Keith Walpole

Writer / Brooklyn, NY

 
 
 
 

Five Bullet Friday

Here’s five bullets which captured my attention this week:

  • Books: You probably know I’m a big fan of Ted Goia’s newsletter so I picked up a copy of his book How To Listen To Jazz this week to read more of Goia’s writing and to learn from how he writes about music. Goia’s essays are always insightful, well-researched, easy-to-follow and honest. In How To Listen To Jazz, Goia breaks down his process of listening to jazz critically to help the uninitiated appreciate the musical form and let the reader in on how he writes about jazz.

  • Documentary: Why John Wilson can’t stop filming. Documentary filmmaker John Wilson (How to with John Wilson) sat down with the Museum of the Moving Image to talk about his filmmaking and creative process. Willson said that filming taught him that ‘everything is interesting’ and that doing something small every day ‘eventually turns into something’.

  • Movies: RIP Val Kilmer who passed away earlier this week. The 1993 western Tombstone is one of my favorite movies for Kilmer’s portrayal of tuberculosis-patient/dentist/gunslinger Doc Holliday. Kilmer had his bed filled with ice for Holliday’s final scene with Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell). Taffy Brodesser-Akner's 2020 essay offers a peek into Kilmer’s career, beliefs and legacy.

  • Music: Happening now is Substack Sessions a series of music events with musicians including Patti Smith, Andrew Bird, and Jeff Tweedy. Tune in to check out live music, talks and a whole lot more.

  • NYC: If you’ve ever needed to navigate the subway system, you’ve used the iconic subway map which features a distorted geography of the five boroughs and long colorful lines to depict train routes. Italian designer Massimo Vignelli designed the 1972 subway map but then the MTA rolled out a new design for confused subway riders which remained mostly unchanged since 1979. On Wednesday the MTA announced a subway map redesign which looks like it incorporates elements of the Vignelli design as well as the map we’ve all come to know and love. Vignelli said, “You want to go from Point A to Point B, period. The only thing you are interested in is the spaghetti.”

That’s all for this week! I really enjoy getting this newsletter out each Friday. It gives me reason to dive into my interests, learn more, and share it with you. Thanks for reading.

 
 

Keith Walpole is a writer in Brooklyn, NY.

Substack blog: Circles in Space.

“Every Friday I publish five bullets of what’s capturing my attention. I also write about books, music, New York City history, and more.

You might be wondering: what is Circles In Space?

Circles In Space is my belief that life follows a cyclical path, rather than linearly moving from point A to point B. In my life I find I often circle back to songs, books, & more (both consciously and unconsciously) which sparks renewed interest in something I might have missed before. Read my mission statement.”