Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Bill Cushing
Bill Cushing: Three Poems
NIÑOS DE LA POBREZA ETERNA (an ovillejo after Fidelio Ponce de Leon’s “Niños”) In Rembrandt hues they pause before coarse nature, abject children who can’t escape this drab landscape— nor its archives of oppression and desperation. Barren famine distends them into el Greco perspective, babes suckling on the effects of coarse nature, this drab landscape—and desperation.
TV TALK with BILL CUSING ~ ‘CODA’
By: Bill Cushing – Nov. 2021 AppleTV+ is currently the only streaming service that produces 100% original content. That content, from original series, documentaries, and films, has consistently been of high quality. Their most recent original film, ‘CODA’, is no exception. Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is in her last year of high school.
Only Murders in the Building ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – October, 2021 Mystery, intrigue, and lots of laughs are abound in Hulu’s delightful new series ‘Only Murders in the Building.’ Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez star as three neighbors who live in a ritzy apartment building on NY’s Upper West Side and become tangled up in a murder mystery. Charles (Martin) is an aging actor, and his history as a famed TV detective comes in handy.
‘The Chair’ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – Sept. 2021 Netflix’s new limited dramedy series ‘The Chair’ is the perfect sized binge. Six episodes, each about 30 minutes, loaded with plot and filled with humor. The show is interesting, engaging, and a really fun watch. ‘The Chair’ takes place over a few weeks at the fictional Pembrooke University English Department.
The New Alchemy: Turning Tragedy to Profits
As we mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States, it might be wise to pause and take stock of what has resulted from the event that has certainly marked the lives of any American older than 28, some perhaps even younger. Like most governmental reactions to catastrophic events, 9/11 produced its fair share of poorly-reasoned over-reactions. Among the resulting bad ideas, the Patriot Act and its love child, the Department of Homeland Security stand tall for starters.
Peacock’s ‘Dr. Death’ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – Aug. 2021 Peacock’s ‘Dr. Death’ is a new limited series based on the hit podcast and inspired by the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), a young and charismatic star in the Texas medical community. After building a successful neurosurgery practice, things suddenly change when patients entering Dr. Duntsch’s operating room for complex but routine spinal surgeries are becoming permanently disabled or dying.
My 2021 Emmy Wish List ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – July, 2021 The Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced shortly and every year I like to review the past year in TV and give my list of who I would like to see recognized. It’s always tough to remember all the great work every year, and not everyone can be nominated. The actors that I mention here are the ones that people just might forget, not the ones that are shoo-ins for a nomination.
‘Mare of Easttown’ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – June, 2021 A shocking crime in a small town leads to an investigation that ultimately reveals every major local scandal in a surprisingly troublesome community. It’s a story that’s been done countless times before.
WESTCHESTER GAINS A CULTURAL JEWEL: Asian American event latest in themed performances
By Bill Cushing on May 19, 2021 in Dance, Focus, Lifestyle, Music, Poetry One might question the decision to open a store in August of 2020. After all, the world was deep in the throes of a pandemic, businesses were shuttered, and people were locked down in their homes. Karen Dial was not one of those prepared to throw in the towel, so she threw caution to the wind instead and opened the Book Jewel in the Westchester area of Los Angeles—an ambitious undertaking to say the least.
‘Superman & Lois’ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – April, 2021 I have stayed away from the overwhelming deluge of superhero shows that have appeared on TV and streaming services in recent years because I felt like they’ve gotten out of hand. Too much, too fast. But when I saw a new Superman series was coming, I decided I would give it a try. I’ve always been a big Superman fan and wanted to see what this would be like. So far, I haven’t been disappointed.
‘City On A Hill’ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – March, 2021 Showtime’s ‘City ON A Hill’ is a gritty crime drama set against the backdrop of 1990’s Boston and stars Kevin Bacon as wayward FBI Agent Jackie Rohr. Jackie appears to be well known throughout all levels of the law enforcement community. Let’s just say his reputation precedes him. He’s a corrupt, adulterous, drug using agent who is still considered somewhat of a legend in Boston for playing a major role in taking down an organized crime family ten years earlier.
