The Last Mixtape: Physical Media and Nostalgic Cycles by Long, Seth

The Last Mixtape: Physical Media and Nostalgic Cycles

A reflection on the evolution of physical media into metaphor, through the history of music curation. Obsolescence...
$43.55 USD
$43.55 USD
Please hurry! Only 607 left in stock
Author: Seth Long
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Subtotal: $43.55

Free Shipping (Orders $60 USD or More)

The Last Mixtape: Physical Media and Nostalgic Cycles by Long, Seth

The Last Mixtape: Physical Media and Nostalgic Cycles

$43.55

The Last Mixtape: Physical Media and Nostalgic Cycles

$43.55
Author: Seth Long
Format: Paperback
Language: English
A reflection on the evolution of physical media into metaphor, through the history of music curation.

Obsolescence makes the heart grow fonder, at least in the case of the mixtape. Not all technologies are so lucky. Some (say, wax cylinders) fade almost completely from cultural memory. A lucky few pass into metaphor: we still "hang up" our smartphones, "cut" film, and "patch" computer code. As digital streaming completes the obsolescence of physical media, what will become of the humble cassette?

In The Last Mixtape, Seth Long offers a microhistory of music curation, anchored by the cassette, from which he explores the meanings of obsolescence, ownership, nostalgia, and the speed of cultural change. A moving meditation on our relationship with music, memory, and curation in the digital century, Long ultimately calls for a return to the media ecology represented by the mixtape: a world in which media is cheap and abundant but tactile and meaningfully engaged.

Author: Seth Long
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 07/16/2025
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780226840482


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/14/2025

About the Author
Seth Long is associate professor of English at the University of Nebraska.

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products