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The Jazprose DiariesBeyoncé's Soulful RebukeIn case you haven’t heard, Beyonce is in the pro cess of releasing a new album. It’s called Renaissance, and it’s already making waves. Not only does the cover evoke a feminine archetype, the music we’ve heard so far is a defiant but ultimately uplifting rebuke of oppression as a right-wing Supreme Court tightens its grip. On today’s Jazprose Diaries—”You Won’t Break My Soul.”In the 13th century, about 200 years after her death, Lady Godiva of Coventry, England, re-emerged as the stuff of legend. There is nothing in the historical record about her r...2022-07-0309 min
The Jazprose DiariesMarilyn's Dress: Stolen SteaksWhen I was a kid…One of our neighbors rang the front door bell with an irresistible deal. We’d known this man and his family ever since we moved to the neighborhood. He lived in a white clapboard two-story home in the middle of the block. He had a good job with an insurance company and wore a business suit to work. On weekends, he moonlighted at a second job, and on Sundays he went to church with his family. But on this day, this seemingly honorable man was...2022-06-2715 min
The Jazprose DiariesYoung Mike PenceIt all started after Day 3 of the January 6 Hearings Which turned Mike Pence into an 11th-hour hero during the Capitol Riot. That’s when the big three networks embarked on a frantic race to bring some version of his story to television.For a while the front-runner appeared to be The Fly Catcher—a series about how the lackluster VP and MAGA yes-man becomes transformed after he’s bitten by a pansexual insect during a televised debate with Kamala Harris.Pitched as “Spiderman meets The Fly meets Do the Right Th...2022-06-2014 min
The Jazprose DiariesDepp v. Heard: Twisted PantiesGreetings from The Twisted Panty! The trial may be over, but idle minds continue to look for ways to kick a girl while she’s down. Revealing a level of sophistication not seen since Herschel Walker announced a cure-all spray for COVID-19, social media influencers are no longer content to see the defeated movie star penniless.They want her permanently squashed under the dominating boot of hashtag superiority. Of course 300 fake Twitter accounts do not a majority make. Even if their influence spreads as far as TikTok and Instagram. But it only t...2022-06-0410 min
The Jazprose DiariesWhy Another Uvalde Is InevitableOur collective grief over the Uvalde school massacre is a grim reminder that we have been here too many times before. After I wept over the tragedy and prayed for the victims, I paid close attention to the tsunami of information that flooded our lives after the incident. Buried in all that content were five deep-rooted reasons why our nation is stuck in a tragic Ground Hog Day scenario when it comes to school shootings.Even as some lawmakers announce bipartisan talks to discuss the usual gun-control reforms—red flag laws, raising the ag...2022-06-0210 min
The Jazprose DiariesThe Comedian (Fiction) - Part 1 In the spring of '27, something bright and alien flashed across the sky…and for a moment, people set down their glasses in country clubs and speakeasies and thought of their old best dreams.—F. Scott Fitzgerald1On the morning of the big announcement, Langston found the hairless face of his 9-year-old self staring back at him in the bathroom mirror. He shook his head, blinked, then looked again. But the vision was still there. His boyhood face wore the same Coke bottle eyeglasses, which had led inevitably to the nickname that...2022-05-2315 min
The Jazprose DiariesAre We Finished with The Slap Now?Can it be that our long national Rorschach test is finally over? I’m talking about The Slap, of course. Not those dreadful Supreme Court hearings.Although Charles Blow used the term Rorschach first, that is the appropriate metaphor for what we’ve been through since the Oscars. There are as many takes on events like this as there are people with cell phones and TV sets. What one sees depends upon what one looks for. But also on what they’ve experienced in their own lives. When everybody’s sharing their two cents on...2022-04-1008 min
The Jazprose DiariesDoes Will Smith Have a 'Roid Rage' Problem?After watching Will Smith’s unmanly attack on Chris Rock at one of the best Oscar shows in years, many of us are asking WHY.Why does a man with an estimated net worth of $350 million walk onto a stage and slap a man worth a $100 million in the middle of a live telecast shown around the world?How did the former Fresh Prince lose his cool to this extent?We are told Smith was defending his wife’s honor. That Chris Rock’s insensitive joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss was in poor...2022-03-2910 min
