Interdisciplinary writer living in Framingham, Massachusetts
A native of Appalachia, Oliver has called Greater Boston home since 2005. He graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College where he majored in Writing and Philosophy. He’s worked as a freelance writer, real estate agent, beverage consultant, and in higher education over the years. He's a songwriter, session harmonica player and home chef. He lives with his wife Tina, step daughter, Zoe and their dog Scout.
“What matters in life is not what happens to you, but what you remember and how you remember it."
-Gabriel García Márquez
Recent Articles
She's Funny Too: Boston's Women In Comedy Festival Works To Right An Industry Imbalance
What started out as a reaction by two Boston women fighting gender inequality in the local comedy scene has grown into the city's biggest comedy festival. The Women in Comedy Festival, which kicks off on Wednesday, is now a national destination, with its message of acceptance and laughter.
It all got started when festival co-founder Michelle Barbera, who was coming up in the Boston comedy scene in the early 2000s, noticed a problem.
“I just kept seeing this pattern over and over where we would...
It all got started when festival co-founder Michelle Barbera, who was coming up in the Boston comedy scene in the early 2000s, noticed a problem.
“I just kept seeing this pattern over and over where we would...
Everett's Freestyle Clinic Gives Hip-Hop Enthusiasts A Chance To Hone Their Skills
In the small and unassuming space, tucked into an industrial warehouse in Everett, MCs crowd into tight circles, while two mics are ritualistically passed around the room. Artists and enthusiasts alike, cheer each other on, as bass-heavy beats pump from the subwoofer stacks. First-timer Taylor Garcia looks on, anxiously awaiting his turn to showcase his rhymes.
Every Monday night, for four years and counting, vocalists and DJs have gathered for the Freestyle Clinic. The space, known as "The Blu...
Every Monday night, for four years and counting, vocalists and DJs have gathered for the Freestyle Clinic. The space, known as "The Blu...
Boston's Irish Music Scene Gives A Taste Of The Traditional, But Leaves Room For Experimentation
John Connor, a lifelong traditional Irish musician, sits in a booth at Porter Belly’s Pub in Brighton, with his son Sean. Sean also plays traditional Irish music in a band called NightSide, following in the footsteps of his father, and his grandfather before.
In the Boston area today, it's no secret that there are any number of Irish pubs with live music, and not just on St. Patrick's Day. The scene gives us a glimpse of traditional Ireland, but also the space for new bands to bring that legacy...
In the Boston area today, it's no secret that there are any number of Irish pubs with live music, and not just on St. Patrick's Day. The scene gives us a glimpse of traditional Ireland, but also the space for new bands to bring that legacy...
The Mark Of Zenón: A 'Superhuman Quest For Musical Perfection' Comes To Villa Victoria
Perhaps the only ironic thing about Miguel Zenón’s new album, “Típico,” is the name.
The word típico, in Spanish means “typical” and denotes that something in itself is traditional of a culture, but there is nothing typical about the alto sax virtuoso’s 10th album.
Zenón combines roots music from his native Puerto Rico with the complex polyrhythms of modern jazz, but his infectious melodies and lush landscapes make his music accessible to non-jazzophiles as well as to aficionados. This Friday,...
The word típico, in Spanish means “typical” and denotes that something in itself is traditional of a culture, but there is nothing typical about the alto sax virtuoso’s 10th album.
Zenón combines roots music from his native Puerto Rico with the complex polyrhythms of modern jazz, but his infectious melodies and lush landscapes make his music accessible to non-jazzophiles as well as to aficionados. This Friday,...
