OMM – December 2024 – #2
~ a curated selection of discoveries ~
::: The Open :::
Dear Reader,
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Thank you for reading and for your time.
With Gratitude,
~ Mark
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::: Personal Notes :::
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Big news in Syria! The Assad family’s 50-year reign has ended after a decisive coup by rebel forces. Bashar al-Assad may be best remembered for atrocities such as using chemical weapons on his own people.
Wishing Syria good luck in forming a new, much improved form of governance.
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It’s been a little while… but I have a new poem out.
The poem is called ‘Leveraged by Brain Rot’.
It’s a “news poem” kindly published by James Penha in The New Verse News.
Read the poem on the NVN website or Substack.
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I was interviewed for a podcast episode that should be out in the not too distant future. One takeaway is that I am now aware I can engage in the podcast medium and talk for 3 ½ hours without a break… so it’s good to know I’ll be up to the task if anyone taps me to be the left/progressive version of Joe Rogan.
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::: ONE ART :::
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There’s a ONE ART reading TODAY @ 2pm Eastern!
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Workshop >>> This Week!
Weird Up Your Language
Instructor: Grant Clauser
Wednesday, December 11, 7:00pm Eastern
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $25 (payment options – Stripe / PayPal / Venmo / CashApp)
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::: Podcasts :::
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Podcasts are taking center stage and I will personally be very sad if this somehow ruins the medium.
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Two really good [short] episodes of NPR’s Code Switch:
‘Momfluencers, tradwives, and the perils of modern motherhood’
‘Where tradwives and leftists agree’
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'If You Can Keep It': How Trump Could Reshape The U.S. Government’ (NPR 1A)
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‘Intelligence Squared: Trump, Podcasters and the New Age of Confusion, with Jamie Bartlett’
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I’ll talk about this more soon. Still processing. Excellent, thought-provoking, and admittedly distressing episode.
‘The Poetry Space_: ep. 85 - Artificial Intelligence’
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::: Music :::
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Wrapped Unpacked
Spotify Wrapped 2024 happened. Same day Bitcoin hit $100,000. Coincidence? Yes.
Here are a few things you can do with your Spotify Wrapped:
‘13 best websites to analyze your Spotify data in 2024’ (Mashable)
‘Revealed: The Top Artists, Songs, Albums, Podcasts, and Audiobooks of 2024’ (Spotify)
‘Spotify Wrapped 2024 is here, and Taylor Swift is once again the platform’s most-streamed artist’ (AP)
Spotify teamed up with Google to do something… interesting… but (thankfully in some respects) it’s not quite convincing.
‘Top Streamed Song on Spotify Every Year, 2014-2023’ (Visual Cap)
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NPR dropped a Top 50 albums of 2024 list.
Glad they included the new album by The Cure.
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Pitchfork dropped at Top 50 albums of 2024 list.
Surprised to see Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Short n’ Sweet’ down at #35.
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There was a time when Pitchfork readers had (imho) better opinions than Pitchfork reviewers… that was a while back. They seemed pretty aligned nowadays.
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Stereogum dropped a Top 50 albums of 2024 list.
Notably, Kendrick’s ‘GNX’ comes in at #3. This may be reasonable Top 50 positioning though it feels somewhat brave given the album is just out.
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NME ranks… Top 50 songs … Top 20 films … Top 20 TV shows …. of 2024.
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Rolling Stone dropped a Top 100 albums of 2024 list.
Seems excessive… until you realize they’re actually trying to be inclusive.
Maggie Roger’s ‘Don’t Forget Me’ is down at #65. In my opinion, this should be in the Top 5 of every 2024 list.
Omar Apollo’s ‘God Said No’ is down at #59.
Notably, RS has The Cure’s new album down at #48.
Soccer Mommy’s ‘Evergreen’ is down at #39.
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is #23.
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘GNX’ late year drop is down at #21.
Clairo’s ‘Charm’ clocks in at #13.
New Billie Eilish at #5.
Sabrina Carpenter at #4.
Beyoncé at #2.
