Does he know how bad he was? Is he in a bubble, is it the emperor’s new clothes, does he not know how he comes across?
In case you missed it, try this:
It’s positively sad.
Then again, athletes retire, why not musicians?
Then again, musicians never retire, they say they do a few times, but they always go back on the road.
When Paul McCartney went back on the road with Wings Over America in 1976, it was a startling event, a Beatle in person.
And now he’s turned into Bob Dylan…
But at least Dylan seems to be aware of what he’s doing.
Then again, the people who go to the show and say Bob is great now… I guess if you find shows where you can’t recognize a single song to be exciting and fulfilling, maybe… But where’s that at, if you want me, I’ll be in the bar.
But at least Dylan’s keeping it interesting for himself. I mean to go out for thousands of shows, singing the same songs that became famous when you were in your twenties, sixty years on? Other than the adulation of the audience and getting paid, that sounds like death to me.
I give Paul credit for surviving. As one of the most popular people in the world. All that attention, the love, the expectations, how do you live a normal life? Having children, all of whom seem to be reasonable, which is not an easy feat. Not staying holed up, but living a life…
But Paul definitely knows who he is. He’s got an ego, and he displays it. Then again, it’s nearly impossible to make it. Despite how humble stars may appear, underneath it they’re egoists, if not narcissists, who have a hole they’re trying to fill via their success.
And Paul deserves all the credit he’s gotten. And as revered as John Lennon is, it’s hard to compete with a dead man. Imagine if Jim Morrison was alive today? It’s hard to carry off that mysterious distance when you’re in your fifties, never mind sixties or seventies.
Paul is 83, he’s going to be 84 next month. When I was growing up, that was positively ancient. Most men didn’t make it that far, my relatives certainly didn’t. And those who did were crotchety, moving slowly, having difficulty hearing…
I was sitting behind Bruce Springsteen at an awards show and I saw his hearing aids. I’m not putting him down, not in the least. Hell, he could have grown his hair and covered them up. He’s owning his identity, just like he has let his hair go gray and has admitted taking antidepressants. How do you cope when you’ve achieved all your goals? How do you keep marching forward?
But as big as Bruce Springsteen is…
No living musician is as big as Paul McCartney.
The truth is his vocals have been substandard for over a decade now. But Paul literally has the best band, and they do a phenomenal job of covering up for him. But when he’s singing alone at the piano…you cringe. I’ve been there, I’ve seen it.
Now I understand the pilgrimage, paying homage, bringing your kids to see him in the stadium where the sound is so imperfect you fill in the holes with your memory… But to go on SNL and show the world how bad you really are, how you’ve lost more than a step?
How could Paul not realize this? He had plausible deniability prior to this. Even YouTube videos… They’re shot from the audience, not copied from the board, they’re almost all imperfect. But when Paul goes on national television, INTERNATIONAL television!
That’s what YouTube is, it lasts forever.
Now I wasn’t going to write anything. Because the truth here is self-evident. And the manager is a friend of mine. Why pile on.
But there’s a message here, beyond Paul McCartney. Sometimes you just have to hang it up.
Like Gordon Lightfoot. I went to see him and…it would have been better if he was singing to tape, like Frankie Valli, who finally called it quits, or employed an avatar. Felice wanted to leave almost immediately. I needed to hear “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” but after that we bolted. It was too excruciating, I didn’t want my memories f*cked with.
Now Gordon passed not long thereafter, this was truly his last hurrah.
But it was happening off the radar screen.
But Paul still garners eyeballs…
It’s sad that the legends are dropping, Jack Douglas last week. What am I going to say about Jack, he was a friend… We did a podcast together, there was almost nothing left to say. Obituaries are written by those who don’t know somebody for those who didn’t either. But if you knew Jack, you knew about his trip to Liverpool…
And then there are the managers. Bernie working with Bob Weir, and then he dies. What are you going to do then? How are you going to march on? There’s a giant hole in both your life and your pocketbook.
As for music today…
The big news about the Drake album is how hip-hop has not charted well for eons, that we live in a pop world.
Like the one we lived in in 1961, ’62, even ’63, before the Beatles in America. Vapid stuff that fills a hole, but not the soul.
Paul McCartney filled our holes and our souls. And his music will continue to do so.
