OMM – October 2024 – #1
~ a curated selection of discoveries ~
::: The Open :::
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoy this weekly newsletter (published on Sundays).
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Thank you for reading and for your time.
With Gratitude,
~ Mark
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>>> Please Note <<<
This newsletter is typically too long to appear in its entirety in an email. Please click through to Substack to read in full.
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::: Personal Notes :::
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I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to select this terrific essay by Abbie Kiefer for publication in Cleaver Magazine.
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I’m working on time management.
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I’m still seeking additional work.
I’ve long desired to have all of my efforts concentrated in the literary and art communities. You are likely well aware that it’s difficult to get paid to do so.
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If you’re interested in working with me 1-on-1, please consider checking out my poetry services via VRS CRFT.
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::: ONE ART :::
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This Thursday!!
Thursday, October 10 — 7pm (Eastern)
Featured Poets: Donna Hilbert, Bonnie Proudfoot, Tamara Madison
Tickets available here (Free or Donation)
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The Music of the Line: Rhythm, Rhyme and Repetition in Poetry
Hosted by: Ellen Rowland
Day: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Time: 11:00AM-1:00PM (Eastern)
Price: $25 (payment options)
Limited to 15 participants
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::: Podcasts :::
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So many! But I haven’t had a chance to write up my thoughts on them.
Expect to hear more about my recent podcast adventures next weekend.
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::: Music :::
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Lorde and Lana Del Rey have forthcoming albums TBA
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From Pitchfork’s release update about the new Godspeed You! Black Emperor album—
“The record mixes post-rock elegies with fuzzy drones, ambient collages, and disarming moments of relief in the form of surging crescendoes [sic] and—uncharacteristically—rousing 4/4 hooks.” (emphasis my own)
Hard not to chuckle.
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‘Talking through AI and the future of music with will.i.am’ (Semafor)
“My point is, even Spotify got sued. If you don’t get sued, that means you ain’t doing shit”
Genuinely entertaining read.
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::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::
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Chill Subs added lists that can help you determine where to submit your work.
I wish ONE ART made more of the lists… oh well… maybe in the future.
You’ll find ONE ART on the “Fastest Responses” list.
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‘Here's who made the 2024 MacArthur Fellows list’ (NPR)
[insert meme: hey babe, wake up, new MacArthur “Genius” list just dropped]
But seriously, a list of impressive individuals including poet Jericho Brown.
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‘How The New York Post Comes Up With Those In-Your-Face Headlines’ (Esquire)
This read is almost too entertaining. Appropriate of course given we’re talking The Post.
“The art of the tabloid front cover headline was, and still is, mastered by the Post. You can’t take that away from them.” – Harry Shearer
“It’s like haiku…” – Pat Smith
“Vinnie was a volatile person. He was a phone thrower; a garbage-can kicker. One day I had to get him ice in the cafeteria because he broke his toe kicking a metal trash can full throttle.”
“[Vinnie] once attacked—or maybe just threatened—a copy editor with a spike. Do you remember those? That’s where the term “spiking” a story came from. Back in the day, stories that were killed were literally skewered on metal spikes.”
“When Vinnie tapped out “headless body in topless bar,” we were all surrounding his VDT. It’s like pictures of the Declaration of Independence with everybody gathered around John Adams and Thomas Jefferson because they know it’s something big. By that afternoon, it was legend. Dick Belsky worked the desk that day, and he yelled over, “Vinnie, hang on, we’re checking. We’re not sure it’s a topless bar.” Vinnie jumped on the desk and said, “It’s gotta be a topless bar. This is the greatest fucking headline of my life.””
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Elon Musk is no poet. (Current Affairs)
Elon seems to know he’d be a Vogon.
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Neat and thought-provoking artwork.
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‘Make Way for Ducklings’ artist has a new, powerful piece unveiled at Age 96. (WBUR)
With thanks to Louisa for calling my attention to this!
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“You’ll be miserable if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do.”
Austin Kleon channeling Kris Kristofferson channeling William Blake.
& a list of ‘how to feel miserable as an artist’ by Keri Smith
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Neat nature photography. Worth a quick look.
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::: Health & Wellness :::
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‘For Neurodivergent Cooks, Kitchen Hacks Are Lifelines’ (Eater)
You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible by Margaret Eby
Book forthcoming November 19, 2024
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‘Healthier rice variety could counter rise in diabetes’ (Guardian)
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‘Is Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed?’ (Slate)
It’s not just bipolar disorder. Overdiagnosis is a problem, in general. Moreover, the high risk of misdiagnosis.
