This Week
I’m finally recovering from a bunch of activity over the past month. Which is good! Still no new writing to share quite yet. Although! Paid subscribers will be getting the monthly essay shortly.
Today, there are links, recommendations and the short film of the week.
Links
A history of women who have written Wonder Woman.
Nicole Cliffe profiles Alanis Morissette.
A brief history of the heroes of Black Pulp.
The forgotten trans history of the Wild West.
Newly released letters reveal how much Sylvia Plath loved movies.
“I identified with outsiders my whole life. And I still do. But I want to be an insider now because that’s the only thing nobody wants to be anymore.” John Waters.
The making of Mad Men’s greatest meme.
Not a single one of the 2020 presidential candidates have accessible websites.
“At my most optimistic I think: there’s something happening, the slow cracking of an ice sheet out from the centre. At my most pessimistic I think: we retreat to fantasy when we want escape from that which we cannot change. At my most measured I think: these things tend to be circular.” The resurgence of the monstrous feminine. (Note: the poetic license here sometimes dances on the edge of gender essentialism, but I think the overall point is inclusive.)
Kristen Arnett on visiting Epcot World Showcase after three red wines and a Canadian beer.
There’s nothing wrong with your nose: Fleabag, George Eliot, and the beauty of human imperfection. I love this essay (not in the least because I too have long suffered the indignity of a too-large nose).
“Writing was a muscle I exercised until that muscle became what I needed it to be.” Roxane Gay on writing in bits of time over a long time.
Reading/Watching/Listening
Since I’ve been hardcore moving and parenting and working over the past month or so, I’m behind on in-theater films. So I just got myself to Booksmart. It’s pretty squarely trained on my sort of sensibilities, but I suspect it would appeal to anyone who likes things that are funny, sharp and human.
Bad Times at the El Royale is now on HBO. It’s too complicated and lengthy for its own good, but it has some great visuals and delightful performances.
I am a completist, so I did watch Season 3 of Jessica Jones (Netflix), even though I wasn’t super engaged with the last season. My reaction was essentially the same for the third; it had some interesting concepts, but was uneven and oddly paced. However, you might as well see it through.
Last week Spotify started streaming Prince’s Originals, an album of his recordings of songs he gave to other artists. You want to listen to it.
Screening
This week’s short film is Birdie, directed by Shelly Lauman. A drama following a woman walking alone in a train station, who finds herself part of a sinister game after returning the smallest of gestures to a young man.
Before you jump into the next thing, make sure you take a moment to rest up. You deserve it.
Love,
Jen
Connections
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Today’s quote is from Gil Scott-Heron.