Coming to an End

Four years ago I came to Cleveland, fresh out of graduate school.  It was my first professional job and my first time living outside New York State.  I had never been down South and really didn’t know what to expect.  But I knew I had a job, an apartment, a Walmart nearby, and an internet…

Rambling Back to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

As some of you may remember, back in 2015 I went to Star Wars Celebration Anaheim.  It was, needless to say, a great time.  Having not been to a Star Wars convention in five years I was seriously excited.  This was also before the new movie came out.  I had only recently gotten into Star…

The Many Faces of A Small Town

People sometimes ask me what it’s like to live in Cleveland.  Back home no one can imagine living in Mississippi.  Even other folks I’ve met in the South can’t imagine living here.  Mississippi in general, and the Delta in particular, have such a reputation that people just can’t picture themselves here.  That the local culture…

Come as Strangers, Leave as Friends

About three years ago I decided to visit a local establishment called Po’ Monkey’s.  It was a tiny little shack on the edge of a cornfield which had nevertheless achieved world fame due to its status as one of the last rural juke joints left in Mississippi.  it was truly a unique experience and made…

A Dance With DragonCon

As you may recall, last year I traveled out to California for Star Wars Celebration Anaheim. Being surrounded by 50,000 Star Wars fans for four days was an amazing experience. It really felt like coming home. For once I could talk about anything Star Wars and not have to translate or watch eyes glaze over….

One Town, Two Schools

This post is long overdue.  First I wasn’t sure how to respond.  Then I was traveling. For a few days the blog was down due to a denial of service attack.  There was also a hefty amount of procrastination thrown in.  Truly it is the enemy of civilization. The story which led to this post…

Lake Cleveland

Occasionally I wonder what a foot of rain would look like.  Every so often you hear about some unfortunate place getting a whole month’s worth of rain overnight.  Unlike a foot of snow, it’s never pretty.   But coming from a place which is not generally prone to flooding there was always that morbid curiosity. I…

Turn Up the Music!

Last weekend was special in Cleveland. A major project, which had been underway for five years, finally reached completion. I am referring to the Mississippi branch of the Grammy Museum. Many people have heard of the Grammy Awards and the organization behind them, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. They have a museum…

A Suburb of Nowhere

Cleveland has a lot to offer for a small town. There are restaurants, shops, bars, hotels, a university, even museums. Given that the population is only about 13,000 people, it’s very impressive. Furthermore there is a strong community. The people seem genuinely happy and the problems of the world very far away. Cleveland is a…

On the Mighty Mississippi

As you may recall there are several events which occur in October.  I wrote about one recently.   Another is the Mississippi Library Association’s annual conference.  It happens every year around mid-month.  As the name implies, it is a gathering of librarians from around the state.  There are the usual panels and presentations, plus an awards…