Something Old, Something New for the In-Between Times
You’ve spent all day on the couch and now you’re about to spend all evening there too. Counting down the days til Spring springs us from a year of living “Groundhog Day” IRL. here’s what we’re doing to give structure to our lives when home is the place we are all day.
We know it’s been a challenging year. For us too. When we’re faced with another night at home not knowing what to do, when all we want to be doing to going out, we turn to Ashley Holzer to give us the lowdown on how to get our culture. At least we know when we start being able to see people again IRL, we won’t be at a loss for what to talk about!
Watch
To be shaken-up, entertained and inspired, watch “In And Of Itself” now streaming on Hulu. RUN, don’t walk, to watch this personal narrative performance by Derek Delgaudio. In the interest of “no spoilers,” I suggest that you do not research anything about this before watching, as an authentic and open approach is best for viewing this piece of work. At the opening, you are prompted to silence your phone and remove distractions - a nod to theaters that have been boarded up since March 2020. It is the perfect remedy for those who are missing theater, art, and cultural experiences during this pandemic. It boasts an 8.4 out of 10 on IMDB, and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes...trust me when I say it is possibly the most profound viewing experience to be had in the last 10 months (if not longer). I cannot wait for you to watch it and love it as much as I did. I Am A Messenger.
For a much needed escape, watch “Save Yourselves”, available on Amazon Prime Video or Hulu. Starring Sunita Mani (from GLOW) and John Paul Reynolds (from SEARCH PARTY). When my friends asked me about what to watch over the holidays, I suggested this title. The setup: a hipster couple decides to take a weekend away and unplug from their digital lives, just as an alien invasion comes to planet Earth. I’m not usually a sci-fi kind of consumer, but this imaginative sci-fi/comedy mashup is right up my alley. The writing is witty and cleverly paced, the acting is highly skilled, and your face will hurt from laughing...something we could all use these days.
Listen
Song Exploder (available on Apple Podcast and Spotify) - This podcast hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway and Thao Nguyen started in 2014 and is a solid contender whether you’re going for a short run or a cross-country road trip. Each episode takes you on a 20-30 minute quest into the make-up of your favorite songs by your favorite musicians or introduces you to up and coming artists and the music they create. Hear them tell the stories behind the lyrics and strip down the composition of each song. Subjects discussed include riffs, noise, synths, samples, voice mods and layering of effects and how these things combined can evoke the emotion of life’s experience in a song. Fave episodes: Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way,” Perfume Genius: “Slip Away,” Clipping: “Work Work,” Run The Jewels: “TRU$T,” and a surprisingly heartfelt Semisonic: “Closing Time.” Bonus: This one’s a double hitter, because it’s also a new Netflix series by the same name featuring artists like Lin Manuel Miranda, R.E.M. and Dualipa. Reasons it’s a fave: no lead-in so there is no wasted air time AND the very satisfying “first listen” at the end of each episode. It might actually change the way you listen to music.
But Why: Curious Podcast for Curious Kids. (Available on Apple Podcast, Spotify) This podcast, produced by Vermont Public Radio, is a favorite amongst the kids in our house, especially at bedtime. Episodes explore existential interests such as “Why We Dream,” and adorably innocent questions like “Why Do Dogs Have Tails?” On a personal note, it is a valuable resource when tackling life’s tougher issues with episodes like “A Discussion about Race and Racism.” I’ve found it to be one of the best ways to satisfy those burning questions that unfiltered youngsters love positing to unsuspecting parents - usually as a stalling-tactic at bedtime.
Read
NonFiction: I’ve been obsessed with Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by the exemplary Nancy Milford. I was at a party (remember those?) in early 2020 and while perusing the bookshelf of a dear friend, I read the synopsis on the back cover and announced I was “borrowing” it. It’s now safe to say, I’m not returning this worn paperback. As the cover reads, Millay was “one of those rare characters, like Sylvia Plath and Ernest Hemingway, whose lives were even more dramatic than their art.” First published in 2001, this biography has been all-consuming for the last few months. I can’t put it down, but I don’t want it to end. It is a feat to read because it is the story of the radical life of a renaissance woman and the way she moved through a world that was NOT ready for her. Told through her works, her letters, and snippets of history, Edna St. Vincent Millay’s larger-than-life personality drips off the pages. She was at one time: the most famous woman in America; a poet; a savant; an artist; an actress; but mostly, a force of nature. Millay (who went by “Vincent”) blazed trails that poets like Mary Oliver literally and figuratively traversed. She smoked in public, dated women, opposed fascism and refused proposals by the handful before she settled into an unconventional, but lasting marriage. Be still, my queer feminist heart!
Fiction: Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney. The debut novel by Rooney captures the precariousness of fleeting youth impeccably, and the storylines in this novel are relatable in their vulnerability and humour. The characters are interesting, intelligent, and inevitably messy as they explore the limitations of intimacy. I escaped into the Hulu series “Normal People” based on Rooney’s second novel at the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic lockdown. Based on my love for the series, I was excited to go back and give this read a chance. I’m glad I did, and you will be, too.