Friends of the newsletter
Shorthand for shout-outs, plus my weekly shareables: the insanity of the digital workplace, the brilliance of POKER FACE, and a great comedian the whole family can watch
The other day, when I was writing my status report on this newsletter (link #1 below), I had a familiar problem come up: What should I call all of you who are reading this thing?
I’ve often wanted to figure out a catchphrase. Dave Barry is the first one I remember having something like that—he often refers to some “alert reader” who sent him a story about a crocodile that ate a python that was eating an iguana, or some such Florida thing.
My compadre Joe Posnanski refers to his “brilliant readers.” Shea Serrano had his FOH Army committing acts of kindness everywhere. I tried to come up with some clever name, and might figure something else out later, but for now I’m keeping it simple: All of you, from now on, are Friends of the Newsletter.
(FONs, maybe. We’ll see if that catches on.)
This is a direct lift from all those talk-show hosts who say that so-and-so is a “friend of the show,” which has evolved into legions of podcasters shouting out somebody as a “friend of the podcast.” Well, newsletters can have friends, too.
What I like about it is that it puts us all in the same category. Sure, I write this thing, but so do you—I get regular tips from y’all about stuff to drop in my weekly links (note #5 in this week’s list). I also get comments that lead me to write about something bigger. We’re friends of the newsletter together. We should come up with a handshake or something.
OK, friends. Let’s see what we came up with this week.
10 things I wanted to share this week:
My earlier post this week was a status update after one year of this newsletter. In short: It’s doing better than I dreamed, thanks to all of you who read and subscribe. I’m deeply grateful and there’s more good stuff to come. (Also, thanks for all the new subscribers who signed on after that post!)
My latest episode of SOUTHBOUND featured golf writer Ron Green Jr., who talked about playing with Donald Trump, outdriving Tiger Woods (well, once), and deciphering the drama behind the new Saudi-backed pro golf tour. Ron is a natural-born storyteller.
My weekly for WFAE was about the Carolina Panthers’ new coach … well, actually, more about the old one.
Continuing the golf theme, congrats to my brother in words Kevin Van Valkenburg for his new gig at the golf site No Laying Up. He’s one of the best writers I know on golf—or pretty much anything else. Here’s his first essay for them. It’s a wonder.
DOG NEWS: While I work on my book, I’m devoting this slot to dog stories. This week: Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager, “I Want My Dog To Live Longer.” Don’t we all. (Thanks to Friend of the Newsletter Bill T. for sending this my way. Friend of the Newsletter! There it is!)
Cal Newport with some hard truths about digital work: It makes us less creative and less productive. Also, multitasking is bullshit.
We have thoroughly enjoyed POKER FACE, the new murder-of-the-week series created by Rian Johnson of KNIVES OUT fame. It’s done in the style of COLUMBO, where you know the killer right up front and the joy is watching the hero (Natasha Lyonne, ragged and brilliant) put the pieces together. It’s smart and profane and funny as hell, and there’s a fight scene in episode 5 that makes the list of my favorite TV fights of all time.
We also really enjoyed HELLO WORLD, the new comedy special by Nate Bargatze. Nate is family-friendly, but that’s not a backhanded compliment; he’s funny, full stop. For more Nate, I did an episode of SOUTHBOUND with him a couple of years ago.
RIP to two American music originals. Barrett Strong wrote or collaborated on a jukebox full of Motown classics, including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” And Tom Verlaine spawned a legion of rock guitarists through his band Television. (My buddy Gavin Edwards has a byline on the Verlaine obit.)
Let’s go home with one song from each legend. Here’s Gladys Knight & the Pips with “Grapevine” and Television with “Marquee Moon.”
See y’all next week, everybody.
FONs?
Ayyyyyyyyy!!!