I'm back from a lovely vacation on the West Coast and settled back into normal routines. This week I'll do my usual roundup of what I've been listening to and reading before taking a look at this year's Booker Prize winner and the idea of literary prizes more generally. Roundup Music While we're still in … Continue reading Culture Roundup (November 15, 2025): On the Booker Winner and Other Thoughts on Prizes
While this will publish according to normal schedule, I've written this a few days early as I'll be on vacation by the time you read this. So, there's only about ten days' worth of content to catch up on. But there's been some great stuff during this time that I can't let go unmentioned here. … Continue reading Culture Roundup (November 1, 2025): Seasonality in Reading
When I wrote the my last culture roundup post, I knew the then brand new Taylor Swift album was going to be polarizing, but I could not have predicted the absolute meltdown it created, especially among her detractors. As much as I'm loath to participate in that sort of content, it's been fascinating to watch … Continue reading Culture Roundup (October 18, 2025): Cozy Reading and Further Thoughts on The Life of a Showgirl (and the pop-cultural firestorm it’s created)
A lot has happened in bookish and pop culture the past couple weeks since I did one of these posts. So without further ado: Roundup Music Whether she wants to or not, Taylor Swift takes up a lot of air in the pop-cultural space, so it's no surprise that the lead up to the release … Continue reading Culture Roundup (October 4, 2025): Reading the Giller Prize Longlist and Initial Thoughts on The Life of a Showgirl
I seem to be doing these pop culture posts every other week, so today is probably the last time I’ll do one before the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl on October 3. So in honour of that momentous pop cultural event, in today’s deep dive, I’ll talk about my … Continue reading Culture Roundup (September 20, 2025): Welcome to the Taylorverse
Matthew Root 