View this email in your browser

Plus lots of links to other good stuff that didn’t (yet)Too much? Not enough? Let me know what you think.

Hi! You’re here! Thank you.

This week has been a grind. It’s tough to be positive when it feels like my livelihood is at risk. I don’t know what effect this trade war will ultimately have, but the uncertainty and whiplash news is exhausting.

Let’s get into it:

Honestly, read the short stories. Everything else I read this week is unsuitable for the theme of this newsletter.

Reading:

This week is full of essential reads, but they’re very different from each other:

One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This is Omar El Akkad’s scathing, furious and unforgettable book about Western hypocrisy in the face of genocide.  

Ruined by Design is a fun antidote to it: Mike Monteiro’s funny and fierce ethics manifesto for designers (by which he means pretty much everyone). I’d read it before, but on reread I liked it even more than the first time around.

Charlie Hustle is the definitive biography of MLB scuzzball Pete Rose. Even though he died last year, he’s in the news again. This book reads like a Scorsese film script.

The Shortlist has eight (8!) short stories this week. You should read Zen from Kevin Light-Roth: he’s the incarcerated writer I mentioned last week. His story is part Elmore Leonard, part Demon Copperhead. It’s so good. It’s also the most popular page of the last 30 days, and it’s only been up for 24 hours.

Then go read the others! They’re all great.

If you’re a writer and want to send a story to help me get this short story section humming along, please do: just email me.

Listening:

Very weird pop records this week even the rock record:

STARNAMEDSUN makes music for late night walks in the creepy part of town.

Sophia Stel’s hyperpop is moody, atmospheric and kind of nostalgic.

Fright Years released a debut EP that’s glowing power-pop

Dumbo Tracks latest record is like a mixtape by a superfan of Rubee from SMILE

The Setlist has songs from old pals &Tilly, Ribbon Skirt, Dutch Mustard, Panic Shack and Mhaol, plus a bunch more.

Standout tracks this week are from Cherryshoes, Ioana Iorgu and Nutri3nt.

Hit the red button below to dig in. It’s 25 songs, 87 minutes. Apple Music or Spotify

Get the playlists

Something you think I should hear or read? Reply or click here.

It’s March Break in my house, so I don’t have a lot of the parenting stuff to do. So there should be lots of good stuff. New records today from Divorce, POM, Sofy, and Star99, so one or more of those will likely turn up here. Plus books from Laura van den Berg, Ali Smith and Gary Stevenson.

Thanks for being here.

-hugh

Copyright (C) " target="_blank">unsubscribe