I had a birthday recently1. So imagine my surprise at finding a few worthy articles to read about my generation.
1) Writing in the New Yorker, Kimberly Harrington exquisitely describes the life and times of a “Gen X Girl,” which points to the literary/artistic genesis of our name2 (vs. just the letters that follow…cough), and encapsulates the spirit (if not the reality) of 1970’s parenting: “You are in elementary school now! You are practically an adult!”
2) Perhaps the most on-point summation of Gen X comes from Mat Honan via Gizmodo: “Gen X is Tired of Your B*llsh*t.” My fav quote: “Generation X…just wants to sit here quietly and think for a minute.”
3) Counterpoint: Louis Menand thinks we should stop talking about generations entirely. I see a lot of validity in his argument…these categories are messy, subjective, impersonal, etc. And used WAY too often in societal analysis and marketing departments across the globe. Yet, I also believe that shared experience is powerful. How else to explain the knowing head nods every time I spin “The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight”?
[And if you’re a Millennial, it’s probably even worse…you’ve been sold a false professional wonderland of scooters, grindin’ and artisanal coffee….]
BONUS LINKS!!!
B1) Food trucks, as only the Japanese can do them (film by Monocle).
B2) How to pick the correct wall anchor.
B3) The somewhat frightening complexity and tech creepiness of Key Art (those rectangular images you see on streaming channels to help you pick something to watch).
MUSIC
1) Timeless soul from Sharon Jones (RIP) and the Dap Kings
2) Raw and real R@B from Bette Davis
3) Big-band funk from Brass Construction
David St Hubbins said it best, I think.
Douglas Coupland, Billy Idol, Paul Fussel, Jane Deverson and Charles Hamblett