Most musicians can only make money on the platform by writing songs inoffensive enough to get on to one of its vapid playlistsIn the hands of some of its most gifted practitioners, songwriting is a kind of emotional alchemy. For the past week, I have been returning to a perfect example: Every Time the Sun Comes Up by the US singer Sharon Van Etten, which was released in 2014. Its lyrics might be fractured and fragmented, but it is an almost perfect portrait of self-doubt and downward spirals: one of those songs that captures feelings so deep that they go way beyond words.I went back to that song as I read a superb new book that has both educated and profoundly depressed me. Mood Machine, by the New York-based journalist Liz Pelly, is about the music-streaming giant Spotify, and how it attracted its current 615 million subscribers, making a billionaire of its Swedish co-founder and CEO, Daniel Ek. But its most compelling story centres on what Spotify has done to people’s appreciation of songs and the people who make them – much of which is down to the platform’s ubiquitous playlists.John Harris is a Guardian columnist. His memoir Maybe I’m Amazed, about his autistic son James and how music became their shared language, is published on 27 March. For more information, visit maybeimamazed.substack.com Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2025-03-09 16:38:43 UTC ]
“Free,” by Lea Ypi, is a memoir about growing up in Albania amid the fall of communism. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-01-18 10:00:04 UTC ]
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Before he helped bring down Richard Nixon, the reporter grew up in a school of hard knocks. His memoir is a treasureFew reporters are synonymous with their craft. Bob Woodward of the Washington Post is one, his former partner, Carl Bernstein, another. Together, they broke open the Watergate... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-01-16 07:00:43 UTC ]
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A memoir by a man who has drawn caricatures for the greatest editors is a treasure trove of the American mid-century modernAt 92, Edward Sorel is the grand old man of New York magazines. For 60 years, his blistering caricatures have lit up the pages of Harper’s, the Atlantic, Esquire, Time,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-01-15 07:00:17 UTC ]
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I should preface this by saying that I’m a big fan of Steph Curry. He’s indisputably the greatest shooter of all time. He’s done more to revolutionize the game (for both good and ill I would argue, but that’s a discussion for another day…) than any other player of his generation. He proved the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-14 18:13:15 UTC ]
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The ’90s are back, as if they could ever truly peace out. Between Fear Street and Captain Marvel and the Alanis Morissette musical, the last mostly-offline decade is getting a gargantuan nostalgia polish. For my memoir Sticker—an exploration of my childhood in Charlottesville, Virginia via 20... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2022-01-14 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Grand Central buys a memoir from members of the U.K.’s first all-female rock group, Amy Fusselman sells a novel to Mariner, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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An “exhilarating and insightful” memoir of life as a fighter pilot from Commander Paul Tremelling has been signed by Penguin Michael Joseph. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-14 01:50:19 UTC ]
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“‘High-Risk.’ Was I that? What did those words even mean?” Edgar Gomez on sex, desire, and going on PrEP. | Lit Hub Memoir David Hollander considers how fiction can save us from despair. | Lit Hub “The true story of the diary’s composition reveals how much thought and effort Anne put into... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-13 11:30:16 UTC ]
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Nita Prose’s novel whisks you to a luxury hotel, while Jamie Raskin’s memoir is a reminder of what really matters: home, family and democracy. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-01-13 10:00:02 UTC ]
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Hodder Studio has landed Letters from Brenda by Emma Kennedy, a memoir that explores the author's relationship with her mum, inspired by the discovery of 75 lost letters. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-12 23:00:44 UTC ]
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Also, remembering Sidney Poitier and discussing Lost & Found: A Memoir with author Kathryn Schulz. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2022-01-12 10:05:00 UTC ]
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In “Mala’s Cat,” Mala Kacenberg describes her time hiding out in the forest during World War II after losing her family. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-01-12 10:00:02 UTC ]
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Taylor Harris discusses 'This Boy We Made,' her memoir on seeking answers about her son, the anxieties of Black parenting and her evolving faith Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-01-11 14:00:41 UTC ]
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In “I Came All This Way to Meet You,” the novelist reveals how far she’s traveled — and how many obstacles she’s cleared — to get where she is now. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-01-11 10:00:05 UTC ]
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In “Lost & Found,” Kathryn Schulz explores the confluence of death, love and hope. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-01-11 10:00:05 UTC ]
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At the Guardian, Jami Attenberg, author of the recent memoir I Came All This Way to Meet You, reflects on how a key moment of rejection allowed her to carve out her own path as a writer. “I’m old enough to realise that there is one more important part to carving out your creative life: … The... Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2022-01-10 21:30:10 UTC ]
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The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and author of the memoir "Lost and Found" unpacks the meaning and importance of joy and grief — and conjuctions. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-01-10 14:00:30 UTC ]
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A messay is a combination of memoir and essay. But something beautiful happens when you smash these words together. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-01-10 11:38:00 UTC ]
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Canbury Press has landed the first memoir by a Uyghur survivor of China’s "re-education" camps. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-10 06:03:11 UTC ]
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Bernstein’s memoir “Chasing History” is a personal and affectionate look at the past, when journalism was thriving. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-01-07 20:51:59 UTC ]
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