One other thing I’ve been meaning to mention, apropo of nothing…

Gina Gionfriddo’s essay in the current issue of The Believer completely rocked my world. Gionfriddo links her own painful disillusionment with Christianity with what Reznor expresses through Nine Inch Nails and ties it all back to British Romanticism and Freudian psychoanalysis. I felt like she was speaking directly to me. I thought I was done with NIN after Pretty Hate Machine and Downward Spiral served as cornerstones of my collegiate depression soundtrack (simultaneous with my full-time literature nerd phase when I was nuts about the Romantics and especially Mary Shelley). Now I’m really curious about the last two albums. I only ever heard a couple of songs.

Overall this is one of the best issues ever of The Believer. There’s a funny article about how to deal with music obsessives, a fabulous interview between Miranda July and the lead singer of the Blow, and plenty of other stuff guaranteed to make you feel cooler and smarter. Although if you’re reading this blog, I have no doubt that you’re already 100% smart and cool so read at your own risk.