But Willie Mays could no longer catch a ball running backwards…
What is Paul McCartney supposed to do with his time?
Does Bob Dylan have nothing better to do, is this his only option?
But it’s not only them, it’s me, it’s the rest of the boomers. Sure, there are politicos hanging on for dear life, laughably, knowing nothing about the tech that drives our culture, but at some point you have to face the fact that your time has passed. So what do you do with your time?
I’m still trying to figure that out.
But I do know there are certain things I can no longer do.
And I’m not the only one.
As far as Paul McCartney goes, he can still sing, but not like a bird, more like…
You andme, but not even.
If he only owned it…
Why do all our heroes always push it too far, displaying their clay feet?
I’d like to know.
P.S. The YouTube link above is for Paul’s performance of his new song “Days We Left Behind.” “Band on the Run” wasn’t quite as bad, but it was not good:
P.P.S. The best performance was the closing number, “Coming Up”:
I was at Arista for Willie’s first album. We could not break him.
He kept at it. He NEVER faltered, NEVER gave up.
Willie is the real deal.
Mike Bon
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I am now on the older side of this business… but I am still 25 years younger than Willie! But I’m a true believer in him and all that he does.
His son Luke and I were at high school together at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, NY.
I’ll never forget when “Heaven Help The Lonely” came out in 1991. I was into The Cure, Fishbone, The Replacements and Public Enemy but also Dylan, Springsteen and U2 and I really dug that song. I was just starting to get an idea of what great songcraft was and this was a lesson in it.
Years on, I got to know Willie and became his promoter here in his hometown of Western New York mainly through our mutual friend: the late great independent radio promoter Bruce Moser.
At that point, I had still only barely grasped Willie’s power and impact.
It was when I’d be at a Springsteen show and he’d bring Willie out to play “Working On The Highway” with him and the E Street Band. Now Bruce doesn’t bring out a lot of special guests, so that meant something.
Then when Bono would have a stadium on its feet but out of nowhere gave a shout out to WIllie at the height of U2’s set? Wow.
You meet Willie and he’s like a South Buffalo leprechaun: his hair is half his height! He’s the biggest believer of his own myth and he sells you on it. He continues to write and produce these albums that should keep most singer/songwriters of any worth on their toes.
He knows how good he is and he is still out there playing like he’s moments away from stardom. When you see him get up and a do his show: you also buy in. He has the songs, the power: he has that thing! Man, he’s really good.
And his band is equally great: a real NYC cast of characters. His bassist Johnny Pisano is LITERALLY a backround player from The Sopranos’ Bada Bing but he’s also a punk guy and a rock and roll lifer like Steven Van Zandt.
They go out and play rooms from 150 to 500 cap but knock it out every night.
Willie will not give up.
Glad to see you shine a light on him.
He deserves it!
Danny Kutzbach
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Bob
Willie Nile is a national musical treasure!
In 2025, I had the honor of presenting him with a “College Radio Legend ‘ Award for his extraordinary recording and performing career for over 45 years.
Whenever you get the itch for a hit of righteous and crucial rock mixed with lyrical majesty, get yourself to a Willie Nile solo, duo or full band show !
Norm Prusslin
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GREAT take on Willie Nile, who I’ve been seeing on the east coast for many years. An unknown superstar of an artist. Springsteen sings with him sometimes, usually on Willie’s anthem “One Guitar,” which should have been a massive song and is more relevant than ever, if music still has any power to change the world. And as a person Willie is maybe the nicest musician I’ve ever met, and I’ve met many. A few years ago on a new year’s eve show in New Jersey, a friend of mine, Americana singer-songwriter Lisa Bouchelle, opened the show for him. She mentioned in passing that she had a huge vet bill come up unexpectedly and was having some financial issues with it. At the end of the night Wille put a few extra bills (more than a few) in her pocket and said it’s for the vet bills. A gem of a person.
Rocky
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“American Ride” is one of the best albums of the last 20 years. And definitely see Willie with a full band. His bassist Johnny Pisano is one of the most entertaining players out there..
Pete Kuehl
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“See a MASTER at work!”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TNQ02QER4A
Willie is one of those IYKYK artists, and man did he blow our unsuspecting audience away:
Kelly Breaks
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Way to go! Willie is a dear friend and we were also there last night. Glad you finally got to see him.
