Riding or writing

10 things worth sharing this week

Hey y’all,

Good grief, it’s December. We lost at least 3 legends this week. Here’s what I thought was worth sharing:

1. This is the time of year I start working on my big “100 Things That Made My Year” list. I’ve done this since 2014. Each one requires a fair amount of retrospection, going back through old notebooks, newsletters, my blog, and social media. I just opened my January diary and saw my 2022 resolutions: see the Pacific Ocean again (done!), get a bicycle (yes!), build a studio (finally!), and write a new book (oops!). I guess I still have 29 days left, but 3 out of 4 ain’t bad…
   
   

2. RIP artist Tom Phillips. I wrote about his work, what it means to me, and an email he sent me that traces his pupil Brian Eno back to Raphael in 20 moves.
   
   

3. RIP cartoonist Aline Kominsky-Crumb. (Here’s a nice remembrance by Drawn and Quarterly publisher Peggy Burns.)
   
   

4. RIP singer-songwriter Christine McVie, who either wrote or co-wrote half of the sixteen tracks on Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits. (I love “Everywhere.”)
   
   

5. I’m in a bit of a reading slump again, but it’s a good time of year for that, as everybody posts their best-of lists. The New York Times lists 100 notable books and NPR’s Books We Love lists 400! Some of my favorites from these lists are Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Ada Calhoun’s Also A Poet, Dan Charnas’s Dilla Time, Julie Phillips’ The Baby on the Fire Escape, Antoine Wilson’s Mouth to Mouth, and Chuck Klosterman’s The Nineties. (Feel free to send me your lists!)
   
   

6. For the sixth straight year, Vanity Fair interviews Billie Eilish. (Also: Kottke is back!)
   
   

7. Mike White on his creative process. (Someone I know questioned whether they can satisfactorily wrap up season two of The White Lotus in just two more episodes. “I have faith in Mike White,” I said. “The man helped write Nacho Libre!”)
   
   

8. On Tuesday I wrote about making collages out of the flumes from Hershey’s Kisses and weaving personal meaning into your art. Next Tuesday I’m going to do part one of a two-part tour of my new studio. (Now would be a great time to subscribe!)
   
   

9. Christmas mix: I wrote this newsletter to Matthew Perpetua’s “Jazzy Christmas, Baby” playlist. He’s got more great playlists on Spotify and Apple.
   
   

10. The Idler’s Tom Hodgkinson on the importance of merriment this season.
    

Thanks for reading! If you are looking for a unique holiday gift, consider a stack of my books or a gift subscription to this newsletter! It’s easy to give via this link:

My studio gift guide still needs to be updated, but it might give you some stocking stuffer ideas.

xoxo,

Austin