Of portals and pansies

In this week's newsletter: notes on writing, books, music, movies, and more... 

In this week's newsletter: notes on writing, books, music, movies, and more... View this email in your browser Hey y'all, Here are 10 things I thought were worth sharing this week: When you start reading or writing, it's like stepping into a portal.   How Paul Simon wrote "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and how songwriting has changed in the past 50 years.   I'm reading Beth Pickens' Make Your Art No Matter What, which was recommended to me by several friends. (Her previous book was Your Art Will Save Your Life.)   I'm also reading Robert D. Richardson's biography, William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism. Richardson wrote two other biographies I want to read, Emerson: The Mind on Fire, and Henry Thoreau: A Life of the Mind, which was so good Annie Dillard wrote him a fan letter and they wound up getting married!   To add even more to my book piles, some of my favorite authors have new books out: Elizabeth McCracken's The Souvenir Museum, Jon Klassen's The Rock from the Sky, and Hanif Abdurraqib's A Little Devil in America are all in stores now, and Olivia Laing's Everybody comes out next month.   Music: The long tail of Aphex Twin's "Avril 14th" and 5 minutes that'll make you love Brahms. (I'm currently listening to his "Concerto in D Major," which plays at the end of There Will Be Blood, one of the greatest film scores of all time.)   Movies: the kids and I loved The LEGO Batman Movie and I saw Midnight Run for the first time. (It's good!)   RIP DMX. RIP the ArcLight. (My friend James Flynn wrote about how special it was to see movies there.)   Writing as a spiritual practice.   Spring is in full bloom here, and the pansies have returned! Thanks for reading. This newsletter is free, but not cheap. To show your support, you can forward it to someone who'd like it, read my books, shop for some of my favorite gear (I get a cut), buy a t-shirt, or hire me to speak. If you're seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can read previous issues and subscribe here. xoxo, Austin Austin Kleon is the author of Steal Like An Artist and other books. Subscribe to this newsletter   Copyright © 2021 Austin Kleon, All rights reserved. My mailing address is: Austin Kleon 1101 W 34th St Box #102 Austin, TX 78705 Please read this before sending me snail mail! You're getting this email because you signed up for it at austinkleon.com. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Amazon Affiliate links offset the cost of sending these missives. Support your local bookstore if you have one.