Tag: nostalgia

Pee Wee Herman: Lessons From a Manchild

By Rachael Price Nowadays, one does not usually understand the term “manchild” to be a compliment. Whereas it once denoted a young person who had to deal with adult challenges early in life, such as the autobiographical protagonist of Claude Brown’s landmark Civil Rights-era novel Manchild in the Promised Land, it now tends to invoke…
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August 27, 2025
Chrissie Hynde Taught Me How to Listen

What do a Midwestern punk queen from Ohio and a Beauty Queen from Chicagoland have in common? How would they intersect in a young man desperately trying to be better? Can combat boots and leather impact high heels and lace? Let’s talk about Chrissie Hynde and Lauren. Before I had a vocabulary for feminism, before…
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July 4, 2025
Surviving the Cold War (Again): A Gen Xer’s Guide

If you were a Gen X kid, you remember the Cold War and may be having a familiar feeling right now. Global tension you didn’t fully understand but could feel. We didn’t learn about the Cold War from history books. We learned it from Sting songs, Stallone movies, and being told by our teachers that…
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June 24, 2025
Sample Chapter of Hearts of Glass & An Open Heart

Hi Readers, I’m back this Friday. Earlier this evening I started writing “Hearts of Glass Fade Away and Radiate”. It is the second book in the Hearts of Glass series and it releases black Friday of this year. To get back into the writing seat I needed inspiration. I got it a few ways. The…
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May 30, 2025
Phil Collins and the Long Long Way to Go Now

Is the world too hard to handle? Do we need to face the suffering? What happens when we turn off empathy? Phil Collins’ “Long Long Way to Go” is a punch to the gut, a reminder of the world I came of age in and how it shaped us. Whenever I hear that haunting chorus,…
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April 21, 2025
Hearts of Glass Library Homecoming: Join Me!

I want to extend a heartfelt invitation to an event that means the world to me. This Saturday, April 5th, from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM, I’ll be at the Bolingbrook Fountaindale Public Library for a very special book launch celebration. This isn’t just any author event… it’s a homecoming for me, and I’d love…
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April 3, 2025
March Hopes for the Winds of Change

The month of March is at end. With that comes the month end wrap up at Gen X Watch. Before we continue with that… thank you! This year has already featured 3 guest writers and continued growth every month. Additionally, some of the readers here have been so wonderful in their continued support as Patreons,…
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March 31, 2025
Hearts of Glass Tour: The Next Chapter Begins

As the crowdfunding chapter on Indiegogo comes to a close in less than 2 weeks, I find myself filled with gratitude and excitement. Together, we are bringing Hearts of Glass: Living in the Real World to life through the support of an incredible community. This YA novel—set in the late 1980s—dives into some heavy themes…
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March 27, 2025
Don’t You Forget the Detention of March 24th!

What happened 41 years ago today? Does it matter that if it did not actually happen? How do imaginary events lead to real changes, insights, and new friends in creation? On Saturday, March 24, 1984, five students walked into their high school library for an all-day detention. In The Breakfast Club a princess, a brain,…
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March 24, 2025
Solving Mysteries With the Powerful Book Clubs

What did three teenagers in the 80’s and Agatha Christie share? Is the mystery they solved a murder or also loneliness? Can an author be part of healing? There’s something wonderfully unique about book clubs. They aren’t just about reading; they’re about shared wonder, collective discovery, and the joy of unraveling a narrative with others.…
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March 20, 2025