My Foray Into Photography.

Horizons Broadened.

It's been years in the making with painstaking efforts and crumbled plans. I think "The Road" (great novel I just finished) describes it best:

"Nights dark beyond darkness and the days more gray each one than what had gone before... Bedrock, this. The cold and the silence. The ashes of the late world carried on the bleak and temporal winds to and fro in the void. Carried forth and scattered and carried forth again. Everything uncoupled from its shoring. Unsupported in the ashen air. Sustained by a breath, trembling and brief. If only my heart were stone."

After all this metaphoric yearning and hardship, I finally did it. I ate at Jack In the Box. If you don't believe I accomplished such a feat, I'm one step ahead of you. See evidence below (photograph courtesy of Kerisa Shelton).

Man vs. Wild

There's something about the male genetic makeup — some indiscernible facet not able to be scientifically identified — that causes us to, on occasion, risk life and limb to be...well...manly. I'm not talking about avoiding the sharp corners of a tortilla chip while scooping salsa and watching the latest NBA game, I'm talking a little more uninhibited. This past weekend I made the trek down to northern Arizona for a little R&R at our family reunion and subsequent jaunt over to Snowflake for the coveted Pioneer Day celebration. True to form, the rodeo called my name and as a highly unqualified city boy, I entered myself into the rodeo with my two cousins to compete in the grocery race. Our number was called and...well, I won't give away the rest — just watch and note the Avatar-like union between man and beast.

The Story So Far.

Now about six months into my journalistic adventures, I feel it fitting to take a step back and review what I've done up to this point. Of the near 50 articles I've written thus far (and tweets well into the triple digits), some of my favorites are listed below from the various writing outlets I've explored. A few months down, a career to go.

 Daily Herald

• Voodoo Orchestra showcases swinging teens at Velour 
• Bluebird Cafe cultivates creativity and collaboration
• Center Street Musical Theatre makes swashbuckling return 
• Runner Runner looking for a full house
• Utah gets The Wiggles
• Tracy Lawrence to headline Pony Express Days event
• The Skinny: Listen Up, Lamenting Ladies
• Folk duo bring fervor back to timeless American music
• Local band Fictionist authors genre-defying music
• Digging for the indie sounds of Black Gold

Rhombus Online Magazine

• Album Review: Imagine Dragons, "Hell and Silence"
• Album Review: Parlor Hawk, "Hoarse and Roaring"
• Profile: Jess Smart Smiley: An Advocate of True Art

Daily Universe

• Movies make an impact on many
• Student-run business venture wins big
• j.wride releases new single with rapper MIMS
• A touch of Burton
• What we're listening to: The Helio Sequence
• Viewpoint: Animal Collective releases film, "ODDSAC"
• Sundance film looks at history, crisis
• Sundance Film Festival preview
• Musicians juggle benefits, downsides to record deals

Flipping Through My Future.

So there I was perusing the local Border's Bookstore, listening to the acoustic folk sounds of All On Seven (check 'em out here or read my article about them here) and catching up on my favorite music mags when I came across this cover story on Paramore from SPIN Magazine. The author got to follow the band on tour for a few days and see the grind for himself. While opinions on the quality of the band vary (and fiery lead singer Hayley Williams wasn't pleased with some parts of the expose), the article was captivating, revealing and just good writing. If I were a dog, my tail would've been wagging. It reaffirmed in my mind that this is what I want to do for a living: tell peoples' stories—whether it's stripping down the fame-inflated or promoting the talented-but-less-than-privileged. Love a little bit o' inspiration every now and then. The aforementioned article can be found at your local magazine stand or online here where the first half can be read.

Band of Horses, "Infinite Arms"

I've heard a lot of talk about Band of Horses the last few years, enjoyed a couple of their tracks and continued on my merry way. The group's newest release, however, "Infinite Arms," has solidified my position as a long-term, admiring fan. Playing sort of a folk/country brand of music with an unmistakable indie aesthetic, the band manages to sound simultaneously contemporary and antique—channeling a distinctly Western vibe, like laying out 'neath a desert sky (as the album cover would suggest, uh, kudos to the design team).

Stream "Infinite Arms" here, free of charge. I reckon you'll become a fan too.

Memorial Day Weekend In Pictures.