The Jazprose DiariesWhen You Meet a Sexy Stranger in Your DreamsListen now (7 min) | How an ancient legend triggered an astral kiss and a life lesson about healing and transformation. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at andrewjazprosehill.substack.com/subscribe2022-03-2407 min
The Jazprose DiariesThe Power of Trickle Down RacismBy now, you probably know that Naomi Osaka had a rough time at this year’s Indian Wells Tennis Tournament. There’s been a running commentary on it since Saturday. If you’ve got a few minutes, please allow me to contribute my two cents. On today’s Jazprose Diaries—”The power of trickle-down racism.”Let me begin with a quote“The past is a life sentence, a blunt instrument aimed at tomorrow.”— Claudia Rankine, Citizen: An American LyricTo understand the truth of Rankine’s words, look no further than Naomi Osaka at Saturday’s Indian Well...2022-03-1410 min
The Jazprose DiariesThe First Black Walter Cronkite - Part 1Well, let’s just say I was a mess.Coming back to Atlanta when my marriage first began to fall apart was no picnic. One doesn’t like to return home with his tail between his legs. Not after my auspicious sendoff—my accolades, my scholarships, my belief that I’d one day return home and make a big splash in politics. I try to put a good face on things, but most days I am not in a good mood. If it’s not depression that ails me, it’s whatever you feel when you’ve lost your footi...2022-02-1714 min
The Jazprose DiariesThe Private Valor of Jeff SnowLast night before the sky got dark, Jeff Snow passed me on the dock and did not speak as he went by. I saw him first, about 20 yards before we met, his face distinct in a tangle of tourists. I knew who it was, but I didn’t say anything either. Ordinarily, Jeff would not stand out in a crowd—he’s an average-looking guy with brown hair. But he walks with a limp that distinguishes him when he might prefer to remain unnoticed.Sometimes the limp is more pronounced than at others. You se...2022-02-0311 min
The Jazprose Diaries'Wicked' TVListen now (13 min) | Why did 'Today' show anchor Savannah Guthrie speak to the first woman of color to serve as Vice President as if she were the maid? This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at andrewjazprosehill.substack.com/subscribe2022-01-2213 min
The Jazprose DiariesTo Sidney Poitier, with LoveSidney Poitier’s impact on my life is right up there with the Catholic faith I was raised with. And though I would have occasion later in life to reevaluate the influence of each, it is impossible to extricate either from the person I am today. Nor would I wish to. Catholicism provided the moral, ethical, and spiritual foundation, as well as the disciplined education that put my neurons to work, sharpened my vision, and developed my intelligence. Although I might not choose it today after studying comparative theology, it was the religious grounding I ne...2022-01-0810 min
The Jazprose DiariesForget the Fries. Would You Like Sex with That?Would you give up your principles for love?Choosing between one and the other may seem like an easy decision in theory. But what if you found yourself in an unexpected situation? What would happen to your principles if an opportunity outside your pre-established rules suddenly presented itself to you?What would you do if no one was looking? And would your decision mean anything in the greater scheme of things?The last thing I expected was to find myself grappling with these questions when I kicked back with a glass of wine...2021-12-1509 min
The Jazprose DiariesThis Thanksgiving, I'm Giving Thanks for YouEvery Thanksgiving, my family gathers in a circle where we join hands before beginning our holiday meal. Beginning with the eldest and moving clockwise from wherever that person happens to be, we take turns sharing the things we’re most grateful for during the past year. It’s a solemn ritual. Most of us spend a few moments reflecting ahead of time on what we’re going to say. But it’s also fun. Like that time my niece began by saying she’s grateful she’s not 30 yet. Or when one of the boys said,”I’m gr...2021-11-2502 min
