If there's no value, why speak?
Greetings
The more the volume of information rises, exponentially, on the internet, the more I feel like I am drowning in debates based on headlines. It all feels so reactive and, often, one just wants the breathing room to learn a bit more before ending up in heated discussions.
I continue to be both fascinated and irritated by the tendency of some to argue points having simply read a headline, not bothering to actually read the article. This is probably one of the reasons why Twitter will ask if you really want to retweet an article that you haven’t read.
It often seems we spend our days looking for things to grumble about and, once we dip our toes into that space, we can’t seem to stop.
1
Is there a space for complaining? Kathryn J Norlock seems to think so: “Complaining can be thoughtless, and it can be unwelcome. But complaining can also be thoughtful.”
Rise up fellow complainers, let’s be vulnerable together.
2
Prince was, and is, one of my favourite musicians of all time. And, while American Football is an American sport that few outside of that country engage with, there has always been attention on the Superbowl halftime show. How Prince won the Superbowl is a great recounting of the time Prince performed at the halftime show in 2007.
3
There is something about KAWS’ Companion that has always appealed to me. It is what drew me to his work, when I first came across it about ten years ago. But, it seems, the art world hasn’t embraced him much.
4
Empathy often seems to be sorely lacking in the world today.
5
Many years ago, before I moved to Joburg, I attended a ‘famo’ concert that a friend’s mother put together. Although I grew up in Lesotho, I never really engaged with the music, other than having heard Tau ea Matšekha and Puseletso Seema (who was the headliner at the concert). This great piece from Tseliso Monaheng, Introducing Lesotho’s Accordion Music gives some context to the music.
6
Teju Cole is a Nigerian-American novelist, photographer, critic, curator, and the author of five books. His novel Open City and collection of essays Known and Strange Things are two of my favourites. The way he makes photographs is unique and compelling, which can be seen on Instagram. His photography books Blind Spot and Fernweh are high on my wish list. Listening to him on this episode of Between The Covers has made me an even greater admirer; the way he thinks about things is so engaging.
7
Who would have thought - What feels Nigerian but isn’t really Nigerian? Celine Dion
That’s it for this week. If you enjoyed, please share. If it was shared with you, please subscribe.
Easy
Kojo