Weekly Roundup (Jan 31. 2023) (Patreon)

The biggest update is probably that Nowhere and Back Again has completed Book II. When I began writing Book II in a New Jersey beach house 18 months ago, I didn't anticipate spending this much time on it. But being a third of the way through Nowhere and Back Again is a great feeling, and I'm excited to start writing Book III today.

Otherwise, I'm back in school, working through my (God willing) penultimate semester after seven years of college. Things are going well personally and professionally. The Statesman is smooth sailing, as is my work on the Student Advisory Board of Stony Brook's School of Communications and Journalism (SOCJ). I'll share any notable work I produce here.

In media criticism, I'm planning to write up Rian Johnson's Poker Face, which I dig the hell out of. It creates a new world every installment in a way that rivals not only Columbo but Doctor Who. We'll see how this goes.

In books, I've mostly been impressed by Piers Paul Read's Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors and John Berger and Jean Mohr's A Fortunate Man. Mostly in retro mode these days, I suppose.

And now, this week's particularly grim headlines:

Netanyahu has once again declared open season on Palestinians, loosening gun laws purely for the sake of genocide.

Truthout's Barbara Ransby's breaks down Ron DeSantis' anti-Black, incipiently fascist education policy.

The Daily Beast covers Reagan's delusions about Iran-Contra.

Also Trump is suing Bob Woodward, so that's funny, if deeply alarming for journalists.