Paula and Terry identify as writers, with an ever-increasing number of published works to support the supposition. They live a primarily pastoral life in the enchanted town of Jacksonville. 
Back when TVs still wore rabbit ears, rumors spread about “pay television.” Folks chuckled, “Will we have to drop quarters into a box? Who’s gonna come around to pick up the coins?”
“Streaming” was something only salmon in the Pacific Northwest cared about.
Fast forward to the twenty-first century. The streaming bill […]
Trade magazine Publisher’s Weekly reports that book sales are climbing for the second year. This news can be traced directly to the pandammit. Statistics show that people have remembered that nothing’s more comforting than a good book.
But with thousands of new books being published, how does one choose? We want […]
It began at the beginning. Literally.
You’re aware that John Wayne was born Marion Morrison, right? And that Marilyn Monroe’s birth name was Norma Jeane Mortenson until she changed it to Baker until she changed it again. Changing names has been movie star practice for so long that we’re not surprised […]
We watched a movie at a theater for the first time in eighteen months.
Really.
And yes, it felt like a big deal, because post-vaccinations, with the pandammit looking a little less fearsome, we felt an itch to go where we didn’t have to pop our own corn. Hollywood, finally, was releasing […]
Something’s in the air. Something soothing, as opposed to the scary silence that’s surrounded us for far too long.
Voices can be heard on the street, unmuffled by masks. We hear hellos. Hellos from friends we haven’t seen in a while. Hellos from friends we’re meeting for the first time.
We may […]
Sixty-three years ago, a vocal group called Danny and the Juniors wailed the lyrics, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Here To Stay” into a vinyl creed. Preachers and teachers and parents alike pooh-poohed the beat and the lyrics, but to the kids they were pure gospel.
Then Elvis was drafted, Jerry Lee […]
The recent Super Bowl halftime show (well, last February) featured music by “The Weeknd.” We’d seen The Weeknd perform on several late night TV shows, so we knew his shtick. We say “his,” because The Weeknd is one guy. In our memory, one person occupying center stage used to be […]
A long time ago in a memory far, far away, when the word “pandemic” likely triggered blank stares, your diligent Unfettered duo wrote an annual column related to the year’s Academy Award nominations. This year, as we write this, the nominations have yet to be announced, while the awards ceremony, […]
One evening in 1972, a folk singer ran over a skunk. When he got home, he spent fifteen minutes jotting down a tune about the accident, calling it, Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road. The singer’s name was Loudon Wainwright III.
The early ‘70s was a musically transitional time. […]
Back in April (hard to believe that was this year), our column revealed that we’d completed another book, titled The Art of Star Trek: Discovery.
The timing was less than propitious. The world had just been smacked by a pandemic. No one, as yet, realized how far-reaching an impact it […]
You’re drifting…warm…cozy…comfortable…
Peaceful.
And then something blasts from the radio on your nightstand—the one too close to your ear.
Maybe it’s Sonny & Cher, singing “I Got You Babe.” Maybe it’s Eric Teel saying something about a virtual pledge drive.
Instinct arm-wrestles with common sense…and wins! You manage to lash out, smack that bloody […]
Jacksonville sat silent this summer, with a stillness settling over us like dust motes, as though a phantom orchestra on an abandoned stage performed a concert of quiescence for our hollow ears.
It was a most disconcerting sound. A sound of sadness.
Call it collateral damage. Call it a sidebar to a […]
We interrupt your regular life to bring you these reminders: Wear the mask. Maintain social distance. Stick close to home.
Don’t go to movies. Or the theatre. Just turn on the Boob Tube.
Is there anything there you haven’t seen? Maybe on the Food Network…?
After you’ve burned through “Chopped,” “Diners, Drive-Ins and […]
“It’s a whale of a tale I’ll tell you, lads, a whale of a tale or two.”
In late September 2019, Paula and I were walking through Manhattan’s Upper West Side, admiring the ironwork that enhances the stoops on the brownstones. At one point I glanced up and saw that Paula was thirty feet ahead of […]
Have you ever felt as though you’re in a Twilight Zone episode?
Of course you have. Everybody feels that way these days—waking up to discover that our entire planet has fallen prey to a deadly viral pandemic, the likes of which has never ever been experienced on […]
You may recall that back in October we announced we were writing another book. At the time, we withheld the subject matter—but now the time has come for the Big Reveal!
Drrrrummmmm roll….
It’s a Star Trek book!
(Was there ever any doubt in your mind?)
Yes, Star Trek. Sometimes we write about other […]
‘Tis time again for animated Christmas specials to pop-up on the tube, many of them rebroadcasts of beloved classics from decades ago. We won’t waste precious space to list them all (honestly, do you really care to hear about Grandma got Run Over By a Reindeer?). Instead, we’ll touch […]
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “Gratitude” as: “A warm sense of appreciation of kindness received, involving a feeling of goodwill towards the benefactor, and a desire to do something in return.”
