Currently...
A roundup of things that I am engaging with.
I had this idea to start penning shorter pieces that highlight what I’m presently enjoying, consuming, thinking about, copping or working through. This kind of ties into my previous “Stuff I’m Messing With” newsletters but with a bit of a more structured approach - maybe. Here are some things that are currently on my mind.
Currently 💭
I’ve been in a bit of a rut lately when it comes to running. For those of you who’ve been following along, I really fell in love with the sport in 2023 - a year that brought a lot of personal and professional challenges, to which running became a much-needed salve. I trained for and completed my first half marathon. I found a good group of people to run with. And on days that weren’t Wednesday, I ran alone in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Towards the end of the year, I got hurt because I wasn’t taking care of my body correctly - a runner’s tale as old as time. Midway through 2024, when the pain began to limit my daily activity and functionality, a friend encouraged me to seek professional help. I started working with Coach Josh Fan to help me address the ankle pain I was experiencing, and wrote about the ups and downs of trying to heal from injury in my 2024 roundup post. As I was training to run my revenge race in March of this year (NYC Half), I got a crazy pinched nerve in my neck that caused unbearable arm pain and numbness for months that forced me to withdraw. To this day, it’s still bothering me.
I think the thing that I am still learning about when it comes to running is how important mental toughness is. You obviously need plenty of it midway through a grueling long run - and when I was locked into my routine, I would pride myself on powering through difficult efforts. But as of late, after having faced setback after setback, I find myself with a very low desire to run altogether, even when I know I will feel better after it’s done and even when I know that my legs are feeling stronger than they ever did before thanks to the work I put in these past 10 months. It’s been a battle this season; I am starting to see that my 2025 focus on resilience is really being put to the test.
To balance that desire for toughness, though, is a post by Running Lightly that I came across today. The below excerpt (emphasis mine) on being kinder towards yourself is a mindset I also need to incorporate:
Knowing when to change our view is a skill acquired through practice. More often than not, the monkey mind urges us to go harder, to prove something, to be more. It is our task to notice these provocations… then soften.
Self-compassionate runners see through the myth of urgency. We know there is no final finish chute. Running will be available to us tomorrow, the next day, and the next, for as long as we choose it. Understanding this truth is like a deep exhale. It quiets the noise and creates space.
From within this expansive mindset, we regard running not as a task toward an end, but as a lifelong companion—something precious to care for. Our softness is not weakness, it’s wisdom. We need only a straightforward expression to bring to mind when we sense false voices of anxiety goading us to push.
Currently 📖
I’m fresh off reading Donna Tartt’s first book “The Secret History” which was recommended to me by my good friend Sean. It was so enjoyable that I thought I would see if lighting strikes twice - a pretty tame bet all things considered, given that “The Goldfinch” won the Pulitzer in 2014. There are a few common themes that span across these two works, but one of them is a deep and existential dread that builds in both main characters who are burdened with hiding a horrible secret. I’ve fallen in love with Donna Tartt’s style of prose and while it might feel slow moving to some, it blossoms in such a beautiful way that I find myself doubling back on paragraphs to try and imagine what she’s describing in an even more vivid manner, fearing that I might’ve missed something on the first pass. This is not a short book but it is hurtling by.
In March and April, I read Haruki Murakami’s memoir “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” and the much-heralded sci-fi novel “The Three Body Problem” by Cixin Liu. The latter had a Netflix adaption that I quite enjoyed, so I was relieved to find that the book - while better in many regards, of course - did not put the screen adaptation to shame. I want to rewatch the show now. And on that topic…
Currently 📺
“The Last of Us,” HBO (Season 1): Super late to the game on this one, but I had little interest in watching it when it first came out because I assumed it was just another Walking Dead spinoff and that franchise, despite some great early seasons, got really long in the tooth for me. I had no idea that this was a video game first which spawned the TV show, and once season 2 launched a few weeks ago and people started talking about it, my wife and I decided it was time. Yes, it’s another dystopian zombie apocalypse and yes, the focus is actually on how people change and adapt to both the environment and each other, but it somehow feels fresh. Some of it might be the storytelling approach where alongside the overarching story, the writers start and finish subplots within each episode. Spoiler alert, there are no neat and happy endings in an infected, overrun world, but I like the focus that is paid towards telling compelling and complete stories in 60 minutes - no easy feat. We’re almost done with this and can resume watching season 2 with the rest of the world.
