My first boss after college once referred to me as a “son of the prairie.” I’m not sure of his motivation or whether the comment might have had a playfully pejorative tinge. There’s no denying that I spent the formative middle and high school years in the great state of Kansas and that I am infused with a hearty dose of Midwestern values and mannerisms by way of my father’s Nebraska roots.

I am therefore somewhat conflicted as I anticipate the NFL Wild Card Weekend. This coming Sunday at 1:00, the Kansas City Chiefs square off against the Baltimore Ravens (my new hometown team) at Arrowhead Stadium in KC (recently described by ESPN analyst Mike Golic as “the best smelling stadium in the NFL” by virtue of the volume of pregame tailgate barbeque on gameday.

To commemorate the occasion, my dear friend (and fellow Kansan) Victor Wishna penned a brilliant (and hilarious) revision of Poe’s The Raven. It definitely deserves a few minutes of your morning.

I hereby offer any Ravens’ fan to submit a poetic rebuttal, which I would gladly publish, though it’s inarguable that Victor has set the bar high.

Any lovers of theatre, photography, or beautiful books might also want to check out In Their Company, a collection of portraits of and interviews with the most prominent American playwrights.

Any lovers of ruggedly handsome men, might just want to admire Victor’s winning 3/4 profile.