Not bad, eh? We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, and in gratitude to the OED editors we’ll return the […]
We’re back.
And so are they.
“We” being your Unfettered Critics. “They” being. . . well, we’ll get to them in a moment.
Some of you may have noticed (and we thank those of you who’ve stopped us on the street to say you had) that our column mysteriously went missing from recent […]
With the Britt Festival’s new season just around the corner, we find ourselves jittery with anticipation. “Music,” they say, “hath charms to sooth the savage beast.” We agree, but that suggests music of the hear (see what we did there?) and now. So what, we asked ourselves, […]
We recently saw the movie Captain Marvel.
Hold that thought—we’ll get back to it in a minute. But first: a few words about “comic book superhero” history. It’s complicated. Convoluted. Confusing.
And you thought it was just kid stuff!
In the 1930s, “pulp magazines” (named for the cheap wood pulp paper they were […]
Our unfettered readers often ask, “How do the two of you write together?” Our stock answer is that one of us starts the piece, then gives it to the other, saying, “This is finished.” The other reads it, usually yelling, “This is terrible. It has to be rewritten from word […]
A year ago, we shared our feelings about streaming services: Didn’t have ‘em. Didn’t need ‘em. Get off our lawn, streamers!
Then we discovered that Discovery—the first new Star Trek series in a decade—could be accessed only on CBS All Access—via (horrors!) streaming. Thus, we yielded to the streamer that carries […]
’Tis the season for ye olde Unfettered Critics to remind (okay—nag) everyone to give back to your community by shopping local. Which brings up a question that has been bothering us for some time—what’s with this weird word we used at the top: “’Tis?”
Think about it. It’s obviously a […]
“I just wanted to take another look at you” is a key bit of dialogue in the oft-produced movie A Star Is Born. The heartfelt line is delivered by the film’s male lead: Fredric March in 1937, James Mason in 1954, Kris Kristofferson in 1976, and Bradley Cooper in this […]
Dogs are entertainment. Unfettered entertainment, if you will. Life without dogs is possible…but for people like us, it’s far less enjoyable.
Dogs also are a job. We take care of them, 24/7, from the day we let them into our lives to their last passing moments. We’ve written about dogs before, […]
This August 25th marks the 100th anniversary of illustrious composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein’s birth.
And this column in the august August Jacksonville Review marks our 100th contribution as your ever-faithful Unfettered Critics. As CE3K’s Roy Neary said to his bewildered family: “This means something.”
Or not. Maybe it’s just mashed potatoes.
We often struggle […]
The saga began like this: In 1958, actor Peter Lawford shared a story told by a gas station attendant with buddy Frank Sinatra. Lawford thought the fanciful caper about robbing five Las Vegas casinos in one night would make for a fun movie project. Sinatra playfully upped the ante: “Forget […]
Hilary Kemmling always loved to cook. “As a kid, I opened imaginary restaurants where I’d be the chef,” she says. “And when my mother had parties, I’d jump into the kitchen.” Eventually, Hilary graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, filled with ambition to open a real restaurant.
In 2007, when her family began renovating the […]
Sometimes it just feels right—like in 1997, when Pony Espresso owners Chris and Kadie Boivin first visited Jacksonville for a weekend getaway.
Like so many of the town’s transplants who have shared this experience, they fell in love with the area. “It was quiet here,” Chris Boivin says. “Coming from Napa, one of the prime wine […]
Remember when café ads used to say things like “Food like Grandma used to make?” It described that diner from your old neighborhood. But as time goes on, fewer and fewer places can aspire to the slogan—except for The Mustard Seed.
Yes, The Mustard Seed is that kind of place, a familiar Jacksonville eatery since 1958. […]
What happens when four longtime friends finally create the restaurant they’ve always dreamed of? They open The Liège Waffle, Jacksonville’s newest food establishment, and offer tasty treats with a historic origin.
“Our style of waffle originated in the city of Liège, Belgium in the late 18th century,” explains Jonathan Cummings, co-owner along with partners Spencer Henry, […]
Family is important at Las Palmas Mexican Cuisine, a courtesy extended even to the customers. “Our motto is “Nuestra casa es su casa”—“Our house is your house,” Luis Rodriquez, Jr., says. “Everybody that comes in, when you’re dining with us, you’re part of our family.”
Fittingly, the restaurant has a homey feel, with an abundance of […]
Classic Mexican cuisine, served in a spacious dining area with a full bar—or on the large patio perfectly positioned to catch summer breezes—has pleased La Fiesta’s diners since 1995. The restaurant came into existence because of a chance encounter three years earlier.
