We're all products of our culture, like it or not—and these days that’s a culture where we’re bombarded by media artifacts, where highbrow and lowbrow have merged into a vast and indistinguishable middle ground, and where there’s not only something for everybody’s taste but a lot of things you wouldn’t imagine would suit anybody’s taste. Modern cultural life is hopelessly overdetermined. But like anyone, I take a stab at being self-defined, and have my own preferences and enthusiasms. Here's a sampling of them…
Film
Everybody’s a critic, as the saying goes… but some of us are better at it than others. I’m of the school that thinks Hollywood has never matched the standard it set in its “golden age” and probably never will… but like any dedicated cinephile, that doesn’t stop me from offering opinions on more recent work. A few examples…
Comics
My longest-lasting and most passionate hobby… in the fullest sense of the term, defining “hobby” as something you do not for the results but for the joy of the pursuit; not despite the time, energy and expense involved but because of them. I’m devoted to the medium and to many of the characters and creators within it. I’ve also spent years involved in fan organizations such as the APAs (Amateur Press Alliances) Klordny, Legends, and CAPA-Alpha, so many of the efforts below have been honed against the sensibilities of other similarly dedicated fans. I’ve enjoyed every one of them.
Go to the DC Universe Chronology (My pièce de résistance, practically a site unto itself. The crowning achievement of my fannish life. So check it out, already!)
Other interests
Science fiction ranks high on the list, as well. (Yes, I was a stereotypical geek as a kid!) It’ll appear prominently among the sundry other items I’ll be including here. Once you segue into politics and other interests that actually implicate the real world, though, it’s time to look in the Editorial section.