We first heard about him on the former Little Steven’s Garage show when it aired on KLOS upon the release of his Streets Of New York album (a classic desert island disk). He did his first west coast tour in decades in support of that album and we were able to also host him for one of our house concerts and several house concerts since. What you saw last night is one of the greatest living American songwriters and yes unfortunately a lot of people don’t know about him. In songwriter circles he’s well known, Bruce Springsteen invites him on stage for tour stops in NYC and he’s even the godparent of one of Little Steven’s kids.
Last year’s show at McCabe’s included the guitarist from Counting Crows joining him on stage and a few years before that Creed Bratton joined him for a killer encore of the Grass Roots “Let’s Live for Today”. Many don’t know that actor Creed Bratton was a Grass Root.
Anyway, so glad you got to see this iconic American talent live.
Don Adkins
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I’m so glad you got to finally see Willie Nile live. His shows are like no other, whether solo or with his band.
He’s the most gentle, genuine, and kind-hearted rock & roller but make no mistake, whenever he plays the venue that I help to run (or any other I’ve seen him at), he means business and he ROCKS.
And you’re right about the songs – they are ANTHEMS for a better world:
“I’m a soldier marching in an army, got no gun to shoot, but what I got is one guitar, I got this one guitar…”
Long live Wille Nile. And his dad!
Gail Prusslin
Montclair, NJ
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Bob
Heaven help the lonely!!!!
I sing along every single time I hear it
Peter Stema
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I’ve known Willie since those Kenny’s Castaways days, (same neighborhood as that walk-up) and he is the real thing.
Thanks
Joe Henderson
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Bravo Bob! You shone a beautiful light on Willie!
He is the goods. A mensch who loves what he shares, and nothing about him, is not him! I have many times, after his show watched how Willie, right after stepping off stage, goes out and meets his ‘fans’! Chats, take pictures with all and shares his love for his beloved Father… No ego! This, is one rare, extraordinarly talented gem! Again, Bob, mega thanks!
Rose Gross-Marino
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So glad you wrote this Bob.
Willie kills live, and solo, at McCabes, probably the ultimate Willie experience.
Keeper of the flame…
jimeddy
Ann Arbor
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I like you bought Willie Nile’s self titled debut. It still remains in heavy rotation for me. Also like you, I never saw Willie live until a couple of years ago when he played a full band show for a nice summer crowd on Long Beach Island.
I was blown away.
They joy of standing up and singing along reminded me of concerts from long ago
Willie is a true legend in my mind.
Going stronger than ever at 78.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Donald Furrer
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I LOVE WILLIE NILE!
Bill Green
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I love it when anyone totally gets what I do about an artist. And especially when you do.
I’d never heard of him when I first saw him play at The Carleton in Halifax. Mike Campbell runs a thing he calls an Urban Folk Festival. He books three people whose music he loves “from away” and sets them up with a true all star local band.
That show. Willie with The Halifax Allstars remains in my top five live shows. It would have been an easy remodelling the next day because they took the paint off the walls.
How do I describe what I saw and how I felt? I don’t need to. You just did. That same feeling of how is it everyone doesn’t know this guy, to the enjoyment of songs heard for the first time. Rock and Roll lives here.
Jeff Pinhey in Halifax
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I loved Willie Nile’s first LP and was a music director at a small station in the South and we played Vagabond Moon and It’s All Over and some others. But the phones didn’t light up.
I got his second LP and liked it but then I lost track of his releases until Streets of New York in 2006. It’s absolutely one of my favorite albums!
I saw Willie at McCabe’s years ago and sure wish I’d known he was there whenever you saw him.
Glad to know he’s still killing it.
Bill Fitzhugh
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As a long time Willie Nile fan, thank you For this.
Rik Shafer
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Hey Bob: Thrilled you got to see one of the best kept secrets in rock ‘n roll. I first saw Willie live with a full band at Theodore’s Blues Booze and Barbecue Restaurant in Springfield, MA in the early 2000’s. He tore the roof off. I’ve been a diehard fan ever since and have seen plenty of his acoustic and electric shows. I’ve told so many friends about the guy. His live shows are always memorable. He is remarkably gifted singer songwriter and a sweet down to earth guy.
My favorite filmmaker Jim Jarmusch says of Willie “…he continues to live somewhere below the radar, crafting his songs from street level observations and the leanings of his heart.”