The Jazprose DiariesAm I White Enough for You?In secret ways rarely noticed or understood by adults, children hurt. When they grow up, those hurts are still with them. Motivating their behaviors in ways they don’t even recognize. The longings born of childhood suffering shape the kind of people we become.If there is anything lacking in Rebecca Hall’s poignant black & white adaptation of Nella Larsen’s Passing, it is the omission of the childhood hurt sustained by Clare Kendry, a light-skinned Black woman who chooses to pass herself off as white. The novella gives us that in its opening pages, as we see...2021-11-1911 min
The Jazprose DiariesOn the Way to the WeddingIt goes without saying that a wedding is all about the bride. It’s her special day. And everything is all about her. Except when it’s all about the rest of us, too. Which is almost always. Because a young woman in a wedding dress is a mystical trigger. She is not only herself but the embodiment of dreams and aspirations that extend beyond her immediate union with her beloved. The dress itself, though often costly, is usually worn in public only once. A sign that the bride’s time of elevated participation in something greater than hersel...2021-11-1008 min
The Jazprose DiariesAmanuensis Part 1 Chapter 7Part 1 Chapter 7Wool SocksThe sun was burnt orange and slightly lower in the sky when we reached Southampton. Its Titian light danced across the rippling waves like a line of chorus girls. A brackish mist replaced the musty smell of the train as cries of yellow-billed gulls pierced the air. Flapping and fluttering above the docks, they were in for a disappointment if they expected the usual handout from this vessel.I said goodbye to my parents at the end of the jetty. Then turned to make my way...2021-10-0302 min
The Jazprose DiariesAmanuensis Part 1 Chapter 6Part 1 Chapter 6FreddieMother had set aside her youthful ambition to become a writer in exchange for motherhood and marriage to a promising young barrister. But it had cost her. I was only twelve when I came upon the first signs of “mother’s ruin,” the many Beefeater bottles tucked in the back of her lingerie drawer, hidden behind canisters of flour and coffee, or at the bottom of a clothes hamper. Over the years, her once animated, heart-shaped face had become fixed, a mask concealing more than I would ever know. My affection...2021-10-0204 min
The Jazprose DiariesAmanuensis - Part 1 Chapter 5Part 1 Chapter 5SpinozaNow, nearly six months later, very little seemed to have changed when I boarded a train for Southampton, the first leg of my journey to America.“You needn’t come with me,” I told my parents, who hadn’t listened.“Why don’t you humor us, Rita dear? After all, it’s not as if we’re dropping you off at school. You’ll be gone for several months, maybe longer.”My father’s voice had a slightly ironic, theatrical quality that must have been quite us...2021-10-0103 min
The Jazprose DiariesAmanuensis - Part 1 Chapter 4Part 1, Chapter 4The Pied PiperIn sharp contrast to the bright spot of sunshine we’d seen outside Victory Arch, the steamy air inside Waterloo Station that day was dismal. It smelled of carbon, wet dirt and metal. A swell of voices roared over the squeal of brakes. Rail cars being hitched together at the last minute clanged like church bells. I took Ian’s arm more as a matter of ownership than affection. But tried not to cling too tightly. What I hoped was that he’d feel my body next to his...2021-09-3002 min
The Jazprose DiariesAmanuensis, Part 1 Chapter 3Part 1, Chapter 3The KissWe had dinner and went dancing the night before he shipped out. Just as we were leaving, a full-bosomed red-lipped blonde threw her arms around him, planting a big wet kiss right on his mouth.“Kill a Jerry for me, won’t you, luv?”She looked at me cooly as if seeing me for the first time, then said: “Gotta share the wealth, dearie. No harm meant.”I don’t think of myself as particularly insecure. But I’ve always felt undesirably flat-chested when pitted against a woman w...2021-09-2903 min
The Jazprose DiariesAmanuensis - Part 1 Chapter 2Part 1, Chapter 2 WaterlooThe last time I’d set foot inside Waterloo Station was the day Ian left. I remember stepping out of the taxi and looking up while he paid the fare. The day was gray and dull, matching my mood. We’d just begun the ste climb through Victory Arch when I noticed the sun breaking through the clouds like a red-capped swimmer bobbing to the surface of a gray sea.I took it as a good omen. A sign that Ian was right about the war. That it...2021-09-2804 min
