Jennifer Makowsky

Jennifer Makowsky began writing for PopMatters in 2005. In addition to writing about music, film, and books, she writes fiction and poetry. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and appeared in The Portland Review, Gargoyle, 2 Bridges Review, Pamplemousse, Gravel, and others. She lives in Tucson, Arizona where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. Currently, she teaches English to adult refugee students at Pima Community College.

Recent

Music

The 10 Best Sappy Love Songs of the 1970s

Just in time for Valentine's Day... If you were a child of the 1970s, you no doubt grew up hearing these tunes on your parents' eight-track player and car radio. The songs on this list are sappy, high-drama love ballads -- and for that they're being celebrated.

Music

12 Essential 1980s Alternative Rock Albums

PopMatters' '80s alt-rock primer spotlights the essential alternative rock albums from the broad genre's rich and diverse early years.

Music

12 Must-Have Songs for Your Halloween Playlist

Before you go out to your favorite haunted house or visit your favorite witchy woman, be sure to have the proper monster music handy.

Music

Dude York's 'Falling' Is a Candid, Pop-Fueled Ode to Falling in Love

Despite being compared to bands from the '90s, Dude York prove they can carry the indie torch of Generation X, but with their own unique and updated sound.

Music

Sad About the Times: Lost Tracks of the '70s That Sound Vaguely Familiar

Sad About the Times evokes 1970s nostalgia with 21 obscure tracks that never made it big, but sound like they could have.

Music

Howe Gelb's Latest Is a Welcoming Call to Gather Around

Listening to Howe Gelb's Gathered is like being at a dinner party with Gelb at the head of the table, telling stories, offering his sagacity, and taking the listener on clever lexical excursions.

Reviews

'Ghosts: A Haunted History' Is Sure to Grip the Believer and the Skeptic Alike

Comprehensive, fascinating, and eye-catching, Lisa Morton's Ghosts: A Haunted History is the only book you'll ever need about the world's most notable supernatural entity.

Books

Square Pegs and Southern Inhospitality in Melanie Sumner's 'How to Write a Novel'

This is a charming and touching reflection on family, belonging, and walking the shaky line between childhood and adulthood.

Books

'Boo' Is a Beacon of Light in YA Literature

Funny, uplifting, and poignant, Neil Smith's YA novel, Boo, is a fresh take on life, death, and friendship.

Books

Having Trouble Sleeping? Relax, It's All in Your Mind

Funny and direct, as well as useful and nurturing, Sane New World is a must read for anyone who has been up at night worrying about the future or regretting the past.

Music

The 10 Best Songs About New Beginnings

In honor of a new year, here is a list of songs that can help nudge even the idlest of souls off the couch in 2015.

Books

Alex Capus' Latest Book Is a Wild Ride Through the Wild West

Filled with six charming tales about the American West in the 19th Century, Skidoo is an off-the-wall history lesson about the American Frontier most of us were never taught in school.

Reviews

A Rural Youth is Curated in John Updike's 'Olinger Stories'

John Updike is able to highlight the details of domestic life in a way that turns the mundane into something sacred and significant.

Books

'The Girls from Corona del Mar' Is a Serious Study of Female Friendship

The challenges of adulthood can alter the friendships we forge in childhood.

Reviews

'Mind of Winter' Is a Thrilling Page-Turner with Shimmering Prose and a Heart-Wrenching Ending

Laura Kasischke's tenth novel is a dark fairytale about the sacrifices of motherhood and of secrets so deep, we learn to keep them even from ourselves.

Music

Orange Popsicles and Lemonade: 20 Timeless Songs of Summer

Whether you're at the beach or just hanging out in the backyard, these timeless summer classics are sure to make the summer sun shine a little bit brighter.

Books

The Characters in 'Acts of God' Personify the Expression, "Grace Under Pressure"

With quick wit and clean prose, Ellen Gilchrist reminds us of the human race's ability to face life's curveballs with persistence and grace.

Books

'McSweeney's Internet Tendency' Takes on the Bathroom Reading Format

The beloved McSweeney's is stripped of its Internet cloak and laid before us on the bare, naked pages of print.

Books

Sex and Inelegance in the City

If Sex in the City had been based on reality, it would have been more like the The Harm in Asking: My Clumsy Encounters with the Human Race.

Reviews

The Big Reveal: 'I Want to Show You More'

In her debut collection of stories, I Want to Show You More, Jamie Quatro reveals her talent for examining the desire and vulnerability inside us all.

Reviews

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Features

The 50 Best Songs of 2007

How the Template for Modern Combat Journalism Developed

10 Key Tracks From the British Synthpop Boom of 1980

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Just in time for Valentine's Day... If you were a child of the 1970s, you no doubt grew up hearing these tunes on your parents' eight-track player and car radio. The songs on this list are sappy, high-drama love ballads -- and for that they're being celebrated.

PopMatters' '80s alt-rock primer spotlights the essential alternative rock albums from the broad genre's rich and diverse early years.

Before you go out to your favorite haunted house or visit your favorite witchy woman, be sure to have the proper monster music handy.

Despite being compared to bands from the '90s, Dude York prove they can carry the indie torch of Generation X, but with their own unique and updated sound.

Sad About the Times evokes 1970s nostalgia with 21 obscure tracks that never made it big, but sound like they could have.

Listening to Howe Gelb's Gathered is like being at a dinner party with Gelb at the head of the table, telling stories, offering his sagacity, and taking the listener on clever lexical excursions.

Comprehensive, fascinating, and eye-catching, Lisa Morton's Ghosts: A Haunted History is the only book you'll ever need about the world's most notable supernatural entity.

This is a charming and touching reflection on family, belonging, and walking the shaky line between childhood and adulthood.

Funny, uplifting, and poignant, Neil Smith's YA novel, Boo, is a fresh take on life, death, and friendship.

Funny and direct, as well as useful and nurturing, Sane New World is a must read for anyone who has been up at night worrying about the future or regretting the past.

In honor of a new year, here is a list of songs that can help nudge even the idlest of souls off the couch in 2015.

In honor of the band with the most U.F.O.s and robots, here are the ten best Flaming Lips songs based on all things science fiction.

Filled with six charming tales about the American West in the 19th Century, Skidoo is an off-the-wall history lesson about the American Frontier most of us were never taught in school.

John Updike is able to highlight the details of domestic life in a way that turns the mundane into something sacred and significant.

The challenges of adulthood can alter the friendships we forge in childhood.

While Kate Bush is a national treasure in the UK, US listeners don't know her so well. The following 12 songs capture her irrepressible spirit.

Laura Kasischke's tenth novel is a dark fairytale about the sacrifices of motherhood and of secrets so deep, we learn to keep them even from ourselves.

Whether you're at the beach or just hanging out in the backyard, these timeless summer classics are sure to make the summer sun shine a little bit brighter.

With quick wit and clean prose, Ellen Gilchrist reminds us of the human race's ability to face life's curveballs with persistence and grace.

The beloved McSweeney's is stripped of its Internet cloak and laid before us on the bare, naked pages of print.

If Sex in the City had been based on reality, it would have been more like the The Harm in Asking: My Clumsy Encounters with the Human Race.

In her debut collection of stories, I Want to Show You More, Jamie Quatro reveals her talent for examining the desire and vulnerability inside us all.