Reader's Notes - Save the Words

From Will Dean at the UK Guardian, here's an excellent story on a subsidiary of the Oxford University Press that is leading efforts to rescue obscure words.  Having established the website, savethewords.org, all that remains is to sit back and wait for people to take up the cause of one word or another.  Your sponsorship of a word such as jobler, for example -- "one who does small jobs" -- is largely a matter of registering for the website and volunteering to revive the usage of the word in your writing and in your speech.  Presumably, others will follow. And so, my logophile friends, take up the cause and find a word to save today.  In addition, you verbiphages out there can fill up on new words to try on your unsuspecting coworkers and family members.

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Eater's Notes - I Got Some Pancake Mix!

In addressing a rising internet meme (see the video immediately below) I offer the following recipe, suitable, as usual, for Sunday mornings.  Many thanks to two of my students for the suggestion -- to protect the innocent, let's call one of them "Dragon Fist" and the other "Preston."






"I Got Some Pancake Mix!" Pancake Mix

MIX!
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

TO PREPARE PANCAKES!
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Behold the power of Flapjack Jesus

DIRECTIONS!
In a bowl, sarcastically combine the first six ingredients. Store in a ridiculously airtight container in a cool, dry, and stylish place for up to 6 months, or 180 days, whichever comes first. To prepare pancakes: In a bowl (perhaps the same bowl as before), combine egg and milk. Aggressively whisk in 1 cup of the pancake mix. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is goldeny brown.  Consume.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

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Classroom Notes - 'Teach: Tony Danza' - Season 1: Episode 6, "To Cheat or Not To Cheat""

     Cheating -- or as one might more accurately call the matter, academic integrity -- is a major issue in almost all schools in the United States.  Since the 1960s, the percentage of students in high school who admit to cheating has risen, to the point where some 75 percent or more of students will admit to cheating in some manner on one school assignment or another.  I've been teaching for 20 years, and nothing I've seen in public or private schools would contradict these long term trends.
     I do think it's useful to distinguish among many different kinds of cheating.  Some students copy homework, but, in some cases, I don't blame them if there's too much "busy work" given out by unimaginative or inefficient teachers.  Some students sneak answers from a neighbor during a quiz or test, but, again, teachers should be mindful about monitoring classroom spaces and making up multiple versions of assessments. Smart phones can be a problem, but those are easily collected on test days. Some students will acquire teacher's editions of textbooks, will steal tests and quizzes off desks and from drawers, and will hack into computers to steal data as well; that's outright theft, but actually quite rare.  Still others will plagiarize research and writing from the internet and attempt to pass it off as their own -- this, for me, is the biggest tactical problem, so to speak.  There are simply too many ways to get around actual reading and writing when quick summaries of classic texts are a search engine away and essays on any subject can be cut-and-pasted in seconds.
     The root of the problem, however, is that students do not see the true value of doing their own work.  Many of them are, in a phrase, alienated from their own learning.  Doing well in school, essentially, is no longer about acquiring skills and knowledge -- it's about getting good grades.  And when it comes to grades as the only end that matters, those grades must be gotten by any means necessary.  Making matters worse -- especially in the more competitive school environments -- are the growing ranks of status-obsessed, narcissistic parents with boundary issues and conditional-love in relation to their own children.  Two books I would highly recommend that address these matters are Doing School by Denise Clark Pope and The Price of Privilege by Madeline Levine.  In short, students and their families become so cynical about the value of learning for its own sake that they are willing to sacrifice academic integrity.
     In big public schools, a similar sense of cynicism fuels the cheating ethos.  So the thinking goes: "I'm not learning any skills and knowledge of real value in the real world, so I'm just going to get through this however I can."  Schools don't often do a good job of demonstrating the practical value of advanced algebra, of reading novels, or of writing essays to young people -- it's about cognitive development and skills, everyone -- so why should students care.  Schools don't usually make it easy for teachers to have the resources or freedom to prevent cheating in the classroom, so why should teachers care.  If the grades are good, why should the parents really care.  The growing number of cases of systematic cheating in connection to the Standardized Testing Boondoggle of the past decade demonstrates that some school officials are just as cynical about academic integrity as the rest of us.  All that matters is results, character and ethics be damned.
     Episode 6 opens with the surprisingly common complexities of friends, boyfriends, and girlfriends -- the social lives of young people, which are painful and raw and all those more dramatic in the claustrophobic rooms and hallways of high school. Mr. Danza's good heart serves him in talking with students on these matters, as most of the time, young people just need someone to listen to them and suggest nothing more than how to open up some more effective lines of communication.
     The two students in Danza's class who are suspected of cheating by texting answers between phones is a case of sloppiness on the teacher's part.  Most teachers would take the route of making up another assessment, and afterward Danza says it himself, "Times have changed."  Absolutely.  And one simply has to be smarter about all the new channels of communication among students.  When Danza's mentor says that in the real world, with no cameras, there is no proof of cheating -- students' phones are private property - Danza  says that he's going to get the cheaters to admit what they did.  Although they deny cheating to Mr. Danza, the fact that they agree to give a presentation to the rest of the class about academic integrity says enough about what really happened, and its a matter of moments before the two boys talk about what they actually did -- CHEATERS! -- in the hallway.  Danza handled it well.
     On the other hand, at the bottom of the hour, in one of those occasionally tough "let's settle down" moments with his class, Danza, tired and frustrated, just gives up and walks into the hallway.  He leaves the room.  Oh dear.  Been there, didn't necessarily do that. "I can't fight this battle any more," and it's off for a little cry in the hallway. Between you and me, I do my crying at home.  Not that I cry.  Cause I don't.  But, in the end, it's Danza's good heart and his efforts to connect with the students that saves him -- as some of his kids rally around him and get him a card expressing their gratitude and thanks.
     A fun coda to this episode came in the task Danza had as a chaperone for the Homecoming Dance
     "You hungry?  Want a sandwich?"
     I LOL'ed.  