And from Lucinda Williams “…Willie Nile is a great artist. If there was any justice in the world, I’d be opening up for him instead of him for me.”
And when Bruce Springsteen plays Jersey or New York, he often brings Willie up on stage.
Great great great interview with Mr. Nile on NPR from 2006…
Saw him last week at Joe’s Pub, Bob and he was amazing , also saw him solo at CityWinery last year doing a 2 night early and late career thing…not sure why I I didn’t connect earlier but now I can’t get enough… It’s a little like Jesse Malin who I also found in the past couple years…saw his show Silver Manhattan recently and in the same way can’t understand why both Willie and Jesse aren’t more well known …glad you enjoyed it…John Canavari
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I first heard Willie Nile on the ‘Largo’ album (I think you understandably breezed right over this one on your episode with Eric Bazilian). I picked up a used copy of the CD at one of those used CD places that used to exist. The cover kind of jumped out at me because it was some sort of cardboard thing rather than the standard jewel case, and I also wondered if the album was someone’s modern take on Dvorak. Anyway, back to Willie. He sang “Medallion” which was one of my least favorite cuts on the album, so I kind of forgot about him.
Fast forward about 10 years and I was talking about music with this cat who grew up on Long Island and was sort of obsessive about the NYC music scene. He was raving about Garland Jeffreys, Mink DeVille and Willie Nile one night while we were out drinking, and I was reminded of Willie’s name. I went out and got the self titled album and was hooked right off the bat with “Vagabond Moon”.
I finally got to see him play as a showcase artist at Folk Alliance International about 5 years after that. He sure wasn’t folk. He oozed pure New York cool. He was Willie. Glad he’s still out there doing it.
Todd Shelton
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I thought that might have been you at the show… Happy to see that it was and you saw what we did too. We followed you out the door, I think, although when you went to your seat just before showtime I mentioned to my wife that it might be you…
I admittedly didn’t know Willie’s name but I’m forever reading the McCabe’s emails and thinking of the shows I should try to go to, and the combination of their write-up and the timing worked well so we jumped. I should motivate to see Tom Rush this summer (especially as a New England guy) but we shall see. I think the last show we saw there was 10+ years ago. We clearly have been missing out.
(We saw Jimmie Webb last Friday at Catalina Bar & Grill, in part informed/inspired by your interview with him).
I was thinking this week that as I listen to all your podcasts, the 2 hours or so I listen to you every week puts you high on the leaderboard of people I spend time with outside of work during any given week – inclusive of all but one family member who lives under our roof. A curious thing.
Keep doing what you’re doing. Hope your health issues are resolving.
Regards
John Kimble
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You bring the truth.. Been catching Willie perform for too many years and wondering why he hasn’t caught on with the people. His full band shows are also must sees as he brings the show, so much music, so many shows, just not enough time. Once again, thank you Bob.
Thanks Clint,
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I’m a huge Willy fan and I’ve been seeing him since the early 80s. You are correct in saying his live shows are his identity but his LPS are great as well! To say he’s never had a breakthrough hit it is not exactly correct, Vagabond Moon from the first LP and Golden Down from his second LP where what I would call hits!
mrscott616
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I’ve seen Willie Nile, go see Willie Nile.
All the best,
Bruce Lorenz
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Hey Bob, thx for the story on Willie. Willie does have a great rock’n’roll band based in nyc. The bass player is Johnny Pisano, the drummer is Jon Weber, and sorry, can’t tell you who the current lead guitarist is. I know Jon Weber because he has a rehearsal spot in the Music Building in Manhattan, as do I. They kick ass! You can find multiple YouTubes, including them playing at the NJ Light of Day benefit shows along with Bruce.
Keep on rocking and writing!
Ira Zadikow
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I’ve seen Willie a couple of times at McCabes and I’m not at all surprised that it sold out. He brings it! And I’m glad to hear that he is still bringing it at his age. I’ve seen him with a band and they ROCK. Either way, he is going to entertain you for the night.
Bruce Greenberg
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Every word, every bit of praise, was so well deserved by my friend, the unstoppable Willie Nile. We’ve been running on the same road for a while now and our paths often cross in Italy and Spain. And like myself, Willie continues to wear his optimism on his sleeve. We’re still hungry for an impossible arena style success and that’s what drives rock troubadours like us to the next gig, no matter if our faded dreams defy logic.
