My 20 Favorite Articles of the Month — August Edition

If you read nothing else today, read these

August is weird. It’s still summer, yet kids here went back to school last week (school never started for me before Labor Day, but that was back in the Dark Ages). After 67 days without rain, Dallas was just hammered with nearly 15 inches over the past 24 hours. Without doing anything at all, Joe Biden went from being seen as incompetent to massively effective. Springsteen tickets continue to cost only a tad less than the GDP of Norway. And Arsenal tops the Premier League after three matches (a sure sign of the apocalypse).

It’s been weird here on Medium as well, mainly because so many writers took vacations during the month. I did not, partly out of penury but more because I am recently enough removed from the sixth level of Hell that is working retail that I still consider writing full-time a vacation. The absence of some mainstays has given me fewer stories to choose from this month, but even then there were more than I could include without going over twenty. As always, the quality has not diminished in the least.

I can also take comfort in the fact that I am getting this month’s edition out before Dillon Picks. Simon Dillon continues to maintain that this is not a competition, but if that’s the case then why does he continue to draft Dillon Empire staff into service for it? First it was just him, then it was Reginald the Rigorous, and now Millicent the Malevolent has entered the fray. I’m sure he will eventually convince Morrissey to guest host an episode just to make my head explode.

Enough of my pontificating…on to the good stuff.

Batting leadoff (as if you even have to ask) is the inimitable Alex Markham, this time not with a story about Springsteen but about a pilgrimage to the birthplace of a band without whom there would be no Springsteen: the Liverpool roots of the Beatles.

If there’s one mashup I love, it’s using as many song titles as possible to create a short story. Lark Morrigan knocked it out of the park with this one using John Denver songs.

When I first saw the title of the article below from Eric Pierce, I thought it was in response to someone who had submitted a piece to Fanfare defending The Rise of Skywalker as better than The Empire Strikes Back. In reality, it is an excellent reflection on his three years here, what he’s doing going forward, and his thoughts for writers on the site now. Personally, I’m still hoping for that million-dollar tip from Elon Musk, but I’m a dreamer.

Even after going on holiday for a week, Simon Dillon published some awesome film articles this month, as always (you should go check them all out). The piece that got my attention most, however, was the one below. I honestly cannot grasp the idea that there are people who don’t re-watch favorite films or re-read favorite books. Watching The Godfather whenever you happen upon it while channel surfing is a hard-and-fast requirement for entrance into whatever paradise you happen to believe in.

I’ve said multiple times that poetry is just not my thing (unless it’s set to music, of course). Yet somehow my day is not complete if I don’t read a poem from David Rudder. Here’s a gem from this month.

I find it almost as impossible to resist reading a story about The Doors as I do one about Bruce. When it’s Terry Barr writing about The Doors, take out the “almost.”

I’ve said before we need more solid sports articles, and Mark Holburn delivers with one about his favorite footballers. I would make a snarky comment about Manchester United here, but given recent events that would just be rude. Keep the faith, Mark; better days are coming.

If I do a monthly favorites list and there’s no Springsteen article, would the world implode? We’ll never know because it will never happen. Saving the planet this time is Amber Walters, with a ranking of all 20 of Bruce’s studio albums. We didn’t agree on the placement of all of them (Bruce fans never will), but she has Born to Run in the proper spot, which is all that matters.

Something we do have on this site that I don’t often include in my monthly favorites is book reviews. But when Arpad Nagy reviews a novel by the earlier-mentioned Simon Dillon, how can it not make the list?

An article marrying beer and music? Why thank you, David Acaster, that’s a fine combination.

I did a prompt this month about my favorite songs that aren’t in English and asked for suggestions to add to my limited knowledge. Rodrigo S-C responded with the one below, and I’ve been listening to “Qué Vendrá” by ZAZ ever since. Thanks, Rodrigo.

August 9th was National Book Lovers Day, and Marie Kester did a cool bookish “about me” for the occasion.

One of my favorite prompts from this month required listing an hour’s worth of songs that are all under three minutes long. It was no surprise that Pierce McIntyre crushed this one.

I never knew that I needed cooking apps until I read this piece from Rui Alves. Will any of them make me a better cook? Only time will tell.

Here’s one from Gunner Barrett for anyone out there who has forgotten the days of duck-and-cover drills and blocked 1983’s The Day After from their memory. It’s important to never forget what could happen if we’re to make sure it never does.

We need something not as heavy after that. Check out this on-the-nose bit of biting satire from Patrick Metzger.

Though it sometimes seems like he’s everywhere at once, David Perlmutter doesn’t publish that often here. When he does, you take note.

Of the many prompts running around this month, the one I was certain Kevin Alexander would not be able to resist was “favorite record store.” Thankfully, I was correct.

We all lament the sorry state of the world, and most of the time suggest big changes to make things better. In the piece below, however, The Celtic Chameleon reminds us that it’s usually the small, everyday things that make a difference.

Finally, check out this story from Joseph Serwach. There is one King even Elvis couldn’t compete with.

That’s my roundup for this month. I imagine next time will have some with at least a bit of fall flavor, which will be a nice after a beating of a summer. Keep on writing.

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