Notes on Season 1 - Episode 1, 'Back to School'

Notes on Season 1 - Episode 2, 'Tested'

Notes on Season 1 - Episode 3, 'Just Say No'

Notes on Season 1 - Episode 4, 'Homesick'

Notes on Season 1 - Episode 5, 'Solidarity'

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PN 136 - Cassandra Wilson - 'Silver Pony'

Cassandra Wilson's latest album, Silver Pony, is due out November 9, and we had a chance to listen to the release and talk with Wilson about her choices in songs, her experience in putting together a record, and the great band she's working with these days.  You can hear the broadcast of Passing Notes today at 11:05 am on 88.9 FM WDNA or wdna.org, with the feature available on Feedburner or iTunes shortly thereafter.  You can check out my extended conversation and whole tracks from the new album on PN Unscripted, uploaded by noon on Saturday.

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PN Video Jukebox - Billie Holiday

Seven clips from Lady Day, including "Farewell to Storyville," "Strange Fruit," "The Blues Are Brewin',"Fine and Mellow," and others -- with appearances from Louis Armstrong and Lester Young.


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Listener's Notes - Apple Beyond The Beatles

In case you missed it, there was an excellent story on NPR yesterday about Apple Corps, the label started by the Beatles which signed a fascinating mix of artists from jazz to gospel to world music.  The Fab Four loved their puns, but they also had great ears.  And, if you're really interested in all things Apple, you might check out the Wikipedia page on the disputes between Apple Computers and Apple Records.  There's a reason why you can't get download "Revolver" on iTunes.


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PN Unscripted - Jaime Hernandez & 'Love and Rockets'

Jaime Hernandez talks about the latest 'Love and Rockets,' comics-to-movies, and Archie.  Yes, that Archie.




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Barcalounge Skipper - San Francisco Giants Win

I realize I'm not breaking any news here.  What a great MLB postseason for pitching and for smaller-market teams with modest budgets, low ego-factors, and genuine team spirit.  I am completely contented that almost all of my playoff picks were incorrect.  I now know what it means to "Fear the Beard."

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Negroni's Trio - 'Just Three'

Negroni’s Trio – Just Three (2010 Mojito)

     The fifth album from the gifted core of the Negroni musical family – father José on piano and son Nomar on drums – finds Marco Panascia to be an able, nimble, and imaginative collaborator on a release that captures the listener from the first notes and doesn’t let up for nine songs.  There is so much packed into Just Three, you’ll be turning the title into a question directed at the matter of how many people are really playing: “Just three?”