Someone should write a book about the fate of late 70s – early 80s singer-songwriters. Willie, Steve Forbert, Garland Jeffries and myself were made from harder stuff than “soft rock” and our roots barely reached the folk revival of the early 60s . Our bible was not Harry Smith’s anthology of American Folk Music and although easily categorized as “New Dylans” by rock writers and publicists who took the lazy route of meaningless genres, we had little in common with him or each other for that matter. We learned to play acoustic guitar inspired by Keith Richards’ Gibson Hummingbird on Wild Horses. It was not “folk rock” – but more like “rock folk” – we wanted to think deep like the folkies but boogie like true rockers. I for one think all of us succeeded in doing just that.
But sadly, for some reason I’ll never understand, the term “singer songwriter” became a dirty word in the American Music business. 1977 was the pivotal year when the public embraced disco while the media was attracted to the nihilist vision of punk … not to mention that Elvis died.
Suddenly singer-songwriters like us became music business orphans. Of course, the one great exception was Bruce Springsteen. He got through the gate just in time with his secret weapon – an unstoppable stage performer who continues to mesmerize audiences around the world. And as Willie can testify, Bruce’s generosity toward his peers is unmatched. I’ve played before 80,000 people in Paris when he invited me onstage for Born to Run. The Beatles may have been about love, and the Stones about sex, but Bruce has always been about hope. For all of us.
If AI takes over popular music, it will have no difficulty replicating today’s lyrics, the vast majority of which are meaningless. And how could they not be when you’ve got a dozen songwriters on a hit song making sure not one word will cause a ripple in the culture. In 1977 Columbia records gave me a hard time for including the word “breast” on my album “Just a Story from America.” Can you imagine?
But I’m not bitter and neither (I think) is Willie because without that major label push both of us were graced with early in our careers, neither of us would’ve been able to continue doing what we’ve been doing for these last 50 years. I’ve played almost 3000 shows and released over 50 albums. And I’m sure Willie’s numbers are nearly the same.
And speaking of numbers, can someone explain to me when it became OK to rate songwriters as per the recent NYT list? Are songwriters now in the same category as professional athletes? All time batting average for Leonard Cohen? Does success = quality? I don’t think so…
From Paris,
Elliott Murphy
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Willie is a force of nature, onstage and off. He commands attention like few performers of any age, and he is a wise and kind and funny and generous human to boot; what you see is absolutely what you get. It’s no coincidence that Bruce has brought Willie up to join him on his shows so many times over the years… game recognizes game. (BTW you’re right that he’s great solo, but Willie’s band definitely does not detract from his essence; they kick ass and add to the power and joy; hopefully you’ll have a chance to see them sometime too.)
Willie and I used to see each other around the NY scene for ages, and in the Spring of 2008, we finally made plans to meet up for lunch and catch up for real. The week we were supposed to get together, my father ended up in the hospital with what turned out to be a terminal case of lymphoma, so I had to call Willie to reschedule. We barely knew each other at the time, but he spent over an hour on the phone with me as I sat sobbing in my father’s car in front of my parents’ house. He told me about his dad, his kids, his trials and his joys, and was as present and and solid as any lifelong friend might have been. Even if he weren’t a rock star on stage, he’s a rock star in my book for things like this alone (and there are plenty more examples). I always feel better after spending time with him; he is that rare dude who consistently spreads positivity and you know it’s completely genuine.
He sings, “I’m a soldier marching in the army, got no gun to shoot, but what I got is one guitar, I got this one guitar….” and he sure has learned how to make it talk.
Be well,
Judy Tint
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Thak you Bob, great article on Willie and so happy that you gave him his well-deserved recognition.
Like you, I knew Willie’s first album. I knew who he was, appreciated that album, but there was not much more to go on. He could have been a contender, but some bad lawyer advice – his career went on hold and never recovered during the golden age.
When I was running the King Biscuit Flower Hour record label, I came across a tape of him playing a Wollman Rink Central Park show – I was mesmerized by the songs and raw energy that was coming out of my speakers. I was smitten. No management company that I could find. I learned he was from Buffalo, found out his real name, the Buffalo address, and called the house cold and asked for him – by his real name. I ended up talking to his Dad who shares his name, and said not you, I need to speak to Willie Nile. I was eventually given his Greenwich Village home phone, spoke to him, went to see him, and released the live album which is still one of my favorites.