Save a Bundle on TV and Internet Packages
By Our Friends on March 11, 2021 inLifestyle The internet and cable industry in the United States is booming. This means that there are endless avenues for all the major stakeholders to expand in areas where these services are not widely available. Nevertheless, no matter where you live, you should know how to save on your monthly internet and TV bill. The best way of saving on these services is to bundle them when there are great promotions available.
A FERLINGHETTI MEMORY
Ferlinghetti By Bill Cushing on March 10, 2021 in Literature, Main Posts, Poetry Getting a chance to actually meet Lawrence Ferlinghetti would be considered a high point in any writer’s life, but for me, how it happened is nearly as memorable as the event itself. Although I didn’t start college until the age of 37, I still knew of Ferlinghetti after reading On the Road and then getting turned on to the Beat writers of my youth.
Poets on Craft: Nicole Yackley and Aline Mello
By Bunkong Tuon on March 10, 2021 in Conversations, Poetry, Spotlight For this thirtieth post in the series, we have Nicole Yackley and Aline Mello. Poets on Craft is a cyberspace for contemporary poets to share their thoughts and ideas on the process of poetry and for students to discover new ways of approaching the writing of poetry. In the face of a pandemic that is both viral and political, it is a resource for strength and creativity, friendship and beauty, love and rejuvenation.
Susan Tepper & Digby Beaumont: Two Poetry-Visual Art Collaborations
Selected by Alexis Rhone Fancher, Poetry Editor By Cultural Weekly on March 10, 2021 inArtPoetrySpotlight Reaching for the Light Some decent wine half wheel of cheese small silver knife corkscrew & two stem glasses toweled in a basket. We both took a handle stumbling down the bank to the river. Stories were shared all day and under a sliver moon. You moved into my place I moved into yours. Each day brought a different flower.
Pamela K. Santos: Two Poems
Pamela K. Santos is a Pinayorker writer and conceptual artist exploring relingualism. A 2019 Sustainable Arts Foundation awardee, her poems appear in , , , and elsewhere. She misses performing for audiences such as the 2019 Portland Book Festival and Smithsonian Asian American Literary Festival. Her debut book Secret Lumpia is forthcoming from CCM/The Accomplices in 2021.
The indoor film-viewing experience is on the rise
By Our Friends on March 8, 2021 inLifestyle As we all know, many parts of the world are currently under lockdown measures. That means nobody allowed outside, and a lot of people stuck to their sofas and beds. As a result, there is obviously a lot more time to kill, and people can get bored very quickly! Luckily, there are a lot of ways to pass time if you just look outside of the box.
‘Cobra Kai’ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – Feb. 2021 In 2018, the original cast members of the iconic 1984 film ‘The Karate Kid’ reunited for the revival series ‘Cobra Kai.’ What resulted was a fresh, thoroughly enjoyable spin on the well-established franchise, as well as a surprisingly heartfelt look at the immense power the past can hold over us.
Kelly Gray: Two Poems
Selected by Alexis Rhone Fancher, Poetry Editor By Kelly Gray on March 3, 2021 in Focus, Poetry The Hush of a Switchblade Let me write quite for you, two sentence stanzas as if we have time left in this world for measured sentiment. I hesitate, even, to bring your knife to this poem, though I carry it carefully as Last Language sung cliff side, sharp words pointed away from you.
Lesbian Romances
I was intrigued by two movies about lesbian romances in the 19th century: Ammonite (2020) directed by Frances Lee, and The World to Come (2021) by Mona Fastvold. So I reflected back on another movie I had volunteered to review for the Golden Globes website, Portrait of a Woman on Fire (2019), a French film by Céline Sciamma, and the British miniseries Gentleman Jack (2019) created by Sally Wainwright.
Suez - Cultural Weekly
Excerpt By David Rich on February 17, 2021 inFocusLiterature This text, which is entitled “Suez,” is an excerpt from The Mirrored Palace by David Rich. Ali leafed through the big volume of the Thousand and One Nights on his lap. When he stopped, he turned the book around and passed it on to me. The drawing was of a boy peeking around a curtain at a woman’s calf, bare to the knee, raised and held in a man’s hand. “I would like to tell you… I was born into the Muzziana tribe. Bedouins.
