Writing About Swords

If these ideas are intriguing to you, maybe you wish to subscribe to my newsletter.

Other writing:

• Shōgun Episode 1 Recap at Vulture

• Shōgun Episode 2 Recap at Vulture

Without Thought

I missed last week’s newsletter for an important reason: I landed a freelance gig recapping the TV show Shōgun for Vulture. It requires some careful thought, a lot of notetaking, and a blend of critical analysis combined with a precise plot summary. I’m not going to lie, I don’t have much more to write this week, either.

But you should watch Shōgun and read the recaps! I think I’ve done a good job summarizing confusing plot points while offering some key insights. Maybe by next week I’ll have something else to add here, maybe a passionate screed about how I don’t particularly like the movie Aliens.

We’ll see. In the meantime, go immerse yourself in Sengoku Japan, and tell ‘em JR sent ya.

Read

• Videogames

Alright, this one’s a cop-out. I haven’t been reading a lot lately that I can point to, but I’m currently playing a co-op of Baldur’s Gate 3 with my brother and I started a new Elden Ring build, too. Videogames are pure escapism for me, and with work and this recapping job, I’m flat-out just escaping whenever possible.

Watch

• Blackberry on Hulu

My friend Jackson described this as the Canada Council of the Arts version of The Social Network, and that’s pretty funny if you know how Canadian broadcasting works. Jokes aside, Blackberry is smart, wry, interesting, and shot in a really fascinating handheld sort of documentary style. It’s zippy, well-made, and really nails the characters. Phenomenal acting.

Listen

• High On Fire “Burning Down”

Holy shit holy shit holy shit there’s a new High on Fire song holy shit holy shit. High on Fire rules, and I can’t get enough of Matt Pike’s inherent drive to take doom metal and sludge metal riffs and speed them up until he’s basically just re-invented thrash. Longtime drummer Des Kensel left the band a few years back, but for the new album, Big Business drummer Coady Willis steps into his shoes. If you don’t know Coady Willis, well, you should. No one in the world drums the way he does, and on “Burning Down” you can hear his approach to the backbeat is to keep things loose, moving, and unstructured.

Consume

• Peanut Butter Spread on Graham Crackers Topped With Chocolate Chips

What can I say, it’s a nice little treat. It’s basically a recreation of a Twix PB, but now that I get to choose my own peanut butter and chocolate quality, I find it hard to go back to store-bought peanut butter and chocolate candy bars. Give it a try. It’s good.

Artwork by Ashley Elander Strandquist. You can view her illustration work here and check out her printing business here.