From Pultizer Prize-winning poetry to dreamy indie-pop music, this week's five from the "On Second Thought" archives can help get you through another unorthodox workweek.
Caption

From Pultizer Prize-winning poetry to dreamy indie-pop music, this week's five from the "On Second Thought" archives can help get you through another unorthodox workweek. / GPB

The South claims and contains a multitude of impressive art, music and culture. From Pultizer Prize-winning poetry to dreamy indie-pop music, this week’s five from the On Second Thought archives can help get you through another unorthodox workweek.

1. Poet Jericho Brown On The Consuming Inspirations Of 'The Tradition'

“I was writing poems on elevators, pulling my car over to get poems written down. … It was a moment of inspiration that I was so grateful for, but also completely exhausted by.” 2019 National Book Award Finalist Jericho Brown carries the torch of writing vulnerable and emotional poetry that documents his experience at the intersections of the Black and LGBTQ+ communities in the South. He sat down with us in January to discuss the rewarding and tiresome burden of inspiration, mere months before he was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

2. Enter 'Mirrorland' — And Atlanta's Land of Oz — With Hip-Hop Duo EarthGang

Last September, we sat down with artists Olu and WowGr8 of Atlanta-based hip-hop group EarthGang to discuss The Wiz, Atlanta’s culture of helping hands in the hip-hop scene, and the highly anticipated release of their album, Mirrorland, from J. Cole’s Dreamville label.

3. 'White Trash Cooking' Becomes Recipe For 2019 James Beard Award

Ernest Matthew Mickler, author of the 1986 White Trash Cooking, lived a life larger than most, one composed of hardships and creating new heritage. Author Michael Adno chronicles his life in the award winning “The Short and Brilliant Life of Ernest Matthew Mickler,” exploring the man behind the cookbook, his hardships, his friendships, and his struggles as a gay man in the 20th century South during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

4. Georgia Playlist: Rose Hotel

Lo-fi indie-pop act Rose Hotel is Jordan Reynolds, whose work as far back as her 2017 EP Always a Good Reason found acclaim in the college radio scene. To celebrate the 2019 release of her LP I Will Only Come When It’s A Yes, she selected two tracks to add to our Georgia Playlist, which highlights musical talent from around the state. Listen to her picks, and check out Rose Hotel's video for the song “10K.”

5. 'Never Have I Ever' Mines Below The Surface Of Ordinary Lives

Last August, New York Times best-selling novelist Joshilyn Jackson joined On Second Thought to discuss the release of her novel Never Have I Ever, a story of blackmail and book clubs. Listen to our full interview with Jackson as we discuss what makes a good thriller.

 

Find us on social media for more of your favorite On Second Thought stories.

Twitter: @OSTTalk
Facebook: On Second Thought
Email: OnSecondThought@gpb.org
Phone: 404-500-9457