Welcome to The Dive!
Thanks for signing up for my newsletter; I know there are a lot out there, so I appreciate that you’re interested in what I’m writing (and reading). Here’s what you’ll get every month:
The Dive, a monthly compilation of the things I’m reading, listening to, and streaming. There’s a main section of articles related to politics and policy, then a brief section of science, culture, and history news pieces I find interesting. That’s followed by two quick three-item sections of what music I’m listening to and what shows or movies I’m streaming from one of the smorgasbord of services we have access to these days.
Five Things, a list of five books or songs or episodes that I’ve found illuminating or interesting on a particular subject, with a short explanation of why I’ve chosen a particular book or song or film. There will usually also be some honorable mentions as well as other media related to the subject—think scores to science-fiction series or movies to go along with a list of books on space exploration, for instance, or documentaries and concert films about Taylor Swift to go along with a list of her five most important songs.
The Review. I read, watch, and listen to a lot of things, and on occasion I’ll feel compelled to review them. Each month I’ll post one of those reviews, and the subject matter can vary quite a bit—though within certain boundaries, from aerospace history and American politics to the latest entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars mythos to a new super deluxe edition of a classic Prince record and a science-fiction video game like Mass Effect.
Glacial Takes. This is a long-form piece I’ll write every month on some aspect of American politics, policy, or society. Common subjects will be aerospace, foreign policy, and Democratic (or general center-left) politics, as well as ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and contemporary popular culture. As the name implies, it won’t be the usual scorching hot take you’ll find on some quarters of social media that responds to news that broke a nanosecond ago with rote, predictable answer. It’s a deliberate, considered piece of writing on something that’s of interest to me and, I hope, to you as well.
While I hope to post in this order regularly, at times lines will blur—especially with The Review and Glacial Takes. So don’t be surprised if a review becomes a Glacial Take, or perhaps a Glacial Take switches places with a review.
Above all, though, I hope you enjoy my writing and get something out of it—even if you disagree with it or don’t have a particular interest in what I’m writing about.
Thanks again for your time and support! Let’s enjoy the ride.
Peter