     The opening track, “Fingers,” appears to be a driving, dramatic, stop-and-go Latin number, but when the excitement settles down, we find ourselves in the midst of a barbed blues that pushes Panascia forward with a terrific solo, topped only by José Negroni’s good-natured work on the Fender Rhodes.  Nomar Negroni’s drumming on the track is furious and witty, and as tight as that little tiny rototom on the end of the rack.  You know the one: ploink!

     “Emotions” begins with a delightful swing-to-clave alternating structure, combined with that telepathic Negroni unison playing in the breaks, all of which gives way after the complicated head to a relaxed piano solo with some remarkably voiced chords that float over the drums.  The song concludes with a huge drum solo that features some intricate support from piano and bass, adding to Nomar Negroni’s already giant sound.  After that, “Bailando Rumba,” a sly, subdued song that makes the most of the Fender Rhodes’ sound, is a welcome breather.  Another song that boldly combines different rhythmic feels is “Milani,” which moves from a funky piano groove to a smooth semi-samba to a odd-metered rock beat, then finds its heart in a swinging samba again.

     The title track, feels more through-composed and like a chamber jazz piece, as the piano and bass – bowed with great effectiveness by Panascia – are moved to the front, and Nomar Negroni eases off a little by working the brushes and cymbals a bit more.  Panascia steps up for a wonderful solo in the middle of the song, and José Negroni demonstrates just how clear and confident his musical imagination is by delivering a truly lyrical and expressive statement.

     There’s good fun and mock drama in “Golden Man,” which sounds to the ear like a mix of every spy movie soundtrack ever heard, and features a several riffs and licks that can evoke a laugh.  As one might expect from a title like “Mi Triguenda,” this song is a blend of many things – a piano concerto in places, a Latin number in others, a march in still others, all bound together by the trio’s distinctive approach to stops and breaks, their unusual sense of musical punctuation.

     Two paired songs complete the album, “Preludio En La Noche” and “Sabado En La Noche.”  The “Prelude” is a romantic, impressionistic, if sometimes sad composition for solo piano, with musical allusions to both “Eleanor Rigby” and the blues (among others).  Its loveliness shifts to the busy, brighter texture of  ”Saturday,” which may be a similar composition to the one that preceded it, with the added energy and color of drum and bass, which builds and builds as the track hurtles toward a forceful but nevertheless expressive solo from Nomar Negroni.

     All in all, very little time and space are wasted in Just Three, as Negroni’s Trio delivers an album that is full of interesting compositions, bold and imaginative playing, outstanding musicianship.  It is a dense, rewarding, and entertaining musical experience.  You might find yourself at the end of the last track, still excited by what you heard, asking yourself, “Is that all the songs there are?  Just nine?  I’d like a couple more, please.”

Personnel

José Negroni – Piano

Nomar Negroni – Drums

Marco Panascia - Bass

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Viewer's Notes - A Map of State Movies

From the awesome blog Strange Maps and Frank Jacobs, in anticipation, I suppose, of tomorrow's election, we have a map of the 48 states that suggests which movie should be most strongly identified with which state.  I am pleased to have a strong geographical connection with both Shawshank Redemption (Maine) and Scarface (Florida).


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PN Unscripted - Joe Sacco and 'Footnotes in Gaza'

A talk with Joe Sacco about Footnotes in Gaza, his working process, what genre his work belongs to, and the late Harvey Pekar.  Listen via Feedburner or iTunes.



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Classroom Notes - 'Teach: Tony Danza' - Season 1: Episode 5, "Solidarity"

     Maybe I’m being too hard to Tony Danza as a teacher and the reality series he’s starring in.  We’ve been through five episodes, and Danza has clearly had to struggle with the self-sacrificing demands of the classroom, with the significant obstacles presented by the mix of students found in any large urban public school, and with his own unique paradox of being a guy with a great heart who’s spent too much time amid the narcissism of show business.  Being a first year teacher is very difficult.  Education degree or none, expertise in the subject area aside, with mentors or without, finding your way in the classroom is a challenge that defeats even the most idealistic and determined wanna-be educators.  Some of them, when defeated, know enough to get out of the classroom.

"Join me, Tony Danza, and we will rule the high school!"

