The North Wind

Activists are a mixed bag

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • October 11, 2007

I'm a cashier at a grocery store. Most of the time, when customers come through my line, the routine is the same. I will smile and ask them how they're doing, they'll reply and direct the question back at me, and while they're loading their purchases on the conveyor belt we may engage in some small talk about the weather.

50 Cent’s listeners short-changed

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • September 20, 2007

Although I've been known to bop my head to the occasional rap song over the years, I would hardly call myself a fan. I'm a laid-back beat, poetic lyrics kind of girl, and having angry slurs spit at me through my headphones usually isn't kosher. But sometimes, when it's been a compromising day and a gentle guitar strum isn't going to do my mood justice, I need to rely on an artist who will say the F-word a few (hundred) times.

Rookie author’s ‘Pants’ unimpressive

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • September 20, 2007

(1 out of 5 stars) With no well-established fan base to consider, first-time authors sometimes try too hard to relate to their readers and draw them in. Because I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, that's what I'm going to say went wrong with "I Just Want My Pants Back," the debut novel from David J.

Northern professor pens fantastic novel

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • September 13, 2007

During the first semester of my freshman year, I had a Good Books course with Rebecca Johns, a traveling professor at the time. I was timid and still adjusting to college life, and her snarky sense of humor in class helped quell the fear that all of my professors would be old and monotone.

Don’t judge profs by their syllabus

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • September 13, 2007

Although the beginning of the school year means a return to the rigors of classes, homework and all-night study sessions, many students are at least grateful for a reprieve from the "as long as you're under my roof, you'll abide by my rules" lectures of their parents.

Don’t judge profs by their syllabus

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • September 13, 2007

Although the beginning of the school year means a return to the rigors of classes, homework and all-night study sessions, many students are at least grateful for a reprieve from the "as long as you're under my roof, you'll abide by my rules" lectures of their parents.

Palahniuk’s ‘Rant’ is gruesome and wild

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • September 6, 2007

No matter where you are, there's always a hopeless town closeby. Full of lazy hicks with missing teeth and farm property that stretches past the horizon. These are the places you drive past quickly on the way to somewhere better, the dying towns that everybody whispers about and have no conceivable future.

Sheffield’s ‘Mix Tape’ rocks the heart

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • August 30, 2007

When I was a junior in high school, my friend Sam gave me my first mix tape. It was an actual cassette tape full of lyrics and voices I had never heard before, and it ensured that I wasn't totally clueless when we listened to music at Sam's house. Someone else taking the time to share the soundtrack of their life with you is a feeling that rock critic Rob Sheffield hones in on in his debut novel "Love is A Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time.

Nuclear Winter Wonderland

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • June 8, 2007

It's been a decade since the human race lived its most anticipated and feared nightmare -- global nuclear war. Most of the planet has been destroyed, and although a significant number of people survived the blasts, the subsequent radioactive poisons in the air felled the survivors until only a handful remained.

Local book program chooses a winner

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • April 26, 2007

Very rarely do I listen to book clubs that tell me what I should be reading. Every time Oprah proclaims that something is worth reading, it flies off the shelves, and I think I avoid her choices for that reason. I'm viciously independent when it comes to finding good books - I want to discover the tasty ones myself.

Don’t fret about new gonorrhea strain

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • April 26, 2007

Everybody's generation is known for making some kind of significant contribution to society. Our immigrant ancestors are remembered for their brave treks to this country; grandparents built entire barns before supper and walked to school uphill both ways without shoes, and our parents are heralded for going to Peter Frampton concerts while stoned.

Bumpus disc proves unimpressive

becky.korpi and becky.korpi • April 19, 2007

With so many bands infiltrating the music scene these days, it's difficult to find one that stands out. A band that can sidestep the current emo/punk trend with an original sound is usually a winner on my list, which was why I held high hopes for Bumpus - a Chicago-based funk band known for incorporating high-energy drums and bass with gospel lyrics.