Wille and I became friends; he is smart, well spoken, friendly and just a nice person with no attitude or airs. He is humble. I went to many of his shows with or without a band. He bands were always great, Rich Pagano on drums and a guitarist whom I discovered playing with Willie named Andy York who played during his Mellencamp breaks. As an aside, turns out Andy and I have the six degrees of separation thing.
Willie’s shows are always great. He has the Springsteen vibe in him. Movement, joy, action and great songs that you can relate you. I haven’t seen him in a few years. But I am proud of what he has done the past 20. He keeps on writing, releasing independent records, and fighting the good fight because of his love of writing and music.
I’ve been to many McCabe’s shows when I lived in LA, I lived close by. I’m jealous I was not there. It’s Willie, whom I will always love and respect.
Best,
Barry Ehrmann
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Thanks for recognizing the criminally under-rated talents of Willie Nile! I first saw him at his Toronto album release show in 1980 at the El Mocambo after playing the album in-store at A&A Records on Yonge St. where I worked at the time. I was especially fond of the single, Vagabond Moon, a track he rarely even performs these days. I saw him again at the Horseshoe Tavern on the tour for his follow up album, Golden Down and again he was fantastic. He left Arista Records and resurfaced years later on Columbia with Places I Have Never Been, a truly brilliant record that no one payed attention to and was hard to find. The next album, now on an indie, Beautiful Wreck Of The World, suffered the same fate.
He delivered what I think is the definitive Willie album, Streets Of New York, in 2006 and when I opened a venue in Halifax – The Carleton – in 2008, I took a flyer and phoned his manager and somehow arranged to fly him to Halifax for a solo show in 2008. Three years later I invited him back to play the second version of my Halifax Urban Fold Festival (now in its 17th year), this time with a band of local All Stars to back him up, and even though he only met them at sound check, they absolutely killed it.
I had him back to play with his own NYC-based band and even traveled to see them at Joe’s Pub once. The man is a machine these days, routinely releasing a great album every year and continues to tour relentlessly in the U.S., Canada and Europe. I am now honoured to consider him a friend and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if, considering his genetics, he keeps it up until he’s 100. He is the real deal and is recognized as such by talents like Pete Townshend, Bruce Springsteen and Ian Hunter; it’s about time everyone else caught up!
Mike Campbell
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Thanks so much Bob. Bless your RnR heart! Heartfelt thanks for what you wrote in the newsletter. My inbox and phone are blowing up! I’m humbled and deeply grateful. Coming from you that means a ton!
What kind of crazy, f*cked up world do we live in where we get a better description of, understanding of, delineation of, modern society, from Covid to Trump, in a book as opposed to any other entertainment medium, even the news!
Now at this point Elizabeth Strout is mostly known for “Olive Kitteridge,” an award-winning series on HBO, but an even better book.
And if you dive into Strout’s work you’ll see that she’s mined the life of Olive and those in her environs in a number of books, very well I must say.
But “The Things We Never Say” is different.
And it’s different from so much of what’s out there, Strout is truly in her own lane, what we are waiting for in music, someone who uses the same tools but comes up with something totally unique.
Strout knows the language, but she doesn’t have to let you know she does. It’s akin to a guitarist who knows it’s better to leave stuff out rather than overload you with notes to impress you with their talent. Strout disappears completely in this book, you’re enmeshed with the characters.
Although not really.
You see most people are jabbing hard, or pulling their punches. Can you talk about politics? Can you be friends with someone on the other side? And believe me, Strout takes sides, it’s very clear. She’s anti-Trump, she’s worried about antisemitism, and also worried about the death and destruction in Gaza.
So her beliefs are there, but the stunning thing is your beliefs are embedded inside you and most people rarely verbalize them, for fear of being labeled, misunderstood, ostracized.
That’s one of the main themes in “The Things We Never Say”…can anybody really know another? You can be happily married for decades, but what is truly going on inside of the other person’s brain…you don’t know.
All these human elements are in Strout’s book.
So it’s set on the north shore of Boston. It’s got that New England feel like the Olive Kitteridge books, but Maine is different from Massachusetts. Other than Portland, most of Maine is off the grid, whereas Boston and its environs may in some ways be provincial, but it’s an epicenter of education and research.
