Giving and Receiving Criticism Gracefully, or How Not to Be Anne Rice
OnCriticism is important, as is learning how to both give and recieve it. Recognize criticism as a good thing, and don’t flip out like Anne Rice.
The New Documentary ‘Bathtubs Over Broadway’ Looks at the Secret World of the Industrial Musical
OnThe new film ‘Bathtubs Over Broadway,’ starring ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ writer Steve Young, takes us into the secret world of the Industrial Musical.
‘Hit Rendition,’ the Newest Petridisch LP, Is a Bifurcated Dreamscape
OnOut today, Hit Rendition, the new album from Petridisch, is split into two halves, one more electronic, and one guitar-based — and all great.
This Garbage Brought to You By the Letters S-E-O: How Google Is Ruining Writing
OnIf you’ve ever noticed how writing on the internet often seems stilted and weird, you’ve got SEO — or Search Engine Optimization — to thank.
Not Just a Classic Issue, MAD #115 (December 1967) Predicted the Future
OnHome to one of the iconic TV parodies, ‘Star Blecch,’ December 1967’s MAD #115 also features a couple examples of surprising prognostication.
‘Mothermania’ Was the First of Many Official Zappa-Directed Compilations, and a Well-Chosen Mix
OnThough at this point, Zappa had released five albums, the first official compilation, Mothermania, only features a selection from the first three.
Welcome to Rite Gud, a Podcast Dedicated to Helping You Write Better
OnThis isn’t a podcast for total beginners. We’re going to assume that you know what plot structure is, what a protagonist is, where ideas come from, and how to use a semicolon. This is a podcast for people who can already write okay, but want to do better.
‘Cruising With Ruben & the Jets’ Is Zappa’s Reverently Satirical Take on the 1950s
OnWhat better way to follow up your avant garde musique concrete classical LP? Why with ‘Cruising With Ruben & the Jets,’ a doo-wop record, of course!
‘Shop: A Pop Opera’ Is Tops, Full of Bops, and You Should Watch Chop-Chop
OnThis last week, Adult Swim posted Jack Stauber’s Shop: A Pop Opera, a collection of short songs about groceries in a weirdly Sparksian vein.
Ronald Reagan: Success or Failure?
OnAn essay on Ronald Reagan and whether or not he’s the hero folks make him out to be (Spoilers: No, he’s not. Not at all.)