Some Mid-Year Favourites
Some Mid-Year Favourites
The only way to catch up is a list, I guess
I haven’t been actively writing this newsletter since early in the spring. In the intervening months, I finished my second MA, finally moved to Toronto, did a bunch of travelling, and got COVID. I’ve mostly been concentrated on adjusting to adult life again (after 2+ years back at home) and to living in a city that I always grew up around, but never really got the chance to know well. I will be starting my PhD here in the fall and am already very happy making Toronto my new home.
I have thought about doing editions of this newsletter about my apartment, or about summertime, but none of those subjects are necessarily exciting enough to me right now. Instead, I’m just keeping this simple with a quick catch-up on what I have been reading and watching, as well as a run-down on my favourites of the year so far. I like a list, it has to be said.
Since we last spoke…
Books: I’ve been having an off-time with reading recently… I had high hopes for quite a lot of things and then felt let down by them. This was not the case with Jessica Au’s deceptively simple but stunning Cold Enough for Snow, which also has a really chic cover if you’re into that kind of thing. I’d compare the style to Annie Ernaux and Rachel Cusk in how observational it is. I also liked Margo Jefferson’s new memoir Constructing a Nervous System and Natasha Brown’s Assembly. Today, I’m finally starting Abolition Feminism Now and Dana Spiotta’s Wayward. I will be reading a lot of feminist theory this summer as part of a reading group that I have organised with my friend Abby.
Film: I had a really good time at Official Competition, which I saw at the TIFF Lightbox a few weeks ago — it’s a Spanish comedy that satirises arthouse film and method-acting in a way that was really clever and actually had most of the audience full-on belly-laughing. Another new comedy I enjoyed was Cha Cha Real Smooth on Apple TV, which was original and funny and sweet, though sometimes a bit too sweet for my cynical heart! To that end, I also caught up (finally) with The Lost Daughter on Netflix, which I thought was seriously underrated and completely arresting; it was very no holds barred and unflinching, and I also loved how it followed stylistically more from European neorealist film than Hollywood. I loved the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, which is one of the most inventive docs I’ve seen and reinforced my longheld (and too-late) desire to become a skater girl. Finally, I’ve been totally converted to the cult of Empire Records, a dry 90s indie comedy about teens who work at a record store, following their efforts to save it from being bought out by a big corporation.
Music: A little bit of Wings, The Kills, Angel Olsen, Johnny Cash, Laura Marling, Djo, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Free. I also saw Haim in May (amazing), Phoebe Bridgers in June (she was good, the vibe at the show was meh), and Lucy Dacus last weekend (great).
My favourite things this year (so far + not including re-watches/re-reads)
Books
Cold Enough for Snow, Jessica Au
Outline, Rachel Cusk
Matrix, Lauren Groff
Assembly, Natasha Brown
Summer, Edith Wharton
Pure Colour, Sheila Heti
Happening, Annie Ernaux
The Street, Ann Petry
Film
Bright Star, Jane Campion
Empire Records, Allan Moyle
Dogtown & Z-Boys, Stacy Peralta
The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Passing, Rebecca Hall
Official Competition, Gastón Duprat & Mariano Cohn
Other
Florence & the Machine’s Dance Fever album
The hibiscus & raspberry popsicles from President’s Choice
HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers’ Dynasty
Having my own TV for the first time (a very kind birthday/move-in present from my brother)
This book of Joni Mitchell’s handwritten lyrics and early drawings
The fact that HotDocs is offering free memberships to people under 25
The exhibition I Am Here on “everyday” and DIY art at the AGO
This recipe for easy rhubarb sorbet (that looks really impressive)