So Artie, who comes from nothing, is a teacher. And he’s married to Evie, who comes from something. Evie encounters Artie in a charitable environment and she’s drawn to him, she needs to marry him. And not much more is said about her falling in love in the book, but you get it. Other works go on for pages describing the infatuation, the feelings, but in truth, much love starts with a bolt of lightning, you get a feeling about somebody and…
There’s the tension of the different economic backgrounds, and the judgment that comes along with it.
Artie keeps asking the deep questions, but most people deflect them. Does anybody really want to talk about free will?
But the epigraph at the beginning of the book stunned me, it’s from Carl Jung:
“Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.
When I read this my eyes bugged-out like in a Looney Tunes cartoon. Most of the stuff that’s important to me people don’t want to talk about, at least in the depth I want to. Can I tell you how much time I spend each day reading ski news? Everybody says they’re into skiing, but I’m REALLY into skiing. And I’m not judging others, but if I want to talk about ramp angle in one’s boots, if I say you really should have at least three pairs of skis…they judge me for those feelings/beliefs, even though World Cup skiers travel with a hundred pairs of skis.
Oh, but I’m not a World Cup skier, I know… But I can feel the difference with equipment, and that’s so important to me. You don’t want an under 100mm ski in deep powder and you certainly don’t want a 120, even a 110 on hard pack.
And now your eyes are rolling into the back of your head.
Or Tucker Carlson… I listened to his interview with the “New York Times” and you should see my inbox… People have gone wild on me, they’re still going wild on me, you’d think I was endorsing Tucker and his positions. But no, I listened to what he said and was analyzing…
It’s just like in the music business, when I want to split hairs and the response is always the same…it sold out, there’s nothing to say! Or it was stiff or…
So I shut up.
And then there’s the issue of secrets being held from you.
And like in that Paul Simon song, “Something So Right”:
“When something goes wrong
I’m the first to admit it
I’m the first to admit it
But the last one to know”
I’ve been doing this so long that I know the most off the wall responses come first. Hell, there was this guy telling me about Blue Dot Fever, about how Chris Stapleton had so many unsold seats for his stadium show in Nashville.
My first reaction was… Well, Chris has been on the road for a while, maybe he’s burned out the fans. But I go on Ticketmaster and every seat for sale was a RESALE seat, there were no primary tickets available, they’d all sold out. But this guy, he was convinced.
I never should have doubted myself.
I live my life on the surface, as in I’m not devious, and therefore I don’t expect it in return. I come from a family of outbursts and arguments, there were no Machiavellian plays made. But I’ve been the butt of covert plans throughout my life. And the weird thing is to a degree that’s how you get ahead. By having plans and doing what’s expedient to get to the destination. And it’s why so many truly successful people have no real friends. They know a lot of people, but someone who’ll come over in the middle of the night, take them to the ER or just listen to their tale of woe…
I’ve been victimized by secrets, by omissions of facts. It’s hard to trust people after that. I’ve gotten over the hump, but this book brings it back. You’ve got your life ordered in one way, and then the apple cart is upset and…
If you grew up in the northeast, there are all the tropes that will make you swoon, the changing of seasons, the color of the leaves, the brisk winter air that requires a heavy coat, the water, but one I’d completely forgotten about was the wrapping of the bushes. Oh, it’s such an effort to live there, unlike Southern California. It builds character, and its residents will tell you so, in many cases they feel superior.
So friendship and relationship arcs…
I had this good friend in college, and he drifted away. I said something to him, that was a mistake. It wasn’t a confrontation, it wasn’t ugly, it’s just that it became clear he’d moved on, it was uncomfortable.
Happened with a good friend just recently. Suddenly the texts and e-mails dropped dramatically. This time I knew not to say anything. We’re still friends, but it’s not the same.
I thought it was just me, but those experiences are right in this book.
Or really connecting with someone and finding out years later that the friendship no longer serves you, that you no longer want to reveal as much to them, be as close.
And Artie’s got feelings that he doesn’t share, but even worse is Evie is oftentimes oblivious, wrapped up in her own world. He wants her to see him, but is she incapable or is she working through her own problems or…
And the weak. Artie stands up for the derided. In truth, very few people do that. You know, the person people make fun of in class. And then there’s those who are troubled, what is really happening in their lives?
