THE SIGNAL from David Katznelson
“It is failure that guides evolution; perfection provides no incentive for improvement, and nothing is perfect.” ― Colson Whitehead
The sunrise was epic this morning as I hit the trail with a friend. We live on a beautiful planet that keeps turning during all the chaos us humans impose upon it and ourselves. It has been an exhausting week that is not over yet, with just one crucial part being our formally pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement. I think about this with every step I take during my hike, hoping that Biden comes through and knowing that if he does, we will be back in the agreement within months, with having to formally commit to an even stronger push toward fighting climate change than previously. And it looks like Biden just might make it.
Keeping hope alive while the rain is falling. Seeing light glittering stronger from the darkness. Have a good weekend everyone, and stay safe.
WHOSE SKIP JAMES IS THIS? by Peter Guralnick
This is a fantastic article from 1997 by one of the great music journalists about one of the great blues players. James’ song Devil Got My Woman is just haunting, iconic. There is no other record like it. He was a a complex individual and Guralnick does a great job painting part of his picture. This article was just reprinted in the Oxford American to promote Guralnick’s new collection, Looking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music and Writing.
Edward Gorey Designed the Sets for the 1970S Broadway Run of DRACULA
I saw Dracula with Edward Gorey’s sets as a really young person. The play was good but the sets transfixed me. And when my Mom bought me an Edward Gorey coloring book, I was hooked for life.
See Sheffield rock history at Limit club caught on camera by photographer Pete Hill
Growing up, all I knew about the Limit Club was from the Damned song of that title, which is a great song but really has nothing to do with it. These pictures suggest it was an incredible, intimate place to be filled with some seminal punk artists of the time.
Malaysian boy, 9, wins Nasa competition with toilet invention that works on the moon
At least one kid put his potty obsession to good use!