Welcome Distractions
New music, book reviews, short stories and more from blog this week
Plus lots of links to other good stuff that didn’t get there (yet)Is this a useful email? Forward it to a friend who might like it.
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This week had a theme to it. It was kind of patriarchy week, I guess. Memoirs from Annie Ernaux and Rebecca Solnit were eye-opening to me, their experiences as young women being exploited and condescended to by men. American Teenager was the opposite - I saw myself and my teenager reflected in Nico Lang’s incredible profile of trans kids from across America. The records by Emily Allan and Apacalda deal closely with assault and mental illness, frequently gendered trauma.
This wasn’t by design - I read the Solnit because Elise Cook from Soot Sprite recommended it, the Emily Allan record was a total surprise, and the Nico Lang book was recommended by Dawn Steffler. But when a synthesis like this happens, it sometimes feels cosmic. I spent a lot of time reflecting on things from my past, and I think I have a richer outlook on the world for it. I wish I could go back in time and make younger me read more broadly.
But I guess we all do, right? Part of aging is cringing at younger you, even if that younger you was yesterday or last week. It’s also a big reason why I read, and why it’s so useful to take recommendations from people, especially for books I’d never pick up on my own.
What’s your most eye-opening read? Lay it on me. And now:
Off the blog: links you shouldn’t miss
How Big Pharma Intentionally Misleads Patients About the Efficacy of Their Products - an excerpt from Lisa Pratta’s new book in Lit Hub. Put this one on your list.
We’ve Been Thinking About Substack All Wrong - This convinced me that Substack is a social network, not a publishing platform. It’s excellent.
Here’s some killer feminist punk rock from a Dutch band called C’est Qui?:
The Talented Ms. Highsmith: I’ve never read Highsmith before but that’s changing soon. This is a good story about her last days. An Interview with Elmore Leonard’s biographer: didn’t know this book existed. Leonard is an all-time great. Also read this essay by Leonard about drinking and sobriety.
The Bug Club is a fantastic live band, and they seem like such lovely people this profile in the Line of Best Fit. Here’s a great KEXP with them:
This Weird Al profile in Billboard is great. has come up a dozen times this week (even my local Dairy Queen guy was singing a Weird Al song the other day).
There Will Never be another WTF wit Marc Maron: I’ve only listened to a handful of episodes but this article about him makes me want to listen all day, everyday.
A Simple Rule for Using AI in Art: Maybe Lincoln Michel is onto something here:
“Treat it like a human…You wouldn't have to credit someone you spit-balled ideas with or who proofread your work or who gave you some research advice. OTOH, you would have to credit someone who wrote all or some of your text if you have any artistic integrity at least.”
What got your attention this week? Got a hot take on something? Hit reply and let me know.
On the Blog
Reading:
American Teenager by Nico Lang is life-affirming and hopeful, about trans kids in modern America. (Thanks Dawn!)
Reflections of My Nonexistence by Rebecca Solnit is required reading. (Thanks Elise!)
A Girl’s Story by Annie Ernaux is another brutal, fantastic short memoir by the best to ever do it.
The Shortlist: Five stories, three of which come with content warnings. If you’re not in the mood for that, go with the one that starts with this sentence: “When he walked into her studio, Elodie was sculpting her seventh ceramic penis of the week.”
Got a short story? Send it my way
Listening:
Emily Allan’s new record will blow your mind if you let it (it’s not easy)
Lipsticism has your poolside playlist covered, and
Nother and Moon Leap would like to be on it too.
The Polaris Prize longlist was announced and I goofed on it a little.
The Setlist: 23 tracks, about 90 minutes. Standout tracks by Léna Bartels, The Get Alongs, and Placement.
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify
What’s on your playlist? Send me your faves
Next week: Tech week: Two books on AI, and Apple in China. More pride month stuff, and honestly probably not much else. My birthday next week, I’m gonna try to do some outdoor stuff.
Thanks for being here.
-hugh
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