‘Brat’ is #1.
This is by far the best list I’ve seen though I don’t agree with the ordering.
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Pitchfork dropped ‘The 100 Best Songs of 2024’.
Key inclusions: Charli XCX: “Girl, so confusing featuring lorde”, Chappell Roan: “Good Luck, Babe!”, Sabrina Carpenter: “Espresso”
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Old news now, but this was a funny comment about Zuck’s “Z-Pain” absurdity.
Zuckerberg has found himself a plethora of hobbies the past few years, from hydrofoiling to martial arts — as well as significantly changing his looks — in what some say is an attempt to get rid of his long-standing reputation as “robotic tech villain,” to appear more charismatic and authentic." (Semafor)
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::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::
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Exceptionally good advice from Christine Stroud, Editor-in-Chief of Autumn House Press.
“I know this might sound strange coming from a publisher, but I believe there’s too much emphasis on the act of publishing itself. Not that getting your book published isn’t a goal—it definitely is—but I’ve seen many writers become so fixated on publication that they lose sight of what’s actually best for their book.”
Read the rest of this short statement here. (Poets & Writers)
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My response to a good conversation on Becky Tuch’s Lit Mag News substack about “writing from the heart”:
I love what you shared Becky.
I was **just** rambling about this last night...
The ramble is, in essence, an argument for writing from the heart. The way I've been positing it to myself is that I have a penchant (some will read: "weakness") for writing that is heavy on The Personal and light on "Craft".
"MFA Poetry" is typically heavy on Craft and light on Substance.
There is material (poems) that are accepted for publication in ONE ART because I appreciate and value the authentic storytelling (perhaps with "outsider art" elements) even if the craft is less than ideal.
Work that is more Human is certainly work lit mags should be seeking... especially as we move forward in the world of AI-generated slop.
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‘Internet Archive Copyright Case Ends Without Supreme Court Review’ (Publisher’s Weekly)
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“In 1971, 37 percent of students said that a central objective of their college years was to become well-off financially. Seventy-three percent said it was to develop a meaningful philosophy of life. By 2015, those numbers had almost reversed. Eighty-two percent of students said that it was essential for them to use college to become well-off financially, while 47 percent said they wanted to develop a meaningful philosophy of life. Pundits and parents alike have emphasized preprofessional courses and downplayed the importance of humanistic study, Joseph Howley, a classics professor at Columbia, told me. In this environment, spending hours reading a novel may seem unproductive.” (The Atlantic)
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Amazing reading on 12/3/24 for the release of the Taylor Swift 'Invisible Strings' anthology!
I know a recording is OTW (March 2025, I believe).
The anthology is an all-star cast of poets.
A few of my favorite readings:
Robin Behn
John Gallaher
Lisa Fay Coutley
Barbara Hamby
Hollie McNish
Deborah Landau
Victoria Redel
Diane Ackerman
Kim Addonizio
Dorianne Laux
Bianca Stone
Maggie Smith
Topaz Winter
Dustin Brookshire
Kristie Fredrich Dougherty
Cornelius Eady
Anna Journey
Jennifer Franklin
Susan Rich
Lauren Camp
Diane Seuss
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Here’s are a few places you can buy the book.
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::: Health & Wellness :::
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‘Leaded Gasoline May Have Caused Boom In Anxiety, Depression, and ADHD’ (Jalopnik)
Having grown up in a 100-year-old twin-house that had some, uh, let’s just say “problems”… I’m fully convinced the physical environment you grow up in has a great deal of impact on health.
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‘Restaurant's new recipe cost Texas college student her life, parents say. Now they are on a mission to make changes.’ (CBS)
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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::
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‘The pink elephant test: What your visual imagination predicts about your ability to control your thoughts’ (MedicalXpress)
One of those remainders that many of us have very different inner mental landscapes. Some don't create visualizations in their mind, which is hard to conceive if you do, and I'm told only a percentage of folks have an inner monologue... and my sense is it varies by degrees. Mine is pretty intense (insert nervous laughter). There are people with "quiet minds". Former Poet Laureate Kay Ryan, for example, apparently... and part of me kinda hates her for it. (Kidding.) But I wouldn't trade my often noisy mind for a mind that barely wandered... it would feel like giving up a privilege, a power, as well as a part of my identity. It's interesting the way we are inclined to cling to aspects of perceived identity anchors, even if they don't seem particularly positive. If the felt sense is that this element is key to what makes you "you" I'm doubtful you'd be willing to trade it in.
