Dear Quilletter,

Let me draw your attention to one of the most fascinating articles we’ve ever published: Max Wilson’s investigation into “Upheaval” a Wisconsin prison band who recorded Paradise Lost, one of the most sought after 45 RPM vinyl records ever made. Max’s account is the first time this band’s story has been told, and we are thrilled to be able to bring it to you. Please forward onto your friends who have an interest in soul, funk, and vintage obscurities.

Other must reads this week include Gurwinder Bhogal on the deranging effects of social media—on both consumers and producers of content—and Niamh Jiménez on the need to reject “false privilege.”

Joel Kotkin and Hügo Krüger also provide a thorough exposition of the gap between our green energy aspirations and the reality on the ground, with all its inflationary and geopolitical impediments.

And you will find this week that we have included a “from the archives” sub-section. The first archived article you will find is a January 2020 whistleblower report from a former clinician at the Tavistock Centre, the NHS gender clinic in North London that has just been ordered to close down.

The second article is from Ryan Holiday, who cited Ray Bradbury’s quip that “there is more than one way to burn a book,” in reference to the use of sensitivity readers in the publishing industry.

Both of these stories are as relevant today as when they were first published. I hope you enjoy revisiting them. Thanks again for tuning in. Any feedback you may have you can send through to members@quillette.com.

—Claire
Founding Editor

Art + Culture

Lost Soul Behind Bars

The untold story of Upheaval, a prison band that recorded one of the most sought-after soul singles of the 1970s.

QuilletteMax Wilson

Against False Privilege

One of the biggest blunders of modern activism is the promotion of guilt and the demand for false privilege.

QuilletteNiamh Jiménez

Stop Feeding Your Brain Junk Food

A simple way to discourage clickbait influencers from producing low-quality content is for the rest of us to stop consuming it.

QuilletteGurwinder Bhogal

Politics

Green Dreams, Inflationary Realities

We must find ways to combat climate change without incurring devastating inflation, greater class division, the immiseration of the middle class, and the destitution of the poor.

QuilletteJoel Kotkin and Hügo Krüger

From Football to Fiasco

Herschel Walker is discovering that moving from professional football to politics isn’t as easy as it looks.

QuilletteDaniel McGraw

Psychology

Guilty and Insane

Dissociative Identity Disorder and the riddle of human responsibility.

QuilletteDaniel Kriegman

Health

Should We Consider Aging a Disease?

Rethinking human “enhancement” in an era of sick-care.

QuilletteRaiany Romanni

The New Prohibition

The neuroscientific model of addiction is at odds with our freedom to experience the sensual life.

QuilletteRonald W. Dworkin

Podcasts

‎27 Rouge: A Quillette Podcast on Apple Podcasts

‎Arts · 2022

Apple Podcasts

From the Archives

Why I Resigned from Tavistock: Trans-Identified Children Need Therapy, Not Just ‘Affirmation’ and Drugs

Over the past five years, there has been a 400 percent rise in referrals to the Tavistock Centre in north London, the only National Health Service (NHS) clinic in Britain that treats children with gender-identity developmental issues. During this period, there also has been an abrupt shift in the co…

QuilletteMarcus Evans

The Problem with Sensitivity Readers

The idea of a sensitivity reader, the newest profession birthed in our politically correct times, instinctively does not sit well with writers. Because writing is not about protecting people’s feelings—it’s about provoking them. And nobody pursues a career in the arts because they like being told wh…

QuilletteRyan Holiday

From Around the Web

Yes, Social Media Really Is Undermining Democracy

Despite what Meta has to say.

The AtlanticJonathan Haidt

Intellectual snobbery is hobbling support for Ukraine

Commentators such as Jordan Peterson and Jürgen Habermas are ignoring the truth about Russia’s war.

New StatesmanBruno Maçães

‎Modern Wisdom: #498 - Roy Baumeister - The Mystery Of Female Sex Drive on Apple Podcasts

‎Show Modern Wisdom, Ep #498 - Roy Baumeister - The Mystery Of Female Sex Drive - 10 July 2022

Apple Podcasts