On Tuesday, I was trying to write “Jan 8” as I scheduled something in my paper agenda for later in the week, but accidentally wrote “Jan 83, 2026.” In retrospect , it does feel as if January has already been 83 days long. 😳
Please recommend a few “must read” Montaigne essays. My DIL got me the complete essays and the heft stymies me. I once had a Montaigne bio that included some essays and foolishly culled it 😢.
Speaking of The Slits and “Rip it up and start again”, there’s a really good book on post-punk by that title that I read last year. Comprehensive and thorough without feeling like you’re drinking from a firehose.
I read Willa Cather’s My Antonia because it was the favorite book of someone I’d just met. Bits of it still live in me. Nothing remains of Death Comes to the Archbishop, though.
I use the "retyping" method, though I've never deleted the original! I learned this method back in the day from this book: V.A. Howard and J.H. Barton. Thinking On Paper: refine, express, and actually generate ideas by understanding the processes of the mind. Quill/William Morrow, New York, 1986
Re: Music documentaries - I really loved the DEVO doc! Super fun and gave me a newfound appreciation for them after seeing how the music and performance art all came together.
Watch Here to Be Heard: The Story of the Slits next on your journey. Then if you haven’t heard The Raincoats check them out. P.S. My Friends was one of my favorite books last year.
How low can it go?
Terribly sorry but I need to cancel my paid subscription. I want to stay as connected as possible without paying. How do I do that?
Not your department, perhaps.
send me an email and I’ll sort you out: austin@austinkleon.com
Austin! I just stumbled over this: https://www.schoolofattention.org/
Re: your intro.
On Tuesday, I was trying to write “Jan 8” as I scheduled something in my paper agenda for later in the week, but accidentally wrote “Jan 83, 2026.” In retrospect , it does feel as if January has already been 83 days long. 😳
Please recommend a few “must read” Montaigne essays. My DIL got me the complete essays and the heft stymies me. I once had a Montaigne bio that included some essays and foolishly culled it 😢.
Thought-provoking Peabody quote!
Speaking of The Slits and “Rip it up and start again”, there’s a really good book on post-punk by that title that I read last year. Comprehensive and thorough without feeling like you’re drinking from a firehose.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/291130/rip-it-up-and-start-again-by-simon-reynolds/
I read Willa Cather’s My Antonia because it was the favorite book of someone I’d just met. Bits of it still live in me. Nothing remains of Death Comes to the Archbishop, though.
I remember My Antonia being great. But that was 23 years ago 😂
I wondered were I learned of The Notebook. It must have been here, one of my favorite non-fiction books of 2025.
I use the "retyping" method, though I've never deleted the original! I learned this method back in the day from this book: V.A. Howard and J.H. Barton. Thinking On Paper: refine, express, and actually generate ideas by understanding the processes of the mind. Quill/William Morrow, New York, 1986
Re: Music documentaries - I really loved the DEVO doc! Super fun and gave me a newfound appreciation for them after seeing how the music and performance art all came together.
Good one! Oddly, I liked his WHAM! documentary better 😂
Watch Here to Be Heard: The Story of the Slits next on your journey. Then if you haven’t heard The Raincoats check them out. P.S. My Friends was one of my favorite books last year.
#8 made this song jump to mind, one of the best! Rip it Up by Orange Juice. https://youtu.be/UzPh89tD5pA?si=DQ24cBc_0ajGtRdN
Yep! It’s in his post :)
Loved the Fredrik Backman speech! He is one of my favorite authors.