Hello— Lately I’ve been thinking about Generation X, that waffly and uncomfortable demographic I’ve loathed ever since it bothered to define itself and its alleged sensibilities in the nineties.
Love Always Crashing. Will watch Flipside. Can’t wait for The Golden Hour. It’s so Gen X to reject the “voice of a generation” stuff at the time, only to come around decades later when the colonoscopy is due (I’m projecting). But now I’m ready. You are that voice. Bring it.
It’s so easy to be the Gen X spokesperson: you need speak just one word. “Whatever.” (We are all grateful to have you as our Voice, Matt, as you are a lively, literate, and stylish reporter of the forgotten generation - and surely it is worse to be overlooked than to be lost altogether - and because Bob has his hands full with Pavement these days.)
We had ample reason to hope large for our cohort - our formative years’ diet consisting of strange combinations such as HR Puffenstuff with a side of “The Red Balloon” (?), and to come of age in the 80s was to develop skills for finding humor and beauty anywhere, anytime because the bomb might drop. It is delightful this organic intermedia retrospective now takes place amidst the daily organ recitals and assurances that Golitely really is not that bad. We may be forgotten, but I am glad you and yours make sure we are not gone. ❤️⭐️🎶
Someday I’ll tell you the story of my initial abreaction—and subsequent “conversion”—to Pavement, whom I adore. Had nothing at all to do with the band 💛
WHATEVER. (Could we whittle down “Someday” to a less-frightening “Before the 2020s are finished,” Matthew? All my happiness could be gone given the current loss rate.)
I must see this documentary "Flipside." I must read your new book. And I have heard of Uncle Floyd through a David Bowie song. Bowie was the portal entrance to everything that was/is great.
Love Always Crashing. Will watch Flipside. Can’t wait for The Golden Hour. It’s so Gen X to reject the “voice of a generation” stuff at the time, only to come around decades later when the colonoscopy is due (I’m projecting). But now I’m ready. You are that voice. Bring it.
Bless you, Sanjiv. I'm doing my best ;)
Cannot WAIT for the golden hour !
💛💛
Dammit.
‘Slacker Generation’ is my only comeback, for a great many things in my life, or rather my approach to them.
I’d be out on a limb (fucked) without it.
Or maybe i’d have to get my ass out of bed 3 hours earlier and do all the stuff my super-ego tells me i should be doing at that godforsaken hour…?
I’ll never know.
In general “getting out of bed earlier” remains highly overrated
It’s so easy to be the Gen X spokesperson: you need speak just one word. “Whatever.” (We are all grateful to have you as our Voice, Matt, as you are a lively, literate, and stylish reporter of the forgotten generation - and surely it is worse to be overlooked than to be lost altogether - and because Bob has his hands full with Pavement these days.)
We had ample reason to hope large for our cohort - our formative years’ diet consisting of strange combinations such as HR Puffenstuff with a side of “The Red Balloon” (?), and to come of age in the 80s was to develop skills for finding humor and beauty anywhere, anytime because the bomb might drop. It is delightful this organic intermedia retrospective now takes place amidst the daily organ recitals and assurances that Golitely really is not that bad. We may be forgotten, but I am glad you and yours make sure we are not gone. ❤️⭐️🎶
Someday I’ll tell you the story of my initial abreaction—and subsequent “conversion”—to Pavement, whom I adore. Had nothing at all to do with the band 💛
WHATEVER. (Could we whittle down “Someday” to a less-frightening “Before the 2020s are finished,” Matthew? All my happiness could be gone given the current loss rate.)
Absolutely. Soon xox
Will watch for sure-- very much looking forward to The Golden Hour!
Added to queue! When you say "watch this," I do not question it ... Hope you're well, friend.
Hi Mark, we don't know each other, but I recently read Memento Park and it moved me. Saw your name here and grabbed the opportunity. Lovely prose.
Love this. Cheers to the wonderful Memento Park 🥂
Bruce, how wonderfully kind of you to say so! Thank you so very much, made my weekend. I'm glad MP continues to find readers.
As it deserves to. I really loved the story of the painting as a window into family history, and the relationships all rang true. Well done.
I must see this documentary "Flipside." I must read your new book. And I have heard of Uncle Floyd through a David Bowie song. Bowie was the portal entrance to everything that was/is great.
Ain't that the truth, re: Bowie. In some sense I still feel like I owe my entire world to him. He really was the gateway to everything, wasn't he?
Once in a lifetime and we were lucky to be in that lifetime.