“Adolescence,” Netflix: I really liked that this was a short 4-part series, allowing you to finish it without a long term commitment. Admittedly, seeing Ashley Walters as one of the lead roles is what drew me in - I miss Top Boy - but he was only featured in the first two episodes. I won’t spend time talking about the importance of its subject matter; anything that tries to address the dangers of online bullying and incel culture can come off clunky or outdated and while that was true at points, I think it still evoked real, believable emotions off some very strong performances. It took me 10 minutes to notice that the first episode was being shot continuously and once that realization hit, the apprehension from the storyline built on top of the tension of thinking about how everything had to be perfect in every take for this to work. The entire show is filmed in one-take cinematography and while the choice to do so has been panned by some as gimmicky, I think it served its purpose for me in terms of adding pressure and pace to a situation. Maybe I’m not supposed to be thinking about all the mechanics that have to go right - from the technical filming details to an actor needing to nail every line, every expression, every movement on that take - but I am, and combining that with the real-time effect of feeling in the moment as the story unfolds, it adds to the pressure.
Currently 🗣️
At the beginning of April on the heels of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, we sat down on the bench outside the shop to make a short video talking about some of the things we were thinking through as a brand and what we would need to navigate in the days ahead. I spoke openly and honestly but we had no idea it would go viral in the way that it did. Alongside a mostly supportive comments section (as expected, the TikTok one was worse), we began to receive media inquiries from newscasts, tv stations and radio shows. The first was a 10 minute segment on Breaking Points, followed by a segment on a German show called Galileo, and finally on NPR Marketplace (the audio version is at the 16:00 mark here). I also spoke to GQ and Esquire at different points in the month; while the information may have changed over time due to rapidly shifting policy decisions, the uncertainty we and many others face has not.
Although the media inquiries have stopped, I’ve routinely been getting stopped by people in the shop saying “hey I watched your tariff thing, it was really helpful.” A few people visiting from CDMX had never heard of the brand prior to seeing the video, but made it a point to come by when they were in town last week. Of course it would have been nicer to get that press coverage based off our clothing or something else we did, but I feel like sharing what we were working through in the moment was helpful for people. One thing that I have learned this past month is that very little of America that wants to reshore manufacturing understands how big of an ask it is. When an anonymous commenter says “Just make it in America, I’ll pay more for it” I am almost certain that they won’t, nor do I believe they are someone who would want to participate in the Sisyphean task that bringing fabric manufacturing back to our country in any meaningful way would take.
Currently 🎶
“Free,” Little Simz: I’m really looking forward to Little Simz’ full length album Lotus which is due out on June 8th. The tracklist is crazy; having Michael Kiwanuka and Yussef Dayes on the same track is gonna be wild. I am digging this lead single, and feel like it showcases everything that I love about her music. You can listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music now. If you like what you hear and are new to her music, I would suggest digging into NO THANK YOU or Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.
Currently 💸
Saucony Silo Kinvara 1, Adobe/Flint: They are technically not in my possession yet and I really really do not need another pair of sneakers, but Saucony crushed it with these Kinvara 1 retros and I am very close to copping. I got to see a preview of the Silo program this past January at PFW; it’s headed by creative director Paul Ruffles (who also oversees Merrell 1TRL) and is Saucony’s Tier 0 program that is exclusively available to fashion doors like LN-CC, Tres Bien, DSM etc. I’m not sure if it’s safe to run a marathon in bungee-lace murdered out Endorphin Elite 2’s but you can’t tell me they don’t look tough.
Paulin Cork Wall Clock: We’ve had a busted wall clock in our living room for a few years now; I replaced the movement once and it died again months later. If I’ve ever taken a Zoom call with you and you’ve wondered why it’s always 8:20 no matter when we’re meeting, now you know why. The homie Jeremy Kirkland recommended these wall clocks in a gift guide many years ago and I finally decided to pull the trigger. I really dig how you can customize the hand colors.
Thanks as always for reading and for the support. I would love to hear what you’re currently engaging with. Drop me (and each other) your recent recs in the comments section!
Thank you for the mention. I'm glad this passage resonated... It's something I have to work on continuously!
I loved this, Andrew! I didn’t consciously know it, but somewhere deep down I missed blogs and this unlocked something for me 🥲
As far as what I’m personally into right now, I can’t recommend The Power Broker enough. Everyone always talks about what a tome it is — which is fair, it’s 1200 pages! — but I don’t really hear people talk about how engaging Robert Caro’s writing is. He really lays out the argument for how destructive Robert Moses was and how much he fundamentally changed New York (for worse in many cases!), especially given that he never held any elected positions. My fiancee and I have been supplementing the actual book with the 99% Invisible series on it (which is really entertaining!) so if you don’t have time for the book, the podcast is great