Ken Tucker's Profile

George Jones, a fool no more

George Jones, who died this past Friday at age 81, had long been lauded as one of the greatest voices in country music history. He was also, along with Hank Williams, one of country music's most cautionary tales, with a... Continue reading

Posted Apr 28, 2013 at The Best American Poetry

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Richard Hell's punk poetry memoir 'I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp': No void here [by Ken Tucker]

Richard Hell wrote one of the best songs built around one of the least useful, or at least most misunderstood, phrases of 1970s punk rock in “Blank Generation,” for his band the Voidoids. To his great credit, as his new... Continue reading

Posted Mar 17, 2013 at The Best American Poetry

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J.R.I.P.: Larry Hagman haunts "Dallas" [by Ken Tucker]

The wonderful TV and literary critic and dexterous light-verse emitter, Clive James, once wrote that “J.R. Ewing’s reign as the King of Dallas reached its apotheosis under Reagan. Now that corrupt America was passé and straight-arrow America was back in... Continue reading

Posted Mar 12, 2013 at The Best American Poetry

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"Girls" review: Lena Dunham's problems for, and with, parents

This week’s Girls was a high point in a second season that’s been a bit of a disappointment. After making a well-deserved media splash as a novel TV approach to the depiction of Young Women In Our Time, Girls is... Continue reading

Posted Feb 25, 2013 at The Best American Poetry

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A holiday gift idea: 'Everything Is An Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson'

Here’s my Christmas book gift recommendation. To (re-)discover a first-rate critic, and read about a life that went wrong in a harrowing way, you must read Everything Is An Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson (Fantagraphics Press), by... Continue reading

Posted Dec 4, 2011 at The Best American Poetry

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Nick Ashford, dead at 70, a songwriter as 'solid as a rock'

Following the death of Jerry Leiber (see David Lehman’s fine tribute below) comes the news that another half of another fine songwriting team – Nick Ashford of Ashford and Simpson – has died, at age 70. While I would never... Continue reading

Posted Aug 23, 2011 at The Best American Poetry

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Gladys Horton, lead singer for The Marvelettes: More than just another fish in the sea

Gladys Horton, one of the lead singers for the Marvelettes, has died. It’s a measure of how little respect this great girl-group has been given that The New York Times obituary of Horton had to resort to many hedges due... Continue reading

Posted Jan 28, 2011 at The Best American Poetry

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'Howl' and James Franco: A brief review

Newsweek has already hailed Howl as "a great film," which is exactly what it is not. Now, a great performance -- that's more like it. James Franco (above, right) captures the Allen Ginsberg we hear in our heads and know... Continue reading

Posted Sep 25, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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Post-Emmy Haiku

Kyra Sedgwick, what the hell? Connie Britton, you were robbed, football muse. Continue reading

Posted Aug 31, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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1 TV Haiku

MAD MEN II Peggy peeks into Don's office sees his despair No schadenfreude, kid Continue reading

Posted Aug 28, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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2 TV Haiku

MAD MEN Betty slaps Sally Children are playing outside Don drinks in the pain EMMY AWARDS THIS WEEKEND Jane Lynch will win prize Great glee splurge through cameras If Conan wins, too Continue reading

Posted Aug 27, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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The Mystery of Mom by Ken Tucker

My mother died a few years ago. I’ve discovered what many people already know: that you can’t predict how you’ll remember someone after she or he is gone, what memories will bob to the surface again and again.I’ve found that... Continue reading

Posted May 9, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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"What's the name of this gal? Oh, yeah -- Emily Dickinson... "

Bill Murray reads poetry while wearing a hard-hat: Continue reading

Posted May 3, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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'Breaking Bad' tonight: Walt reads Walt: White on Whitman [by Ken Tucker]

I urge you to watch tonight’s episode of Breaking Bad, which finds Bryan Cranston’s Walter White adjusting to the dissolution of his marriage while declining to abandon one big reason it dissolved: He still wants/needs to make meth to pay... Continue reading

Posted Apr 25, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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'Mad Men' dolls: Barbie and Ken get some competition

Not content to daydream about the scenarios in which you'd like to place your favorite characters from Mad Men? Bored waiting for the new season to begin? Play with dolls. Barbie dolls. Barbie dolls of Don and Betty Draper, Roger... Continue reading

Posted Mar 10, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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Kate McGarrigle: Heartbeat Accelerating [by Ken Tucker]

The death of singer and songwriter Kate McGarrigle, at age 63 on Jan. 18 of clear-cell sarcoma, is an awful loss. As recently as Dec. 9 of the year past, she performed with her sister Anna and her children Rufus... Continue reading

Posted Jan 20, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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Happy birthday yesterday, Elvis Presley!

Elvis Presley was born 75 years ago yesterday. As the terrific musician Patterson Hood wrote yesterday, his birth is the date the celebrate, not the anniversary of his death, since, among other reasons, "Pat Boone's daughter had the #1 record... Continue reading

Posted Jan 9, 2010 at The Best American Poetry

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'Tony Towle at 70' at The Poetry Project [by Ken Tucker]

This past Wednesday, The Poetry Project hosted a "Tony Towle at 70" celebration. Towle, to my mind the New York School's most distinctive lyric poet, was well-served by the procession of poets who saluted him, preceding his own reading. One... Continue reading

Posted Dec 3, 2009 at The Best American Poetry

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Footnoting the pop culture in this week's 'Mad Men'

• Early on, Pete cuts off wife Trudy's questions by snapping, "Trudy, stop it with the Ellery Queen." Ellery Queen was, of course, the fictional detective and pseudonym of Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee, author/star of over 20 novels... Continue reading

Posted Nov 2, 2009 at The Best American Poetry

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Thanks, everyone--made those corrections. (Sometimes I still think of Jared Padalecki as Dean from Gilmore Girls--duh.) Happy Supernaturalizing!

Commented May 15, 2009 on 'Supernatural' finale: Sam and Dean and Apocalypse now at Ken Tucker's Watching TV

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Mr. Phillips--you're right: Hader's Malkovich was very good & I shd have mentioned it. Done. Thanks.

Commented Mar 15, 2009 on 'Saturday Night Live' Weekly Watch: Tracy Morgan needed more than big love at Ken Tucker's Watching TV

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Really, really funny... because, as they say, it's true. Thank you, Whitney.

Commented Feb 24, 2009 on Clip du Jour: Louis CK on why everything is amazing and nobody is happy at PopWatch

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AJ--You're right: Larry, not Henry. Got my names-ending-in-"ry" confused. Thanks!

Commented Feb 10, 2009 on '24' mediocrity-mole: Renee Walker at Ken Tucker's Watching TV

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Horatio--Your are right: What was I thinking? Poehler is more artfully manic--I've made a change above. Thanks for pointing that out.

Commented Jan 16, 2009 on Just how conservative is NBC getting? at Ken Tucker's Watching TV

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Thanks, aymzer: fixed!

Commented Jan 2, 2009 on What's the worst thing you watched on TV all week? at Ken Tucker's Watching TV

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