Song of the Summer, A Summer Playlist, Plus Links & Likes
A playlist for summer, interviews with Colson Whitehead & Palehound, NYC embroidery, and more
Every year, one song seems to define my summer. This year, that song is Palehound’s “Independence Day.”
Something about the lyrics, “I am living life like writing our first draft/'Cause there's nothing to it if I cannot dally in the past” inspires me every time I hear it.
The band’s Eye on the Bat is their most fully-realized release yet, an indie rock album that rocks as hard as its poetry is sharp.
Do you have a “song of the summer”?
Summertime (25 songs, 1 hours and 25 minutes)
Largehearted Likes:
Game Rangers International
This Zambian group takes a holistic approach to conservation, and is known especially for its Elephant Orphanage project (which raises orphaned elephants due to poaching and returns them to the wild).
For years Kiesha Jenkins wowed attendees at my Largehearted Lit events with cupcakes, cookies and other baked goods. Her embroidery is equally amazing, it explores NYC (and Queens) themes with flair.
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Music soundtracks my life, and ’s newsletter has often helped set my table the past couple of months. Visit for the recipes, subscribe for the inspirational food writing.
Largehearted Links
Shake, rattle and write: why the music memoir is booming
The existence of three music imprints at major publishers – in addition to the output of longstanding specialists such as Omnibus – only partly explains the sheer volume of music memoirs currently appearing. The other factor involves the musicians themselves and the passing of time.
ANOHNI and Björk Talk Soul Music, Lou Reed, and Climate Collapse
The Talkhouse podcast episode featuring drummers Stewart Copeland and Jon Wurster
Scaachi Koul’s new column at Hazlitt, “My Book Is Due”
Welcome to My Book Is Due, a column about everything I’m thinking about instead of writing my book.“making less happen and just letting things meander a little”: a mini-interview with Kevin Maloney
interviewed , author of one of my favorite books of the year, The Red-Headed Pilgrim.- on getting diagnosed with ADHD at .
- ‘s interview with Marcy Dermansky
UPROXX’s interview with El Kempner of Palehound
What are four words you would use to describe your music?Anxious, horny, empathetic, emo.
The Guardian’s interview with Colson Whitehead
Did you always know Harlem Shuffle would be the first in a trilogy?
I started off wanting to do a heist novel but I kept coming up with more adventures for Carney. Halfway through writing it, I decided there would be two books – and if you do two, you might as well do three! But when Harlem Shuffle came out I didn’t say it was the first in a trilogy, because what if I got bored? I wanted to give myself an out. I didn’t want it in my obituary: “He never finished his trilogy”.
Last Week’s LHB Feature Posts
Andrew Lipstein’s playlist for his novel The Vegan
Caitlin Shetterly’s playlist for her novel Pete and Alice in Maine
Candi Sary’s playlist for her novel Magdalena
Cathy Ulrich’s Playlist for her story collection Small, Burning Things
Natalie Beach’s playlist for her essay collection Adult Drama
Rachel Cantor’s playlist for her novel Half-Life of a Stolen Sister
You can also volunteer with GRI Zambia - it's a 3 week program for people of all ages - like pre-elderly me!
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