An important takeaway here is that we (Western society) live in a culture in which we’re quick, often too quick, to slap on a diagnosis—especially to children and teenagers. While receiving a diagnosis can provide a sense of relief, an ability to own your situation, perhaps a sense of finally being seen, there is a serious downside when it comes to misdiagnoses.
Spending more time getting the correct diagnosis would be wonderful. Now we just need a mental healthcare system that helps this become more of a reality.
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‘1 in 8 Americans feel lonely a lot of the time’ (Sherwood)
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Oh no… This EVOO story is a bit too much like ParmesanGate.
“In some instances, seized bottles have turned out to be lampante, a grade of olive oil deemed unfit for human consumption. And, with stunted production showing no signs of improving, better traceability will become imperative to avoid public health issues.”
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::: Hurricane Helene’s Aftermath :::
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It’s been heartbreaking to read stories and as much video as I could tolerate (which was not much) of the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
Louisa and I honeymooned in Asheville and spent a lovely day in Chimney Rock. The personal connection unsurprisingly makes this even more disturbing.
For a time, there was a sense that these events only happen elsewhere. But that was never really true.
I was in Ft. Lauderdale as a child when Hurricane Andrew struck and what I witnessed of the destruction after exiting the elementary school where we took shelter remains etched in memory.
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“Just be thankful, people. Wherever you are, whatever your lot, count your blessings. Don't tell people how you've had it worse or had it better...don't tell people how things could've been handled better. Just count your blessings.”
— C. Hope Clark (FundsforWriters.com)
I highly recommend signing up for Hope’s newsletter.
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‘Asheville has been called a ‘climate haven.’ There’s no such thing’ (Fast Company)
“A North Carolina city that is ground zero for climate science is now ground zero for a climate disaster those same scientists have been informing the public about for decades.”
Asheville “likely has more scientists working on climate change per capita than any other town or city in America,” according to Edward Maibach, the director of George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. The city is home to NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information which oversees the National Climatic Data Center that “maintains the world’s largest climate data archive.”
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Asheville and beyond.
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60% of Chimney Rock was destroyed by Helene (WCNC)
Video of this really got me emotionally worked up.
Here’s another piece on Chimney Rock. Depressing.
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'The hidden toll taken by tropical storms' (The Verge)
"The average tropical storm or hurricane leads to the early deaths of between 7,170 and 11,430 people, the researchers estimate. That’s astronomically higher than the average of 24 direct deaths per storm documented in government records spanning more than half a century."
"If there is a silver lining in the study, the data points to how communities can become more resilient. The impact that tropical cyclones had on mortality was actually lower in states that experience more frequent storms. People there have likely minimized risks by adapting to the climate, the study hypothesizes."
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Spruce Pine – Destruction & Disruption.
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In search trends…
Searches asking “when does the hurricane season end” spiked +1,300% in the US over the past week
Searches asking “does insurance cover hurricane damage” spiked +1,300% and “what does hurricane insurance cover” increased +1,050% in the US over the past week
People want to help in all sorts of ways such as giving blood
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“Nearly all homes in counties hardest-hit by Helene lack flood insurance.” (Washington Post)
“Less than 1% of households were covered in Buncombe County, N.C., where an entire town disappeared. Many people will have to rely on federal help.” (WaPo)
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Looking back…
May 2024 predictions about storm season (‘Dangerous brew: Ocean heat and La Nina combo likely mean more Atlantic hurricanes this summer’) … and now Helene.
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Able to lend a hand?
A list of a few ways you can help those who experienced loss and devastation due to Hurricane Helene.
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::: The Election :::
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The Cut reports evidence that high rates of divorced men are Trump voters.
This ties well into The Hard Times’ joke that ‘Polls Show J.D. Vance Performing Favorably Among Men Who Think the Bartender Is Flirting With Them’.
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‘America's youngest voters turn right’ (Axios)
Gen Z’s worrisome turn towards political conservatism.
But it’s not all of Gen Z. It’s the boys.
“26% of men ages 18-24 say they identify as conservative — five points higher than 25-to-29-year-old men.”
“Among women, the younger group is more conservative by three points.”
“Moderates make up the biggest chunk of both men and women young voters.”
