Your Mid-Week Experiment
Programming note: I’ll be traveling this weekend and might not get to write the weekend essay. In the meantime, here is your always free, reader-supported mid-week edition of The Experiment where we share great things to read, cook, listen to, and watch. If you’d like to support my work, buy my Alamo book, buy some Experiment merch, drop some coins in the PayPal fountain, or become a paid subscriber. But even if you don’t, this bugga free.
Let’s get right to it:
This piece about the ascent of fascism in America through the prism of a Trump rally is, per A.D., “sooo good.” I agree. (Charles Homans)
I didn’t believe it when they said I had to read this article about a bull rider. They were right. This is lovely stuff. (Sally Jenkins)
This is St. Vincent’s best work since 2014’s MASSEDUCTION.
Pretty shocking splits between college-educated and non-college-educated Hispanics. Must read for politicos. (Ruy Teixeira)
Helluvan essay on American pessimism here (Frank Bruni)
And this is Charlie Crockett’s best album since 2020’s Welcome to Hard Times.
This was a useful perspective shifter for knowing how much weight to assign to the pro-Palestinian protestors on campus. (Josh Barro)
The Time piece on Donald Trump’s plans for a second term is freaking me out a little bit. (Eric Cortallessa)
It might surprise you that the fact-checkers at Time worked overtime on this. It shouldn’t, though. (Time)
I forgot what a genius Steve Martin was as a standup comedian.
We set up a merch table in the back where you can get T-shirts, coffee mugs, and even tote bags now. Show the world that you’re part of The Experiment.
We’ve also got a tip jar, and I promise to waste every cent you give me on having fun, because writing this newsletter for you is how I have fun.
Buy the book Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick banned from the Bullock Texas History Museum: Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of the American Myth by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and myself is out from Penguin Random House. The New York Times bestseller is 44% off and the same price as a paperback now!