I donāt know who needs to hear this but Iām obsessed. I can quote entire passages by heart and have a whole spiel prepared on how itās āgenre-defying,ā an āinstant classic,ā the ālatest entry in the canon,ā and so on. But in the interest of time, the real reason it speaks to me is that itās funny, simple as. OK, after today I think Iāve finally earned the right to throw in the towel and stop doing free publicity for this vile and racist book.
This book says āA Memoir in Verseā on its cover but it DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU DONāT āGETā POETRY OR HATE IT EVEN. This book will change your mind. This is the funniest most fucked up book you will ever be lucky enough to read. Seriously do yourself a favor and get it because I canāt describe seeing a sunset while having an orgasm anymore than I can describe this book.
recommending this book to people is largely impossible so I'm grateful to have this platform lol Vulture called it "the first great incel novel" but it's more than that. It's about shame and avoidance in the internet age and the extremes we reach when we suppress our desires. I was thinking about this book for weeks afterwards and it really fucked me up
(in a good way)
Itās frowned upon in book circles to push your own (forthcoming) book because everyone in literature is chronically self-deprecating (they also apologise when retweeting praise). Iām lucky enough to have avoided such an affliction.Ā Expect softbois, hard truths, and a rigorous retelling of every time Iāve been punched or fingered.
Nothing feels as good as unsubscribing, but youāre gonna want to hold on to a physical subscription or two, if for no other reason then ambiance. Personally, I recommend American Affairs and The New Criterion, a couple of quality periodicals with good aesthetics that some may call āfascist,ā but I call respectable. Reading magazines will help you improve your attention span and cut through the wasteland of takes. God knows we could all use some of that.
As you get older, nothing makes you feel more confident than dousing yourself in perfume to mask the stench of mortality. Granted Iām new to this and not an expert on fragrances, let alone ānotesā and whatnot. But since newsletters are all about advising you on how to creatively spend your money, Iāll do my part and point you in the right direction. My go-to rotation at the moment is Serge Lutens Fille de Berlin, Olympic Orchids Ballets Rouges, and TRNP Bulgakov (Limited Edition *not* OG), which the manufacturer describes as smelling like āfaded opulence.ā Sometimes I like to wild out and layer them all on at once. Not everyone is blessed with healthy levels of narcissism. Perfume is a good way to stack the cards in your favor.
Easier said than done, especially if you suffer from learned helplessness and poverty mentality due to years of living like a dog. As with most habits that are worth investing in, this oneās a matter of going against your gut, at least initially. Thatās fine because your gut is probably leaky and has a messed up microbiome. Only problem is once you break the seal, thereās no going back.