After Adam Jonathan Jones, 45, passed away this year, his friend (and From Big Sur bandmate) Kevin Ream began searching for the songs he left behind. The result is a new self-titled Adam Jones compilation showcasing the late songwriter’s dynamic output of music. From lush rock ’n roll and funky jams, to experimental loner-folk ballads, this disc is a heartfelt sendoff for a brilliant local talent.

Are you a gearhead? Do you dig classic cars? Are you a history geek and track mankind’s progress based on its taste in automobiles?

The world of writers was agog when federal legislation was introduced to hire unemployed authors to produce a written chronicle of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on American society. 

Michael Brand, director of MSU’s Wharton Center since 2004, announced his plans to retire this week. He plans to exit before the fall, although he is willing to stay on a bit longer, if asked.

Yesterday I biked in Michigan Avenue’s new bike lanes, from Harriet Street to Creyts Road in Delta Township. No one yelled at me, spat on me, honked at me or hit me. It was wonderful. 

The act of naming a thing gives it a firmer reality. The thing becomes knowable in a way that can be easily communicated and repeated. Inevitably, naming also reduces the possibilities of what a thing might be. The word “define” literally means to set limits on something.

Michigan’s experiment with plucking random people off the street to run an important government function took, yet, another public relations blow last week.

It’s a sad and sobering reflection on the state of our nation that equal rights for all Americans remains an elusive goal. The idea that we are all created equal and possess the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness has yet to translate into lived equality that includes people of every race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability and all the other characteristics that define us as humans.