The Jazprose DiariesAmanuensis, A Short Novel - Part 1 Chapter 1PART I, Chapter 1SummonsThat morning, a hard rain like someone knocking on the door roused me from a harrowing dream. In it, I’d been walking alone through a dark house—trespassing, more or less, without intending to. How I got there was a mystery, but I felt innocent of any wrongdoing. I suppose a sense of privilege propelled me. I felt as entitled to my intrusion as that explorer whose recent burial excavations in Egypt had been reported with much fanfare in the press. Giving no thought to the de...2021-09-2706 min
The Jazprose DiariesA Naked Woman, a Homeless Beggar, and a Crazy Little Thing Called KarmaListen now | How an unjust assignment and an unpaid $3000 loan brought back a family lesson from the Great Depression and became much more than a 'Riverdale' TikTok meme or a 'Tempest' in a teapot. Get full access to The Jazprose Diaries at andrewjazprosehill.substack.com/subscribe2021-09-0711 min
The Jazprose DiariesShould We Allow the Charleston Church Shooter to Turn the Rest of Us Into Killers?Today—from the op-ed page of The Jazprose Diaries—a question. If the decision were yours alone, would you set aside the death-penalty sentence for the Charleston church shooter? After slaying 9 people, Dylann Roof would like to live. His attorneys say he should not be executed. But what would you do?In case you’ve forgotten, 21-year-old Dylann Storm Roof took the lives of nine people in 2015. All were members of a Bible study group at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (also known as Mother Emanuel) in Charleston, South Carolina. All were Black.The senior...2021-09-0109 min
The Jazprose DiariesGay Achilles & the Vatican RagIf all you know about The Trojan War is based on the movie starring Brad Pitt, I’ve got some surprising news for you. Achilles was gay. That’s what Madeline Miller says in her award-winning novel Song of Achilles. The book came out in 2012, but it’s seen an uptick in sales this year thanks to a flurry of TikTok videos celebrating the hero’s sexual orientation. It’s a belief that’s been around since ancient Greece. Reading it reminded me of homophobia at a mostly white Catholic men’s college in New York, where I was one...2021-08-2518 min
The Jazprose DiariesEddie and the NightbirdeSeven days before I ever heard of Nightbirde… I knelt at the bedside of a friend who could no longer speak. His name was Edward, but I always thought of him as Eddie, which is what he’d gone by during all the years we were in elementary and high school together. As Eddie, he’d been a crack basketball player, a fast-breaking forward who never failed to surprise his opponents. As Edward, he was a prominent banker, a man with deep pockets, a board member of a foundation that distributed $7 million dollars to underserved populations. 2021-08-1713 min
The Jazprose DiariesLast Boat to the San Juan IslandsIt is one of those nights when the commute between Seattle and my so-called home in the San Juan Islands feels more like punishment than reward. Long day, long drive, long boat ride. I’m working harder than I want at a job I dislike to maintain a bourgeois veneer I don’t even believe in. It is already dark when I reach the ferry landing feeling not so much dead inside as…neutral, on hold. To get here this evening, I drove north on Interstate 5 from the University of Washington, left the freeway in Mount Vernon, and...2021-08-0621 min
The Jazprose DiariesJazz and the Wife BeaterIn this episode of The Jazprose Diaries, a journey into inner space where jazz icon Bill Evans and the multitalented Barbra Streisand meet Simone Biles, an unreformed wife-beater, the spectre of compensatory achievement, and a entire summer eating Dinty Moore Beef Stew—all of it taking place on a rainy Sunday morning during Hurricane Elsa.A wonderful thing happened to me a few Sundays ago. No doubt a good night’s sleep had something to do with it. Nearly nine hours worth. Much healthier than my four-hour average of the previous week. I seem...2021-07-3012 min
The Jazprose DiariesIntroducing 'The Jazprose Diaries'Welcome to The Jazprose Diaries! In this first episode, you’ll meet Andrew Jazprose Hill—that’s me! Today, I’ll tell you about something really powerful that happened to me back when I worked as a TV newscaster in San Francisco. And how that changed my life forever. I’ll also tell you about my soon-to-be-released novella called Amanuensis, about a young woman who flees England to escape World War II, but finds herself unable to escape herself or the future she was afraid of. I’m looking forward to sharing this podcast with...2021-07-2308 min