The Fundamental Reasons Many Creatives End Up with Addiction
By Our Friends on February 16, 2021 inLifestyle The struggle of creative people with addiction is a well-documented phenomenon, but what are the fundamental reasons for this connection? Find out more, here… Creative people, especially celebrities, often find themselves addicted to drugs. We’ve all seen innocent creatives become famous, get addicted to drugs, and die at a tragically young age.
Chanel Brenner: Three Poems
Selected by Alexis Rhone Fancher, Poetry Editor By Chanel Brenner on March 10, 2021 in Main Posts, Poetry When They Call to Tell You Your Son Is Dying Go to your vanity and greet your ghost. Smooth foundation onto your ashen face. Dot concealer on dark under-eye circles. You must dust your face with rice powder, mark your cheekbones with bloodroot. Gloss your lashes with mascara, separate them with a brush. Paint your lips with Afghan red. Draw fierce blue lines around your eyes.
TV TALK with BILL CUSHING ~ My Best TV Shows of 2020
By: Bill Cushing It’s that time of year again. That time when all TV people start thinking about the best shows that they watched over the past year. As usual, it was tough to leave some shows off the list, but here are my picks for the best TV had to offer in 2020. High Fidelity (Hulu) – A smart, and funny remake of the 2000 John Cusack film, based on Nick Hornby’s novel.
Movies with Great Interior Design
By Our Friends on January 28, 2021 inFilmLifestyle What comes to your mind any time you are about seeing a movie, especially at the cinema? While others may be lost in thought with the aroma of the popcorn or the entertainment, you as an interior lover tend to think of the furniture, the decadent spaces, and home décor that are used in the movies. Good designs help to amplify a movie setting and its message. Movies are a great source of inspiration for your interior decorating efforts.
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – Dec. 2020 You don’t have to know the game of chess to enjoy Netflix’s superb binge-worthy new series. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is a seven part limited series about a female chess prodigy coming of age during the Cold War. It begins in a Kentucky orphanage in the late 1950s. A young Beth Harmon is coming to live there after the death of her mother.
Movies That Should Be Seen (but often aren’t), Part 3
By Bill Cushing on December 16, 2020 in Film, Spotlight America loves its outlaws. Look at some of our more popular films—The Godfather, Goodfellas, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting—and consider how an entire genre, film noir, generated a slew of excellent films as well as giving birth to others. Could Brian de Palma have made Scarface without Little Caesar or to a lesser degree Public Enemy?
Free City, Rebirth of a Novel
By Hardy Griffin on December 9, 2020 inLiteratureSpotlight Imagine you published a novel in 1996. Quite a coup, for beyond the longshot odds of having a book published by a major press, this one is set in 17th-century Saxony and incorporates humor and fantastical elements, such as a speaking, and thinking, duck.
Movies That Should Be Seen (but often aren't), Part 2
By Bill Cushing on December 9, 2020 in Film, Main Posts Picking up where I left off, I continue my suggested additions to Joseph W. Smith’s book The Best Movies You Never Saw should he publish a second volume. I call this particular collection of personal recommendations the “mentor movies” where each focuses its story on a sort of father-son relationship even if there is no biological connection present.
Temecula Wineries’ Pandemic Pivot
By R. Daniel Foster on December 9, 2020 in Business, Food, Main Posts Like so many industries, California’s $114 billion wine industry has had to make a pandemic pivot. Not all wine regions are the same – and the Los Angeles-adjacent Temecula Valley region has had unique challenges. Chief among them is Temecula’s reliance on direct wine sales from its 40-plus wineries (the first opened in 1974). The region, about 85 miles southeast of Los Angeles, is situated amid numerous metro areas.
