This week’s three publications to read are...
Derek Davison, Foreign Exchanges
What’s it about? Lefty perspectives on international affairs, with a daily roundup of what’s going on in the world.
Worth reading: “The roots of Zoroastrianism”
Key line: “In this piece, L. C. Nielsen takes us through the ancient roots of Zoroastrianism in the Proto-Indo-European peoples and in contrast to India’s ancient Vedic religion. The Vedas and Zarathusthra’s Gathas seem to be working from a common religious vocabulary but they take that shared heritage in very different directions.”
Derek’s credits: Writer and analyst specializing in Middle East and American foreign policy; bylines in Jacobin, In These Times, and more.
Richard MacManus, Cybercultural
What’s it about? News and insights at the intersection of technology and the cultural industries.
Worth reading: “How blogs, newsletters & Tumblr can fight back against social media”
Key line: “In my view, there’s potential to build a significant new form of networking with blogs, Tumblr and email newsletters, this time built around cultural content.”
Richard’s credits: Founder of ReadWriteWeb, a pioneering tech blog.
Margaret Willison & Sophie Brookover, Two Bossy Dames
What’s it about? Cultural recommendations and commentary every Friday night, delivered with impeccable discernment and insouciant charm. Expect lots of Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and Tony Award coverage.
Worth reading: “Bossy Shouting: The Harold Herald”
Key line: “I continue to want everything for Harry Styles as a person and as an artist, and I also want for him to be subjected to a more skeptical writer’s gaze the next time he sits for a major interview. He’s dazzling, and I’d love to know how that looks to someone impervious to being dazzled.”
Margaret & Sophie’s credits: Librarians, podcasters, and pop culture mavens.
Three to read: Derek Davison, Richard MacManus, Two Bossy Dames