     In my first full year teaching – and I had come to be a full-time educator after six years teaching in the summer, serving as a long-term substitute, tutoring in many different subject, even working as an adjunct university instructor – in my first full year, I was not very good.  I taught five sections of 10th grade English – 75 students – and we worked our way through vocabulary words, a series of essays, and a whole bunch of literature that included Macbeth, Catcher in the Rye and (heaven help us!) Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd.  I didn’t have too much trouble with teaching writing, and the vocabulary work took care of itself for the most part, but the bulk of our time  -- probably 60 percent, or three days a week -- was spent dealing with the literature.

     I write “dealing with literature” because that’s what it felt like – a task, a chore, a burden that became increasingly tedious and numbing as the weeks passed.  At a certain point – during November’s run through Far from the Madding Crowd – you have to explain even the title! – I was burned out on the book.  Three lit days a week, five lectures a day – even five teacher-led discussions – were grinding me down.  I was bored, the students were bored.  I didn’t change my approach at that point, however, and we finished the novel unhappily.  At least it wasn’t Jude the Obscure, which is unhappy no matter which way you parse it.

     When we started with Macbeth, though, I had realized finally that I needed to make a chance.  I am sure that, at some point, I talked with my father – a longtime teacher and education professor – and he simply reminded me that the students needed variety in their lessons and, more importantly, they needed to be the focus of what was going on.  For the Macbeth unit, built a few lectures in here and there over three weeks, but most of what the students spent their time on were their own productions of particular scenes.  I had chosen some of the shorter key scenes in the tragedy, drawn up some assessment guidelines, and simply cut them loose.  I served only to advise, make suggestions, answer questions, and provide materials and encouragement in their dramaturgical work.

     One particular scene I had given the students, Act 3, Scene 3, deals with a certain dramatic question, “Who is the Third Murderer of Banquo?”  One group answered the question in a impressively creative way: Darth Vader.  What ensued the day of this group’s presentation is one of the few things I remember from my first year teaching.  Not only did they nail all their lines and put their full effort into their performances, but these students brought in a fog machine, dressed the Third Murderer in a full Darth Vader costume, and, best of all, had a spectacular fight with light sabers in the classroom. “Fly good Fleance, fly fly fly!” ZWOOSH!  We all gave the effort a standing ovation.  I learned that day the true gift you can give to students in the classroom, which is to create the circumstances for their minds to be fully engaged to the point where their intellect, imagination, and souls are engaged.  They will surprise everyone in the room – including, most importantly, themselves.  I could never have imagined what those students chose to present for Act 3, Scene 3 – but after that day, I am always waiting for Vader to show up again.  I do my best to make sure the classroom is a welcome place for the Dark Lord of the Sith.

     Mr. Danza had his Vader moment when, in Episode 4, he finally allowed the students to take the stage in showing off their mythology presentations. It was slightly interesting. 


    In Episode 5, the issue of school uniforms arrives early in the the story.  Danza explained to his students that he wears the same outfit each day -- he has six shirts, six pairs of pants -- and that in solidarity with the students, he'll be wearing the school tie along with them. In the same act, the issue of theft and fighting among some of Mr. Danza's students also comes up.  Both of these matters are much more realistic problems facing schools these days -- the tensions between conformity and individualism, and conflict resolution.  To deal with the latter problem, Mr. Danza proposes to teach some of his kids to box -- that is, how to fight and when to fight.  So far, the episode sets up much more promising issues than the previous episodes' hand-wringing over Hollywood Tony's struggles in the classroom.


     The comments on uniforms from students and teachers run the typical gamut -- with the arguments in favor appealing to me.  Uniforms simplify much of the social coding of clothing and encourage students to focus on their learning.  Depending on the uniform, a certain degree of sexual dissplay can be de-emphasized, further encouraging a focus on academics and activities.  Uniforms, oddly enough, encourage an unconscious sense of community, but allow students to express a certain degree of individuality in how they might work within the dress code.  Even the debate among members of the school community about uniforms is beneficial to creating a sense of purpose.


