Four Years of Jokes and a Stoop
A history of the Joke of the Day sign in Parkwood, Durham, North Carolina
Violin Shop: Behind the Velvet Counter
As the glass entry door closes, the noise of downtown fades. I clomp up time-worn wooden stairs to the new Hillmusic space in the heart of Chapel Hill. Franklin Street marks the northern boundary of the University of North Carolina campus, packed with stores, places to eat, and two movie theaters. Where it crosses Columbia […]
Blaise Kielar gets a Pushcart Prize Nomination!
Every year, hundreds of small presses in the US and around the world nominate up to six published pieces for inclusion in the annual anthology, The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses. My essay “Violin Shop: Behind the Velvet Counter” was nominated by the North Carolina Literary Review https://nclr.ecu.edu/. To me, it is the […]
Do It Yourself Miracle
Was it luck or skill? It was said that John, my stepson’s dad, could heal balky electronics just by laying on hands. When my 1963 MGB wouldn’t start, I rocked it back and forth to coax the starter to engage. But when our electric car charger started to shriek loud enough to be heard outside, […]
Epigraph for My Upcoming Memoir
In silvis viva silui, Canora iam mortua cano. Alive in the forest I was silent, Now in death I sing melodies. Inscription found on ornamented stringed instruments, especially violins, starting in the 1500s. Can also apply to the trees whose pulp made the pages you now hold. Once it is published, I envision this at […]
Journey
The A Train grinds to a stop and doors gasp open. On the platform the acrid brakes assault my nose. Holding my breath, I leap up the 59th Street stairs. Ah, sky. From Columbus Circle I can gaze at Central Park, place myself on a path free to meander and imagine I can smell the […]
AH, THE IRISH! (1979-80)
Not being just a violin shop allowed Hillmusic to retail other interesting things, from jaw harps to LP’s. We had a record player beside my bow rehairing bench. I didn’t even have to stand up to change a record – I’d just rotate on my workbench stool. There were so many sounds and styles to […]
SIDEWALKS ARE NEVER SILENT
The human memory, like a raven, is attracted to singularly bright objects, those that shine in the mind. Months later I remember tasty food, every dish a gumbo of spice and sauce, and cheap but strong cocktails, even outside of Happy Hour (starts at noon in some bars), and of course, the jazz. Three or […]
OLD TIME
The new Hillmusic space was right in the heart of downtown Chapel Hill. Franklin Street marked the northern boundary of the University of North Carolina campus, and was packed with stores and places to eat, and where it crossed Columbia Street was the functional crossroads of town and gown. And our space was a half […]
DANIEL BOONE COMPLEX, 1978
Worst campsite ever – tent pitched on gravel that laughed at our sleeping bag pads, open trash barrels stinking in the oppressive August heat, swarms of yellow jackets, and a picnic table without benches – too high for folding chairs. Who the hell wants to stand up to eat at a campground?! It was not […]