I was away last week on vacation, and you'll be hearing a lot more about that starting next week. But here's my pop-culture roundup for the past couple weeks, plus some thoughts on the wily and elusive 'pop boy'. Roundup Music While the announcement of the new Taylor Swift album has understandably taken up a … Continue reading Culture Roundup (August 23, 2025): Whither the ‘Pop Boy’?
I mentioned the other week that I was feeling the weekly 'What's Lighting Me Up' post had run its course, but I still wanted to engage with pop culture in an intentional way. So today I'm introducing a new format to do a quick roundup of what I've been listening to, reading, and watching lately … Continue reading Culture Roundup (August 9, 2025): Initial Thoughts on the Booker Long List
I started this weekly 'What's Lighting Me Up' series at the start of January, as a way of holding on to the everyday joys and beautiful things that can give life meaning in difficult times. While that is still absolutely true, I've noticed diminishing returns for the exercise as the year has gone on. So … Continue reading What’s Lighting Me Up (July 26, 2025)
Another week has flown by. What has been lighting me up lately? I've been pretty laser-focused lately on my writing for the blog, since the Parables series has involved a lot of research. This means I've been engaged and learning about things I care a lot about, which is pretty much me at my happiest. … Continue reading What’s Lighting Me Up (July 12, 2025)
And just like that, the year is half over. That means it's It's time for a special mid-year check-in about what's been lighting me up so far in 2025. Life & Creativity Despite all the heaviness and anxiety surrounding everything in the world, I've managed to have a pretty solid six months. I started the … Continue reading What’s Lighting Me Up (July 5, 2025)
Matthew Root 