Let’s face it: Politics has become entertainment. If you’re silly enough to scoff at my contention, allow me to submit as irrefutable evidence the previous resident of the Oval Office – I refuse in his case to stitch a ‘p’ onto the front of “resident” – who, before entering politics, was the host of a “reality” TV competition series.
Since the purview of this column in this otherwise politically-progressive biweekly digest is entertainment, it’s valid for me to tout my favorite political columnist here. He’s not just entertaining but also insightful, informative, thoughtful and well attuned to the broad strokes and nuance of whatever he discusses.
It’s Lucian V. Truscott IV, likely best known as the author of “Dress Gray,” his 1978 best-selling novel set at West Point, where Truscott was a cadet. He hails from a military family line that includes his Army grandfather, who served in World War II, and father who saw action in Korea and Vietnam and retired as a colonel. As well, he’s the great-great-great-great grandson of Thomas Jefferson, and was instrumental in opening up the official family circle to the descendants of Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemmings.
Truscott made his bones as a journalist writing for the Village Voice in the seminal alternative newsweekly’s late ‘60s/early ‘70s salad days. He’s also written screenplays and more novels. “Dress Gray” became a television series in the 1980s.
In recent years, he was a weekly columnist for Salon whose work I admired. But as the site backed away from its weekly commitment to publish Truscott, the writer signed up on Substack, the online site that enables journalists and essayists to reach readers directly and build following via newsletter subscriptions.
The forum has allowed his writing to flourish. He continues to do yeoman’s work with greater exposing the foibles, follies and corruption of Donald J. Trump and the GOP, plus commenting on politics and the world at large. His columns are meticulously researched and fact checked, and often feature facets other commentators don’t perceive. His droll wit and gentle yet pointed sarcasm make them a pleasure to read, and he never fails to eloquently articulate an intelligent and informed Leftist perspective that also expresses my point of view. He’s also been writing snippets of memoir from a life fully and interestingly lived that, one hopes, will coalesce into a book in the not-too-distant future.
I scratch my head at why Truscott isn’t a regular contributor to a major newspaper, and why Salon (which seems to be facing fiscal challenges) isn’t running his columns more often rather than less. Especially when the site publishes stories by self-proclaimed “Beatles expert” Kenneth Womack that read to this near-lifelong Fab Four follower like weak tea. But I digress …
Substack also syndicates the Press Run newsletter of media critic Eric Boehlert, another favorite of mine. I cannot fathom why such gifted observers and commentators are not prominently featured in top publications other than to say that the journalism landscape these days is strange and sometimes seems upside-down. Subscribing to them both is quite affordable – Truscott charges $5 monthly; Boehlert $6.
It’s too early to tell if such subscription models will create a viable new form of highly-personalized journalism consumption in which such talented thinkers and writers can not just survive but thrive. But both Truscott and Boehlert offer highly satisfying ways to explore this new wrinkle while staying informed and, yes, entertained.
Music Album: “Delta Kream” by The Black Keys – After exploring the pleasures of 1970s album radio rock-pop with wit, canny musical historicity and hooky appeal on their previous release, Let’s Rock, the rootsy duo from Akron, OH get back to their blues roots on these largely live-in-the-studio romps through the Mississippi Hill Country blues tradition with the offspring of some of that scene’s legends guesting. A crackling energy and an almost Zen koan vibe that finds loving traditionalism and contemporary savvy coexisting side-by-side fire this winning set.
TV Documentary Series: “Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia” – A good and engaging primer on how the FBI used the RICO act to launch the beginning of the end of the dominance of Italian organized crime. It also reminds how Rudy Giuliani was once an effective prosecutor before becoming a public buffoon.
Rob Patterson is a music and entertainment writer in Austin, Texas. Email orca@prismnet.com.
From The Progressive Populist, July 1-15, 2021
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