Joe Biden, letters, and If We Burn
Joe Biden’s decision to stay in the presidential race at this point is incredibly selfish. He’s risking American democracy for the sake of his ego. I don’t know if Kamala Harris or whoever else would defeat Donald Trump, but I’m confident they have a better chance than an elderly man who can’t reliably form coherent sentences.
My next letter will argue this. Trump returning to power has the potential to be a generational setback for all left-wing causes, including animal rights. If you want to send out your own letters, give the following a read. It includes newspaper email lists organized by state: https://slaughterfreeamerica.substack.com/p/how-to-write-letters-to-newspapers-6eb
Anyway, let’s do (Cell) Culture Talk. Here’s what I’ve been reading, watching and listening to recently.
Book — If We Burn by Vincent Bevins. This is an interesting history of the 2010s, which argues the reason so many of the protest movements of the era failed is because of horizontalism. The text is primarily focused abroad, but assumably the lessons apply here as well.
Book — A Taste for Purity by Julia Hauser. The title is a deeply unflattering portrait of vegetarianism from the 1850s to the 1950s, with an emphasis on how the cause was sometimes intertwined with nationalism, eugenics and racism. Still, it’s informative.
TV — Hacks. This is a funny show about a young comedy writer who reluctantly partners with an aging standup. Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart star in the aforementioned roles, where they develop a familial chemistry. I’ve only finished the first season so far.
Music — Stick Season by Noah Kahan. My sister introduced me to the folk record a couple of years ago. It’s about life in Vermont, which is pretty similar to my Adirondack home. The title track could be my favorite, but there are so many great songs here.
Sports — Isaiah Hartenstein signs with Thunder. I don’t know if Hartenstein is better than Mitchell Robinson, but he definitely seems less injury prone, which counts for a lot. So this was a loss for the Knicks. New York will need to do something to reinforce the center position.