Michael

My blogs

About me

Gender Male
Industry Communications or Media
Occupation Newspaperman
Location New Jersey, United States
Links Audio Clip
Introduction I work as a copy editor on the news desk of a big daily newspaper. That means I correct other people's grammar and spelling, and write headlines for their articles. I love to write, I love to read. My photography fills the gaps when words fail (as they often do). I've lived in England and Japan, and consider myself more of a wanderer than someone with roots, even if I don't get to travel as much as I would like. My primary interest is Japan -- its religions, history and culture. In 2002, I was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer, and my perspective on everything was changed permanently. My blog provides the details but tries not to dwell upon them. (If you would like to purchase gallery-quality prints of some of my photographs, please click the "View my complete profile" link below and then click on the blue e-mail link that will appear to your left.)
Interests Japan, Okinawan Goju-Ryu karate, reading, writing, photography, music, hiking, poetry, world religions, history, travel, astronomy/stargazing, chess, cats, quiet, darts.
Favorite Movies Anything by Akira Kurosawa and Jim Jarmusch, Godzilla, The Last Samurai, Raging Bull, Goodfellas
Favorite Music Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., Wilco, Dinosaur Jr., Jimi Hendrix, Son House, Bukka White, Public Enemy, Chuck D., Jorma Kaukonen, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Eek-A-Mouse, Lou Reed, Tool, Buju Banton, Laurie Anderson, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Billie Holiday, Afro-Cuban Allstars, Blind Willie McTell, Digital Underground, Buddy Holly, Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, Jane's Addiction, Qawwali music, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Favorite Books Contemporary Japanese literature (especially Haruki Murakami), Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Twain, Vonnegut, Gary Snyder, Basho Matsuo, Siegfried Sassoon, Sinclair Lewis, Han-Shan.

What did you dream when you ate a spider while sleeping?

I dreamed of a world free of silly questions disguised as pseudo-hip banter.