All in all, July 2025 will go down as one of the better Julys I’ve had in a few years. It’s less because it was packed with memories, but more just the feeling that enough went right. It’s a far cry from last year, when I was a nervous wreck. If anything, it’s better just because I’m currently wearing a smile and have a good disposition for what lies ahead. I won’t pretend and say that 36 is off to the most groundbreaking of starts, but things are being mapped out in a way that makes me hopeful that it’ll be a necessary reset after 35 kind of fell into too much of a groove.
But to discuss the past week, I wanted to highlight some things that went down. I’ll begin with news that may not be a big deal, but still means a lot to me. After approximately six years, I have retaken the Jeopardy! Anytime Test. For as much as I’m doubtful that I have the knack to be on the show, it’s an ongoing dream to at least try. Maybe if I ever get a microchip full of geography and history facts, I’ll be good enough, but for now, I do with what I have, and I think people who at least try are deserving of some admiration.
Like a lot of people, I do my best to watch most nights and see how far I can go. Unlike most, I probably don’t prepare as much as I could to make the best presentation possible. The good news is that I think that I did better than I did in 2019, even if that’s still predicted to be 60-70%. Having 15 seconds to answer every question doesn’t offer a lot of time to think too hard, and there were times when I winged it with the hope that I got anywhere.
No matter what happens, fate is no longer in my hands. Now I get to wait for a phone call and hope I get one in the next year asking me to consider when I’m available. Given how long I’ve put off driving to Burbank just to attend a taping, this would be quite a big deal.
It’s one of those things where I realize that I need to take more risks in life. Even if I put in the work, there needs to be that push into occasional discomfort to get anywhere in life. It’s maybe been one of the issues with being in my 30s and questioning if I’m too old and irrelevant. I know that narrative isn’t true, but you grow up hearing how your 20s are the last vital period, and then it becomes a question of what is permanent and what is changeable. Given that Toni Morrison wasn’t a published author until later in life, there is still hope for us all. With that said, I need to figure out just where that risk line is and do more. Jeopardy! will be a fun thing to have on the memory sheet, but I probably need more.
Another thing that I did this week was finish the edits to my next short story. Upon last correspondence, I mentioned that it was called “Stencil.” Since then, I have changed the name to “Dizzy Spells.” I am aiming to have it out on Wednesday. I hope you enjoy it because it has more of a laid-back summer vibe. It’s also the eighth consecutive month in 2025 that I’ve published a short story, and the 10th or 11th straight. Given how creativity has worked for me, it’s been a pleasant miracle to have that drive right now. They’re also substantial works, which makes me curious to see how long this will last. The Fall is usually my bright spot on the calendar, so things are looking up.
Next, I will touch on seeing A Beautiful Noise at Segerstrom. In short, I am not familiar with Neil Diamond. In the grand scheme of musical biographies, he would be low on the list of essential names. Even then, I recognize the novelty of being able to pay tribute to performers by acting out their hits for an adoring crowd. Even if the crowd is sometimes a bit too juvenile to respect the artistry, I’d argue it’s the selling point. I much prefer detailed stories, but live theater is about more than feeling the most intense emotions possible.
I will say that there have been a handful that have resonated with me. Jersey Boys is the gold standard. Beautiful elevates the contribution of Carole King by exploring her relationship to songwriting through other people’s voices as she finds her own. The Cher Show might rank as my favorite in part because she’s a natural-born performer, but also because the structure just offers something more appealing than copy-paste format stuff. More than anything, I want these shows to tell stories about how these figures have added value to the world, and you rarely get that with conventions.
A Beautiful Noise has that problem on some level. Diamond’s story isn’t all that exceptional. There aren’t that many noteworthy supporting characters, and if you don’t know his songbook, you’ll be lost for a large portion of the show. Having visited his music since, I get the impression he’s not the most autobiographical performer either, which makes certain translations difficult. I recognize the appeal of seeing him sing “Sweet Caroline” with a captivated crowd (twice). With that said, his story is severely lacking.
That is, until Act II wins me over with an emotional climax that makes me see Diamond as a much more complex figure. He’s battling his own darkness within the light genre of pop. It’s inspired me to listen to some of his records, and, quite frankly, he’s not the most distinguishing artist of his generation. Production-wise, you could put him on shuffle, and I wouldn’t know the difference.
However, his lyrics are sometimes more provocative and get me on board with the larger vision. I’ve heard three of his albums, and what I’ll say is that “Stone” is a great record. I can’t be sure that it’s his best, but it speaks to the better aspects of A Beautiful Noise. He’s mixing these jaunty numbers with some deep melancholy that makes me want to know more about him. He seems tortured, but not to the extent of unpleasantness. He’s still accessible, and I love that element. There’s a song called “Chelsea Morning” that has one of my favorite last lines to a song. For an artist who seems like he’d have certain shortcomings, he made up for them in very clever ways.
