The News Letter: Issue #005
NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS.
Sure, you could choose to read that familiar proverb in its common interpretation that the absence of news is a positive thing. I, however, choose to view it in maximalist terms: There is no such thing as "good" news.
Of course I'm being mostly facetious, but it can certainly feel that way sometimes. That's why it's important to remind ourselves of that other quotidian proverb, nihil sub sōle novum (i.e., there is nothing new under the sun). The plebeians of ancient Rome knew it, and so do we, and so will, invariably, those who come later.
"What's old is again" (in short) may seem dreary or defeatist, but it's actually quite comforting. Not only does it tell us that history has much to teach us about avoiding past mistakes, but it similarly suggests that things we've unwittingly left behind before their time can always be rediscovered, dusted off, and put back into circulation without a shred of value having been lost. That "old" book? It's still good. That "old" movie? It's still good.
That epigraph at the top of this news letter addresses the other side of the coin: There are many folks so fixated on "new" that they scorn the "old" even though to them it would be as new as any new thing that is, dollars to donuts, not nearly as good. And that is certainly not to say that are no good new things, but merely that an obsession with the next thing can easily blind one to the bounty of gifts the world around you has already unwrapped.
So take today to appreciate yesterday. Future you will treasure it.
They say those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The Newsagent's says those who can remember the past are contented to repeat it. Today in History is a semi-regular round-up of history repeating itself, but in a good way.
Say what you will about Swifties, but they get it. “With a cassette tape, it’s not easy to skip around between songs... You have to listen to the album all the way through, stopping to flip the tape halfway through. These tangible experiences are a nice reprieve from the perfect curation of a streamed playlist.”
The kids aren't alright, but they're getting better. “I’ve seen people walking around with CD players, and someone also has a Walkman." Wait till they find out about the Vinylman.
And speaking of Taylor Swift, her ex-bestie Karlie Kloss is teaching the world that maybe print's not actually that dead after all. After acquiring i-D magazine from Vice in 2023, Kloss relaunched the physical magazine and quickly hit a new revenue milestone for the brand, generating over $1 million with the upcoming September issue, which, according to the magazines CCO is "a first for i-D," a publication that's been around since the 80s. i-D? More like in Demand!
The inclusion of an article about an Artificial Intelligence designed (ostensibly) to improve the future being used to make the past seem brighter is a bit on the nose, but a jump-scare cameo by Vanilla Ice ranting against computers makes the dystopian vibes semi-worth it.
At The Newsagent's we're committed to bringing back the lost art of human-first curation (i.e., by humans, for humans). The Mixtape is our semi-regular column curating some random good stuff that's made us happy in the hopes that it'll make you happy too.
THE REST & ROLLEIFLEXATION MIX:
Side A: "Comic Book Readers, West Village, NYC, 1947" by Ruth Orkin.
A couple of weeks ago I raved about the undiminished joy of physical photos in the wreck of a virtual life. Someone far more qualified than I to speak on this matter is pioneering photog Ruth Orkin, whose purpose-laden shots of everyday beauty typify the spiritual weight and necessity of constraint to the (literal) production of art. Can real art only be born of limitations (physical, societal, or otherwise)? Talk amongst yourselves. But I will say that Orkin famously worked her way up from a Baby Brownie to a professional rig, learning photography as she went, yet, according to her daughter, eschewed fancy set-ups for smaller film formats for much of her career. So maybe, just maybe, more and bigger and "better" isn't always better.
B-Side: The Empty Bowl.
This meditative podcast about cereal has been producing shows for several years now, and still I feel moved to mention it on the off-chance that someone who needs to know about its existence has yet to be told. Serial (and cereal) fan Justin McElroy and co-host Dan Goubert of Cerealously fame spend not-nearly-enough-time talking milk, marbits, and Malt-O-Meal, and literally nothing else. Looking to get away from it all? The Empty Bowl is essentially the boundary line between us and dragons.
Hidden Track: Liminal spaces.
Boston's WSBK-TV38's NYE Three Stooges Marathon aired annually for decades until it was unceremoniously ended in 2022 when the channel abruptly lost the rights to air the show. Along with horror hosts, variety showcases like Up All Night, and themed television blocks like Snick and Toonami, the holiday marathons of yesteryear played a critical curatorial role in advocating for cult, oddball, or neglected yet pioneering programming that would otherwise be doomed to collect dust in some musty studio vault. Sure, streaming has made that "cheap" content very plentiful, primarily through IP landfills like Pluto, but a violent undertow is no substitute for being gently guided by the current of a knowledgable and passionate curator.
Bootleg: Zines.
