I’ve long been a fan of Berman’s music and prose, but I think Menthol Mountains (his blog) is my favorite of all of his outputs. It speaks to me as a person who considers himself thoughtful and big hearted and is profoundly confused by what it is to be a person In These Times. By way of the various texts shared, there are nods to the absurdity, the economic realities and complexities, the existential dread, and the hilarity of this moment.

And so this is our ode to David Berman and Menthol Mountains. I did something similar around this time last year, though that episode was specific to Nashville focused mentions in the blog. This go, I wanted to paint a broader picture of Mountains, what it contains, why it resonates so deeply with me, and why I feel like I owe it—and Berman—a debt. To do so, I reached out to friends and fellow Berman appreciators to help bring the blog to life.

Caitlin Rose - https://caitlinrose.bandcamp.com/
Tyler Mahan Coe - https://twitter.com/TylerMahanCoe
Erin Rae - https://www.erinraemusic.com/about
Jes Skolnik - https://twitter.com/modernistwitch
Sean Nelson - https://twitter.com/seantroversy
Sarah Marshall - https://twitter.com/Remember_Sarah
Jack Evan Johnson - https://www.jackevanjohnson.com/
Bess Winter - https://besswinter.com/
Luke Kennard - https://twitter.com/LukeKennard
Thomas Bryan Eaton - https://www.thomasbryaneaton.com/home
Carolyn Kendrick - https://www.carolynkendrick.com/

And we are fortunate to be joined by the Nashville based painter, and Berman’s friend, Kevin Guthrie.
https://www.instagram.com/kevnguthrie/

I should also say that I appreciate Nicole Atkins for helping to honor Berman himself with this week’s illustration.
https://www.instagram.com/nicoleatkinsartworks/

Full show notes available here:
https://nashvilledemystified.com/episodes/appreciating-david-berman-ascending-menthol-mountains

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David Berman died of suicide on August 7, 2019. If you, or anyone you know, is suffering from depression and grappling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline [ https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ ]. If anyone you know is struggling with the hardships of being an artist, please donate to MusiCares [ https://www.grammy.com/musicares/client-services/emergency-financial-assistance ] ; an organization focused on providing relief for "music people struggling with financial, medical or personal crises."

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A show in which “New Nashvillian” Alex Steed gets to know the city better by talking with the folks who live, work, agitate and make art there.

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