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‘Another trans military ban would cost the United States billions of dollars’ (LGBTQ Nation)
“A total trans ban will cost the Pentagon at least $18 billion, according to Emily “Hawking” Shilling, president of SPARTA, a leading trans military advocacy organization.”
“The group estimates 73% of the 15,000 transgender service members in the U.S. military are senior enlisted personnel with 12 to 21 years of experience. The total operational investment in them is up to $176,000 per year per person, adding up to an $18 billion capital investment.”
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‘Travel writer who's visited 68 countries—4 places I most want to live’ (CNBC)
1. Helsinki
2. Singapore
3. Lisbon
4. Italy
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I found this surprising:
“The United States is outpacing the rest of the G7 in terms of productivity. And this is true at a state level as well.” (Visual Capitalist)
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‘World's Largest Gold Deposit Found, Worth Over US$80 Billion’ (ScienceAlert)
We’re still just finding large quantities of gold lying around… apparently.
“Core samples suggest every metric ton of ore could contain as much as 138 grams (nearly 5 ounces) of gold – an extraordinary level of quality considering ore excavated from underground mines is considered high grade if it contains more than 8 grams.”
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Some sad data on Gen Z really setting themselves up for unreasonable expectations when it comes to financial success.
I’ve noted before that, I think, it’s possible Gen Z is so focused on large incomes in light of seeing how millennials have struggled combined with living in a near constant state of precarity.
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‘Cyber Sigilism: The New And Controversial Tattoos That Gen Z Loves’ (The Zillennial Zine)
Described as “appropriative” and “corny” both of which appear apt.
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Gen Alpha “crashing out” slang is, of course, appropriated from AAVE. So is… most pop slang. Indeed, as the article points out, it’s either AAVE or LGBTQ community lingo that tends to get watered down and picked up by basic white people… humorously, often way after the original users of the terms have already moved on. This leads into the standard joke that white people have no culture.
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I found this fairly interesting.
‘I Say Forbidden Things About Sports’ (Ted Gioia)
“Meal prices at college sports events can now run hundreds of dollars—for a lousy pizza. But, hey, when you put profit maximization ahead of everything, this is inevitable.”
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‘Brain rot’: Oxford word of the year 2024 reflects ‘trivial’ use of social media (Guardian)
“Oxford University Press said the term “gained new prominence in 2024 as a term used to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media”.”
This is a serious problem.
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‘Associated Press 100 Photos of 2024: An epic catalog of humanity’ (AP)
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Two-Day Rule…
“I’ll get back to you. The classic example of “don’t go more than a day” is with replying to emails. Okay, not all emails. I appreciate that some jobs and some people get hundreds of emails a day. But important emails from important people and about important things need attention. Never leave them more than two days. Try to reply straight away. Try to reply that day. But if you fail in that, make sure you get back to it the next day. There’s a reason why many companies say, “We aim to get back to you within 48 hours” — anything more than that feels insulting or lazy. Automate your reminders or put a mark in your calendar. Do whatever you can to make sure you never go two days ignoring someone.” (Big Think)
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‘52 things I learned in 2024’ (Tom Whitwell)
My takeaway lesson is that people have very different concerns… and different concepts of what they consider “interesting” information that is worthy of knowledge retention.
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Bible sales are up 22% for the year.
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‘Most Fun Cities in America (2024)’ (WalletHub)
“Everyone’s brand of fun is different.”
I like how the first line of this article basically invalidates the entire premise.
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Bucket Lists
Most desired experiences from around the globe.
This visual is really cool.
