Barbie, Hugo, BLTs

looking at the world through a Jarritos bottle for Journal Jam

I hope these hot days are bearable and you are finding some relief and joy in the daily. I have compiled a little wrap-up of some resources I am currently digging into. We have a little summer film fest going on. Each night someone picks a movie. The rule is you HAVE to stay and watch the movie if you want everyone to watch yours. I am really enjoying each person's pick (we are five all together). 

I am co-teaching a class with Allison Ellis that starts next week at Hugo House. Here is the blurb and a link to see the dates and how to sign up if you are interested:

Field Trips & Hidden Portals: Finding Inspiration in the Everyday

We dream of productive writing sessions, but the reality is that work and tasks often overshadow. What if you could gather the pieces for your next literary masterpiece in the everyday? In this generative class, we will (re)learn to open our eyes, send you on local outings (grocery stores, parks, thrift stores, your own closets), and build a tool kit that turns the messy world into that dreamy writing office.

wisdom from the IKEA bathroom stall

I am reading: 

Small Fires: an Epic in the Kitchen by Rebecca May Johnson. I am reading this so slowly because it is blowing my mind. I recently heard her speak and am more intrigued with how she is writing about food and labor and theory and The Odyssey. She mentioned a book that I immediately bought and started reading: 

Strayed Homes: Cultural Histories of the Domestic in Public by Edwina Attlee. Started and loving. I need to go back to school for a Ph.D. because I love cultural studies so much. Maybe?

The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird for the international students I teach online. 

Mothercare: on Obligation, Love, Death, and Ambivalence by Lynne Tillman. I am a third of the way through the story of Tillman caring for her mother. It is too early to say much, but it is tedious. 

Where Reasons End by Yiyun Li. Ugh. A novel based somewhat on reality, about a mother who builds a world where she talks to her son, who died by suicide. Haunting and beautiful and drags your heart through gravel. 

Annie Dillard’s essay, Total Eclipse. Wow! The imagery, the search for meaning, the dissolution of time and space — the experience of reading this essay took me far from my body and the chair I was sitting in. Read aloud if you can.

I am watching : 

Barbie and Oppenheimer. Both on the same day. I am not a Barbie fan but loved the movie and the smart way it explored gender and capitalism. It held some serious messages but was also fun, with loads of laughs (at itself) and fun musical numbers. What I especially loved was the diversity of the audience, which spoke to the cultural phenomenon of a product and its ability to transcend the market (maybe?). Oppenheimer was a dark and fascinating look at not only the development of the atomic bomb but the aftermath of Oppenheimer’s power and influence. It was disappointing in its representation of women. Both Pugh and Blunt performed well, but their characters were rather flat and fully in service only to Oppenheimer. A real missed opportunity, I think.  

La La Land. I forgot how very good this film was. After watching Whiplash by the same director, we studied the shot style and color, both masterful.  

Shawshank Redemption. Another film that I watched a long time ago and forgot about. Such a satisfying, tight plot and stellar acting. Worth a rewatch if it has been years. 

Tales from the Green Valley. This is a British historical re-enactment show. We are fans of Ruth Goodman and the other regulars who have created several series in this vein. This one, living on a 17th-century farm, is as good as the rest! It is available to watch for free on YouTube. 

Goodnight Mommy. A domestic horror film (watch the original from Austria). Twin boys are uncertain that their mother returned from facial reconstructive surgery is who she says she is. Unsettling violence ensues in this allegory about trauma and grief. It is horrifying and powerful. If you liked Babadook (I did), this should be next. 

I am listening to: 

I am listening to the Guilty Pleasures playlist on Spotify while walking on the treadmill at the gym. It is lifting my spirits like nothing else. Brittany Spears, ABBA, Wham!, Ricky Martin, Spice Girls, Tears for Fears - it is all so fun!

Dolly Parton. No reasons are needed. 

I am eating: 

The struggles continue. My favorite meal of the week was BLTs. We made all the ingredients on little trays, and everyone built their own. TBH, I could eat a tomato sandwich every day. When I was a kid, my grandma would make me one after school, and they were so good. She took care with each step, spreading the mayo to the very edge and adding just the right amount of salt and pepper. 

We also made chocolate chip cookies and turned them onto ice cream sandwiches, rolling the edges in sprinkles. That was genius. 

Hope you have an amazing week!

Amy