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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::
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“More than 80 percent of the people sentenced for fentanyl trafficking at the southern border are U.S. citizens, federal data shows.” (New York Times)
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‘When dollar stores close, U.S. families on food benefits lose a lifeline’ (Reuters)
Framing the utility of dollar stores for low-income families
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Going for a PhD can take a massive toll on your mental health. (Nature)
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‘Best Foodie Cities in America (2024)’ (WalletHub)
Agree? Disagree?
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‘U.S. and Canada’s Coolest Cities’ (CSB)
An interesting list. Not used to seeing U.S. and Canadian cities compared side-by-side.
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‘Nitrous, one of the oldest mind-altering drugs, is back’ (Vox)
An interesting read. And, yeah, we should probably worry a bit if people are excessively messing around with this. Just not in a moral panicky sorta way.
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Neat idea for kids shoes!
Shoes that can “grow” with you.
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‘Teen reunites with trooper who saved his life during runaway car incident’ (ABC News)
This is a wild story.
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Morning Brew / USA Today:
“The likelihood of your random roommate at Stanford having “the third” after their name just went down. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill this week banning the consideration of family or donor connections, otherwise known as “legacy admissions,” at all public and private universities in the state.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision last year to strike down affirmative action in college admissions, attention is turning to the debate around legacy admissions and whether or not to make the higher-ed playing field more equal. The new law requires the institutions to report all admissions data, and those found in violation will, essentially, be publicly shamed (there’s no financial penalty).
Admissions offices argue that legacy consideration is a net benefit because the money families donate to the college can be funneled into financial aid. Critics say the legacy process favors white applicants and only pads the school’s already ballooning endowments.
· Economists are divided on whether legacy admissions = more donations.
· The practice’s origins stem from colleges in the 1920s fearing that more Jewish, Catholic, and immigrant students would take spots from wealthy Protestant students.
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::: Google Search Trends :::
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“how old is vintage” is the top question on vintage, 2024
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Wawa has defeated Sheetz (at least in the Northeast) in a 2024 study by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Wawa is overshadowed by Buc-ee’s (which I’ve never heard of before) in the South.
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‘Without Saying a Word, Kansas City Chiefs Tight End and Taylor Swift Boyfriend Travis Kelce Taught a Tough Lesson About Success ‘ (Inc.)
Football, fame, performance, and to excuse or not excuse?
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‘I for one do *not* welcome our robot overlords.’ (Nora McInerny)
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‘Ranked: The World’s Most Innovative Countries in 2024’ (Visual Capitalist)
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::: News of the Weird :::
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‘Montana man gets 6 months in prison for cloning giant sheep and breeding it’ (AP)
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Definitely not a scam, right?
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‘Costco, seller of gold and silver bars, to get into platinum next’ (QZ)
Who are the people going to Costco for this purpose??
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In local news of the weird…
‘Numerous Red Balloons Found In Main Line Creek: Police’ (Patch)
"Spooky season prank or just big fans of Nena," police asked on social media, referring to the ominous red balloons in the "It" movies and the popular German 80s new wave hit "99 Luftballons."
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::: Thoughtlets :::
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Birthday… giving?
There’s a semi-trending Washington Post opinion piece questioning whether it’s getting to give or receive—specially in the context of birthdays. The idea being – what if you mostly gave gifts on your birthday and shifted the focus away from received gifts. How would a person feel?
If you buy into variations on personality types and love languages… then this will likely play out better for some than others. Might be difficult to measure in any kind of scientific way as this would require self-reporting of emotional states. I’m sure we could hook up electrodes or whatever and get before and after readings to see if people’s brains light up in such and such way. I’m not sure how much stock I’d put in that.
All this preamble to say that I like the idea of giving on birthday and taking the pressure off of watching the individual enjoy themselves on the day. It’s never been a great feeling for me and I know I’m not alone in this. Obviously, there are those out there who truly look forward to and love having a weeklong celebration with day after day of festivities and that’s totally fine if it makes you feel good and validated and so forth. Really, to each their own.
There’s been a few years when I asked family to give donations on my behalf to charities I value and that felt good.
Small, thoughtful gifts go a long way.
It’s important to pay attention to what the individual really appreciates. Do they want flowers? Then, definitely get flowers. Do they want only fair-trade chocolate? Maybe the person really just wants to spend quality time with their partner, or friends, or family on their birthday or birthday-adjacent celebrations.
Again, to each their own.
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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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Always thought provoking.