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Good morning, and welcome back to The Daily’s Sunday Culture Edition, where one is Atlantic the writer discovers what amuses them.
Today’s special guest is staff writer John Hendrickson, who has a new book published, Life in delay. stammering peace, a part of which you can read here. John wrote Atlantic Ocean among other topics, President Joe Biden’s stuttering and recently; I didn’t see you there, an experimental documentary about living with a disability that he calls “kinetic and compelling.” John will read anything written by Richard Price, bought tickets to all five of The Walkmen’s NYC reunion shows, and probably watched. Runaway 50 times.
But first, here are three Sunday readings Atlantic Ocean:
Culture research. John Hendrickson
The upcoming event that I am most looking forward to. I spent nearly a decade waiting and praying for The Walkmen to reunite one day, doubting it would ever happen. To me, they are the unsung heroes of New York’s rock renaissance at the turn of the millennium (think The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Interpol, all Meet me in the bathroom bands). Recently, when The Walkmen announced a five-night run in Manhattan in April, I impulsively bought tickets to all five shows. I will scream every word to every song.
The TV show I’m enjoying the most at the moment. After cycling The office, The Larry Sanders Show, Parks and RecreationA series and several seasons of Ken Burns documentaries Alonemy wife and i have started watching News radio at night before we go to sleep. Again. Unsung. Every line delivered by Phil Hartman is masterful. Stephen Root, i barry and: Office area fame, deadpan humor does nothing like anyone else. And it’s a bit surreal watching Joe Rogan in one of his early roles, playing a meathead named Joe.
An actor I would look up to in anything. Bill Hader
My favorite blockbuster. Runaway as close as you can get to a perfect, for lack of a better phrase, popcorn movie. Quick walk! Nice dialogue. A couple of huge action sequences counterbalanced by grizzled guys in scruffy suits working phones. I must have seen it 50 times. [Related: Hollywood doesn’t make movies like The Fugitive anymore.]
The best novel I read recently. I’m currently reading a piece by Laura Zigman Small world, about two middle-aged sisters who move in together, bringing home decades of family baggage. I don’t want to give too much away, but I’m in awe of Zigman’s ability to weave sardonic humor and tenderness so tightly together.
Author by whom I will read everything. Richard Price [Related: Two good old-fashioned young novelists]
A song to which I will always dance. Le Tigre, “Deceptacon”. Click play and try to keep your body still. It’s impossible.
My karaoke song. Patti Smith, “Because of the Night.” I’m a terrible singer, but singing is my salvation. I like to belt this one out on a Friday or Saturday night at Montero’s, an old fisherman’s dive bar near the East River in Brooklyn. I usually throw a beat when the pre-chorus starts. I write a little about this in my book, Life in delaybut singing relies on a different part of the brain than we use for speaking, and i never I stutter when I sing. It’s freeing. Many current or former stutterers have turned to music at some point in their lives; Elvis Presley, Kendrick Lamar, Carly Simon, Ed Sheeran, Bill Withers, Noel Gallagher to name just a few.
My favorite sad song. Charles Bradley’s cover of “Changes” by Black Sabbath absolutely kills me. It transcends what you imagine as recorded music, as if Bradley’s soul is imprinted on the track. The full story about Bradley and his mother is made all the more vivid by the recording.
My favorite angry song. You, O, see, “I come from the mountain.” Whenever I’m stressed or anxious, I play it as loud as I can and bang my head on my desk. Colson Whitehead narrated 60 minutes that they are on his writing playlist.
Favorite story I’ve read Atlantic Ocean: Annie Lowry’s deeply vivid, personal account of her experience with pregnancy was the most memorable journalist I read last year, period. It will stay with me forever.
Recently I received a good advice. David Sims recently recommended the Apple line to me For all mankindkind of like that Mad Men: cross back Apollo 13. [Related: How the space fantasy became banal]
The last thing that made me laugh. Watch this clip »The PriceMaster:“. It’s one minute of your life. Trust me.
Read previous editions of the Culture Survey Gal Beckerman, Kate Lindsay, Xochitl Gonzalez, Spencer Kornhaber, Jenisha Watts, David France, Shirley Lee, David Sims, Lenica Cruz, Jordan Calhoun, Hannah Giorgisand: Sophie Gilbert.
Next week
- Maybe I doromantic comedy Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Luke Bracey, William H. Starring Macy and Emma Roberts (in theaters Friday)
- Pirate Enlightenment or True Libertalia?David Graeber’s Posthumous Book (Tuesday)
- The documents Project of 1619Extension of the book by Nicole Hanna-Jones (first two episodes premiere Thursday on Hulu)
More in Culture
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Isabel Fatal contributed to this newsletter.
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