Father John Misty, In Depth →
Fascinating, entertaining profile in The New Yorker.
Lethem on Knausgaard: "My Hero" →
After discovering this short appreciation in a Jonathan Lethem essay collection on bookish things, I just read it aloud to my wife, who'd been curious about why I've been so utterly taken by this series and increasingly hungry for each subsequent volume. Lethem nailed it ("Knausgaard's approach is plain and scrupulous, sometimes casual, yet he never writes down. His subject is the beauty and terror of the fact that all life coexists with itself."), and he was only one volume in.
A Conductor's Swipes
This isn't exactly news, but I saw this project recently spotlighted in Cannes Lions coverage. Very clever concept for a new visual identity: A conductor's swipes create a new lettering system. Here's Under Consideration, and here's The Partners themselves.
Gregory Crewdson: "Brief Encounters"
I can still remember encountering Crewdson's work for the first time in The New York Times Magazine more than a decade ago. Original, absorbing and haunting. Today's "Monocle Weekly" interview with him had me heading to his website, which alerted me to this documentary.
Brian Dillon on One Sentence from Woolf →
Great idea for a piece, well-executed. (And what a sentence.)
Low: "Will the Night" →
Just a demo — but among the most beautiful three minutes of music I know.
A Father's Tradition
A Happy Fathers Day nod to a dad who passed down his now-40-year tradition of logging the culture he took in each year. He turned 75 today, and said he’s going to go back through his decades of notes and see what’s risen to the top.
Our conversation moved me to page through my own logbook. Here, a few pics of pages covering books, films and concerts during the late 90s/early 2000s, a few years before my process went digital.
Steidl, Publisher →
An inspiring profile by Rebecca Mead.
"A Father's Final Odyssey" →
A special piece by Daniel Mendelsohn about Homer's epic, his father and a journey they took together.
Song Exploder →
Where have I been to miss this marvelous podcast for its first 101 episodes? Hrishikesh Hirway interviews musicians and asks them to break down a single song, which we hear in bits ... and bits ... and then in its entirety. It's a fantastic idea executed with great polish, sensitivity and humility (Hirway is almost never heard from). I've so far enjoyed Jeff Tweedy/Wilco, Ghostface Killah and Bjork, with many more in the queue.
"Daniel Dennett's Science of the Soul" →
A wonderful and humbling New Yorker profile of this 74-year-old philosopher (and so much else).
Remembering Robert Silvers
What a rich life to have lived, at the helm of the New York Review of Books, to have these warm, admiring, vivid remembrances follow your passing:
Jack White's World →
Insightful and entertaining New Yorker profile by Alec Wilkinson. I can still vividly recall seeing the White Stripes at The Pageant in 2002, a blazing tricolor duo that owned that room from start to finish.
"Exit West"
What a time for this deeply affecting Mohsin Hamid novel to appear. Here's Jia Tolentino on The New Yorker's website:
The novel feels immediately canonical, so firm and unerring is Hamid’s understanding of our time and its most pressing questions. Whom are we prepared to leave behind in our own pursuit of happiness? Whom are we able to care for, whom are we willing to care for, and why are our answers to those questions so rarely the same? At one point, Saeed points out to Nadia that millions of refugees previously came to their own native country, “when there were wars nearby.” Nadia replies, “That was different. Our country was poor. We didn’t feel we had as much to lose.” Comfort, she knows, can anesthetize one against concern for others.
This is my first Hamid book, and I'm impressed. Looking forward to catching up with some recent interviews.
Mike Rigby Interviewed on Design Matters →
Terrific interview with a designer and strategist who's done work with the greats (Landor, Pentagram, Interbrand, R/GA).
Hilton Als on "Moonlight" →
Finally saw this extraordinary movie, piercing and tender and unforgettable. Catching up on some interesting pieces about it, including this one.
Upcoming Talk: "Refreshing the Forest Park Forever Brand" →
I'm pleased to be speaking to the St. Louis chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators on February 23 about the refreshed messaging and identity platform my team introduced for Forest Park Forever in 2015.
"Home and Away: Writing the Beautiful Game" →
I've really been missing new Knausgaard material, as I've been waiting for the next translation... and suddenly I saw this new book being reviewed. Grabbed it from the library and gobbled it up in a few nights. Knausgaard and fellow writer Fredrik Ekelund exchange emails during the most recent World Cup. The topics are soccer, literature, childhood, family, yearning, memory... and on and on. Totally unique and enjoyable.
A Country Richer For It
I have endless gratitude for and pride in the America that welcomed refugees I would be lucky enough to get to know and love, with my wife and her parents at the top of the list.
Born To Run & Write
This was such a great memoir — probing, entertaining, funny, self-deprecating, insightful into the craft of songwriting and record-making.
Brought me back to decades ago, when I'd play "Greetings" & "Wild" over and over, learning from the vivid imagery and swaggery storytelling. It had been years since I'd listened to any of Springsteen's records, but it's been fun to queue them up on Spotify as I read about each one's background. (Small note: I appreciated his unapologetic use of all caps and exclamation points when an insight or memory or confession called for them.)
Whether you've read it yet or not, Springsteen's recent interview with Terry Gross is worth a listen.