Current mood:	amused
Current music:	Radiohead, "Life In A Glasshouse"

Starf*ckers (We Are the Dollars & Cents)
Available as of today, at a bookstore near you (or, at least, near your web browser...):



...In which you will find my very first published essay, "Why A Rock Band in a Desolate Time?"

Will this help my career? No, not really. Was it therefore a complete waste of time, a cheap way to see my work in print? Not at all! On the contrary, I set out to write my chapter with three goals in mind:

1. Find a way to give an introduction to Heidegger's thought that was neither superficially trite, nor bogged down in Heideggerian jargon;


2. Develop my own reading of Heidegger, one that is both defensible as a reading of Heidegger and still manages to do something interesting with his thought;


3. Give a philosophical account of the omnipresent cultural theme of alienation--in this case, through an engagement with Radiohead's early (pre-Hail to the Thief) career.

To what extent I was successful...I'll let you be the judge. But suffice it to say, I feel I've gotten something out of the experience--and had a lot of fun in the process. This is actually the first of a string of essays I'd like to write about various rock bands and pop groups--including artists ranging from David Bowie to Yellow Magic Orchestra. For the moment, however, it will have to stand alone; even the briefest glance through the essay, after all, will be enough for you to see, this looks nothing like a dissertation...

Keep an eye out for the book, then: Radiohead and Philosophy: Fitter, Happier, More Deductive. You'll find yours truly buried deep in the second half of the book. If you get a chance to flip back and give it a read, I welcome any and all feedback/thoughts/complaints.