Five Bullets 1.31.25
Prince of the City, Paul Motian, Walking/Wandering & more.
Good Morning and Happy Friday friends.
This morning is mild and cloudy with rain predicted this afternoon here in New York City. It’s the last day of the first month of the year. Sunset occurs later each day and the end of winter seems near. On Sunday Staten Island Chuck makes his prediction.
I’ve been posting short dispatches to Substack Notes each day. Some of these posts have made their way into my Friday newsletter. Follow along with me on Notes via the Substack homepage or app.
Here’s five bullets which captured my attention this week:
Animals: “Our relationship with these creatures is suspect.”
wonders why capybaras have taken over social media. The oversized rodents who appear zen-like and friendly online might be misunderstood as they are prey animals, sometimes fight each other, and clash with residents in Argentina. “It dawned on me that the capybara represented a duality I knew all too well: a desperately friendly creature always afraid of being attacked. Is this why people love the capybara? Do we all feel trapped in a world that encourages us to by hyper-social yet rewards us with nothing but endless existential anxiety?”
Movies: For a movie group with friends we watched Sidney Lumet’s 1981 epic Prince of the City. Like Lumet’s previous work on Serpico, Prince follows detective Danny Ciello (Treat Williams) as he works with federal prosecutors to expose law enforcement corruption. The film is based on Robert Daley’s book on the real-life Ciello, Robert Leuci. Lumet captures the gritty underbelly of 1970’s New York City crime, mob, drugs, and corrupt cops and lawyers and I found the conversations between the cops and attorneys as they built their case very compelling.
Music: After listening to some Keith Jarrett albums two weeks back, I’m digging through drummer Paul Motian’s discography. Kneebody’s Nate Wood described Motian’s masterful drumming: “He's got such a deep understanding of music and he's leaving so much out…it's a deeper approach to playing melodies than a Max Roach or somebody who kind of spells it out for you…it’s the next level of that impressionistic melodic playing.” This doesn’t mean Motian couldn’t rip on the drums - Wood recounts a funny story where Motian let loose on a boring gig.
New York City: Earlier this week I wrote about Walking & Wandering: (How To) Be a Tourist in My Own City. Starting with Battery Park as my destination after reading this Melville quote I explored lower Manhattan, Wall Street, and Castle Clinton. I wrote the blog as a guide for myself to remember to simply walk, wander, and explore when I need a creative lift. There’s always something new to discover and learn.
Podcast:
spoke with George Stroumboulopoulos on writing, books, culture and more. Palahniuk described a moment of revelation while writing Fight Club. The pair have an engaging discussion on Palahniuk’s new book and how he keeps writing fresh.
That’s all for this week! I really enjoy writing this newsletter. I get to explore my interests, learn more, and share it with you. Get five bullets in your inbox every Friday.
Have a great weekend,
Keith.