Local comedians ‘stand up’ at The Laugh Attic
read more…: Local comedians ‘stand up’ at The Laugh AtticAmerican writer Mark Twain—arguably the funniest person in all American letters—once wrote that “humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.”
Byline: Nathan Graziano
Posts by Nathan Graziano
My crash course in what is really important
read more…: My crash course in what is really importantEarly Saturday morning, I was awakened twice by nightmares about car crashes. These days I seldom have bad dreams that will wake me from a sleep. I found it strange but went back to bed while my wife—who is an early riser—went to the grocery store.
School’s out (The Teacher’s Edition)
read more…: School’s out (The Teacher’s Edition)While there are certainly classes that, as a teacher, you’ll look back on fondly—as well as those classes that will continue to haunt your nightmares until your dying breath—one of the best things about my profession is that I still get to experience the exhilaration of the summer vacation every June.
Local musician connects with ‘Songs You Know by Heart’
read more…: Local musician connects with ‘Songs You Know by Heart’The Pizza Man Bar and Grille in Manchester—a cavernous-yet-comfortable place tucked away in a strip of buildings on East Industrial Drive—might be a far cry from the Madison Square Garden, but for Manchester-musician Ernesto Burden, it is a perfectly intimate venue for connecting with a crowd.
Proposed endings for my wife’s story (or what you can do with an MFA in fiction writing)
read more…: Proposed endings for my wife’s story (or what you can do with an MFA in fiction writing)So—at the risk of mansplaining—I’m going to put my MFA in fiction writing to good use and propose some more dramatic confrontations and resolutions to my wife’s story according to three popular genres.
It’s a bad month to be a homophobe
read more…: It’s a bad month to be a homophobeSimply stated, the people who object to Pride Month are often the same people who have made Pride Month a necessity. They are also often the same people who will wrap themselves in an American flag and tout the virtues of freedom, while wanting to oppress the rights of others; or the same people who grab their Bibles and claim to be walking in the shadow Jesus, while practicing prejudice and intolerance.
There is no faking it for Fisher Cats’ on-field emcee
read more…: There is no faking it for Fisher Cats’ on-field emceeStanding along the first base line, Andrew Marais—the 32-year-old on-field emcee and the Senior Manager of Marketing and Promotions with the Fisher Cats organization—dons a bright green blazer with his face painted white and his hair dyed green to resemble The Joker from the “Batman” series.
Creativity renaissance: The Bards throw down at Stark Brewing Company
read more…: Creativity renaissance: The Bards throw down at Stark Brewing CompanyThere is something happening here in Manchester, something fresh and unique rumbling just below the surface. The voices of poets, writers and performers of all sorts are teasing out a literary scene in the Queen City.
Prayers for my favorite bartender
read more…: Prayers for my favorite bartenderAnd my favorite bartender is a French-Canadian woman named Sylvia Caron. Sylvia has worked at Chelby’s Pizza for more than 40 years and has not lost a step. Like all fine bartenders, Sylvia is personable and kind and patient.
‘ThunderCats’ taught me everything I need to know about life
read more…: ‘ThunderCats’ taught me everything I need to know about lifeI’m about to get all Gen X, sitting-cross-legged-in-front-of-the-television-eating-Cocoa-Puffs real with everyone now.
What the hell is a ‘summer body’ anyway?
read more…: What the hell is a ‘summer body’ anyway?According to the BMI chart—and I understand that the BMI chart is a dubious and sometimes dangerous measure of healthy weight—I’m not a lost cause, but the opportunity to get my “summer body” continues to dwindle in my rearview as I speed off to another rendezvous with a cheeseburger and a beer.
June 8: Jollycations to host second annual adult prom in Nashua
read more…: June 8: Jollycations to host second annual adult prom in NashuaIt’s prom season, and while teenagers throughout the nation are stocking up on whitening strips and working on their tans, the adults are just supposed to snap the pictures of the teens gleaming for the camera. Not so fast.
Yard work and a communist manifesto
read more…: Yard work and a communist manifestoMy stomach sunk as I remembered. I remembered committing to rake the stupid refuse in our stupid yard and pack it in the stupid lawn bags then mow the stupid lawn. I remembered agreeing to help sweep our stupid patio and pull the stupid weeds growing in the stupid cracks between the stupid bricks.
Pembroke City Limits: Creating a community space for music, art, good food and good vibes
read more…: Pembroke City Limits: Creating a community space for music, art, good food and good vibesWith business partner Eric Klesper, of New Boston, who will handle the books and business management—as well as working some bartending shifts— and the culinary talents of Kelley-Sue LeBlanc (aka KSL) owner of The Sleazy Vegan catering and food truck, Azevedo is opening Pembroke City Limits, a restaurant and tavern in the historic mills of Suncook Village.
An Existential Pug reflects on sheet
read more…: An Existential Pug reflects on sheetAs soon as I’m lifted onto the bed, I’m greeted by this picture of a pug that looks like me and is, quite literally, larger than life. There I am, the “King of Kings,” or the “Pug of Pugs.” But unlike Ozymandias, I’m aware of the fact that time will sweep me into oblivion, as it will all of you, too.
Sunday afternoon at the park, taking in some baseball
read more…: Sunday afternoon at the park, taking in some baseballI can’t remember exactly how it originally came up, but one night I was out with Manchester Ink Link’s publisher Carol Robidoux, and the topic of baseball and the Fisher Cats came up. I remember expressing an interest in writing some feature pieces on the team—the organization and its personalities, the park and its idiosyncrasies, the fans and minor league baseball culture.
A blood moon over Boston: Remembering the 2004 Red Sox
read more…: A blood moon over Boston: Remembering the 2004 Red SoxA blood moon hung in the night sky above Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, Mo., on October 27, 2004, a night that ended 86 years of abject misery for the Boston Red Sox and their devoted fanbase.
Don’t look up!
read more…: Don’t look up!As a boy, I watched Desmond Davis’ 1981 film “Clash of the Titans” on HBO, long before I read any Greek mythology. The film lingered with me, not as a budding mythology buff, but as a highly anxious mortal, terrified by the world.
Crowd seeks ‘spirits’ at The Shaskeen
read more…: Crowd seeks ‘spirits’ at The ShaskeenIt’s easy to succumb to skepticism when it comes to believing in the paranormal and spiritual realms. If something is not in front of you and as solid as an American dollar bill—which is still largely imaginary, however—what evidence do you have to prove its existence?
Move over, Mr. Welles, ‘Road House’ needs a seat
read more…: Move over, Mr. Welles, ‘Road House’ needs a seatGyllenhaal shows off all of his Academy Award-nominated chops as the soft-spoken Elwood Dalton. Notice that the character does not have the same given name as Swayze’s character in the original film. Gyllanhaal’s Elwood Dalton is not, in fact, the same character as Swayze’s James Dalton, although they’re both referred to simply as “Dalton.”