Summing up 2025
What I read, what I viewed, and why I didn’t write more often
I HATE TO end the year with an apology, but the fact is I have been remiss in attending to Everything Is Broken. Ideally, I would be writing and sending out these missives at least once per week, but over the past half year (at least) that just has not happened. Not for lack of ideas about which to write, and not for lack of desire – honestly, this endeavor holds a special place in my heart. I just haven’t yet found the wherewithal to hit a groove here, and over the past year or year-and-a-half it has been complicated by two very demanding projects.
Last year into the first half of this year, much of my “spare time” was taken up by post-publication efforts with my book, Within You Without You: Listening to George Harrison. Then, last August -- just when the smoke dissipated and I sensed a new, clear space for recommitting to this long-term project – an opportunity fell in my lap to work on a new and exciting project, about which I can say very little at this point (literally – it is in my contract not to talk about it). But I can say that since August I have been immersed in working on a film documentary about one of my areas of expertise. In time and effort, it has been the equivalent of a full-time job, including occasional nights, weekends, and seemingly endless Zoom meetings. It’s only gotten busier the more time passes, and it certainly will continue to be so at least into early next year.
This is a reason for my seeming lack of commitment to Everything Is Broken – a reason, not an excuse. For those of you who have generously contributed to this effort, please take the next year off, and don’t re-up your paid subscriptions until I have demonstrated the ability to file regularly, enough so that you are getting what you deserve in return for your support. For the rest of you, thanks for continuing to subscribe freely; at least I haven’t been filling your inboxes with junk!
I TRY TO keep track of the books I read and the movies and TV shows I watch, and most of the time my lists are pretty accurate. I didn’t like everything I saw and read on the lists below; I probably only liked about a third on average. I haven’t read nearly as many books as I typically do in a year, and many of them have been work-related (and these don’t always make it onto the running list I keep).
The books I have read this past year include:
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden *
Colored Television by Danzy Senna
The Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgaard
Meditation for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
The Magic Kingdom by Russell Banks
Sons and Daughters by Chaim Grade *
What Art Does by Brian Eno
The Sixties by Jenny Diski
A Fool’s Kabbalah by Steve Stern
Grief: A Comedy by Alison Larkin
On the Calculation of Volume (Vol. 1) by Solvej Balle
Burning Down the House by Jonathan Gould
The Man Who Died by D.H. Lawrence
The Uncanny Muse by David Hajdu
Passion Is a Fashion: The Real Story of the Clash by Pat Gilbert
Tonight in Jungleland by Peter Ames Carlin
Giant Steps by Derek Shulman
Bob Dylan: Things Have Changed by Ron Rosenbaum
Bread of Angels by Patti Smith *
Dead and Alive by Zadie Smith
Martyr! By Kaven Akbar
*especially recommended
MOVIES
Didi
Time Out of Mind (dir by Oren Moverman)
The Substance
A Rainy Day in New York
All We Imagine as Light
Call Me By Your Name
Sea of Love
Glengarry Glen Ross
Universal Language
His Three Daughters
Thank You Very Much (Andy Kaufman doc)
Babygirl
The Insider
As Prescribed
La Cocina
My Name Is Blotto
Black Bag
Blue Steel
For the Living
Closer
Among Neighbors
Insomnia
Hard Truths (d. by Mike Leigh)
Midas Man (dramatization about Beatles manager Brian Epstein)
Materialists
Rude Boy
Sinners
Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round
The Nature of Love
What Lies Beneath
Sick of Myself
Misericordia
Bad Shabbos
Lurker
Notice to Quit
Deliver Me from Nowhere
The Woman in Cabin 10
28 Years Later
Ella McCay
You Got Gold (John Prine doc)
Oslo, August 31 (d. by Joachim Trier)
My Son, My Son, What Have You Done (Werner Herzog)
One Battle After Another *
Jay Kelly
TV SHOWS
Catastrophe
Autonomies
The Penguin
Missing You
The Zweiflers *
Severance *
Prime Target
Paradise
False Flag
Parks and Recreation *
Zero Day
Somebody Somewhere
Seinfeld * (I had never seen the series, only isolated episodes)
No Good Deed
The Studio
White Lotus
Dying for Sex
Your Friends and Neighbors
Ludwig
The Last of Us
Veep
Secrets We Keep
Mr. Loverman
Reformed
Couples Therapy
Nine Perfect Strangers
The Split
Dept. Q
Righteous Gemstones
Hostage
Dexter
The Paper
You’re the Worst
Task *
Slow Horses *
Fargo *
Hal and Harper *
The Day of the Jackal
Pluribus *
Old Cemetery Road *
The Diplomat
The Beast in Me
The Lowdown *
All Her Fault
The Beatles Anthology
Thanks for sticking by me. And if you’re so moved, drop a line in the comments to share what you liked (and what you didn’t like) on the above lists (or share your own lists), and/or what you would like to read by me in 2026.
Happy holidays and happy new year.
In solidarity,
“Well, I don’t want to go on the roof.” -- George Harrison
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Roll Call: Founding Members
Anne Fredericks
Anonymous (9)
Susan Bang
Erik Bruun
Jane & Andy Cohen
Jeffrey N. Cohen
Nadine Habousha Cohen
Fred Collins
Ian Feldman
Fluffforager
Benno Friedman
Amy and Howard Friedner
Jackie and Larry Horn
Richard Koplin
Paul Paradiso
Steve and Helice Picheny
David Rubman
Spencertown Academy Arts Center
Elisa Spungen and Rob Bildner/Berkshires Farm Table Cookbook
Julie Abraham Stone
Mary Herr Tally
Vicki Weiner
Daniel Wollman and Debra Pollack




Have you read John Szwed's biography of Harry Smith from 2023, "Cosmic Scholar"? I'm a new subscriber so don't know if you flagged it previously. I read it this year and absolutely loved it, and it seems it would be up your alley. What a singular character he was, a true modern magus in every sense.
Great to hear from you Seth in any way, time or manner…
In short: Yous da bomb! Cannot WAIT to hear more about your latest project.
Sending peace and love your way 🙏