Monthly Archives: May 2021

Songs of Will T. Massey — “A Soldier’s Love (Bring ‘Em Home)”

Posted on May 31, 2021 by bullersbackporch

Will was lost in the fog of schizophrenia when we went to war in Iraq in 2003 after the trauma and tragedy of 9/11. As he re-emerged beginning in 2004 and learned more about what he’d missed, he decided to … Continue reading →

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Revisiting Thalia and “The Last Picture Show”

Posted on May 29, 2021 by bullersbackporch

I’ve been rereading some of Larry McMurtry’s writing since his death earlier this year. Most recently, I took a trip back to Thalia to visit with Sonny and Duane and Jacy and Ruth and Sam the Lion and all the … Continue reading →

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Granddad Trades Up — For a Bicycle

Posted on May 26, 2021 by bullersbackporch

My grandfather, G. M. C. Massey, (1880-1962) wrote extensively about specific horse trades he made in rural Texas as he grew to manhood. He prided himself on driving a good bargain., often recounting his best deals more than once. He … Continue reading →

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Happy 80th Birthday, Bob Dylan

Posted on May 24, 2021 by bullersbackporch

My earliest impression of Bob Dylan was as a songwriter. Mostly, I heard the cover versions of his songs first, recorded & released as pop tunes by folks like the Byrds, Turtles, and Peter, Paul, Mary. Like many listeners, I … Continue reading →

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Songs of Will T. Massey —”The Weathering”

Posted on May 21, 2021 by bullersbackporch

It’s hard to believe it’s been 5 years since Will’s most recent CD release, The Weathering (2016). He wrote the title song several years earlier. Here’s a link to a 2013 performance at the Cactus Cafe. The lyrics are almost … Continue reading →

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Posted on May 19, 2021 by bullersbackporch

I’m glad they chose the name Mental Health Awareness month. We all have mental health. Unfortunately, most people tend to think of mental health strictly in terms of mental illness, as if that’s all it can mean. My 20 years … Continue reading →

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In short…

Posted on May 15, 2021 by bullersbackporch

“Lately readers have begun to complain about my short chapters, although in my opinion there is no particular reason why a chapter should be long. Does one complain to Rimbaud because of the brevity of his verse? In fact I … Continue reading →

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Granddad Writes of Writing His Memoirs

Posted on May 11, 2021 by bullersbackporch

Working with the manuscript pages and reconstituted scraps of my grandfather’s typewritten memoirs can be challenging. Not only will he repeat stories (sometimes with variations), but there are short fragments scattered throughout the transcription that I hate to leave out. … Continue reading →

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Revisiting an Old Outlaw Friend, Kid Blue

Posted on May 8, 2021 by bullersbackporch

Writing about Larry McMurtry’s recent death and reading tribute articles and the such spun me off into reading and re-reading some of Larry’s work I had sitting around, starting with one of his slim non-fiction volumes, A Literary Life: A … Continue reading →

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Songs of Will T. Massey — “Pickin, Poker, & Pick-up Trucks”

Posted on May 4, 2021 by bullersbackporch

This was the title track to Will’s first cassette, released while he was still in high school, an anthem of youthful bravado born of West Texas swagger. He wore it well back then. You can definitely hear echoes of the … Continue reading →

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