You Don't Have to be a Stan to Hallucinate While Listening to Pop Music
Also, I have reading suggestions for you
I made a table of contents for you this time! Honey, she’s a writer AND an editor!
Music Criticism vs. Pop Culture Psychosis
Things to Read
Uno
As chronicled in this very newsletter, I recently lost my mind listening to 31 Taylor Swift tracks in a row, all in the service of music journalismisms. This was not due to Ms. Swift’s abundant talent, but to the fact that I am 43.5 and do not need to be listening to 31 tracks of anything in a row in the middle of the night EXCEPT Beyoncé because that will actually balance your hormones.
A quick-turnaround reaction piece is not good music criticism, which is why I simply wrote something totally bonkers entitled “Things to Do in the Bathroom While Playing the New Taylor Swift DOUBLE Album.” Proper music criticism is thoughtful, well-researched, well-reasoned, and grounded in reality. My piece was a hallucination. I still think Pitchfork should hire me as their CEO.
It is really a lovely double album that should be enjoyed at a normal pace rather than devoured in one (over)dose.
I will stop talking about Taylor Swift in this issue of SARATONIN.
Due
My Life in a Celebrity Polycule - Once again, I am pointing you to this piece of faux-memoir, which three readers thought was a real celebrity blind item type of thing. It is not real and I have never had group sex with Mr. Clean, Toilet Duck, Mrs. Meyer, or any other celebrities in Los Feliz.
There’s Something About a Run in the Rain by Jeff Barton, Medium - I do not like to run. However, I do like the rain. And this essay about reframing exercise as “play” brought up some neat ideas that I rather enjoyed.
Shafik must resign by Oren Root, Columbia Spectator - Root was the paper’s executive editor during the 1968 student uprising.
On Reading Jonathan Gold by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft, LA Review of Books - An oldie but goodie from 2018. I miss Jonathan Gold.
by by birthday queen by byEnjoy your weekend. Paid subscribers will receive a couple exclusive posts before the end of the month, which I have noted is fast approaching!
Love,
Sara
If you have not been to The Last Chapter Book Shop in Roscoe Village, I do recommend it. It is very cute and though I am not the standard audience for a romance-focused bookstore, I do enjoy popping in to see the kitschy magnets and stickers and candles and whatnot.