Jim McFarlin

Writer, Editor and Critic at Freelance

Writer, Author, wedding officiant. Hope College trustee. Michigan Journalism Hall of Famer. Detroit devotee. Kidney transplant recipient. GLORY TO GOD!

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Articles

The rise and fall of a Midwest mayor

2 weeks ago | metrotimes.com | Jim McFarlin

Show of hands please, Detroit: how many of you remember Carol T? OK, this may be easier: how about Kwame Kilpatrick? Anyone? Name ring a bell? They both stand as living legends of our city’s wildly outrageous past. There’s “Carol T,” for Teegardin, the raspberry beret-topped journalist for the Detroit News, then the Detroit Free Press, whose juicy, wildly provocative columns touched off a gossip-column war between the two papers for years in the 1980s.
Free Will Astrology (April 9-15)

2 weeks ago | metrotimes.com | Rob Brezsny |Jim McFarlin

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Life is asking you to be a source of generosity and strength for the people and animals in your sphere. I hope you will exude maximum amounts of your natural charisma as you bestow maximum blessings. Soak up the admiration and affection you deserve, too, as you convey admiration and affection to others. Here’s a secret: The more you share your resources, help, and intelligence, the more of that good stuff will flow back your way.
City Guide 2025: Aloha, Detroit!

2 weeks ago | hourdetroit.com | Jim McFarlin

For 30 years, Emily T. Gail has thrived in paradise: Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. While her address has been in the Aloha State, however, her heart has remained in Detroit. As have several of her possessions.
An Interview with Screenwriter Rob Edwards

1 month ago | hourdetroit.com | Jim McFarlin

You may not know the name Rob Edwards, but in Hollywood, the Detroit native is a legitimate A-lister … according to the script. Perhaps best known as a screenwriter for the Oscar-nominated Disney animated features Treasure Planet and The Princess and the Frog, he entered the Marvel universe this year as first writer on the current blockbuster Captain America: Brave New World.
Justin Timberlake proves he hasn’t lost a step at his Forget Tomorrow World Tour Detroit stop

2 months ago | metrotimes.com | Kahn Santori Davison |Jim McFarlin

Justin Timberlake has sold 120 million albums and won ten Grammy Awards, so it’s safe to say he doesn’t have anything left to prove to anyone. His place in music has been cemented many times over but the question is at the age of 44, is Timberlake still capable of delivering a prime “Prince of Pop” performance, or is he transitioning into an elder statesman role? The short answer is — the prince lives on.
Mother demands answers about son’s death in a Southfield Hotel a year ago

2 months ago | metrotimes.com | Steve Neavling |Jim McFarlin

A year after her 15-year-old son was shot and killed in a Southfield hotel, Tomika Alexander is still waiting for justice. Tyler Johnson was killed on Feb. 12, 2024, during a gathering with friends. Police recovered the gun, and multiple people were in the room when Johnson was killed, but no one has been held accountable, Alexander said Monday. “The Southfield Police Department has more than enough evidence to close this case,” Alexander said in a written statement.
NBC’s ‘Grosse Pointe Garden Society’ brings drama to Detroit’s affluent suburbs

2 months ago | metrotimes.com | Jim McFarlin

The first clear image you’ll see in the pilot for Grosse Pointe Garden Society, the glossy, trashy prime-time murder mystery premiering at 10 p.m. Sunday on NBC (channel 4 in Detroit), is a giant rectangular sign proclaiming “Mack Avenue Garden Center.” Mack Avenue? On network TV? America, welcome to our little corner of the world.
Don Was comes home

2 months ago | metrotimes.com | Jim McFarlin |Lee DeVito

OK, Don Was, we get it. We understand your full-time day gig as president of Blue Note Records since 2011 keeps you fairly tied to its L.A. headquarters.
My 10-Plus Years as a Rock Critic

Jan 9, 2025 | hourdetroit.com | Jim McFarlin

As my wife, Karen, is way too fond of replying whenever anyone inquires about my past, “He was a rock critic … in Detroit … in the ’80s! Anything you think he did — he did it!”That would be funnier if it weren’t close to the truth. The ’80s, for those too young to know, were a wild ride on many levels.
Youmacon returns to Detroit for 19th annual Japanese anime and pop culture celebration

Sep 23, 2024 | metrotimes.com | Layla McMurtrie |Jim McFarlin

Detroit’s Huntington Place will once again become a hotspot for Japanese anime, gaming, and pop-culture enthusiasts as Youmacon returns for its 19th annual convention. The four-day event kicks off on Halloween, running from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. Youmacon, named after the Japanese word “Youma,” meaning “demon” or “ghost,” was founded in 2005, with its first event held at the Troy Hilton.