News, Notes, & Podcasts

We’re listening to songs about America’s “city of record,” New York. I like it a lot more than Los Angeles! Send your song recommendations to symposiumofsongs@gmail.com.

In an absolute barn burner of an essay, Matthew Walther asks hard questions about our obligations to those rendered passive, distracted, and poor by our technological society.

We’re listening to songs about my favorite animal today, so maybe you’ll forgive me for getting a little self-indulgent. Send your song recommendations to symposiumofsongs@gmail.com!

“Big Ag Has Corrupted Our Food System. Here’s How We Can Rebuild.” Sara June Jo-Sæbo talks with Austin Frerick about how to fix America’s broken food economy: “The first antitrust…

We’re listening to songs about angels today on A Symposium of Popular Songs, and trying to get to the bottom of how they became such sentimentalized beings. Completely accidentally, there…

Charles Carman reviews Kingsnorth’s new book, and while he finds some flaws that frustrates him, he also argues that it has warnings we should take seriously.

We’re listening to songs about crime this week, although I am saving songs about murder for a future episode. Along the way we’ll try to figure out why people commit…

Saahil Desai reports on the dangers of prediction markets.

From loneliness to suffering—at the very least, you’ll have to admit that we’re covering winter themes. Send your song recommendations to symposiumofsongs@gmail.com!

James Pogue, one of the best journalists writing today, profiles a Washington representative with an unconventional approach.

In a sequel to last week’s episode on friendship, we’re listening to songs about loneliness this week. Note: I make a fairly big error by saying that I'm playing nothing…

Kristin M. Collier contemplates the practice of medicine predicated on a creaturely view of persons.