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When a Nashville journalist asked Dex Romweber about a new song the guitarist had recorded, Dex told him, “It’s a kind of a dark, sort of hillbilly blues…folkie, rock ‘n’ roll thing. It’s hard for me to describe. You’ll just have to hear it.” Dex’s music mixes so many uniquely American elements that even he has trouble describing it. What you hear when you listen to it, though, is a veritable who’s-who of rock music’s Southern progenitors: Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Link Wray, Buddy Holly, Little Richard.

Dhani is the only son of Olivia and George Harrison George, the mystic one, the quiet one who passed away in 2001. Dhani has a fulfilling life as producer, composer, (no time for a wife) collaborator, actor and singer, too, his father’s memories and legacy carried on through Dhani’s voice and face, “For You Blue” (original title) “Back To The Blue” (Gap’s Fall Global Campaign, 2013) Dhani has toured with the band, ELO

Diane Nguyen is a Hypocrite I love Bojack Horseman, it is undoubtedly my favorite piece of media on planet Earth right now, and one of my favorite things to do is rewatch it and find new things to talk about. My second favorite thing to do is regurgitate old things that I already talked about to new people, and that’s why we’re here today. I actually am writing this because the people around me are sick of hearing me bring this up.

…if you’ve read or seen the School for Good & Evil, and want to join me in my next journey. …if you’re a writer honing your craft, and want to learn what’s worked for me in my darkest hours. …if you’re just curious to see an author swing for the fences with the biggest challenge of his career. This diary is about the behind-the-scenes journey to write my biggest book yet.

Hello everyone! Here’s my first proper newsletter sent to you using Substack! Remember you can read my posts in your email inbox or on the Substack app or website. I recently posted something on my Facebook page about Google Translate and about why I don’t recommend using it. This started an interesting conversation and lots of people asked me what they should use instead. Actually, my advice is to use a dictionary, not a translator, but first do you know the difference?

Dictionary of Missing Words is an exercise in paying attention to phenomena you encounter — sensations, concepts, states between states, feelings, slippery things — that could be named, but don’t seem to be. More here and here. This week’s missing word is from reader Bethany McLean, via the comments: I’ve long been in search of the word that describ…ncG1vNJzZmiqn5fEorjKnqlnq6WXwLWtwqRlnKedZL1wsMicq6Knnpa%2FunnOn2SmoaOotq%2BzjLCmq5yj

Forgive two Substacks in the same day. Several years ago, I posted a snippet of memoir on Medium.  Within five minutes, I got a text from a friend I trust. “You take that down right now. NOW.” I did as I was instructed. I sent a Word copy of the proposed post to several friends, to see if there was any possible way to rewrite this all-too-true account in a way that would make it more palatable.

Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books, including “Hiroshima in America,” “Atomic Cover-up,” and the recent award-winning“The Beginning or the End: How Hollywood—and America—Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” He has directed three documentary films since 2021, including two for PBS (plus award-winning “Atomic Cover-up”). He has written widely about the atomic bomb and atomic bombings, and their aftermath, for over forty years. Starting nearly two weeks ago, after I saw an early screening, I have been directing attention here to the absence in Oppenheimer of any mention of the drifting radioactive cloud that imperiled people after the Trinity test—and later the dozens of other dangerous nuclear tests in the Southwest—along with new legal challenges raised by “downwinders.

Over the weekend, I finally got my hands on a copy of Toni Morrison: The Last Interview and Other Conversations. If you’re unfamiliar with this excellent book series from Melville House, have I got news for you: Following the death of a cultural icon, Melville House publishes a book that features that person’s last published interview as well as other especially illuminating interviews from their career. In addition to the Toni Morrison edition which was published in 2020, I have their editions on Prince, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jane Jacobs.