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Here are 10 things I thought were worth sharing this week:
It’s what folks in the book industry call “Dads & Grads” season. An easy gift they’ll love: one of my books with a few crisp bills as a bookmark. When in doubt about which book of mine to give, I suggest the deluxe hardcover anniversary edition of Steal Like an Artist:
Another easy gift: a paid subscription to this newsletter! Sometimes it can feel weird giving digital presents, so I made an analog zine you can download, print out, fold, and customize that will explain everything. (There’s also a video to show you how to make it.)
“I think it’s good to stay fully, even slightly foolishly, committed to the idea that humans doing human things, with other humans, is and will remain at the vital heart of human existence. Because otherwise what on earth’s the point?” Oliver Burkeman on navigating by aliveness.
“I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit,“ wrote Kurt Vonnegut in Timequake. “I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, ‘The Beatles did.’” (Let’s pair that with Sarah Manguso, who I quoted in Keep Going: “The purpose of being a serious writer is to keep people from despair…. If people read your work and, as a result, choose life, then you are doing your job.”)
“We ain’t gonna make it!” Something that made me feel alive this week: comedian Roy Wood, Jr.’s standup special, Lonely Flowers. Bleak, but so, so funny.
“Do what you do, then drop it like it’s hot!” One afternoon, after reacquainting myself with the rapper Juvenile’s performance of “Back That Azz Up” on NPR’s Tiny Desk, I came across an unexpected footnote in the book Space Odyssey that included the definition of the word “callipygian.” Frankly, these are the moments of synchronicity I live for.
“Love is a mixtape.” When it starts really warming up in Texas and the death rays start glowing, I like to turn on dark, gothy, synthy music. If you dig those vibes, I made a new mixtape you can stream on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube.