly Newsletter [April 2021]

Post author By Christopher Pierznik
Post date April 29, 2021
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Click below to read my latest newsletter with my thoughts on the films, books, TV, music, and sports that I experienced this month. Be sure to subscribe so that you will receive it in your inbox each and every month!

Films Movies

#RestoreTheSnyderVerse

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is an instant classic. It improbably exceeded the hype and continued to advance a beautiful, operatic, tragic epic story.

We need the sequels to see how it all ends.

Tags Batman v Superman, Classic, DC, DCEU, Films, Justice League, Movies, Pop Culture, Superman, Zack Snyder

Art Films Movies Reviews

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction: “Release the Snyder Cut” Reviewed

Post author By Christopher Pierznik
Post date March 1, 2021
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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead

For more than three years, the Snyder Cut was part-myth and part-fantasy.

Tags Batman, Batman v Superman, Books, DC, DCEU, Hollywood, Justice League, Man of Steel, Superman, Wonder Woman, Zack Snyder

Books Hip-Hop Music Rap Reviews

“The Motherlode” – A Beautiful, Undefinable History of Women in Hip-Hop

Post author By Christopher Pierznik
Post date February 16, 2021
1 Comment on “The Motherlode” – A Beautiful, Undefinable History of Women in Hip-Hop

“Men write history, but women live it.”
Chloe Angyal

It’s true that history is written by the victors, but it’s also been predominately written by men. That is especially true in hip-hop. As the culture closes in on its fiftieth birthday, the contributions of women, whether behind the mic or behind the scenes, have been largely overlooked, marginalized, or outright ignored.

The Motherlode (Abrams, 2021) by Clover Hope could help begin to change that. A cogent and forceful entry in the ongoing need to give the ladies their due, it is a book that is undefinable, or at least not easily categorized, that also happens to be the definitive history of women in hip-hop.

Tags Book Reviews, Books, Foxy Brown, Hip-Hop, Lil Kim, Rap, XXL