In One Ear: Give it a listen

Published 6:00 am Thursday, July 31, 2025

Astorian Laurie Caplan was delighted to see her letter printed in the June issue of The Atlantic, regarding the article “Is This the Worst-Ever Era of American Pop Culture?” 

One of the article’s sections, “Isolation,” features an extended interview with Jaime Brooks, a musician (formerly of Elite Gymnastics and Default Genders) and writer (thenewinquiry.com/author/jaime-brooks) at KMUN. Here’s Laurie’s response:

“I was delighted to see my local radio station, KMUN, mentioned in Spencer Kornhaber‘s article. A community-supported station in a rural area of the Pacific Northwest, KMUN is itself an institution fighting against the decline of popular culture. 

“The station has a small staff, and many programs are provided by volunteers. There’s lots of folk music, yet each show has distinct music and artists. The same is true of the station’s classical programs. 

“A few shows frequently have musicians in the studio performing on air. Local residents discuss current events and issues and can even propose their own programs to present, after taking a class in radio technology.

“Kornhaber’s article focuses on cultural conformity, and yet here’s good old KMUN doing radio with variety, purpose, eccentricity and community. I hope The Atlantic’s readers will give it a listen!” Perhaps they will. (Artwork: Linnaea Mallette)