May roundup

Monthly -ings

This was a light blog month (only 1 post!?) and I know that probably went largely unnoticed bc you all have lives of your own, but I still apologize. The move continues to take up most of my spare time outside of work. Things are starting to chill out and I’m hoping to get back to my regular routine soon. For now…on to the roundup.

Illustration by Christina Hägerfors (ig: @christina_h_illustration)

Reading

Books / audiobooks

• I finally started Against Interpretation after having it in my TBR pile for the past several months. Still working through it. What are your favorite theory and essay collections? Craving this lately.

• Listened to a couple buzzy books on audio. Underwhelmed. In a real fiction rut.

Articles

• The last thing my mother wanted. This fucked me up. It’s a tough and very affecting (effecting? I never know) read.

• Insects and other animals have consciousness. More fuel for my internal “should I go back to vegetarianism” debate.

• Experiencing Bach. What I was after was a closeness to beauty…Or at least [to] understand more what it means to be alive.

• The Battle for Attention. I need to join a secret society of international art appreciators right now or I might die.

• DH Lawrence and the yearning for living in unison. Particularly this excerpt from his personal credo:
  …That my soul is a dark forest.
  That my known self will never be more than a little clearing in the forest.
  That gods, strange gods, come forth from the forest into the clearing of my known self, and then go back.
  That I must have the courage to let them come and go…

Elsewhere on Substack

• Maybe it’s unbearable by

  Peter C. Baker
  for
  Tracks on Tracks
  . Couldn’t subscribe fast enough after reading this.

• Sipping on Haterade by

  Brendon Holder
  for
  LOOSEY
  . Good hating is an under-appreciated art form in the era of “let people enjoy things”.

• Recipes to Hold Dear in Your Hand by

  Teresa Finney
  for
  At Heart Panadería
  . I feel like zines are making a comeback. Love that for us.

• The Stuff of (a Well-Lived) Life by

  L. M. Sacasas
  for
  The Convivial Society
  . I’ve been mulling over the difference between devices and focal things since reading this.

Watching / Rewatching

• I Saw the TV Glow: I went on a Sunday morning and was the only person in the theater and boy oh boy did I CRYYYYY for the whole final 15 mins. I’ve been listening to every interview I can find about it.

• Cure: Our local indie did a one-night screening of this and it was on my list forever so I had to go. I am begging you, if you’ve seen this, I would love to have a 5-hour conversation about it. I’ll also accept good podcasts about it — emphasis on good, everything I’ve found so far is people being like “idk I didn’t get it” and not having anything interesting to say.

• No Country for Old Men: We rewatch this like once a year. Just a perfect film. This queen has changed the way we say “information”.

  

  Did you not hear me?

• The Deer Hunter: Man…

• Shōgun: This alternated as being really good and pretty cringy, imo. But the costumes and sets alone are worth a watch.

• Insomnia; Sicaro: Day of the Soldado. We’d never seen either of these and were like, sure why not. I felt that way afterward too.

Surfing

• Fictional brand archive.

Listening

• I’m still trapped at the Pink Pony Club. I literally can. not. stop. Send help.

• Sensing a music rut coming on, though, so I’m accepting recommendations! New and old alike.

Otis of the month

Plus a bonus aurora borealis of the month.