Friends, I took a summer vacation from @theapologistzine.bsky.social, and I am so glad I did: this first issue back, about liminal space characters, is the perfect way to kick off and celebrate my newfound independence. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I do. substack.com/home/post/p-...

@jasonkirk.fyi hey, I run a zine about the intersection of pop culture and personal journeys— I asked around about evangelical/exvangelical folks and what the first secular art they truly loved was. A friend pointed me to you! First, I’m PSYCHED because your book looks amazing & I love sports, too—

Man, I said OUT LOUD, TO HUMANS this week that I felt like Coach Prime had been suspiciously quiet. Apparently he was busy beating bladder cancer. Sorry Prime Time. I won’t joke anymore. Thanks for making sure my team had enough rings so I can be a jackass forever.

absolutely scrumptious pop is our game y’all, FEED US 😛😛 drop some hits down below and then drop some absolute bangers to our inbox, we want to read what u write when it’s all about that sweet sweet music

Crowdsourcing: when I was in high school, #marilynmanson released Mechanical Animals and was widely regarded as a mitigating factor in the Columbine shooting. Does #genz have any musicians/bands like that, that are shocking in a way that makes them beloved and reviled? #music #helpanold

🌟ARTIST SPOTLIGHT🌟 we were so lucky to publish not 1 but 2 @katiedarbymullins.bsky.social poems, and this one, “LANA SINGS THE WORLD ON FIRE,” inspired by Lana Del Ray’s “The Greatest,” is absolutely FANTASTIC earwormsmag.wixsite.com/earwormsmag/...

@mohammed177.bsky.social oh my Lord, I just saw the work you are doing. Thank you for illuminating the struggle of Palestine and amplifying voices that are being silenced by bombs, hunger, and loss. You are doing something few people would have the stomach OR the heart for.

Man, if Luka isn’t on the court, all I want is a good game. I really wanted a game seven. I don’t want this season to end, at least not until football starts. But I actually teared up watching Hali go down. It is SO HARD to see a young man who is so joyful be in so much pain.

I’m personally offended by the Google AI commercial in which a guy Googles “What’s something cool going on in the city?,” sees “James Blunt concert,” and he goes, all the while “She’s So High” by Tal Bachman plays. Go home, Google, you’re drunk.

Literature is dead and no one reads anymore! I would still encourage you to make terrible life choices and become a writer anyway! Fuck a job, write poetry!

Me rn cleaning the trash out of my daughter’s room:

Absolutely one of the highlights of my fifteen-year career as a writing prof, @earwormsmag.bsky.social released their first issue and did me the honor of publishing me! Very proud to be part of their inaugural issue. Everyone— especially those of you who write about music!— submit to Issue 2!

🌟ARTIST SPOTLIGHT🌟 @katiedarbymullins.bsky.social channel’s the drumming talents of Travis Barker during his performance with Yung Thug on SNL to give us “TURNED TO VIOLENCE,” a poem you’re absolutely going to want to read immediately right now!! earwormsmag.wixsite.com/earwormsmag/...

@carynrose.bsky.social on Benmont Tench, Heartbreaker and so much more, and the keepers of rock history's sacred duty to play the hits www.salon.com/2025/05/27/b...

Curious: as a Xennial, is it unprofessional or required for me to quote Jay-Z when I quit doing anything? I think my new email sign off may be “I’ve got 99 problems/ Bein’ a bitch ain’t one.”

My formalist poetry education is most useful when I’m listening to bubblegum pop. Is Hoku’s “How Do I Feel (The Burrito Song)” good? If we’re going strictly by metrics and rhyming, “how we met” and “some brunette” is great, so I guess so.

I so wish that, when trying to ruin hope Cowboys fans have, Stephen A. was required to take one snap against, say, the Eagles, & see how many seconds he has to get an accurate ball downfield. Wonder how his QBR would stack against Dak’s. Think he could make CeeDee’s stats pop?

I quit my job last week and have been listening to @aimeemann.bsky.social’s “Nothing is Good Enough” (and a few other songs), but my husband overheard, pulled up the rest of the album, and said, “Oh man, Bachelor #2 is FULL of bangers about how much people suck.” Perfect one-line pitch.

I am thrilled to be featured for National Poetry Month on The Apologist! The editor's note by Katie made my day! Check out these poems about hard-rocking women who have rocked my soul. theapologistzine.substack.com/p/poems-by-a... @katiedarbymullins.bsky.social @theapologistzine.bsky.social

So excited and proud to be able to post not just pop culture commentary, but pop culture ART at @theapologistzine.bsky.social today! Thanks @amhayden.bsky.social for letting me publish your beautiful poems. theapologistzine.substack.com/p/poems-by-a...

I have been studying Spanish for at least 30 minutes a day, reading in Spanish, practicing with AI, and translating for over three years. I just realized I am more comfortable, out loud, with the made up language at the end of Missy Elliott’s “Gossip Folks.” Learn languages when you’re young, kids.

Jerry Jones says the Cowboys are putting together “substantive trades” before Draft Day. He does know that he can’t hurt us worse than Nico did, right? (I hope he can’t?)

A thing I just very genuinely said to a room full of adults: “Y’all are probably too young to be TV on the Radio fans, but you should check out the new Tunde Adebimpe record.” In horrible news, no one corrected me. Why do we, as a people, allow the younger generations to forget sacred texts?

