The Tumbledown

In this emergency bonus episode, Brendon and the rest of the editors (Madison, Eric, and Rachel) discuss their newfound and forever enduring viral success. 

This episode is brought to you by Cemento, an American business for people who cherish their keepsakes.

Part 2 of the conversation between Brendon and Terry on Black Panther, this moment in Black and American cinema, the double consciousness of POC, and an upcoming film from Boots Riley called Sorry To Bother You that takes the idea of talking white to crazy new heights. This one's a keeper. Music from Lee Batchelor, and "King's Dead" from Black Panther: The Album.

This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation between Brendon and Terry, two black people who see movies and think about them. It's been a long time coming, so the conversation hit a lot of zones: Trump, Get Out, Black Panther, code-switching, tattoos, and moooooore. 

Look out for a mega throwback DBZ reference!

Here at The Tumbledown, sometimes we talk pop culture, and sometimes we talk to people about pop culture and the shape of their lives and how they ended up doing the work they do. When we do that second thing, we release those conversations under the title, Working Title. Our first episode is with Ary, an Alaskan writer and podcaster who is currently co-hosting a horror podcast with three other witchy women from across the globe. It's called SINISTER SISTERS.

Brendon talks to writer/musician/friend Dante Lima about their favorite albums, songs, and musicians of 2017. Oh, and that guy Brendon couldn't remember? It was Paul Williams. The music in this episode comes from Benjamin Booker and SZA, two of Dante's favorite performers this year. SZA also destroyed SNL last week. 

Learn about our pop culture essay contest here.

Brendon talked with poet and editor Claire Sibley on Halloween night about their new favorite TV show, Netflix's Mindhunter. Here is their spoooookily rambling conversation about Jonathan Groff's face and other bits of witchcraft that make this show so special.

Claire Sibley writes poems and loves true crime. She holds an M.F.A. from Columbia University and a B.A. from Middlebury College, and works at Oxford University Press. She lives in Queens with Ruby the cat.

(Black Sabbath has almost nothing to do with this episode) This week, Brendon talks to Annie Hartnett, a novelist who released her first novel earlier this year with Tin House. It's called Rabbit Cake and it's beautiful, sad, and very funny. The book-centered part of the conversation was lost to the sands of time and technical problems, but the pop/culture part of their chat endures! And here it is! For you! 

Learn about Annie Hartnett and her book here.

All our music comes from Big Bill Batch. The Biggest Bill on the Block.

This week Brendon talks climate change and other apocalyptic narratives with psychiatrist and author Robert Jay Lifton. Lifton's book The Climate Swerve was reviewed in sinkhole in September. 

Our in-and-out music this week comes from Park Ji-Yoon.

Read about sinkhole's pop/culture essay contest here.

Brendon talks to musician/copywriter/writer-writer Dante Lima this week about the magic of Tom Petty, who died earlier this month. Dante's work has appeared in Vice and elsewhere. Our in-and-out music this week comes from the self-titled debut album of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It's a song called "The Wild One, Forever."

This week Brendon previews some hot, hot interview content coming soon to the Culture section of sinkhole before speaking with Professor Elizabeth J. West about her article, "How World War I sparked the artistic movement that transformed black America." This article originally appeared on The Conversation and was republished on sinkhole in September. Professor West also drops a music recommendation: Sona Jobarteh, a multi-instrumentalist and singer from England by way of The Gambia. Jobarteh is a renowned kora player. Her song, "Gambia," is the featured in-and-out music this week.