What I'm enjoying, well, these days
This section rotates sporadically. It is not a repository for the new: I post about what I like, regardless of age. Reach out with any recommendations.
READING
Classical English Style by Ward Farnsworth. Using masters of English (e.g., Lincoln, Shakespeare, Churchill, Wollstonecraft) as his guide, Farnsworth reveals the common threads (indeed there are some!) that make great writing great. As delightful as it is insightful.
Last Witnesses: An Oral History of the Children of World War II by Svetlana Alexievich (above). A collection of brief recollections—some devastating, some strangely hopeful—of Soviets who lived and suffered through the War as children.
Poor People by William T. Vollmann. The author spans the globe spending time with the indigent to focus on a question—”Why are you poor?”—that due to fear we keep ourselves from asking. Vollmann is one of our greatest literary figures, but his greatest gift may be his humane connection with others, including those whom we’d rather neglect. A transformative read.
LISTENING
Because of a Flower by Ana Roxanne. An ambient album that engages with both psychic harmony and tension, with the natural and the digital. Euphoric, kind, calming, expansive.
Music for Airports by Brian Eno. I first fell in love with this album while on breaks between patients, watching orderlies in the cafeteria at Bellevue Hospital. A deep dive into desire and alienation, and the tender parts of all of us.
Meredith Monk (pictured). Sound and voice artist whose work is haunting, strange, primal, schizo, gorgeous, reverent. Albums to start: Dolmen Music, Book of Days, Mercy.
Gil Scott-Heron / Makaya McCraven We’re New Again: A Reimagining. Rhythm artist McCraven plus mates take the spoken word of Scott-Heron’s final (unfinished) album I’m New Here to create something utterly fresh. To get a sense of McCraven’s masterful interpretation—equal parts reverence and creative confidence—listen also to the late Scott-Heron’s glass-eyed take on the title track (itself a cover of Bill Callahan’s original). (And please stop comparing and reducing this man to hip-hop. He’s a world unto himself.)
stuff
Stretch Zion Pants by prAna. I’m not obsessed with gear and gadgets—unless I find something that really works. These hiking pants do. An adjustable waistband, a roll-up hem that snaps and secures for warmer temps and water encounters, quality zippers, ventilated inseam and pockets deep enough that allow your arms and hands to rest rather than your shoulders to hunch. Brilliant.
Thinkers
Sam Harris. Few people working today do more to intelligently address the urgency of the issues we face; fewer still are willing to place ethics over ideology when discussing them. His podcast, Making Sense, should be required listening.
WATCHING
Frontline. This investigative show is my homepage on my web browser. Nearly 800 episodes since ’83, and it covers everything from opioids and abortion to mental health and government spying. All feature authoritative interviews. And (apologies to Liev Schreiber) narrator Will Lyman may have the best voice in tv.
MISC.
Sunshine, clouds, rain, winds… who cares? A good walk in the woods, either solo or with a liked or loved one (also revering of quietude).