I wrote this letter between naps on a discount airline flight from Marseille to Athens and in a cab to EAC’s Athens apartment. Our song of the week is a classic, you might be in a cult, and a reminder that we’ll never be Olympic swimmers. I also write about the perfect lunch order at Tuba Club, an American apero by the beach, and paying for bruises.
WHAT I’M INTO
Press Play: “Lawyers, Guns, and Money” by Warren Zevon
Do you have a good lawyer? I have many. I joke that I’m connected to all the lawyers and architects in New York City by a maximum of 2 degrees of separation. It may be true. Back to the song. I chose this as the week’s soundtrack because it came to mind anytime my Marseille friends asked TRM what he did for a living (He’s a corporate tax attorney. DM me if you need a tax advisor on any mega ($$$) commercial transactions (M&A, corporate reorgs, risk management…I cannot confidently tell you exactly what he does, which is romantic). He’s in his ~business development~ era.
Per Zevon, a chaotic kidnapping rescue mission inspired this song. His Cuban cab driver made a detour to recover his sister. Zevon’s manager’s reaction? “Call my Dad and tell him to send some lawyers.” Warren says he followed with, “Yeah, and some guns and money.” Badass. He writes the song from the perspective of a rich kid who accidentally gets himself in trouble by gambling + falling for a honey trap. Living life as a victim, believing that things just happen to you, is a funny way to live.
Borrow from ur local public library: Cultish: Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
I used to be the kind of person who interjected when someone mispronounced or misused words. That’s right, I SUCKED. Now, I nod along if I know what they mean. However, I assure them that “communication is about being understood” if they catch themselves.
I’m fascinated by language. How do we learn it? In what ways do words evolve to reflect our context/culture? How do leaders wield diction to control/manipulate others? How much has AAVE influenced Gen Z/internet speak?
I’m so philomath-coded, that I jumped on EAC’s offer to borrow her copy of Cultish. With punchy and incisive prose, Montell delves into language and cultural context as tools for cult cultivation in a world fighting for your attention. People distrust institutions like the government that represents them, Academia, and Big Pharma. Don’t believe me? Listen to last week’s Honor Levy’s interview on How Long Gone.
Believing in something is in our nature. Are we just one silver-tongued “luminary” away from falling prey to cults? We all want to belong.
Anti-algorithm news: “What Makes Katie Ledecky Swim?” by Andrew Trunsky (New York Times)
Are you ever just doing something so you can finish it? That’s Katie Ledecky’s vibe, except when she finishes, she earns a medal. When we finish something, life goes on as usual. We don’t swim like Katie Ledecky. She’s the G(F)OAT—greatest freestyler of all time. A talented Bethesda export (like some of my girls), she’s headed to the Paris Olympics soon after I leave the country to avoid impending chaos. This is a candid interview where we learn about repetition and attention to detail as a form of meditation and creativity, reflections on the Tokyo Olympics, inspiration from her mother, and book club. I enjoyed learning more about her, you might too.
WHAT I’M UP TO