Category Archives: Philadelphia

Weird NJ’s phantom tollbooth attendant

Posted on October 6, 2011 by oddmanout215

It was a wonderful night until I tried to leave New Jersey. I’d read my short story “Chokepoint” at the Walt Whitman Arts Center in Camden, and I’d heard sharp, witty poems by West Coast transplant Seve Torres and a … Continue reading →

Posted in NJ, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Fiction reading Wed. at Rutgers-Camden

Posted on October 3, 2011 by oddmanout215

7 pm Wednesday, Oct. 5 Walt Whitman Arts Center, 2nd Floor 101 Cooper St. Camden, NJ David McKenna, a.k.a. Odd Man Out, will read “Chokepoint,” from Idiot Lights, his collection of thematically related short stories set in Atlantic City and … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, Camden, fiction, NJ, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Adios, summer girl. Or is it ‘sun-eyed’ girl?

Posted on September 22, 2011 by oddmanout215

Summer’s gone and good riddance, I’d rather any weather than a heat wave in Philly. But I still like the idea of summer, which I associate with old memories of hitchhiking, seashore towns, and chasing girls who enjoyed being caught. … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, humor, Philadelphia, pop music | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s the end of the world…! Well, not quite

Posted on August 28, 2011 by oddmanout215

Disaster stories are crowd pleasers, partly because oblivion can seem an appealing alternative to everyday problems that have no solution. At the very least, such stories disrupt the monotony of our insulated, digitized environments and force us to imagine other … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, humor, livable cities, movies, Philadelphia | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We’ll all be rain dogs soon

Posted on August 27, 2011 by oddmanout215

For those in the path of Irene: “Rain Dogs” from Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs (1985) According to reports, Philadelphia will get more rain this weekend than any other major city in the region. Bad news for those of us in … Continue reading →

Posted in food, livable cities, Philadelphia, pop music | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

‘Drug corners’ story makes a sobering point

Posted on August 25, 2011 by oddmanout215

I know a talk radio host who has a passion for esoteric list-making — best NFL defensive linemen who are also convicted felons, best rockabilly guitarists who married their first cousins — that sort of thing. He invites listeners to … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Recession, humor, livable cities, mainstream media, Philadelphia, Politics, The New Depression, unemployment | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Philly schools chief gets $905K to drop out

Posted on August 23, 2011 by oddmanout215

Here’s how not to begin an editorial about the departure of an arrogant and divisive “public servant” who hung on until the school district and anonymous donors gave her $905,000 to go away: It’s a shame that it had to … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, livable cities, Philadelphia, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Did the Earth move for you, too, baby?

Posted on August 23, 2011 by oddmanout215

At Front and Lombard, a woman with a British accent approached me and said “Did you feel the earth shake?” or “Did you feel an earthquake?” There was passion in her voice. I wondered if she’d mistaken me for someone … Continue reading →

Posted in livable cities, Philadelphia, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Some ‘Rain’ to keep us sane in Philly

Posted on August 20, 2011 by oddmanout215

At last the rain god intervened to clean the stinking streets — am I paraphrasing Travis Bickle? — after the hottest July on record in Philly. And now there’s a chance this will be the city’s wettest August on record. … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, humor, livable cities, Philadelphia, pop music | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

More songs about buildings and bikes

Posted on August 17, 2011 by oddmanout215

I was watching a sunburned woman with red hair in a thick braid. In the corner of my eye, a bike rider zoomed past and disappeared behind a bus. I stepped into the street for another look, but the rider … Continue reading →

Posted in arts, enviromentalism, Great Recession, humor, livable cities, Philadelphia, pop music, The New Depression | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments