MISTER FADED GLORY
I'm a writer and marketing pro based in KC. Welcome to the recap of life: Books, TV, ads, business, marketing, grunge music, sports, and more. Focus never has been my strong suit.
Watch for my first novel, These Monks, a comedy about friendship, frustration, and Des Moines, later this year.
Email me: jjh(at)misterfadedglory.com.
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Category Archives: Writing
The Visible Man [Book Review]
Chuck Klosterman has his share of detractors. All successful writers do (which is why no one hates me, and also why I can’t read Joe Posnanski continuously whine about Tim Raines.) After years in the public eye, countless feature stories, … Continue reading
The Postmortal [Book Review]
Drew Magary is the rare writer who exudes talent yet fails to prompt scorn. At least in me. Magary once interviewed he “writes like he talks,” an admirable quality that proves true in his Deadspin and KSK essays. He’s biting … Continue reading
The Art of Fielding [ Book Review ]
I wanted to dislike The Art of Fielding. I really did. The swirl of hype around The Art of Fielding primed the novel for backlash: Author Chad Harbach’s $600,000+ advance. The e-book about the making of the book. Baseball poets … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Writing
Tagged Chad Harbach, Dan Fielding, Goodreads, Night Court, The Art of Fielding
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This blog’s life
THIS BLOG’S LIFE. You’ve probably noticed it’s been fairly sparse around MFG, save for Franklin & Bash and Breaking Bad recaps. Unfortunately, even though Franklin & Bash just ended season 1, the dearth of posts is likely to continue. I’m … Continue reading
Posted in These Monks, Writing
Tagged Breaking Bad, Franklin and Bash, John Hanley, TLT Publishing, Twitter
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Franklin & Bash, 108, “The Bangover”
I’m not sure when the bottle episode became fashionable. Breaking Bad, of course, did “The Fly.” Mad Men had “The Suitcase.” Community had the one where they finally didn’t parody something in pop culture. In fact, shows have always mixed … Continue reading
Franklin & Bash Recaps: The Secret Ingredient is Love
Recapping television shows is nothing new. Practically everybody does it, so to consider yourself groundbreaking is pure folly. Sure, gripping series like Breaking Bad and serialized dramas like The Killing demand water-cooler scrutiny, but no one begins recaps assuming they’ll … Continue reading
Posted in Television, Writing
Tagged Breaking Bad, Chuck Klosterman, Franklin & Bash, Recaps, Warming Glow
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ESPN The Book The Review: Nothing to see here, please disperse.
“I wish them well with it,” [Keith Olbermann] he says, “but it’s a bad sign when someone who worked at the network falls asleep while reading the part about himself.” Once again, Keith Olbermann gets the prescient word – if … Continue reading
Posted in Journalism, Public Relations, Sports Media, Writing
Tagged ESPN, Jim Miller, Keith Olbermann, Mark Shapiro, Monday Night Football, Tom Shales
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A Writer’s Rant: The Iowa Workshop and False Tradition
The University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop warms my heart. I’ll never get in, of course, but the very existence fills me with misplaced pride. First, it’s in Iowa City, one of my favorites. Second, the Workshop is revered around the … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
Tagged Copywriting, Iowa Hawkeyes, Jealousy, LIterature, Ranting, Stereotypes, Twitter, Writers' Workshop
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“Must be an oral exam.”: The evolution of storytelling?
You know, I’m seriously funny when I’m all by myself. The title of this post is a callback to a Night Court deadpan line uttered by Roz, when Dan professed to be helping his boss’ niece with her studies. It’s … Continue reading
Posted in Journalism, Nostalgia, Writing
Tagged Dan Fielding, He can't be serious can he?, Night Court, Roz, Teri Hatcher
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LeBron vs. Michael, Heat vs. Bulls, and History vs. Honesty
Count me as one of the Miami Heat’s few admirers on the precipice of the NBA Finals. In fact, I take great pride in my bandwagon support of the Heat, securely rooting against most of sports media. I have nothing … Continue reading
This Week In Duh
THIS WEEK IN DUH: From Consumerist — your source for daily mind-numbing — comes this list of the CNN’s 10 Biggest Money Wasters in your daily routine. You might expect thoughtful tips for saving, like “Sort your grocery list by … Continue reading
Posted in Finance, Irony?, Media
Tagged CNNMoney, Consumerist Revolutionizes Our Lives, Infomercials, Irony?, Silliness, This Week in Duh, Time/Life
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