11 October 2019
“We can’t be good unless we know what bad is, and it’s a shame we’re working against time.”
This Week
First up, I left a cliffhanger last week … which new tattoo will I get? Well, I went and I shook the Magic 8 Ball and I got a tattoo.
If you click through that post to the video, you can see the Magic 8 Ball shaking and subsequent decision in action. Thanks to Donna Klein at Deluxe Tattoo for the great experience and tattoo.
Then, as promised, I went to the House on the Rock.
I also went to a farm market, where I bought all the food and fed goats. Wisconsin, you were very pleasant. (Click through to Instagram for more photos.)
This week I took a week of vacation from work and I have spent it doing things I like around the city. Most of these things involve bookstores. (The new Patti Smith memoir is now on deck, which I’m pretty excited about.) But I also took a trip to Waukegan, Illinois, Ray Bradbury’s childhood hometown. (Again, click through to Instagram for more photos.)
Links
The hidden history of American anti-car protests that were largely led by women.
This is a stunningly touching essay about Star Trek action figures, fathers and sons, and transcending the way we were initially packaged.
Alison Willmore on Hustlers and the female gaze.
The actress who killed her abusive husband and was expelled from Hollywood.
Who is buried in John Dillinger’s tomb? Spoiler alert: John Dillinger. This “controversy” is completely manufactured—but, legends like his always have been.
A lovely short documentary about the mermaids of Weeki Wachee through the years.
To mark the publication of the paperback of Haruki Murakami’s Killing Commendatore, there’s a new accompanying playlist. In case you’re just reading it and want some musical atmosphere.
“Yet, when we are young that vulnerability can appear to us as shame or weakness, as we attempt to brace ourselves against what we may see as a brutal, unforgiving and judgemental world. But those who have no awareness of their own fragility, who present themselves as overconfident, armoured-up and invulnerable, sacrifice the essence of what makes them both human and beautiful.” I’m just going to keep on posting Nick Cave’s Red Hand Files as long as he keeps being eloquent in them.
Here is a five-hour loop of rain at the Haunted Mansion.
Reading/Watching/Listening
I’ve only been reading one thing and it is It by Stephen King. I was strongly discouraged from reading King when I was younger, but, now that I’m almost forty, I figured I could finally get away with it. Honestly, I think I’m getting a lot more out of this one in particular at this point in my life. It wouldn’t have the same resonance for a younger person.
The Criterion Channel is now streaming an entire Val Lewton series. Cat People was already a very strong favorite of mine (and I already own the Criterion Blu-Ray of it), but this whole series is great. Other highlights: The Seventh Victim and I Walked with a Zombie. Also included is a documentary, narrated by Martin Scorsese, about Val Lewton himself, which is worth watching regardless but will be of particular use if you have no idea what I’m talking about here.
Obviously, we’re listening to the new album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ghosteen. It is sad and sweeping and wistful and quietly throbbing with a pain that is fading but not yet gone.
Around
Just in case you missed it, last week I posted about the rather long list of books and screenplays I read in September.
I found a stash of tech-related stickers that I used to sell: HTML “strong” tag stickers and stickers from my Code and Cupcakes workshop. I cleaned up my online store and put those stickers back on sale if you’d like to grab one or more: jenmyers.bigcartel.com
IT’S FALL. ENJOY IT.
Love,
Jen
Connections
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Essay archive: http://modernadventuress.com/
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Email: hello@jenmyers.net
Post: P.O. Box 13114 Chicago, IL 60613
This week’s quote is from Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine.