Editor, Gazette-Journal:

During a break in James Taylor’s recent performance at the Democratic National Convention, James smiled broadly and said, "I don’t get it." He then described himself as "an old white guy who loves Barack Obama." The crowd went wild, and he enjoyed a round of applause. He is charming, to be sure, and the music he delivered before and after this endorsement was masterful and entrancing. With all respect to James Taylor, whom I have seen in concert five or six times over the years and whose records and DVDs I have purchased numerous times, I think I do get it.

James Taylor is a singer, songwriter, poet and musician, whose "poetic place" has entranced me on any number of occasions. He draws from his poetic place to write and perform some of the greatest popular music of my generation. I suspect he knows better than to draw from his poetic place when it comes to the questions of how best to pay the band, price the tickets, and title that property i...