     But, to return to the issue of fighting, over the simple theft of an iPod, Mr. Danza is wise to offer the young men involved the constructive outlet for their aggression -- boxing.  In my experience, again, young people, especially young men, are looking to test the limits in all kids of way, and most of the time its best to provide the proper outlet for whatever impulse that might be.  As Mr. Danza, a former professional boxer himself, puts it in regard to fighting,  "In my experience, once you really know how to do it, you do it less."  There's nothing wrong with aggression in and of itself -- one just has to find the right way to use it to teach young people skills, discipline, diligence, resilience, grace, self-confidence, and self-control.  If there's an argument for having sports in school -- and having real contact sports in school -- it's because some kids need to hit and get hit.  At the same time, the scene of mediation between the students who had been fighting was touching, as the young men involved attempted to explain themselves -- however unclearly or vaguely.  I've been in those meetings; these scuffles happen; the most important thing is to use them as teaching opportunities and not react too punitively.


    The kid who gives the dog biscuit to the assistant principal is to be commended, as disrespectful as his action was -- indirectly suggesting the administrator is a bitch.  If you're in a job like that, you have to take insults like that from time to time, and deal with them professionally and appropriately.  "I understand fully your clever insult.  You have Saturday detention, sir! Have a nice day!"


     What worked about this episode so much more than the previous four was that this time around, Mr. Danza was a witness to some of the real problems that young people face -- alienation and frustration with the institutional setting, and the simple dynamics of being young and male.  As we suspected, Danza's heart -- his capacity to care, to persist, and to remain open -- are serving him well as he steps into the background of the drama and lets his students assume more and more agency in the narrative.  I'll be tuning in next week for sure.  Solidarity.

Notes on Season 1 - Episode 1, 'Back to School'

Notes on Season 1 - Episode 2, 'Tested'

Notes on Season 1 - Episode 3, 'Just Say No'

Notes on Season 1 - Episode 4, 'Homesick'

    

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PN 135 - Jaime Hernandez and Joe Sacco

Jaime Hernandez

Comics authors Jamie Hernandez and Joe Sacco discussed their latest works today at 11:05 am on 88.9 FM WDNA in Miami and online at wdna.org.  If you're reading this on the blog, you can hear the 5-minute feature through iTunes or Feedburner.


Jaime Hernandez, longtime author of the Love and Rockets comics, returns to the characters we've all grown familiar with in Love and Rockets: New Stories, Volume 3.  Hernandez will be appearing at the Miami Book Fair, Saturday, November 20, at 2 pm, on a panel with Gustavo Arellano and Charles Kochman.  The full podcast Q&A of my discussion with Hernandez will be posted on Feedburner and iTunes on Tuesday of next week.

Joe Sacco

Joe Sacco, author of Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde, has come out with a new book digging into some of the roots of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Footnotes in Gaza.  Sacco will also be appearing at the Miami Book Fair on Sunday, November 21, at 2 pm along with Ariel Gonzalez. The full podcast Q&A of my discussion with Sacco will be posted on Feedburner and iTunes on Saturday.

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Viewer's Notes - 'The Dark Knight Rises'

"As a symbol I can be incorruptible. . ."

The LA Times blog 'Hero Complex' reported yesterday that Christopher Nolan is moving forward with the next Batman film, to be titled The Dark Night Rises.  You can read the article for yourself, but we're going to be a little comics heavy over the coming week, in part because I have upcoming podcasts with Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets) and Joe Sacco (Footnotes in Gaza).  At some point, I'll have to finish by essay on Christopher Nolan (from Following all the way through Inception), but that'll have to wait until after the Miami Book Fair.  It's my busy season.  Still: BATMAN!

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PN Video Jukebox - Zappa, Beefheart, Bonzo

In prepping for a little punk, a little politics, and a little Halloween, this week's Video Jukebox coughs up several appearances from Frank Zappa, and a tune each from Captain Beefheart and the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.  Get freaky for the holiday.




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Reader's Notes - Elements of Jazz

The ubiquitous Donna M

   A very cool development of social media is the global knitting together of fans, experts, insiders, and practitioners across the arts. What's different about the information age is that there are far fewer intermediaries, as well as opportunities for new people who understand the new media.  Jazz artists and fans, who sometimes feel like they are far and few between, are always looking for those who share an interest in the music.
    One of the leaders in the world of "internet jazz" is Donna Mercer, who has monster Twitter chops and doesn't miss a much of what's to be found in the mediaverse.  Over the past two weeks, she's helped knit together the online jazz community by posting a comprehensive list of jazz on Twitter.  
   Check it out -- starting with 0-9 and the letter A.  And tweet Donna M if you can, as well, @ElementsOfJazz.  If you're not on the list yet and you have a professional interest in the music, she'll be happy to add you.


