The clowns from the circus got drunk here last night
Things to read, watch, look at and listen to
All the photos this week are by David Heath
Podcast to listen to
The Active Voice: George Saunders thinks you should watch your mind
A short story
Among the Paths to Eden by Truman Capote - “The sweetest songs are sung in the shade of the old graveyard tree”
The Slow Life and Fast Death of DJ Screw
I don’t recall the first time I heard the work of DJ Screw, but I remember that it struck me as unique, different, interesting and listenable. This story from Michael Hall via Texas Monthly tells of the later DJ Screw’s life, his rise, his death and his legacy.
Bus Fires, Voodoo Candles, and Rodeo Legends: Inside Robert Earl Keen’s Epic Final Tour
I do remember the first time I heard Robert Earl Keen. It was with the release of his 1997 LP “Picnic.” The music falls under the Americana heading, but the thing that stands out about Keen is his lyrics. A long-time friend of Lyle Lovett, Keen writes three to five-minute short stories that are remarkable and listenable. I’m listening to “Picnic” as I write this and it’s as fresh as the first time I heard it. This story from Christian Wallace via Texas Monthly tells of Keen’s final tour, which reads like a Keen song, and gives a pretty thorough telling of his life and career, which will continue even though he will no longer tour.
A quote
Cities are the abyss of the human species - Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1762
A “Thanksgiving” movie
The Ice Storm
La. Voters Keep ‘Slavery’ at Angola Prison, Once and Still a Plantation
In the days after the midterm there was a lot of laughing at the “Slavery Ends” posts and the like, but the folks who were laughing really seemed to miss the point and that point is that slavery is still legal and folks voted to keep it legal… in 2022 via Washington Post.
The Landlord & the Tenant
So much to unpack in this one. A well reported story that leaves the reading dreading the outcome from the opening scene via ProPublica.