pop, in service of the good

I had wanted to write a record about work for some time, but centered around more modern work/labor issues. There is this generation of people now that invested heavily in higher education at the behest of our parents who told us that education and workaholism was the key to social mobility – and for many people that didn’t quite pan out as expected. Many people took on a lot of education debt, or were stuck in underpaid work, or (like myself) a combination of both. I think through the experience, I had to do a hard reset of what I considered to be fulfilling in life.

I didn’t know what I wanted to do after college, but then set on a career to become a philosophy professor – which involved about 7-8 years of hard work and making very little money, though I did it because I very much loved philosophy and was probably a bit hypnotized by the “glow of academia”. I eventually got my PhD, but the job market tanked in the years I was looking for work. And seeing that I might end up (at best) as a gay professor in a small town in the middle of nowhere realized that I didn’t want to die alone and opted for law school as soon as I got my PhD. I was lucky to get accepted to NYU Law, which allowed me to live in a place where I might meet someone, but also allowed me to pursue a music career.

Of course going to NYU Law, I ended up incurring a quarter million dollars in debt, which kept me anxious and working hard for most of the next 10 years, of which I was constantly worrying about money. All while pursuing a career in music, and looking for love. (I eventually ended up finding someone and getting married in 2019 – we are having our 5th wedding anniversary next month). And about a year ago (at the age of 43), finally paid off the last of my law school and college debts, and used a bit of saved money for the down payment on a house, which is the front cover of the record. I put the house on the front cover, because I see it as the prize I was able to win through a fair amount of risk and hard work. And of course the house is the thing our parents (I’m just on the border between Millennial and Gen-X) told us was the key to long-term security in life. Though my journey ended up being a lot more difficult and risky than I expected.

The record is dedicated (somewhat as a joke) to the 10 Year Reunion of the NYU Class of 2014. We had our 10-year reunion only a few months ago, and our school asked us if we wanted to give any gifts “in honor of our reunion” but only offered the option of giving money – I dedicated the record in lieu of giving money instead. Though because it was my law school debt and education debt in general which serves as a framing device for the record, I thought it was pretty appropriate.

TRACK BY TRACK:

0. Eulogy for the Company Man: The protagonist gives a short eulogy to a former mentor at his work, reflecting on the fact that his mentor died before he could enjoy his retirement.
1. Courtesan: The protagonist celebrates the end of seven years living as a hungry graduate student, and likening himself to a courtesan, looks with both reservation and hope to a career in the law.
2. Lust for Life: The protagonist, a graduate student in philosophy, laments his life as someone who sacrificed economic stability for his passion, but looks with hope to the possibility that a graduate student union might make things better.
3. Kalahari: The protagonist, a graduate student, recounts his experience at a local water park and resort, wondering if he has squandered his youth.
4. Rudy: The protagonist, an ambitious salaryman, looks with jealousy at the life of his friend Rudy, who now has what he perceives to be a fulfilling life with a wife and kids.
5. New York Speaks Softly at Night: The protagonist recollects various moments traveling to and from work on the New York City subways at night.
6. Quasi-Nichomachean Ethics (Drunk Uncle Advice): The protagonist, an attorney and former philosopher, gives impromptu life and career advice to his nephew, at his nephew’s 21st birthday party.
7. Luray Caverns: The protagonist, an overwhelmed attorney, goes on a short COVID vacation to Luray Caverns in Virginia, giving a positive review of the destination’s natural beauty.
8. The House I Left for Work in New York: The protagonist reflects on the physical and emotional labor that he put into a townhouse in Columbus, OH, which he then left to get a job in New York City.
9. Your Local Neighborhood Bar: The protagonist, now an attorney in New York, recounts his previous after-work musical pursuits, at the open mic at Andyman’s Treehouse in Columbus, OH, with the open-mic host, Joe Peppercorn.
10. On Fulfillment: The protagonist runs into a former law school classmate at the wedding of a mutual friend, where they compare job histories and discuss what makes for a fulfilling life.