But really, when you consider how much praise and attention is heaped on lyric writers, its astonishing how rare it is for any of its great exponents to try to dig a little deeper (or at least ramble on a little longer) than a three minute pop song allows.
I have a theory about this. It’s a pretty simple one. I think writing books is just too much like hard work.
From a British rock writer here on a recent Keith-Richards-inspired publishing house trend of hiring rockers to write books.
I like this guy’s style, especially when he goes after “Obla-di, obla-da, life goes on, bra” and such. Funny yet insightful stuff. And his quote supports what I’ve said here. Hat tip to the now-blogging-for-Ricochet Flagg Taylor.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
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