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Eater's Noters - Arbetter Hot Dogs and Frankie's Pizza

   There's a fine story today in the different Miami Herald neighborhood sections about two longtime joints -- Frankie's Pizza and Arbetter Hot Dogs -- that have been area favorites since Bird Road was was a dirt road. And there's none of that Pat's and Gino's nonsense.
   The best anecdote of the bunch is about how the Arbetters, the family of Red Sox fans that serves all those dogs, is how since 1960, they'd been promising to give away free baked beans the day after the Sox won the World Series.  Well, you all know what happened in 2004. (By the way, it's been good to see the Yankees bounced from the playoffs this year.)
    At any rate, here's the link to the article.  If you're in South Florida and haven't been to Frankie's or Arbetter, be sure to stop by.  But please, don't ever ever put ketchup on a hot dog.  People have to stop doing that.  Mustard, relish, kraut, chili, onions -- but no ketchup.

Hot dog heaven in a precrepuscular luminescence. Note the lack of ketchup.

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Future Notes - Full Speed Ahead

     Tomorrow, aside from maybe pecking out some thoughts about how all my MLB postseason predictions went awry, I'm taking a little break from the Notes.  Down here in South Florida, we reader-types are gearing up for the Miami Book Fair, which means the good folks at MBFI have been keeping me busy.  I have a great lineup of audio features for the coming month, a little less music reviewing than usual, and a shot of momentum from the street fair on November 19 to 21 that should carry through to the end of the year.

    Many thanks to the dynamic Lisa Palley of the Book Fair staff and the legendary Frank Consola at WDNA for all their help and suggestions for the Notes.

    If you want to stay on top of all the cool PN developments in the months to come, take a glance at the schedule below, then subscribe to PN in some way, shape or form -- through Twitter, Facebook, iTunes, Feedburner, an RSS reader, or just plain old e-mail.  Look around and you'll find all kinds of options for keeping up to date -- and I usually post new content every day.

   Thanks for reading and listening!

Schedule of podcasts for Passing Notes Unscripted

 Saturday, 10/23 - Tim Dorsey, Gator A Go Go

 Saturday, 10/30 - Jaime Hernandez, Love and Rockets: New Stories, Vol. 3

 Tuesday, 11/2 - Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza

 Saturday, 11/6 - Cassandra Wilson, Silver Pony

 Saturday, 11/13 - James Ellroy, The Hilliker Curse

 Sunday, 11/14 – Paquito D’Rivera, My Sax Life

 Tuesday, 11/16 - Alex Ross, The Rest Is Noise

 Thursday, 11/18 - Greil Marcus, Bob Dylan: Writings 1968-2010

CDs to be reviewed in the coming month

 Negroni's Trio, Just Three

 Luis Bonilla, Just Twilight

 Russell Malone, Triple Play
 Cassandra Wilson, Silver Pony

 Dinah Washington, Fabulous Miss D: The Keynote, Decca, & Mercury Singles

Books to be reviewed (or their authors interviewed)

in November and December

 Frank Deford, Bliss, Remembered

 Salman Rushdie, Luka and the Fire of Life

 Jonathan Eig, Get Capone

 R.A. Lawson, Jim Crow's Counterculture

 Ferdie Pacheco, Tales from the 5th Street Gym

 Gish Jen, World and Town

 Scott Spenser, Man in the Woods

 Craig Pittman, Manatee Insanity

 Howard Norman, What is Left the Daughter

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PN Unscripted - A talk with novelist Tim Dorsey

In this unscripted, lightly-edited conversation with Florida comic crime novelist Tim Dorsey (too many modifiers there?), we discuss spring break, off-the-beaten-path Florida, cartoon violence, and the writing process.  We also learn that Tim would be more than happy to come and talk to the students at your local high school.  Dorsey's latest novel is Gator A Go Go. For more information about all of his work, visit timdorsey.com. Dorsey will be appearing in November at the Miami Book Fair.

Listen through iTunes or Feedburner.

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