This week’s episode of Silent Generation revisits the subject of one of our most popular episodes: yuppies. These are the “young urban professionals” who flooded into finance, law, and politics during the 1980s. While the original episode on yuppies (Ep. 116: Yuppies) offered a comprehensive analysis of yuppie fashion, it neglected to address other important signifiers of yuppie taste like jogging and fine dining.

To dive deeper into the topic, Nathan interviews college professor and historian Dylan Gottlieb about his recent book Yuppies: The Bankers, Lawyers, Joggers, and Gourmands Who Conquered New York. Nathan begins by asking Dylan about the inspiration behind the book and the story behind the “yuppie couple” featured on the cover. Dylan then offers insights into why deregulation (rather than individual greed) was responsible for the emergence of yuppies, why yuppies drew parallels between their arduous careers and the marathons that they ran, and why fine dining became such an important way for yuppies to express their identity and status.

Links:

Yuppies: The Bankers, Lawyers, Joggers, and Gourmands Who Conquered New York by Dylan Gottlieb

Dylan Gottlieb’s Website

Dylan Gottlieb’s Twitter

Making Cents Podcast

Artwork:

Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko and Daryl Hannah as Darien Taylor in Wall Street (1987)

from The Style of Wall Street by Victor Besnard

Recorded on 9/18/2026

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Sebastien interviews Nathan about his most recent trip to Brazil. Nathan begins by sharing his impressions of São Paulo’s metro system and of the nearby railroad town of Paranapiacaba. He then details his time in Curitiba, where he rode the city’s bus rapid transit system, took the Serra Verde Express to Morretes, and saw capybaras in Parque Barigui. He concludes by sharing his insights into Florianópolis, a picturesque capital city in the south of Brazil, where he went on a disastrous hike.

Links: Silent Generation 3rd Anniversary Party: https://partiful.com/e/0s2nRB7Xgo99JPjMnd5m?

Artwork: São Paulo, 1970 by Cartorama

Recorded on 9/15/2026

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration

What does it mean to “settle down”? What is the difference between “settling down” and “committing”? Does the phrase “settling down” have negative connotations, and do those negative connotations come from men? Do men fear “settling” down more than women? How does “settling down” differ between straight men and gay men? Why do so few gay men struggle to find partners, let alone get married? Are fewer and fewer people achieving these milestones because of structural reasons, or because they don’t actually want to?

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan is joined by a listener named Sam to try and answer these questions.

Links:

Sam’s Instagram

Ever Heard of the Taxi Cab Theory? Here's the Research That Backs It Up by Sydney Meister

The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness by Michael Hobbes

Artwork:

The mystery of the gay wedding photos

Recorded on 8/9/2026

National Park Service Rustic, also known as “parkitecture,” was the dominant architectural style of national parks from roughly 1916 to 1942. Many early examples of the “rustic” style were commissioned by private railroad companies, such as the Fred Harvey company, in order to lure tourists out west to fledgling national parks. The style came to be characterized by harmony with the natural environment, locally sourced materials, and vernacular features.

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by synopsizing the early history of the National Park Service. They then discuss famous examples of National Park Service Rustic such as the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone, Desert View Watchtower in the Grand Canyon, and the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. Particular attention is paid to the work of Mary Colter, one of the first female architects, who is notable for designing her buildings to harmonize with both the natural environment and the cultural heritage of the places she built them. The episode concludes with an examination of how car-oriented development caused the National Park Service to abandon the style after WWII.

Links:

Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/national-park-service-rustic/

Old Faithful Inn

Architecture in the Parks: A National Historic Landmark Theme Study: Old Faithful Inn

Inside Yellowstone's Old Faithful Inn

Inside Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn — “The Beginning of Rustic Architecture in National Parks” by Kate Daniel

Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter

Mary Colter and Her Buildings at Grand Canyon

Mary Colter's Bright Angel Lodge

Mary Colter and the Grand Canyon - Parkography Podcast

Mary Colter: The forgotten architect of the US Southwest by Erin Van Rheenen

Mary Colter, Builder Upon the Red Earth by Virginia Grattan

Mary Colter’s ”Geologic Fireplace”

The Architect Behind Parkitecture by Teresa Bitler

Building History: Mary E. J. Colter at Grand Canyon - Linda Reeder

On The Trail: Grand Canyon Architecture

Tracing the Yosemite Valley Railroad

Post Cards Related to the Yosemite Valley Railroad

Parkitecture: A Rustic Back-to-Nature Architectural Aesthetic

19: Parkitecture and Historic Hotels - Exploring the National Parks

US national parks told to remove signs on mistreatment of Native Americans, climate, Wash Post reports - Reuters

America’s National Parks at 100 (2016)

Artwork:

Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite NP, 1960

Recorded on 8/7/2026

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration

Shoegaze is a subgenre of rock and roll that first emerged in the British Isles in the late 1980s. The term was coined by Andy Ross, a British music executive, who observed shoegaze artists “shoegazing” (looking down at their feet to play with guitar pedals) during a 1991 show in London. Interest in the subgenre peaked shortly thereafter with the release of My Bloody Valentine’s sophomore album Loveless, and shoegaze effectively died by 1994. Despite the subgenre’s brief initial popularity, shoegaze has experienced a revival every subsequent decade, leaving modern listeners to question what makes its sound so enduring.

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by detailing shoegaze’s early influences (Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound technique, ‘60s psychedelic rock, and new wave) before describing what the subgenre actually sounds like. With that context established, they then discuss the music of Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Gleemer. The episode rounds out with an examination of “zoomergaze” (the newest revival of shoegaze) to try and answer the question of what makes the subgenre so appealing to Gen Z.

Links:

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YijO72un5g7jh3qMt98ft

Shoegaze Classics Spotify Playlist

Shoegaze: a Beginner's Guide by Ella Fraser-Thoms

Feedback, Distortion, an Exploration of Sound: A Brief History of Shoegaze - Underground England

Rock for Dreamers: History and Transcendence of the Shoegaze Music Genre - Sound of Life

The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time - Pitchfork

124 - Simon Reynolds on Shoegaze, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, Pavement & More - Music Maps Podcast

Simon Reynolds - Still in a Dream of Shoegaze, Slackers, and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984-1994 - C86 Show - Indie Pop

Shoegaze as an Aesthetic

“Venus in Furs” by the Velvet Underground by Erich Kuersten

“Relentless Wall of Sound”: Nadine Shah Describes her Favourite Velvet Underground Track by Kelly Murphy

History & Impact Of The Wall Of Sound

Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound”: The Technique That Changed Music Forever by Nathan Fields

Hunting Phil Spector - Homicide: Los Angeles (2024)

Cocteau Twins - History

Unpacking the Unique Sound of Cocteau Twins - Stained Glass Stories

Why Does Gen Z LOVE Shoegaze? by Kelsie x The Yellow Button

From Shoegaze to Zoomer Gaze: the Evolution of a Gen Z Musical Phenomenon by Whynow

Artwork:

Slowdive - 3 old live acts (1991-1993)

Recorded on 7/27/2026