I’m not sure how much further I will be diving into Diamond’s discography, but I am happy to say that he’s much more interesting than the stage presence he has in A Beautiful Noise. That is likely the point of the whole show. He’s having a greater conversation with art, and I think it elevates the material into something more substantial. Sure, there’s a lot that’s just empty pop, but it still has this accomplished tone that works for me.
Other than that, I have also seen my second production of Spring Awakening (The Chance) for 2025. In short, it’s a show that I’ve fallen more and more in love with over time. Everything about it feels indicative of where teen angst was when I was in high school, and thus helps the show resonate more. I also think having a more intimate space allowed the tension of certain scenes to have more impact on my enjoyment.
Other than that, I want to give a quick shout-out to the King of the Hill reboot on Hulu. As someone who watched the show constantly as a kid, it has been exciting to see the world again and know that Mike Judge hasn’t skipped too much of a beat. I’ll admit that it’s more on par with the later seasons, which weren’t as great, but it still has that core humanity that you don’t get elsewhere. The stories feel honest to what I’d expect the show to be, and it’s incredible to see a side of Texas that is genuine and hospitable in this modern landscape, because things are rough out there. It would be easy to get caught up in the exclusionist nature, but the first five episodes are a lot more accomplished than that would suggest. Even the end of episode one feels like the perfect subversion of my worries.
Also, this week is going to be exciting. New Ethel Cain on Friday. I also want to say that the Jeremy Jordan version of Floyd Collins finally hits the airwaves. I’ve been dying to hear it for months now. The original Off-Broadway run was excellent, but I imagine that Jordan’s vocals (and a few other tweaks) might make it more favorable. It’s wild that he’s done two very promising shows in back-to-back years. Not sure it will be as beloved as The Great Gatsby, but there’s still time to find out.
I think because of how the summer has advanced, I’m just in the mood to take up hobbies. My latest one is wanting to play my bass again. It hasn’t been that successful. While I recognize that things get out of tune due to the bump and grind of time, I also have nieces who don’t understand how to leave things alone, so it’s especially out of tune.
That also means that I have to use online resources in order to get anywhere. Unfortunately, most of the apps have been very unhelpful for the GDAE tuning. While A and E are relatively easy, I’ve had issues getting the G to ever sound right to the point that I wonder if I’m getting anything correct at all. I’m able to tell by playing scales, but not enough to resolve the problems. As a result, what should’ve taken 20 minutes ends up taking a lot longer before I give up. Fingers crossed that I pick it up again one of these days.
I also want to draw again, but I don’t have the discipline to pull it off. I also have my monthly project to start considering. I’m not all that familiar with macramé, but there’s always time to learn. I’m not good with small, intricate details, but I’m hoping that I’ll pull through. Maybe it’ll be like jewelry making, where I kind of get there on the first try and see the potential and want to do more, but I just don’t have the wherewithal to immediately seek out replacements. We’ll have to see.
Since this is meant to encapsulate what interests me at a time, I want to highlight two YouTube videos that I am a big fan of. Jessie Gender’s video on The Archives is excellent for many reasons, let alone that it gets to the heart of what stories we choose to share about ourselves. I also loved Aranock’s work on how biased separating art from the artist is and how it’s never as nuanced as it should be. Also, Ari Aster’s recent pit stop over in the Criterion Closet is a great episode if you’re into that.
Finally, August 4 marked the one-year passing of my cat Meathead. I still have a lot of conflicting emotions about that day. At best, I think it speaks to how much he meant to me and what his absence ultimately symbolizes in my life. Cancer is difficult for anyone, and I think it’s also hard to watch and know there’s little you can do to change nature’s course. I love that guy and am relieved he’s not in pain anymore. With that said, you always wish you had more time.
For now, I must find ways to get through the rest of summer without melting. I don’t know how that will go, but time will tell. I have a WNBA game sometime in the near future. Alissa Pili is currently playing for The Los Angeles Sparks, and that would be exciting to see her on a team that knows how to use her. Otherwise, I've got to get cracking on my next short story and get back to outlining Novel4. I have been mulling over a lot of ideas, but I need to actually get the structure written down so I can start seeing the bigger picture, especially if I want to start writing the draft in January. Fingers crossed.
I suppose that’s it for now. I realize this was more sporadic than usual, but just know that things are good. I feel a little sore because of the heat, but I am doing my best to push through. Here’s hoping I get over that hurdle sooner rather than later. I’m also scheduled to finish “Bleak House” this week, which is exciting because that means I’ll have completed summer reading for another year. Other than that, it’s time to look ahead to the fall and figure out where things are going.
So until next time. Hope all’s well and I’ll see ya when I see ya.
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