Now Playing: March 2024

Our March 2024 edition of Now Playing features books to swallow in one go and powerful songs to dive into, all from our contributors!

James Magruder

Given the Doubting Thomas strain to my character, I have in my 63 years skipped certain canonical texts. Last week, passing a Free Library kiosk in my neighborhood, I spotted a copy of On the Road, which spoke to the Magical Thinking strain in my character. I read the Kerouac in three sittings, enthralled, appalled, and frightened by his travels and his comrades, and humbled by the genius of his sentences. (The same thing happened early in 2023 when I read The Bell Jar in one night.) I think both masterpieces came to me at just the right time--I'd have been cynical about them in my twenties.

Rocio Anica

I’m a big fan of the Song Exploder podcast, and I recently revisited the Natalie Lafourcade episodes on Netflix and on Spotify because my younger sister had learned to play “Hasta La Raiz” on the ukulele as a tribute on the anniversary of our sister’s passing. The song took on a whole meaning for me for obvious reasons, and I realized I had only passively listened to Lafourcade talk about the song before. Rewatching the Netflix episode again was incredibly moving. Insert crying emojis here. The whole experience made me want to revisit my favorite episodes. The ones I recommend most are: Phoebe Bridgers’ “Scott Street,” Steve Reich’s “Different Trains: America, Before the War,”  Semisonic’s “Closing Time,” Jewel’s “You Were Meant for Me,” New Order’s “Blue Monday,” Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose,” Alvvays’ “Archie, Marry Me,” The Shins’ “New Slang,” Khruangbin’s “So You Won’t Forget,” John Carpenter’s “Halloween,” Nemo Case’s “Last Lion of Albion,” and Jay Som’s “Tenderness.” Oh, and the Big Thief episode had both my husband and I just weeping.