1984 by George Orwell. My 15-year-old son, Gus, has been digging into dystopian literature lately. He recently finished this classic novel and thoroughly enjoyed it. According to Gus, 1984 is “packed with high tension” and “really makes you think about how this could happen in our society.” It was fun talking to him about all the things 1984 is famous for, like “newspeak,” “doublethink,” “War is Peace,” and “Big Brother.” He read Fahrenheit 451 after 1984. He enjoyed it, but called Bradbury’s novel “the nerfed version of 1984” — that is, a watered-down imitation of Orwell’s book. Tough crowd!
Bellroy Pod Jacket. Kate and I both have AirPods, and because the cases look identical, we’re constantly mixing them up. She grabs mine, thinking they’re hers. I do the same. The white case also has a way of disappearing into couch cushions since it’s so unassuming. To solve this suburban-man, first-world problem, I recently picked up Bellroy’s leather Pod Jacket. Now my AirPod case dresses in aristocratic duds, and I’ll never confuse mine with Kate’s again. You can get the same differentiating effect from a cheap silicone cover, but if you want something a bit upscale, you can’t beat Bellroy. I’m a fan of the brand in general. I also use their wallet (I did a full review of it here) and travel case.
“What Is Masculinity?” Back in 2012, Jack Donovan published The Way of Men, where he laid out his theory of masculinity by synthesizing the anthropological research of academics like Richard Wrangham, Lionel Tiger, David Gilmore, and Michael Herzfeld into a concise, highly readable book. We’ve referenced it on AoM over the years. Still the best treatment of the subject out there, and plenty of writers have tried (unsuccessfully) to imitate it since. Donovan recently put out a video that lays out the core ideas from the book. It’s well done, and I was impressed by how he incorporated AI-generated video for the b-roll. I have a constitutional allergy to AI video, but this stuff actually looks good. Feels like it was pulled from a 1960s Bond film or an episode of 1970s Columbo.
Song Exploder: Sam Fender — “People Watching.” Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians break down their songs piece by piece, explaining how they were written and produced. Each episode lets you hear the stories and the creative decisions behind the music, giving a behind-the-scenes look at how a song comes together. A friend recently recommended this episode, which explores “People Watching,” the great title track off Sam Fender’s great recent album. If you’re a Fender fan, and you should be, you’ll enjoy hearing about the grief that inspired the track, and how that inspiration got spun into the reflective yet driving song. Fender comes off as a likable fella, too.
On our Dying Breed newsletter, we published Sunday Firesides: A Rolling Stone Catches No . . . and DB Dialogues: David Coggins on the Art of Living.
Quote of the Week
I will not be as those who spend the day in complaining of headache, and the night in drinking the wine that gives it.
—Goethe