‘Ted Lasso’ is a Winner for AppleTV+ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – 11/20 ‘Ted Lasso’ is a successful college football coach from Kansas hired to be the manager of a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer. That’s the premise of a delightful new series from AppleTV+ starring Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis. The character of Ted Lasso was created for a series of commercials back in 2013 for NBC, promoting the networks Premier League soccer coverage.
Movies That Should Be Seen (but often aren’t), Part 1
By Bill Cushing on December 2, 2020 in Film, Spotlight Last week I purchased a copy of The Best Movies You Never Saw by Joseph W. Smith III upon the recommendation of a high school friend, a worthwhile buy for film fanatics.
Interview with Eric Darton, author of the novel Free City
By Hardy Griffin on November 25, 2020 in Conversations, Literature, Main Posts In 1996, W.W. Norton released a gem-like purple clothbound novel entitled Free City, by Eric Darton. I read it and became a lifelong fan, but was always saddened that it had not been released in paperback. In October of 2020, the novel was reissued in paperback and e-book versions by The Dalkey Archive Press.
Book Review: Life—Orange to Pear by John Brantingham - Cultural Weekly
By Kendall Johnson on November 25, 2020 in Literature, Spotlight Once a wise and powerful wizard pulled a small but brilliant gem out of a leather pouch and laid it on the table before a cluster of his closest friends. As they leaned over and and peered into the depths of the tiny gemstone, the mysteries and terrors of the universe were revealed.
Alexander Testa on the Benefits of Learning Music Within the Education System
By Our Friends on November 9, 2020 inLifestyleMusic As school boards try to find ways to cut down on costs, music programs continue to be put in the spotlight. This is especially true with the number of schools that have a specialist music teacher. Alexander Testa started learning music as a child, playing many instruments — which he still plays today. Testa obtained a teaching position in the west end twelve years ago after he took additional courses to qualify him to teach music.
Frank Paino: Three Poems
Selected by Alexis Rhone Fancher, Poetry Editor By Frank Paino on November 4, 2020 in Main Posts, Poetry Where There’s Smoke (for Tony) Smoke means the way you looked the last time I ever saw you, back pressed against the scuffed bridge rail, bare-chested above the Bay’s ragged thunder, scars so bright it seemed you were already burning.
The Monster You Made
#EndSARS By Abuchi Onyema on November 4, 2020 in Focus, Poetry The Monster You Made While I sat on my past deflection Reflecting whilst a collateral damage A future bamboozled by authority Junk of institutions blazing our safety Animal kingdom of politicos conjugation Who wet our smiles with sadness Clinching on our rights and freedom * Bend in my precarious abode Where I gain or lose nothing Sipping the fermented sap From a tree of unfruitful kind Groaning and gasping for help But death...
There Was A Country
#EndSARS By Keyinde Afolayan on November 2, 2020 in Focus, Poetry There Was A Country And there we sat, in a street littered not with dirt or sewage but with chunks of two-day old carcass, flanked by much older bones. The street smelled of life and death alternatively. “What is dead may never die,” we echoed. Our seats were made of leather gotten from human skins. Our legs were positioned comfortably on dried blood and fat.
‘For All Mankind’ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – Oct. 2020 What would the United States space program have been like if Russia landed on the moon before us? What would have been different? How would it have changed the history of space travel for our country? This is the premise of AppleTV+’s ambitious original series ‘For All Mankind,’ which also poses the questions of what’s to be gained and lost by venturing into space. Created by Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, and “Battlestar Galactica” executive producer Ronald D.
Ariyo A Rasheed Adebayo: Two Poems
#EndSARS By Ariyo A Rasheed Adebayo on October 30, 2020 in Focus, Poetry SARSAPARILLA There are fairytales being told under the night’s moonlight. Tales as bright as a lone star in the very heart of darkness, Like the root of sars that struck 9ja like a stray thunder. Roots as deep but of sweet fragrances that lures its prey- to having a sour drink from the poison of its cruel nectar.
