Conclusion: The father plays a major role in who we are and who we become; his absence may occupy the center stage of a person's life.

Seattle, a city that's been situated at the epicenter of music history on more than one occasion, is yet again home to one of the most remarkable new acts in America -- but don't expect a grunge or indie rock revival.

I remember the first time I went to Los Angeles. It was sometime in the early 1990s. As we descended into LAX on the flight from New York that morning, my friend told me to look out the window.