Periscope Depth

I have large, moving shapes covered

Real quick one: Remember a year and a half ago, when I wrote this? That’s what I’m aiming for. I want every new season of American television to have one comedy or drama depicting the savage hypocrisy of representative government. I want The Weft Wing, an Office-style mockumentary about a bunch of ambitious Harvard and [...]

written by an Italian poet in the thirteenth century

Caught the two-hour premiere of The Borgias, Showtime’s entry into the “Blood, Tits and Scowling” genre that’s all the rage on premium cable. Considering the hard sell that HBO’s putting on Game of Thrones, The Borgias caught me almost completely off guard. Where’s the NYC food truck painted like a sacristy? Whither the “Indulgence” gifts [...]

songs of innocence and experience

New post on Overthinking It about Season One of Boardwalk Empire. Some minor spoilers for the finale – and substantial spoilers for the season as a whole, of course – so read with care. By telling a story from your past, you tell the listener: I have been there. Speaking from experience gives your words [...]

we can roll ourselves over ’cause we’re uncomfortable

Luther: Proof that the British may be more stylish than we, but they aren’t necessarily more sophisticated. Luther may feature talented actors with posh accents and some sharp writing, but it’s your standard cop-on-the-edge drama. Idris Elba (The Wire) plays John Luther, a DCI who doesn’t play by the rules but still gets results. He [...]

american zombies: the walking dead and urban flight

New post on Overthinking It that looks at zombie movies in light of America’s mid-century flight to the suburbs. Cities, as the centers of densest population, are likely to be the greatest concentration of zombies. They’ll clog the streets with their numbers. Every person they kill will only swell their ranks. In every good zombie [...]

for I’m drunk tonight and I’m rarely sober

When last I wrote about Boardwalk Empire, Ferrett cautioned me about expecting too much too soon. “At this point in its development, Mad Men was still relying heavily on “GOTCHA!” moments,” he noted. “It evolved; I’ll give this time too.” Well, he was right to preach patience. Because now the threads have started to come [...]

I got you, babe

Man, that Internet sure seems divided on the season finale of Mad Men, eh? First, let’s talk about the season as a whole. If the last few seasons have been about shedding the trappings of the past, S4 is about considering who you really are. S3 ended with our heroes taking a stand – breaking [...]

that old Irish mother of mine

In the comments section of the AV Club, particularly when discussing Mad Men, there’s an overused turn of phrase: “on the nose.” It’s used when the symbolism in a given episode is a little too obvious.* Mad Men has earned reams of critical acclaim for the way its dialogue, cinematography and performances are all arranged [...]

now watergate does not bother me

Like all humans, I rely on certain rituals to anchor my week. My current seudah shlishit: getting a cheddar and swiss hot dog from Spike’s, plus fries and a Diet Pepsi, and eating it at home while watching something on Hulu. I prefer Burn Notice while it’s in season, but will fall back on another [...]

it’s such a feeling that, my love, I can’t hide

Can we talk about how great Mad Men has been this season so far? I have this secret daydream that Matthew Weiner sat down a year ago, looked at the various issues of Vanity Fair and Esquire and Maxim that proclaimed Don Draper the idol of a generation of unanchored males, and said, “Obviously you [...]

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  • Periscope Depth

    The website of John Perich, author of TOO CLOSE TO MISS and editor for Overthinking It. He's learning about writing, marketing, publishing and promotion, and he encourages you to learn along with him.

    perich@periscopedepth.com

  • TOO CLOSE TO MISS




    "... opens with a bang and never relents ..."
    "... from chapter one, I couldn't put the damn thing down ..."
    "... already looking forward to Perich's next book ..."

    Mara Cunningham knew that sleeping with a married man was a bad idea. But when her lover shows up in the hospital after his wife and son are murdered, the rumors about her turn dangerous. Now she's the prime suspect in a double homicide, and the real killers will stop at nothing to silence her ...

    Buy the book that readers are calling "a great, suspenseful thriller" at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online retailers.



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