Owner Fernando Serrano was visiting a friend in […]
Jerry Evans didn’t set out to be a restaurateur. Or even a hotelier. But with a degree in Food Sciences from Oregon State, and a twenty year career overseeing food processing and production for Harry & David, it made sense. “My wife Linda and I acquired the Jacksonville Inn in 1976 for the restaurant,” he […]
Take a leisurely drive south on Highway 238 and you’ll quickly find yourself at The Honeysuckle Café, where co-owners Colin Cox and Monique Cordova have gathered the bounty of the region “to bring delicious comfort to every plate,” since 2015.
The couple met while working at a restaurant in Jacksonville, then moved to Idaho—for fifteen years—where […]
The tantalizing aroma of coffee beans roasting once drifted throughout Jacksonville’s downtown. “Having the roaster in town was really romantic,” says Michael Kell, owner of GoodBean Coffee. As his company grew busier preparing coffee blends for distribution across the Northwest, the time came to relocate the roaster—but that hasn’t deterred the flow of residents and […]
“Dining is an experience,” Jonoah Murphy says. “But not everyone is looking for the same experience. By getting to know diners’ preferences, we’re able to create a custom experience for each of them.”
A difficult mandate, yet Jonoah and his brother Chef Gabriel Murphy are up to the task at Gogi’s Restaurant.
The brothers grew up in […]
Forty Five Craft Coffee, positioned at the busiest intersection in town, shouldn’t be missed.
The tiny shop’s name was inspired by a love of vinyl—the platter type that spins on a turntable—as reflected in the worn LPs displayed on the walls, and the tiny record-shaped coasters on the tables.
At the cozy C Street Bistro, just one block north of California Street, customers may find themselves sharing a long communal table with fellow diners who quickly become friends. Or when the weather permits, patrons may spread outdoors to the patio, or a deck in the shade of a towering horse chestnut tree. […]
Among the specials offered at the Bella Union are… the hours. The doors stay open throughout the afternoon, allowing delayed diners to grab a bite after the lunchtime rush. On Sunday mornings, an early opening translates to a hearty brunch following church services. In the evening, the Saloon area offers food after the dining rooms […]
The Applegate Store and Café, next to the green-steel Pioneer Bridge where Oregon Highway 238 crosses the Applegate River, is a diamond in the rough in an idyllic valley.
In 2002, Jeannie and Jackie Inman bought the rustic landmark, with Chef Jeannie running the Café, and her mother Jackie managing the connected convenience store. In 2004, […]
Our readers may have noticed that we have an affinity for dogs. This doesn’t mean we automatically adore any movie featuring a canine (some are dogs, and we don’t mean that in a good way), but it does suggest we’ll make the effort to spend an afternoon at a matinee. […]
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle’s award-winning 1962 novel, is beloved by generations of readers. It is “science fantasy”—too fanciful to be considered science fiction, but brimming with science-y theories on traveling through space without a spaceship. And, as with the most memorable children’s tales, it stresses the power of […]
We aren’t enamored of streaming services.
We don’t object to them. We just haven’t felt the need to sign up for “additional services.” We like network TV—free TV—although we know its future is shaky. So we tried to delay the inevitable…
…At least, until last fall, when we signed up for CBS […]
We love the smell of popcorn in the winter. It reminds us of…entertainment award show time!
The year kicks-off with the televised Golden Globes ceremony in January. And then comes February, and the Superbowl of entertainment events: the Academy Awards! Except this year, the Winter Olympics threw a loose ski pole […]
Toy stores are meant to be magical places, filled with unique treasures that spark the imagination. Often, such wonderful neighborhood stores exist only in memories. But everyone who visits Scheffel’s Toys & More, on the northeast corner of California and Oregon streets, knows that they’ve found the real thing: a classic toy […]
Handmade. Handcrafted. Hand-Created! At Jacksonville’s Carefree Buffalo, visitors will find a collection of functional artisan masterpieces, from the world’s finest pocket knives to incredible leather and high-density microfiber jackets, from gorgeous ceramics to unique reading glasses, from exquisite purses to precision crafted clocks. “We admire products that personify uniqueness, […]
Sunday afternoon. Everything is ready for the party except…
Oh no! The Cherries Jubilee! Two pounds of cherries need to be pitted. You reach for a knife, then remember how badly that went last time. Those poor cherries looked as though they’d been trampled by a wild animal. How are you going to […]
Shoppers stepping into Blue Door Garden Store feel they’ve found an enchanted place filled with wondrous miniature gardens, with a populous of whimsical gnomes, fairies, elves, and Zen figurines. Conversations in the store are punctuated by the melodic knell of myriad wind chimes—and the thump-thump-thump of shop dog Myah’s wagging tail.
“Sometimes it […]