Art Is A Lie
This week’s Fuseletter is like a Christmas present for your ears. I’ve got a few fun updates and they’re all audio-centric…
The new book is {finally} available on audio!
It’s narrated by the brilliant Stephen R. Thorne (He played Hamlet so it’s basically like my book is up there with Shakespeare). You can listen to it now on Spotify or Audible!
A new Ordinary Meditation is live this morning.
In it, I talk about why real art is a lie and why that’s actually a good thing. There’s some creative fuel from Picasso and Mr. Rogers + a poem I wrote for my kids called “Your Strength.” Listen here.
Here are some Christmas songs if you hate Christmas songs.
Hey, I love the holidays just as much as the next guy. But if you’re like me, there’s only so much modern overproduced, super-compressed anti-dynamic cash-grabbing pop numbers you can listen to this time of year. Have no fear! Here are a few Christmas albums that are actually awesome in my opinion, especially for background listening.
O Come All Ye Faithful, Hiss Golden Messenger (“Hung Fire” is damn near perfect)
HARK, Andrew Bird (His violin cover of “Skating” by Vince Guaraldi is *chef’s kiss*)
The Christmas Album, Leslie Odom Jr. (Finally, a tasteful pop Christmas album that doesn’t suck)
Blood Oranges in the Snow, Over the Rhine (Sip an old fashioned and think wistful thoughts about the past)
Songs for Christmas, Sufjan Stevens (This one is a big “duh” but it’s for that very reason it needed to make the list)
Swayze’s Lo-Fi Christmas Playlist (A lo-fi mix my buddy, Nate, made for his family)
BONUS HACK: If you listen to the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown soundtrack on Spotify and then just let it go once it’s done, the algorithm travels to some SUPER interesting places and it’s just awesome. I once put it on for an entire day and didn’t press “skip” once. It gets better and deeper the longer you let it wonder.