Power Lunch with Michael Williams

In case you missed it, we are having a book club with James Salter’s Light Years. If you have read the book in the past few months with us, then you will be happy to know that the wait is over. Yesterday we recorded our thoughts on the book, on life, marriage, popularity and insecurities. Today we welcome you into that discussion and hope to hear your thoughts on Nedra, Viri, Hadji, Franca, Kaya and Arnaud. I told David that I don’t normally read fiction, but this book made me feel something— which perhaps is the point of reading. If you haven’t read the book, do that now and save this podcast for later. This was one of the most interesting and enjoyable conversations we have had on this podcast. I hope you all agree and thanks for waiting for us. -MW-Order Light Years.-James Salter in The Paris Review.-The famous James Salter New Yorker profile.-Thomas McGuane reads James Salter.-James Salter on Peter Matthiessen.-Order a copy of The Print Edition. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.acl.news/subscribe

Hello, hello. The third incarnation of The Print Edition is here. Meet The Summer Issue, just in time for relaxation, grilling and nostalgic beer. The cover is a wonderful Fairfield Porter painting of Maine, which sets the right tone for where we want to be. In the pages we’ve got Graydon Carter on banned words and Brian Gallagher embracing truck life. John Brodie heads to the Bahamas while Yasi Salek remembers Lollapalooza 1995. Josh Condon warns us about summer menswear gone wrong, Al James reveals what’s in his very full garage and Tony Traina files a field watch report. You’ll also learn about the art of house-guesting from Nathan King, our writer-at-large, and discover the Mister Softee order from Significant New Yorkers™. There are drawings by the great John Segal and a conversation between, wait for it, Michael and Coggins. Thanks to Crockett & Jones and all our advertisers for all their support. We’re into The Summer Issue, we think you’ll be into it. So order your copy here or find them out in the world at our beloved newsstands. Enjoy the season!DC & MW This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.acl.news/subscribe

To celebrate the return of The Print Edition we got dressed up and went to Chateau Royale to raise a martini to the new issue. The theme is sports, which evoke leisure, play and childlike pleasure. Many people enjoy the triumphant thrill of victory. Not that we would know anything about that since we’re fans of the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns. Maybe that’s why we have an affinity with sad fans—anybody from Buffalo is a brother in or sister in sports suffering.Remember when Vitas Gerulaitis lost to Jimmy Connors sixteen straight matches before finally prevailing. Afterwards he famously said, “Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis seventeen times in a row.” That’s the spirit we’re celebrating here.In the pages Simon Mills reports on England’s history of pub games (you can play a sport while holding a pint). Nathan King considers walking to be the first sport. John Brodie examines the fine social nuances of a lifetime playing squash. And Andrew Hyslop shares his wonderful photos of Kentucky horse racing.Many thanks to IWC, J. Mueser, Citadelle Gin and our other advertisers for their support.We try not to take sports too seriously and yet they still manage to break our hearts. After all, losing provides necessary lessons in life. Of course it does, that’s how you know the game matters.-David & Michael*You can buy The Print Edition at newsstands or subscribe here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.acl.news/subscribe

We celebrate our beloved Masters at Augusta. Then we consider the incredible setting, remarkable patron experience and the wild world of golf clothes. Hope you like it!Read David’s new story on the quiet side of The Masters here. Some thoughts of mine on the excitement of Masters week at The Old Ghosts.My photos from the 2019 Masters are in The Print Edition. Order the new issue here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.acl.news/subscribe

We started our podcast five years ago because we wanted to talk about the things we’re into. By now you know what they are: travel, style, sports (and airline lounges!) and the details that make those things better. Oh, and we wanted to have a good time. That’s the same reason we started a newspaper: The Print Edition. We like the idea of escaping the screen and the algorithm and getting back in print. Making a newspaper allowed us to work with our talented friends, like designer John Segal, and some of our favorite writers, Rosecrans Baldwin, Darrell Hartman, Hannah Elliott, Ruaridh Nicoll and Nathan King. We talked to Mickey Drexler, Matt Hranek, Jake Lacy and Tom McGuane. That’s a lot of good people who agreed to be part of a shoestring operation. We thought that the release of our newspaper was worth getting together and making a little video. So we planned the way only we can: Michael took a redeye the night before and Coggins drank a bottle of wine. We gave hair and makeup the day off. This was filmed at Libertine, our beloved restaurant in the West Village. Thanks to Cody who let us take over the dining room and Trent for all his help. We’ll still be coming at you as podcast classic, but hope you like this change of pace. And you can order your copy of The Print Edition below. See you at the newsstand, David & Michael This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.acl.news/subscribe

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We’re back from Iceland and celebrate my Atlantic salmon success. Hope you like it! -Michael This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.acl.news/subscribe

This is Nick Hilton. He’s someone who the real menswear people all know and respect. They also like him because he’s a pretty nice guy. If you are interested in style, clothing, and dressing well, then Nick is a good person to meet. He has an interesting story, which he details in his book A Tailor-Made Man. At one point, Nick’s family had one of the world's largest American-made tailored clothing brands. Fun fact: His father gave Ralph Lauren (who worked for Norman Hilton) the seed money to start Polo. This is just one of the many interesting stories surrounding the Hilton family, which Nick chronicles so well in his book. A friend recommended A Tailor-Made Man to me, but Nick reached out to me before I could read it. We met via Zoom, and we spoke for over an hour. I was intrigued with Nick, his family, and his history in menswear. I also liked that Nick has serious opinions about dressing and doesn’t shy away from sharing them. I’ve always been fascinated by the history of things we use in our everyday lives. That’s a big part of what has driven my point of view with ACL through the years. I arrived in New York after many of these apparel manufacturers were gone, but I still could extract some of the stories about the golden years of U.S.-made clothing. I love to hear stories about the prime days of American-made suits when hundreds of thousands were made in Brooklyn and all over the Northeast. Having guests like Nick on the podcast to tell some of these stories is important to me. If you read his book, you’ll understand that era even better. Until then, I hope you enjoy our conversation. Below are two ads from the Norman Hilton natural shoulder glory days.The ACL Podcast is meant to be a companion to the newsletter. You can listen in the Substack App, on Apple Podcasts or via Spotify directly if you prefer that. If you like this story, please consider subscribing and sending it to a friend. As always, I appreciate your support.Big thanks to Al James for lending me his music. The song is Hard Working Dogs by Dolorean. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.acl.news/subscribe

We catch up after a long month away. I talk about Los Angeles, then we get to our usual programming of sad fandom, the Pitti clown show and fishing trips.Hope you like it! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.acl.news/subscribe

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