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"When Simon moved to England in 1964 he met Kathleen Mary "Kathy" Chitty (born 1947) on 12 April 1964 at the very first English folk club he played, the Railway Inn Folk Club in Brentwood, Essex, where Chitty was working part-time selling tickets. She was 17, he was 22 and they fell in love. Later that year they visited the US together, touring around mainly by bus.[35] Kathy returned to England on her own with Simon returning to her some weeks later. When Simon returned to the US with the growing success of “The Sound of Silence” Kathy (who was quite shy[36]) wanted no part of the success and fame that awaited Simon and they split up.[37] She is mentioned by name in at least two of his songs: “Kathy’s Song" and "America,” and is referred to in “Homeward Bound" and "The Late Great Johnny Ace.” There is a photo of Simon and Kathy on the cover of The Paul Simon Song Book.” (.)

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TS6 REPUTATION

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ok so let’s talk a bit about jobs vs passion. my last fulltime job was at a big game development studio; the kind of job you’re (supposedly) passionate about. most of my colleagues adored the games we made, and so they didn’t care that the company had a major diversity problem, that our salaries were below average, that we didn’t get overtime compensation yet stayed ‘til 11PM more often than what’s healthy, and that the company promoted an unhealthy alcohol culture. because we were passionate. this was the kind of job you grow up dreaming about; don’t go throwing it away because some colleagues are harrassing you or because you get no recognition for your efforts!

for more than a year I was tired. stressed. in constant pain. my anxiety was through the roof. I worked on these “dream projects” and I felt dead inside.

when I quit that job I started freelancing as a writer. I got some really good jobs. I also got a bunch of small-time, low-paid, “hey at least your name is on it so isn’t it enough to pay 10$ for this text?” kind of jobs.

with the typical millenial housing situation of an apartment that I could barely afford on a fulltime pay and a constant stream of job offers that were underpaid I spent four months doing what I love, while constantly overwhelmed by stress. my insomnia got really bad, and when I managed to fall asleep I would dream about my bank balance. I would dream of losing whatever stability I had left in my life, simply because I couldn’t afford a “normal adult life”.

and so, today I got a job. it’s a fairly standard QA job at a medium sized game development studio. unlike any other game companies I’ve been at they offer humane working conditions. they don’t expect me to show up too early and stay too late because I’m passionate. the hours are nine to five, and they disapprove of overtime. the pay is slightly above average, and I get health benefits. I’ve been through several interviews, and at no point has someone tried to belittle my career or tried to convince me to work for less than I’m worth.

for the first time in many years of my career, I’m happy. I’m at ease. I applied for this job because I wanted to get away from the passionate part of the industry. I wanted a job where I could go home at five and dedicate my freetime to my own writing projects. I wanted to work at a place that didn’t eat my heart and soul and energy as I contributed to projects that wouldn’t even bear my name in the end credits.

so what I’m trying to say is that there’s nothing wrong with having a “normal” job. you’re not giving up on your dreams if you take a job outside your main interests. if it offers stability in your life, it’s enough.

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why do people always pull hip-hop and rap as a misogynist area of music? yes, many rappers are misogynistic, but it’s not the only genre. let’s talk about country music, about the preacher’s daughter trope, the cutoff jeans, the get-her-drunk mentality; let’s talk about pop music, about the drugs and the clubs and the possessive “love songs”; let’s talk about alternative music, about “she’s not like other girls” and the manic pixie dream girl; let’s talk about classical music, about the exclusion of women now and in history. 

let’s talk about how everyone’s first reaction is to villainize a primarily black genre before criticizing literally anyone else. 

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Marte Boneschansker for Also Journal by Heather Hazzan 

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I love english daisies!! 💚

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Zendaya by Petra Collins for Wonderland

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in my head.

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What if we shift the question from ‘who do I want to be?’ to the question, ‘what kind of life do I want to live with others?’? It seems to me that then many of the questions you pose about happiness, but perhaps also about ‘the good life’ – very ancient yet urgent philosophical questions – take shape in a new way. If the I who wants this name or seeks to live a certain kind of life is bound up with a ‘you’ and a ‘they’ then we are already involved in a social struggle when we ask how best any of us are to live.

Judith Butler interviewed by Sara Ahmed 

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Harry Styles, photographed by Harley Weir.

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