Five Bullets 7.7.23
This week: Ringo, Shadow of a Dog, Pulphead & more
Hello and welcome back to Circles In Space for Five Bullet Friday, where each Friday I share interesting stuff collected during the week.
If you’re new to Circles In Space, I wrote a bit about myself and this newsletter.
Good morning and happy Friday everyone! It’s another warm and beautiful summer day here in New York City. I’ve got a few things I’m excited to share this week.
First - friend of the newsletter Sean Paulsen has a documentary out which was picked up by The New Yorker! Congrats, Sean!
And last but certainly not least, I had to pay homage to one of my favorite drummers and musicians on his birthday today. As a young drummer, Ringo was a huge influence on me and I’m still learning from his playing. Thanks for the music Ringo!
THIS WEEK’S TOPICS:
Happy 83rd birthday to Ringo Starr! Born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940 in Liverpool, England, The Beatles drummer has been behind the kit for over 60 years and is still touring with his All-Starr Band. Ringo provided The Beatles a solid, grooving backbeat and some memorable drum parts (check out In My Life, Come Together, Tommorow Never Knows). The drums are the backbone of any band and Ringo’s greatest asset is that he simply played what the song required. Check out drummers Chad Smith, Taylor Hawkins, and Jim Keltner explain some of the genius behind Ringo’s playing.
Short documentary: The New Yorker’s Shadow of a Dog, from filmmakers Sean Paulsen and Brad Wickham, follows tracker Jim Tierney as he searches for a lost dog in New York City’s Evergreen Cemetery. Filmed over the course of a month, the documentary is a fascinating look into Tierney’s unique occupation - he spends sleepless nights in the forgotten, lonely cemetery attempting to locate and return Chica the dog.
News: Instagram Threads, the company’s new text-based app, launched this week. It feels a lot like Substack Notes, which feels a lot like Twitter. Text-based apps are on the rise lately and I’m certainly giving them all a try! What’re your thoughts on Threads?
Audiobook: As noted earlier in the week, I’ve been hooked on the audiobook version of John Jeremiah Sullivan’s Pulphead. Whether writing about a Christian rock festival, Axl Rose, or reality television, Sullivan’s writing is witty but down-to-earth, detailed but easy-to-follow and funny - something which stands out while listening to Sullivan read these essays. [I usually re-read this book once a year!]
Music: Wes Montgomery’s 1963 album Boss Guitar features the renowned jazz guitarist joined by Melvin Rhyne on organ and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Montgomery’s lyrical playing stands out in this collection of bop tunes, with Rhyne supporting the group, and Cobb providing crisp, tastful rhythms.
Got something to share?
That’s all for this week!
As always, thanks for reading and have a great weekend.
Until next time,
KW
I just watched Shadow of a Dog – really great.
Shadow of a Dog is the bees knees!