It's SO good

The new Tunde Adebimpe record is an absurd bop, which, while not a surprise, is still a delight. It was good to hear a line like “My heart beats a spark of revival” and feel as though I could trust the voice and singer. In fact, I *needed* that.

All right, I’m trying to get into #localh, by which I mean I love literally everything I’ve ever heard by Local H, but I’m unschooled. Any tips on where to start to go beyond the radio?

OK. Now I’m crying about this. Lana is still the soundtrack, but at least these tears feel well-placed.

“Hey Katie, how are you doing?” “Pretty good, just sobbing to the new #lanadelrey song “Henry, come on,” and no, I don’t know why.” “Cool. Cool cool cool. So normal for you, then?”

My daily Dallas Cowboys roundup email this morning was headlined, “What did Dallas’s NFC East rivals do during free agency?” And like a petulant child, I rolled my eyes and then said, “Everything right.”

You know, we may have lost the game, but I had one of the most important and exciting days of my adult life today, and I can’t wait to share more about that. So I’m taking this excellent picture of Luka stomping and using it as my “this is how I feel now” bookmark. I look forward to explaining why.

I did not realize there was such a thing as a basketball game going so well that it made you anxious, but man, this #lakers game is doing that. Also I am grateful to have followed Luka to LA, because this team is wildly fun to watch.

Now an ACTUALLY young woman is with an ACTUALLY older man. He’s in a suit and she’s dressed in plain workout clothes. This is a safe room, clearly, so he’s Agent X and she’s Emily. Emily is under duress but cannot leave because of a tornado warning. Also the inherent threat of Agent X.

All right, Madison Booker just put down a beautiful fadeaway shot so I have a minute for General Hospital. I thought there was a couple having an argument, but they looked roughly the same age. That’s not how this usually works. But then a younger woman came in (I’m calling her Trixie) and gasped—

Worse, in my General Hospital, she’s an exceptionally skilled assassin— and I can tell everyone loathes her for it. Why can’t people just be happy for successful women??

What time is it? Apparently whenever #generalhospital comes on! Today’s actually features THE HOSPITAL, which makes me think no one there has ever been sick. Hospitals SEEM like a source of conflict but there is so, so much waiting around. So much. Hospitals are scary or boring or both.

Spending a lot of time with #carlysimon lately. She’s the perfect mix between dead-on devastating (“Like a River”) and whimsical. I can’t get over the line “Their children hate them for the things they’re not/They hate themselves for what they are” in “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard it Should Be.”

Thanks Last Syllable Lit for publishing an essay that is either about: sleep, intensity, acting, my stroke, my OCD, procedural television, a moment of kindness on social media, or @vincentdonofrio.bsky.social. I hope it’s the latter, but most likely all of the above. lastsyllablelit.com/procedural

It’s time! Last Syllable Issue 4 is officially LIVE! 🚨 Dive into a stunning collection of poetry, prose, and ideas that linger beyond the final word. Read, reflect, and revel in the artistry. ✨ Explore the issue now: lastsyllablelit.com/issue-iv. #LastSyllable #NewIssue #LiteraryMagazine

So excited today to be publishing @justinsaysni.bsky.social’s essay, “Anti-Nihilism, Tenacity, & Sonic the Hedgehog” at @theapologistzine.bsky.social. Even if you’ve never sped through the game, this resonates. open.substack.com/pub/theapolo...

Also, my new hobby is “does it hot honey?” So far, the answer is “yes” across the board (especially in tea!), but I think I just found the perfect 10K breakfast.

OK, I was enjoying #suitsla fine, but then they discussed #veronicamars and brought #enricocolantani in to guest star, so they’ve bought at least a season of good will from me.

@actualbenfolds.bsky.social In case you’re worried about the company you’d be keeping, while I’m a little bit of a weird art type, here we are with Brett Morgen right after “Moonage Daydream” came out, with Harry Lyles Jr. from ESPN, with Rhett Miller, and for good measure, me teaching Adam Sandler.

@actualbenfolds.bsky.social Anyway— you can reach me at [email protected] or if you message me here, I’ll DM you my cell number. And for what it’s worth: you wrote songs that changed the course of my life. I can point to “Give Judy My Notice” as the moment I started to value myself.

@actualbenfolds.bsky.social anyway, I teach at 9, 10, and 11. And if you’re on a runner, you can always call in— I’ve had Rhett Miller in, but I’ve also had folks from ESPN, publishing companies, etc., come in. I’d love to have you and you’d love these young people.

@actualbenfolds.bsky.social —these students are prepped for who you are and would have good questions.) I know asking you to do more work is probably a horrible burden, but it would be fun, and I’d be happy to buy you lunch.

@actualbenfolds.bsky.social I’ve always been psyched to have brilliant artists in to talk about leading a creative life, but especially with your recent principled stand about the Kennedy Center, I think you have a completely unique perspective. (I sometimes teach a rock history class:

@actualbenfolds.bsky.social Hey, no chance you’re hanging around Evansville one more day? I teach at the University of Evansville in CW and I’ve been a fan for 30 years. I’d LOVE to have you come talk about creativity with my classes.

First, I love Poison and this song. Second, ALWAYS love this essay. But third? This new editor’s note rules. I hope someone lets you write that book, Janine Annett!

All right, want to play a music game? I’ve been absolutely obsessed with #fatherjohnmisty since seeing him in Feb. He’s inspiring today’s edition of #thegamesafoot— what is a seemingly simple lyric that stops you cold? Mine is “Listen Cherry, I know you love me, but say you love me before you go.”