MNTS #10
[Week 29/ Year 2023] Bloom, Guides, Land, Emerson, Abdelmessih, Armstrong, Pheidippides, Cut Worms, The Open
Mainly, Notes To Self - my weekly attempt to compress everything noteworthy I read, watched, listened to, and discovered during the past week.
New Posts
Book Notes: How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom - Processed highlights and wrote up Opinion and What I’m Stealing sections.
Instagram Guides - I’ve re-engaged with Instagram lately and just found the new Guides feature. As a teen, I had a habit of ripping images out of magazines and taping them to my wall in a hodge podge collage. I’m really digging Guides functionality because it allows me to do something similar with the 500+ images/ephemera I’ve collected privately as visual inspiration over the years. I created 17 Guides of imagery that represent my aesthetic. If you’re into that type of thing, check them out here.
Reading
I finished Cybergothic by Nick Land - this is the short story for the next Other Life book meeting on Saturday, July 29. This is my first encounter with this type of writing. I’m fairly certain I don’t have enough context to make heads or tails of these seemingly incoherent ramblings. The value I am getting out of it so far is the forcing function of having to interpret the incoherent vagueries into something I can have a discussion about. The text reminds me of the scene in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when they float down the chocolate river through the trippy tunnel of horrors.
I’m just a few pages into Self-Reliance & Other Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson - I’m loving it so far.
Letters by Kris Abdelmessih - I really like the idea of writing letters to your kids. This is a great example of one to reference.
Of Course You Can Beat the Market by Evan Armstrong - “You can beat the market, but only if you are hyper-aware of how and why you are beating it.”
Areopagus Volume LIV by the CultureTutor - specifically Part II - Historical Figure Pheidippides The Great Messenger. It really inspires me to test my mettle.
Listening
I’ve been wearing out Cut Worms’ single Don’t Fade Out, so I was super pumped on the self-titled full album release. It did not disappoint. So much to love. It’s a little folky, a little country, a little surf rock. It’s syrupy easy listening, and it’s sure to be in heavy rotation this summer. I hear a little bit of Dr. Dog, a touch of Paul Simon, some Leon Bridges, some Beach Boys, and even a smidge of Fleet Foxes here and there. It’s 100% solid cover to cover, which is such a rarity these days. I would be remiss not to acknowledge the stylish and very fitting album cover. I’ve always loved this maneuver for a guitarist, and the cover photo perfectly captures this motion's essence. The plain white tee, the full-fitting trouser, and the bent knees flowing into worn boots are as effortlessly cool as it gets. I’m genuinely delighted by the entire package. Hard recommend from me.
Watching
The Open - rooting for Rory, Min Woo Lee, and Cam Young to make a move today.
Until next week.
Stay spirited, stay resilient.
Andrew