Introducing The Happy Few
A correspondents' society of would-be's, has-been's, and never-were's.
What is The Happy Few?
In theory, The Happy Few is a newsletter featuring cultural commentary on a range of subjects by a community of unqualified, non-professional writers — i.e., the newsletter’s eponymous would-be’s, has-been’s, and never-were’s.
The weightiness of certain subjects all but guarantees that some pieces will simply fail. In those cases, as only an editor, I preemptively absolve myself: it is the writer’s fault. As a counterbalance, the newsletter will also feature blog-y, diaristic pieces that go nowhere and accomplish nothing, or otherwise seem to be half-formed and haphazard. So be it.
The fact is, I don’t know what The Happy Few is any better than you do. The newsletter’s tone, form, and content is largely up to the correspondents.
So the better question might be not what, but who.
Who are the Happy Few?
Who are the Happy Few?
The would-have-been’s-if-they-ever-were’s of this correspondents’ society are an odd bunch. They include:
Le Marquis de Impuissance on literature
Stan Musil on music
Ernst Adam on Being
Rose Tartaros on film, television, and media
Cass Lowndes on neighborhood gossip, lawn maintenance, the United States Postal Service, and “everything wrong with modern life”
I hope you learn to enjoy their company.
Society Mission Statement
Or, What isn’t The Happy Few?
The Happy Few isn’t necessary — or timely. None of its featured voices could be described as vital or essential. Many are regularly wrong. It offers no insight, no expertise, no tonic. It claims no definitive judgments, targets no real goal, and cowers at the specter of appearing (let alone being) useful, lucid, or even notably coherent. It is not original. It is not new. It is not a reason to hope. It is not an excuse to despair.
The Happy Few is not for everyone. Welcome to The Happy Few.
So many masks - a lot to keep up with. While some of your personas make my liver quiver and others my skin crawl, a few I've come to understand and will follow anywhere.
I've followed you through hell for such a long time already, all but drowned in a spectrum of joys and sorrows I could not have thought possible, especially considering the fact that we've never met (as far as I'm aware.)
As for *liking* your correspondents, only time will tell.