Without question, the most soul-killing, the most dispiriting part of the holidays, for me, is the NYE “countdown” programming on TV. The forced joyfulness, the slick inanity, the vacuity of it all pretty much makes one give up on society. Well, anyway, Happy New Year!

4 hours left to enter 2024 a Believer subscriber for just $44!

Greatest fantasy football championship game ever. No exaggeration.

If there are no corrections overnight I just won our fantasy football league by 16/100ths of a point 🏆😳

Harrison Butker’s SIX field goals put me over the top.

(Fitting because 20+ years ago I named my team after the greatest kicker in San Francisco history.)

My review of “The Iron Claw”:
—That “Civil War” trailer has messed me up.
—Blue Oyster Cult! Yes!
—“Don’t Do Me Like That”! Yes!
—“Tom Sawyer”! YES!!
—Ric Flair, baby!
—Now we’re all crying. Everybody in this theater is crying.
—It’s over, now thinking about that damn trailer.

The Phil Collins Troika of “This Is Some Bullshit!” songs:

That’s All
In the Air Tonight
I Don’t Care Anymore

He is a master of this type of song.

The one thing in “L.A. Confidential” you can’t take your eyes off—or can’t forget—is the Lovell House.

Thank you for spending 2023 with ZYZZYVA. tinyurl.com/yc6zve2p

A San Francisco bohemian to the end: An appreciation of Herbert Gold, by Oscar Villalon zyzzyva.org/2023/12/26/her…

For the Christmas playlist this year, I’m keeping it simple. Two full albums on rotation, both produced by the late, great Hal Willner: “Stay Awake” and “Weird Nightmare.” As the eldest child, my siblings will have just have to deal. But I will throw in 'El Burrito Sabanero.'

My review of “Leave the World Behind”:
—Missed the very beginning because I was looking for an Oreo Drumstick in the freezer.
—An oil tanker nearly ran you over! How are you not talking about this any chance you get?
—My bilingualism means I'm in the know.
—Is this “Red Dawn'?

Give the gift of Zyzzyva!

You can find the journal at these bookstores across the country: zyzzyva.org/about/where-to…

And, as always, you can subscribe here: zyzzyva.org/subscribe/

Still looking for holiday gifts? We have some ideas for you:

• Our newly designed T-shirt and tote bag that celebrate our city: “Made in San Francisco”

• Gift memberships

• Gift subscriptions

To find out more, go to zyzzyva.org/subscribe/

Listen to Ricardo Frasso Jaramillo's DJ set for our Music Issue, which features CDMX love songs: bff.fm/broadcasts/397…

“Caroline scrounged for nickels, for dimes, later for quarters, in the pocket of her jacket, which had a hole. Coins slipped through and weighed down the lining as if she were planning to drown herself in the river.”

From “Phone Call,” by Cynthia Zarin
zyzzyva.org/2023/12/14/pho…

The poet Dean Rader spent much of the pandemic happily obsessed with the work of the artist Cy Twombly.
And now Dean would like to share some of what he learned: This Saturday, he's leading a workshop whose focus is writing about art.
To sign up, go to zyzzyva.org/workshops/

Zyzzyva has new T-shirts and tote bags!

They celebrate our home and city: “Made in San Francisco”

Here’s where to buy them — and sign up for a 3-issue subscription bundle: zyzzyva.org/subscribe/

25 must-read books from 2023 published by some of the best independent presses, compiled by Michael Schaub
ocregister.com/2023/12/07/25-… #books

Did you know about our Apple-a-Month club? Our booksellers read through upcoming titles and pick one small-press, paperback fiction book coming out each month that we think is stellar to send straight to you (or a loved one's) door! More info here: buff.ly/3uBB3TE

'Tom Traubert's Blues' is a holiday song. 'Down By Law' is a holiday movie. If that song and that movie don't reflect what people are already feeling but can't quite articulate when this time of year comes around, then I don't know what.