Category Archives: Writers

I’m back! Miss me?

Posted in Pop Culture, Writers by

Well HELLOOOO There my delicious lover heads! It’s been a minute hasn’t it?

I took some ‘personal days’ off from blogging—over 8 month’s worth if you want to get petty and do the math.

But why?

I’m glad you never asked.

First off can we just discuss the K HOLE DUMPSTER FIRE that was 2018 for a moment? 

I mean HOLY F-CK KNUCKLES, WHAT IN WITCH TITS HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!?!

…A cesspool of pain, growth, a break-up, MORE PAIN, poverty, tons of begging, grovelling, and ooh! squeezing the last ounce of patience out of my remaining friends.

Yup! 2018 was like that splintered climbing rope we had to straddle in high school gym class when David Milner told all the boys he saw my maxi pad…

Nothing good came out of it and it hurt like F-CK.

(FYI 80’s maxi pads were like wearing small mattresses, truly.)

Anyhow the good news here is that progress has been made and my long awaited essay/memoir—my messmoir (I loves me some portmanteau) book will finally come out in 2020. 

The title is:

Pop Life (based on my love for pop culture and an homage to my idol Prince)

Sex, Effexor & Hip-Hop based on the Ian Dury song “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” and that’s all I will reveal for now. There’s going to be so much more than just a book.

I’ve been working on this memoir for no joke, 20 years—efficiency is clearly not a strong suit.

Its evolved, its stagnated, its died many painful deaths, its been in remission, its been through maddening bursts of pure genius, followed by many instances of crippling self-doubt, rewrites, revisions and so on.

Also I have 2 full chapters and some change where I write about actor Ryan Reynolds and my absolute stalking appreciation of him.

NNNRYYYYYYYY

Yup! I can finally and proudly announce that this BOOK is currently off life support and fully breathing on its own!

Just promise to buy it so that at the very least I can give my cat the kind of dental care that we all know she deserves?

Also I’m getting my full blog domain name Popculturerainman.com back expeditiously. 

Anyhoo, 2019 is going to be incredible I already have dreamy full-time top shelf name publicity and copywriting contracts that I’m also working on, the break up turned into a make-up, and I’m so thankful for all your support. TRULY. 

XOXO,

Longtime entertainment writer/journo and future published AUTHOR,

*curtsey*

Renee Gold

A.K.A.

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My Leonard Cohen Article…RIP Open Hearted Poet.

Posted in Music, Writers by

I was lucky enough to interview Leonard Cohen 15 years ago in person at the Hotel Vogue in Montreal. 

For well over an hour we talked freely while smoking Vantage cigarettes (his) and drinking wine in his hotel room.

This was a man that made smoking look elegant and almost spiritual.

These kind of exclusive opportunities simply do not take place in 2016. The time, the access, and the personal generosity simply does not happen in music interviews any longer. Might I remind you this took place—as have all of my most cherished interviews before smart phones or “selfies” were ever part of our communal lexicon. 

While we were winding down the interview Leonard Cohen, THE LEONARD COHEN, suggested I get in touch with his “single” son Adam Cohen who spent his time between Montreal and Los Angeles. He gave me Adam’s number and told me he would give Adam a “head’s up” that I was calling. I looked at Leonard and said “Leonard Cohen thinks I’m good enough for his son? Can I call you dad?” He looked at me and chuckled.

I got Adam’s LA answering machine when I called the next day and I left a baffled/shy message that went something along these lines…”Um, hi Adam? My name Renee Gold and I just interviewed your dad, and he gave me your number…” I felt like an idiot leaving it! I soon found out through common friends that Adam (unbeknownst to Leonard) was in a new relationship in LA, with I believe the mother of his son Cassius. I never got a call back from him, but I LOVE the memory and the gesture of Leonard Cohen trying to fix me up with his son. 

Here is my short article that was published in Elle Canada Magazine.

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RIP Leonard Cohen. Thank you for your prolific poetry, words, and music.

XOXO,

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