Ellen LaFleche: Two Poems
Selected by Alexis Rhone Fancher, Poetry Editor By Ellen LaFleche on October 28, 2020 in Main Posts, Poetry A history of my five senses while sheltering alone during the 2020 pandemic lockdown Smell: Goulash on the burner. Beef, paprika, Vidalia onions shiver in the pot. I hover over the stove, inhale the sizzle of garlic cloves browning in butter. My lace curtains sigh like lungs, exhale the scent of mown grass and lilacs. I marinate in a hot bath while the stew simmers on low.
Shehu Mubarak Sulaiman
#EndSARS By Shehu Mubarak Sulaiman on October 28, 2020 in Main Posts, OUR WORLD, Poetry So They Came Out They got tired of being fed lies for breakfast, empty promises as dinner, got tired of seeing the fate of their tomorrow, tossed in the bin to some needless war and killing They got tired of being ruled as servants, of seen as miscreants of SARS, beating them to stupor even when their hands are clean They got tired of being told there is a future, when tomorrow only favours the rich, while...
Emily Clark ventures into poetry with Art Triumphant
Poetry Review By Bill Cushing on October 28, 2020 in Poetry, Spotlight Emily Robin Clark’s title for her first collection poems, Art Triumphant, seems fitting.
An Emmett Till That Resonates On Zoom
By Sylvie Drake on October 7, 2020 in Main Posts, Theatre It’s been too many months since any of us have set foot in a real theatre to see a real stage show, surrounded — elbow to elbow — by fellow members of the faith. But even as we still see no palpable sign of a Covid-free new day, serious theatre gremlins are stirring. We’ve seen Zoom theatre and we’ve mostly seen it falter on its promise. Nice enough at times, and certainly wanting to please and fill the vacuum.
‘Yellowstone’ Delivers A Terrific Season, Dominates Cable Ratings ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – Sept. 2020 The Paramount Network’s flagship show, ‘Yellowstone,’ a modern day western set in Montana, just finished its strong third season with a big cliffhanger, leaving fans waiting for next season. The show, starring and executive produced by Kevin Costner, is a big-time performer for the network and the season 3 finale delivered the best ratings in the networks short history.
The Responsibility of Creativity
By Bill Cushing on September 30, 2020 in Art, Film, Main Posts In 1981, the Hungarian film Mephisto won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film of the Year. The story, which begins before the outbreak of World War II, follows the arc of an actor who—when faced with dilemmas posed by the incoming Nazi regime—relinquishes his integrity and compromises professed personal values so that he could continue to practice his art as well as to assure personal survival.
Book Review: Lullabies for End Times by Jennifer Bradpiece
By G. Murray Thomas on September 16, 2020 in Poetry, Spotlight One definition for “lullaby” is “any soothing song.” Bradpiece’s poems in Lullabies for End Times (Moon Tide Press) are songs to soothe us through these end times. Not just our current end times of disease and hatred and brutality, but specific end times — deaths and other losses, and various passages and remembrances. But these poems also disturb.
This is Not a Drinking Story
By Nikolai Garcia on September 12, 2020 in Focus, Literature On the Importance of a Print Literary Journal Born in South Central Los Angeles A few days after a photograph of us graced the front cover of the California section of the Los Angeles Times, me and the Founding Editor of Dryland, Viva Padilla, decided to throw a little celebration at one of our favorite bars.
Some Words With L.A.'s Jordan Seigel (and a Look at His CD)
By Bill Cushing on September 2, 2020 in Conversations, Film, Music Southern California headlines might well read “Local Boy Makes Good (music)” with the recent release of Jordan Seigel’s debut CD Beyond Images. A member of the Class of 2010 from Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Seigel returned to his Los Angeles home to start his professional life in music after earning a Bachelors in Music with a concentration on film scoring.
The Best Show You’re Not Watching is ‘Get Shorty’ ~ TV TALK with BILL CUSHING
By: Bill Cushing – Aug, 2020 Sometimes when writing this column, I come across a series that’s so entertaining and yet so barely watched that I feel I need to write about it. ‘Get Shorty’ is one of those series. ‘Get Shorty’ is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard and the film adaptation from 1995 starring John Travolta.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Bill
Contact Bill, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack