Things that keep me writing and thinking about writing this week.

This song has been out for a while but I keep coming back to it. Less for the specific lyrics, though the writing is fantastic, and more for the way the rhythm reinforces the sadness of Bahamas’ voice. When the female chorus reaches that high point midway, it makes me think of a heart breaking. I also find the way the narrator of the song sort of gives in and gives up in the line “you wouldn’t be wrong, bein’ free, leavin’ me on my own” really relatable, lovely, and poignant.

I don’t know what to say about this, except LP’s vocal style is rare. This is also something well written, with well-thought out arranging and sonic layering.

1215: The Year of Magna Carta, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1215:_The_Year_of_Magna_Carta

On my first trip to England (many, many years ago), one of our stops was to see the Magna Carta. This first trip combined with being reared around Agatha Christie/PBS Mystery! enthusiasts has made me into a slight Anglophile. I picked this up at my library mainly because I’ve been wanting to read more detailed histories of various countries and this seemed a good starting point for the above reasons. I’ve also studied global and historical daily life in an academic way, so this is in my wheelhouse. I’m only about halfway though, but this book gives an overview of what it was like in England (it touches on other parts of what is now the United Kingdom and a bit of the Continent) to live during the years surrounding the signing of the Magna Carta, as well as the social, economic, environmental, etc. circumstances that led to its creation. It is a fairly quick read for a history book, but not quite as detailed as I like. Most surprising bit of trivia from this: your left-handedness or right-handedness determined whether you used a bird’s left or right flight wing for your quill.

https://jezebel.com/ferrante-fever-and-the-end-of-female-friendship-1833047649

Also, this jezebel article about losing touch and “breaking up” with close female friends hit me hard. It had me reminiscing and feeling pretty mopey, but also reminded me to keep working on the relationships I do have, so they don’t fall away. Good stuff. Get your tissues.

-S