Bye-bye, my love, goodbye. — Three and a half years ago, I pitched Medium an idea for a publication that they greenlit and co-produced. I called it Humungus. I was the editor. I wanted Humungus to be a conversation about masculinity and pop culture written by and for anyone who identifies as a man or…

Just a few words for the fellas — I once smoked a cocaine-laced joint with an ex-con whose arms were decorated with white supremacist tattoos because, like a beggar, addicts can’t be choosers, so I puffed away as he gave me the only concrete advice I’ve ever been given about masculinity: “You’re not a real man unless you’ve…

9 weeks in 2020. 12 essays. Covid-19. — Hi. My name is John. This collection is possible because of the support of Medium subscribers. Thanks to them, I’m able to write weekly essays about pop culture, politics, and feelings. If you’d like to learn more, click here. Prologue: December 19th, 2021 When I first heard this joke, it was about a Jewish…

A short guide on surviving family during the holidays — You don’t have to talk politics during Thanksgiving dinner if you don’t want to. If a family member feels compelled to say something provocative while the mashed potatoes are being passed, you have my permission to chug gravy directly from the boat. It is not your responsibility to confront racist…

Everyone’s got a little Willy Loman inside of them — **150 Word Reviews — Thoughts on movies, culture, etcetera. Mercifully short. And occasional essays. Subscribe now, and celebrate later.** I have spent a good portion of my life confusing integrity with insecurity, so I have, at times, not decided that pointing at things I’ve written and saying, “I think you…

It’s worth repeating: everyone struggles — The first time I found out someone I loved had died from their disease, I immediately broke out into a sweat and the only way I could calm down was to remind myself that I was sober, that I had quit drinking and the drugs and she hadn’t and for…

Kathryn Bigelow’s vampire western ‘Near Dark’ is “fun times” — I didn’t see the vampire western Near Dark when it came out in 1987. I didn’t see most of the iconic movies that came out that year: Robocop, Predator, Full Metal Jacket. …

a few thoughts i typed out on my phone at 3 AM, in the dark and quiet — as someone whose politics lean left, i have, at times in my life, prided myself on my ability to appreciate the nuances of complicated situations. yes, i have been an insufferable, teeth-sucking know-it-all who has preached, to anyone who could stand it, about moral relativism. in that worldview, which i…

*The acclaimed HBO TV series — I think about Rome all the time. Specifically, I think about the big-budget HBO drama Rome that ran from 2005–2007. That magnificent series was a richly realized historical epic that mixed sex and violence and back-stabbing political intrigue and served as a blueprint for the mega-hit series Game of Thrones…