Book/Audiobook
You most likely know Michael Pollan from his best-seller The Omnivore’s Dilemma or one of the other books on food and food production he’s done over the last few years – that’s how I came upon him. So, hearing he was going to put out a book about psychedelics (the complete subhead is “What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence”) I was intrigued, if a little skeptical. Turns out, it’s a very enlightening and engaging read that covers everything from history to the controversies to what it’s like to take mushrooms and wander around your farmhouse.
Long Read
We’ve been engaged in drone and air strikes for so long that Hollywood has offered us countless on-screen darkened situation rooms where decisions to launch missiles are made. This except from Nick McDonell’s book The Bodies In Person: An account of civilian casualties in American wars is full of details that get lost in media representations – the specific drudgery in poring over visual data for hours, the shorthand slang developed to communicate among a team
Book/Audiobook/serialized podcast
My friend, Mark, turned me onto this a decade ago when it was being released as a serialized podcast audio book (I refuse to use the word “podiobook”!!). It’s science fiction in that it takes place hundreds of years from now on board freighters that use massive generated sails that allow them to ride the solar wind for propulsion. Okay, set that premise aside for a moment. It’s about a man – an ordinary guy starting out at the bottom – and how he adjusts to life in “The Deep Dark”. There aren’t space battles, there aren’t exotic aliens, there’s no deep political intrigue, and that’s a huge part of the charm of Lowell’s stories. There are six books in this main series – Quarter Share is book 1 – and it’s wonderful comfort food for the soul. I’ve listened to the books all the way through at least three times over the years, and I introduced Fern to them recently – we’re rapidly coming to the end of Owner’s Share right now, and she’s hooked. Check them out!
Music
A newsletter I didn’t know I was subscribed to suggested this self-titled debut album by a band I’ve never heard of. *shrug* Can’t hurt to check it out on Spotify, right? So glad I did! Anna Louise and Heather Summers intertwine harmonies with fiddle, guitar, and banjo. They describe the genre as “Creek Rock,” but you could call it “Americana” or “Folk”. Whatever proverbial shelf you want to set it on, the music is haunting and mesmerizing, and this morning with a cup of coffee as the fog drifted through the trees with this album on, life was pretty goddamned good.
TV Show
Remember back in February when I recommended “The Good Place”? We’re a few episodes into season 3 and it’s still amazing. Holy forking shirtballs, what are you waiting for? I’d argue this is the best comedy on TV. First two seasons are on Netflix. Go catch up! Do it! Thank me later!
