JEAN SYNODINOS

If You Never Met Freida…

If you were never among the privileged souls who spent some time with my dog and best friend Freida, please let me tell you about her now. We met outside of the HEB supermarket on the corner of Manchaca and Slaughter, August 2006.  I was pulling into the parking lot when I saw a very animated family, a very large box, and a very big sign saying “Free Puppies.”

I don’t know what possessed me to…

Trump Won. I Wept. Then This Happened. Now What?

Less than 48 hours ago, Donald J. Trump became President-Elect. I join the majority of U.S. voters* who were knocked to our knees by this unexpected turn. (more…)

The Cubs, Marriage, and America

Just over an hour ago, millions of Americans watched the Chicago Cubs break a 108-year old losing streak in the 10th inning of the 7th game of the 2016 World Series. It. Was. Beautiful. (more…)

My NYC Marathon: NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo: it’s not a foot race, but it is definitely a marathon. Ever heard of it? It’s National Novel Writing Month. Every year, tens of thousands of fools commit to writing a 50,000 word first draft in the month of November. This year, I’m one of them.  (more…)

"love & blood" has a birthday this week.

One year ago this week I released an album, love & blood. I never actually posted a darned thing about it on this blog. I don’t know why, since I’ve never been prouder of a body of work, but that’s what happened. The album had a very good first year in the world. (more…)

September 11th creeps in under my radar and punches me in the solar plexus every year. Fifteen years ago, on a crystal clear morning in Austin, TX, I was dressing for work when the phone rang: “Turn on your TV,” said my friend. Within seconds, my jaw froze, my chest tightened, and my eyes burned. Then I joined the millions who wept loudly, feeling that wind and smoke scrape our veins. (more…)

Wild Speculation: This May Be How Trump Thinks He’ll Save Face in Defeat

I’ve never used this space to express political opinions, but ’tis the season, and in truth, I’m a bit of a junkie for the stuff. Mind you, I’m happiest when I pay exactly no attention to politics, but the stakes are awfully high this year. No one should put their head in the sand. I’m here to lay out the case for what I think might become of the Trump campaign sometime around, oh…, early…

Highly, Highly Endorsed: Art Resin!

If you’re a painter who wants a seriously high gloss but doesn’t want to breathe in the toxic fumes of a traditional two-part epoxy resin, then I’ve got to turn you on to the product that is changing my life: Art Resin. (more…)

Black Blue Red: July 2016

Overwhelmed: for days, it was the only word I could utter to describe the events of the week. Three cities, seven murders, more injured. If you did not drop to your knees in pain, I don’t see how you could have been paying attention. I watched the news until I could not take it any more. I went to Facebook to bear witness with friends in some way and try to make sense of the unthinkable until we…