Nathan Gregory — The Tym Before

Who is Tad Caldwell? For Nathan, Shawn, Eric, and Jonathan, the mystery begins in 1989 in suburban Metairie, Louisiana. The four teenagers hold a weekly horror movie night. But one Friday, Shawn plays a tape that proves more real than anything they've ever seen–and Nathan is the victim. Before Nathan watches himself die, his video double calls out a name: Tad Caldwell–a reclusive science-fiction writer whose last book came out in the 1960s. In the New Orleans shop where the tape originated, the owner gives him a book by Caldwell. Years before, a UFO encounter led to the suspicious disappearance of the writer's son, Roger. Before his disgrace, Caldwell wrote the only book he could–the revelations he believed the aliens left in his mind–a harrowing bible of alien philosophy, occult science, telepathy, electronic voice phenomenon and time travel. Nathan fearfully reads Caldwell's book. It claims to unlock telepathic powers to communicate with the past–even over magnetic video and audio tapes. Then, Theresa re-enters his life. Years before, the young Finnish woman once stayed as an exchange student with Nathan and his mother. But, the relationship between mother and son has been troubled since the loss of Nathan's father in a car crash years earlier. Nathan and Theresa seek out the reclusive Tad Caldwell in search of answers. Living in rural Batesville, Mississippi, the elderly writer welcomes the company. Theresa doesn't trust him, but Nathan won't listen–even as evidence mounts that Caldwell may be more than he seems. He works on a mysterious satellite dish next to his house. Odd noises emanate from his basement. Nathan refuses to notice. The old man restores the father figure he lost years before. Then, Caldwell disappears…

After 25 years of collaboration, Bob James and Nathan East are set to release their debut duo album "The New Cool" in September on Yamaha Entertainment Group. "The New Cool" marks new territory for legendary jazz pianist Bob James and bassist Nathan East, who’ve spent decades playing together in contemporary jazz quartet Fourplay but never before as an official duo.

After 25 years of collaboration, Bob James and Nathan East are set to release their debut duo album The New Cool in September on Yamaha Entertainment Group. The New Cool marks new territory for legendary jazz pianist Bob James and bassist Nathan East, who’ve spent decades playing together in contemporary jazz quartet Fourplay but never before as an official duo. “The more I played with Nathan over the course of many live performances and spanning more than 20 years, the more in sync we were whether or not we had the anchor of the drums,” says James. “Something special happens when we only have each other’s notes to play off of, when the music is totally exposed.”

On their first full-length album, Hamburg based outfit Angels Of Libra teamed up with Irish singer-songwriter Nathan Johnston to create a soulful & atmospheric journey, painting old-school soundscapes with a modern grooving twist.

But is "The Ministry of Special Cases" for everyone? No. Englander is a gifted writer, but his eccentricities will turn some readers off as unnecessary and annoying. As a fan of Nathan Englander's story collection, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges: Stories, perhaps I was already primed for his style before picking this book up, but I enjoy his quirks and I have spoken to several other people who do too. For those who can appreciate them, "Ministry" is a one-of-a-kind treat and an amazing novel.