November 22, 2024
Everything that happened on the blog last week with a couple extras.Too much? Not enough? Let me know what you think.
One of the best things about the week of American Thanksgiving is the best-of lists. They’re full of stuff I missed, and also help me feel smug about how much better my taste is than everyone that makes those lists. There are amazing exclusives at cool record shops that are irresistible until I see how much it costs to ship to Canada and skulk away empty handed.
They’ve started announcing book prizes too: the Booker, Giller (yikes), National Book Award to start. Year-end lists are the best.
If you spot any exceptionally good lists, send ‘em my way. Of course I did my own a few weeks ago. If you haven’t seen ‘em, here they are.
Here’s what we got up to on the blog this week:
Read
There were some great short stories on Monday. These two by Toronto’s own Marilyn Duarte are lights-out good. She also wrote Sophia Goes Bowling at 3AM that was featured last week. Can’t wait for more.
The Patti Smith memoir is the most memorable book I’ve read in a while, even though I wasn’t a huge Patti Smith guy before I picked it up. Highly recommend.
My kid keeps handing me Junji Ito books and I keep readin ‘em. Alley is, well, fine.
Character Limit, about Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, was compelling but not terribly informative. I think, given the news cycle these days, it’ll be a somewhat irrelevant story soon (I’m on Bluesky if you want to find me there)
Got something to share? Want your first reader or listener?
I’m always looking for good writing and good music. If you have something to recommend, either your own stuff or something you’ve found, lay it on me.
Listen
Four features this week:
Jagged Baptist Club’s Physical Surveillance is crazy fun indie rock
Becky and the Birds recent record Only Music Makes Me Cry Now is sublime hyperpop with tons of depth
The awesome soundtrack for the German audio adaptation of Girl, Woman, Other
And Amsterdam’s Loupe, who makes warm and lovely indie pop.
Also on the playlist:
Singles from previous faves Public Works and Carla Askre, with new discoveries from Bo Milli, Kills Birds, Angel Murray, Air Drawn Dagger, Olivia Montgomery, Horsegirl, ROREY, Ela Minus, Lenn, PALES and farmar.
17 songs, 58 mintues. Hear it all on Apple Music or Spotify
NEXT WEEK: The new Knausgaard, a new one by Annie Ernaux. More music from PALES (check this out). And a dive into a website called A Personal Anthology
Copyright (C) " target="_blank">unsubscribe