Five Bullets 4.4.25
NYC Subway Map, John Wilson, Val Kilmer & more.
Good morning and happy Friday friends.
This morning is 60 degrees and cloudy with some rain here in New York City. We’ve had some warm days lately and the cooler days no longer have winter’s icy child.
I’m still working on a blog post I mentioned last week. As with most blog posts the topic I want to write about usually becomes a lot larger than anticipated and I dive in, do research, take notes, write and rewrite. Sometimes this process is difficult but I’m enjoying this essay and really want to take my time to write as well as I can on this topic.
What are you working on this spring? I’d love to hear what’s on your mind lately.
Here’s five bullets which captured my attention this week:
Books: You probably know I’m a big fan of Ted Goia’s newsletter so I picked up a copy of his book How To Listen To Jazz this week to read more of Goia’s writing and to learn from how he writes about music. Goia’s essays are always insightful, well-researched, easy-to-follow and honest. In How To Listen To Jazz, Goia breaks down his process of listening to jazz critically to help the uninitiated appreciate the musical form and let the reader in on how he writes about jazz.
Documentary: Why John Wilson can’t stop filming. Documentary filmmaker John Wilson (How to with John Wilson) sat down with the Museum of the Moving Image to talk about his filmmaking and creative process. Willson said that filming taught him that ‘everything is interesting’ and that doing something small every day ‘eventually turns into something’.
Movies: RIP Val Kilmer who passed away earlier this week. The 1993 western Tombstone is one of my favorite movies for Kilmer’s portrayal of tuberculosis-patient/dentist/gunslinger Doc Holliday. Kilmer had his bed filled with ice for Holliday’s final scene with Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell). Taffy Brodesser-Akner's 2020 essay offers a peek into Kilmer’s career, beliefs and legacy.
Music: Happening now is Substack Sessions a series of music events with musicians including Patti Smith, Andrew Bird, and Jeff Tweedy. Tune in to check out live music, talks and a whole lot more.
NYC: If you’ve ever needed to navigate the subway system, you’ve used the iconic subway map which features a distorted geography of the five boroughs and long colorful lines to depict train routes. Italian designer Massimo Vignelli designed the 1972 subway map but then the MTA rolled out a new design for confused subway riders which remained mostly unchanged since 1979. On Wednesday the MTA announced a subway map redesign which looks like it incorporates elements of the Vignelli design as well as the map we’ve all come to know and love. Vignelli said, “You want to go from Point A to Point B, period. The only thing you are interested in is the spaghetti.”
That’s all for this week! I really enjoy getting this newsletter out each Friday. It gives me reason to dive into my interests, learn more, and share it with you. Thanks for reading.
Have a great weekend,
Keith.
“The only thing you are interested in is the spaghetti.” 😂