I started this book last night and just couldn’t put it down. I was drawn to these people and their lives.
Can you call someone an a**hole even after they’re dead?
What does it take to find a couple you can hang with, the four of you, and be happy.
What are your hopes and desires, can they come true? Will anybody support your vision if you verbalize it, will they not make fun of your dreams?
This is an astounding book. That is totally current. Were you anxious about the 2024 election, were you shocked by Musk and his actions with DOGE? Who are these people, where do they come from? Do we have to be wary of what we say…
And then there are those who just can’t take it anymore and take action…
This is America. “The Things We Never Say” has no answers, but the issues are there, they’re clear. We’re all wandering around, looking for connection, to be known. And we want to be left at peace, free from outside interference.
They should probably change the name. Most people believe AI actually thinks, akin to a human being. It does not, and if it ever will…that ability is years off according to the experts.
No, what AI does is send out queries and assembles an answer from what comes back. So, when you hear about training… These companies are creating a database, as much information as they can, to which these queries can be sent. As for the process of assembling a final answer from what comes back from said queries…this is where you’ll famously hear that even those in the business don’t know exactly how it works.
But the concept of AI sitting there like you or me, thinking about a question, coming up with an answer, that’s not what is going on at all. And you’ll read all this if you study closely, but most people do not. Older people are caught up in AI hysteria, younger people have already embraced AI, and are using it in school to a degree that is both unknown and unfathomable to oldsters.
So, AI has existed for years and years. Those predictions on your iPhone, you know, when the app to use is suggested? That’s based on your previous behavior, the system has learned to predict what you might want. But you might not want what has been proffered.
Anyway, AI is like socialism. In that it’s already here, embedded deep in our society, the only question is whether we want more. Scratch that, whether there will BE more.
Further socialist inroads are probably at the behest of the government. Then again, when most people learn what socialism truly is they are supportive of its present uses, like Social Security, it’s just that the moniker is deceptive, just like with AI.
We want to have AI in our lives, there are many advantages, many of which you’re already using, like in the iPhone suggestions referenced above. Your phone seems to know that you want Safari or Instagram or TikTok or…
But should we be afraid of AI?
Well, how can we be afraid of it if most people don’t know what it is and how it works?
I’m far from an expert, but I follow this subject to a degree, and even I learned stuff from Joanna Stern’s book.
What you’ve got to know about Joanna Stern…
She was a tech reporter at the “Wall Street Journal” who just left her job to start her own business, you can check it all out at: https://thenewthings.com
But the thing about Joanna is…she’s the anti-Kara Swisher. She isn’t in-your-face confrontational, she’s warm and wry and friendly and honest. It’s an interesting combination.
In other words Joanna Stern is likable, I’d say even lovable!
Unlike seemingly every other media celebrity, when interacting online she is nice, she doesn’t have a hair trigger as a result of enduring so much hate, she always comes across like it’s her first time, bringing people together as opposed to creating division.
And her life story is well-known, in that she met her wife on Twitter and they have two kids and…
This book is the story of not only Joanna, but her family experiencing AI.
So a lot of the book is about using AI toys, the robots, the pets… And what we learn is as good as some of them are, they are not quite ready for prime time.
But as you get deeper into the book…
Joanna tries to have an AI relationship. All we hear is about how evil these are, with little information… Joanna is open-minded and her experience will cause you to think.
Even more so regarding AI in education. She returns to her alma mater, Union College, and takes a class and quizzes the students about their use of AI… What we get here is facts as opposed to hysteria, and we need that.
And then there’s her use of a bot she created to do research that obviates the need for the human help she previously employed…
And it’s all written with Joanna’s sense of humor.
Now if you know nothing about AI I’d say this is a must-read, in that it humanizes AI, brings it down to the level of the average person.
If you’re an expert?
Well, you’ll still learn stuff.
But we need more of this, AI use and analysis thereof in today’s society. Too many people view AI like social media, that it’s the devil and should be avoided before it is killed. But you’ve got to experience these platforms before you can render a worthy opinion.
Joanna helps you get there.
Whilst revealing personal information which makes the book almost an autobiography. Talking about her relationship with her high school and college boyfriend Evan, her interaction with Michele and her kids…
So far, this is the only book on this subject written from ground level by a user.