I think it’s kinda sad that NYC tops the list. I mean… It could be worse… It’s just like… so, you’re in the city… the self-described center of the universe … now what?
Notably, I don’t see North Korea on this list. Presumably because we do not know what North Koreans desire.
Shout-out to Senegal for saying “Road trip”. These are my people, it seems.
Bhutan, home of the so-called “happiest” people on Earth, want to go on a roller coaster… I mean, I guess that tracks.
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“Elitism also shows up when elites who are arguably very good at something believe that this means that they’re also good at everything.” (Seth Godin)
Hi, Sam Harris.
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"If you're attacked by a polar bear, definitely do not play dead — that is a myth," she told CBC. "Fight as long as you can." (BBC)
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The FBI, yeah that FBI, is encouraging Americans to use encrypted messaging apps such as Whatsapp and Signal as we’re facing an ongoing cyberattack. This is surprising, in many ways, given the nature of agendas by gov’t agencies with three letter acronyms. In any case, it’s worth considering doing so to protect personal information. In the same breath, I wouldn’t trust these apps too much. Telegram, for example, is a popular app that not only offers a bunch of spam and phishing attempts but is owned (is/was… hard to say) by Russia. (NBC)
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Heather Cox Richardson considers an interesting comparison between the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and an incident in 1872.
“Today provided a snapshot of American society that echoed a similar moment on January 6, 1872, when Edward D. Stokes shot railroad baron James Fisk Jr. as he descended the staircase of New York’s Grand Central Hotel. The quarrel was over Fisk’s mistress, Josie, who had taken up with the handsome Stokes, but the murder instantly provoked a popular condemnation of the ties between big business and government.”
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‘New AI model advances the prediction of weather uncertainties and risks, delivering faster, more accurate forecasts up to 15 days ahead’ (Google’s DeepMind)
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‘Probabilistic weather forecasting with machine learning’ (Nature)
We’ll see…
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Undercomsumption Core (The Cut)
Popular on TikTok and… with Boomers (I know, I know, the guilt)
I did a thing for a few years where I made a physical list where I had to write down every single durable good that I purchased. It did get me to cut back. It’s also interesting at the end of the year to see how many times you’ve purchased say “socks and boxers” or “shoes” etc.
As someone who is been pro-thrifting since high school… this isn’t really new to me… I know Gen Z is having a thrifting moment. But they’re also still in their Temu Era… so it’s a bit confusing. On a related note, take a quick look at the beta version of Amazon Haul… I looked for admittedly too long but failed to see a single item that looked remotely appealing to purchase… even (or maybe especially) if it was $1.92.
Trigger warning: this is a link to TikTok… apparently, “Luxury Minimalism” is a thing. It actually makes sense. Though you don’t need stuff quite so boujee… let’s be real. Still, there are important lessons from idioms like having a “poor man’s mentality” which results in “throwing good money after bad”.
And but also…
“Underconsumption was supposed to be ‘I don’t own 34 Stanley cups’ & it became ‘here’s the tattered moldy remnants of a towel I’ve had since 2004 that I still use on my body,” one wrote. “Like bruh just buy a towel.”
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World we live in.
‘Why top internet sleuths say they won't help find the UnitedHealthcare CEO killer’ (NBC)
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Consistent Recommendations:
Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American – daily news with historical context
ONE ART: a journal of poetry – daily poems
Verse Daily – daily poems
Chill Subs – down to earth submissions resource
** Want to subscribe? Get a discount using this ONE ART exclusive affiliate link.
Becky Tuch’s LitMagNews – literary community news & essential resource
Trish Hopkinson – resource for the literary community
Erika Dreifus – resource for the literary community
C. Hope Clark’s Funds for Writers –weekly email newsletter contains invaluable short essays
Jane Friedman – blog, email newsletter, resource for the literary community
The Poetry Space_ with Katie Dozier & Timothy Green (podcast)
Commonplace: Conversations with Poets and Other People (podcast hosted by Rachel Zucker)
The Gray Area with Sean Illing (podcast)
Hidden Brain (podcast)
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