1. The Rentals — “Shake Your Diamonds” + “Forgotten Astronaut”
I’ve been streaming “Shake Your Diamonds” and “Forgotten Astronaut” off Q36, The Rentals’ last record, way too much lately. What started as a 48-hour obsession with Weezer’s first two albums a few weeks ago landed me here, mostly because of Matt Sharp’s charisma back when he was their bassist. But does anyone care about The Rentals since “Friends of P.”? I have no idea. These two tracks are strange, spacey, and glammy — the kind of songs that sound like they’re straight outta ’74. Which is exactly why I love them. But hey, I’m no music critic. Here’s a serious question: should “Shake Your Diamonds” and “Forgotten Astronaut” count as two things on this list?
2. Peggy Guggenheim — Out of This Century: Confessions of an Art Addict
I’ve been flipping through Peggy Guggenheim’s memoir again, and wow — nobody name-drops like Peggy. And I mean flipping, because this book is half gossip column, half crash course in modern art history. One page she’s lamenting her lovers, the next she’s buying a Pollock or shrugging at Duchamp or telling me all about Djuna Barnes’s lesbian loves. (Duchamp! Did you know everyone in 1923 Paris wanted to bang him?!?) This is the kind of stuff I love. Even skimming it feels unfiltered, messy, vain, brilliant — and pretty funny, too. Which is to say it’s worth a skim and not much more.
3. The Golden Age of Hollywood and Florence Lawrence!
I’ve fallen down the early-Hollywood rabbit hole more than once. It started with a pile of old de-commissioned stills I dug out of a junk shop across the way from MacArthur Park near DTLA. Lately it’s continued with Netflix’s Titans: The Rise of Hollywood. As documentaries go, it’s a little cheesy… but watchable. And Florence Lawrence! Who knew? She was the first movie star — and yeah, her name also sounds like it could’ve been her porn star alias, too. Just sayin’.
4. The Black Sparrow Press, Post–John Martin
I’ve been thinking a lot about Black Sparrow Press since John Martin passed, and honestly — Joshua Bodwell has done a terrific job carrying the torch. I’m in the middle of the Dan Fante’s terrific short story collection Short Dog: Cab Driver Stories from the L.A. Streets, and the New Year’s greetings — Wanda Coleman (2020) and Richard Bucker (2021) — fit perfectly in step with tradition. They’re beautifully produced, respectful of the past but not afraid to move forward. For a press so tied to the Bukowski / Fante lore, it’s impressive to see BSP still evolving. Bodwell is finding new voices while honoring the ones that made BSP matter in the first place. Bravo sir!
5. Austin Kleon Steals Like an Artist.
Austin Kleon is a true champion for creatives — whether you’ve got a massive audience or you’re just scribbling in your secret notebook. His books (Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work, Keep Going) are part pep talk, part how-to, and somehow just as useful the tenth time through as the first. All three have a place in my studio. Every week he posts “10 things worth sharing this week” on his site: art, music, literature, rabbit holes; hence, Five Things, Right Now. Cause I’m a thief. And as Austin reminds us (and Picasso before him), great artists steal. You can pretty much count on Kleon dropping his list every Friday. But me? What’ll be here next Friday?
Your guess is as good as mine.
