John Kenyon

Good question. As someone who reads translations frequently, I have developed a few favorite translators, and would welcome the chance to discover new writers through the lens of their work.

It's interesting that their twin arguments are that the show was awful because no one understood what he was saying and that it was obscene because he was saying things children shouldn't hear.

A great deal on a great read. If you like terse, no nonsense crime fiction, you need to read this.

Can I assume the two black helicopters circling downtown Iowa City are checking to be sure @modestholdings.com has the flags at their proper height?

Does Canada know that Trump has given them the Great Lakes?

There is no downside to Jeffries and Schumer taking a stand on this, and it might be their last chance to do so. If Trump/Miller/Vance learn Dems will vote to approve a state-funded terroristic force that attacks blue cities and states despite the chance to do otherwise, what could stop them?

Carson Beck after petitioning the NCAA for a 7th year of eligibility.

Read the poem in it's entirety: poets.org/poem/renee-n...

If this is grounds for regime change, then who is coming to help us?

It is concerning that guys are leaving after they've surely had the chance to talk with the coach. It would be interesting to know what his message has been and what about that is not reassuring them.

Two things: Surprised that so many non-starters would bail given that someone has to play and why not them? Related: a kid can test the waters and still come back without penalty, right? So it's possible some of them just want to see if anyone expresses interest and if not, they can suit up in '26.

If you're looking to start a business, a sign removal company in DC might be lucrative in three years or so.

I was at a life-affirming high school orchestra and choir concert and have missed the lie-fest thus far. Can’t think of a better antidote than to see this wonderful, diverse group of talented young people express themselves, and can’t wait until they are in charge of everything.

How bad must it be if this is deemed to be an improvement?

I use AM in two ways. The first is to listen to everything I've downloaded to the phone from my own collection, and the second is to stream things. I don't mingle these and thus can't build online playlists or save an album for later streaming because Apple will mess with my library if I do.

Both! Powerful poetry.

Take Five: A rich, sustained discord Some investigation around the soundtrack to 'The Lowdown' dominates, while Joe Brainard, Jack Gilbert, P.S. Eliot (by way of Snocaps), and Cornelius Cardew (by way of Brian Eno) also pop up

I write each week about five things that caught my attention. This one might be the best, exploring intriguing music on “The Lowdown, “ looking for Joe Brainard, and reading Jack Gilbert and Brian Eno. Take five minutes on this Sunday for a peek. open.substack.com/pub/jpkenyon...

Highly recommended.

Stack of books on a table with titles redacted by black bars. Headline reads: "The Normalization of Book Banning: What's Happening. What Can Be Done." PEN America logo appears at bottom.

🧵 In 2025, book censorship in the United States is rampant and common. Never before in the life of any living American have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries across the country.

Can't wait to hear Lockwood talk about this at the Iowa City Book Festival on Oct. 11! www.iowacitybookfestival.org.

Does this mean we don't need to die just yet?

That was a really interesting novel. He packs a lot of emotion and intrigue into a small package.

Agreed. I can't imagine listening to the live set more than once on vinyl, so I sure would like for that that 10" to be included with the CD-only set, as was the case with all of the others that preceded this one.

YouTube video by Cyrus Pireh - Topic Thank You, Guitar

I listen to a LOT of solo guitar music, and I'll be damned if Cyrus Pireh's latest isn't blowing my mind a bit. He calls it "transcendental shred electric guitar music," and I can't think of a better description.

youtu.be/2JXbVRELjPE

Happy to be hosting you on Oct. 11 at the Iowa City Book Festival!

Letter to the editor: The decision to close SHSI Iowa City should alarm anyone interested in Iowa and Midwest history - Little Village Some 40 years ago, my mother donated a 1915 landscape plan to the State Historical Society of Iowa’s library in Iowa City. The plan, a rare surviving hand-painted sketch by […]

Letter to the editor: The decision to close SHSI Iowa City should alarm anyone interested in Iowa and Midwest history littlevillagemag.com/letter-to-th...

Take Five: Shrine to the Dynamic Year Taking a look back on 12 months worth of 'Take Fives' with a sort of best-of that showcases the jazz, poetry, rock, writing, and pop philosophy I have shared each week

I’ve been writing the Take Five feature on my Substack for a year, highlighting more than 250 songs, books, movies,poems, paintings, albums, artists and more. This week, a few favorites offered in celebration. Thanks for reading. Please continue… I will!
jpkenyon.substack.com/p/take-five-...

He Read (at Least) 3,599 Books in His Lifetime. Now Anyone Can See His List.

Love seeing the act of reading celebrated. Who knew we list-making book nerds were newsworthy. I’m at 2,430 and counting over the last 33 years, with a few decades (health willing) before I reach age 92 like Dan. More stories to experience, more worlds to explore.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/b...

Take Five: Going off the rails We are on a Crazy Train of sorts, but we can view some beautiful art by Kandinsky, learn from PBS, explore wonderful poetry with Fanny Howe, laugh at a comic, and crank some Ozzy (or The Bad Plus).

Sometimes you need refined art, sometimes you need some Ozzy, and sometimes you need both and everything in between. It was a week full of art ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime. jpkenyon.substack.com/p/take-five-...

I would have gone with "War Pigs"? Still relevant.