Sunday Reads - 11.29.2020
As many of you know, I’m an avid reader and consumer of information. Whether it’s books, shows, music, podcasts, or the label on a can of cat food, I’m always consuming something. I’ve always struggled with how do I share what I consume with others in a format that is concise and interesting. When I built this page, I envisioned it as a space that would hold my musings that didn’t quite mesh with my blog, Tea Time with the Mad Artist. I’ve begun drafting a number of essays since the site was completed, but haven’t finalized any of them just yet. I suppose I’m still feeling out what I want to say here. But, in the meantime, I figured a way to dip my toe into building out this site is to share some of my thoughts on what I’ve read, listened to, or watched recently that stood out to me. This is kind of an archive for myself and a way to share some of my interests with others through this era of social distancing.
Articles
‘No One is Listening to Us’ by Ed Yong (Link)
This particular article has been shared widely, even by former U.S. President Barack Obama. It gives a great overview of where we are as a nation with combatting COVID-19 and how the health care industry is handling it. To summarize the article, it’s not looking good. Our healthcare professionals are exhausted from working long hours, experiencing an overwhelming number of deaths that take a toll on their mental health, and many of them are contracting the virus themselves. Healthcare systems across the country are reaching their limits and, with winter rapidly approaching, we need to do anything we can to keep ourselves and others safe. This is a bit of a lengthy article, but I would encourage you to read it.
The Losses We Share by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (Link)
This is a touching, emotional essay from Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, as she reveals an experience that 10% to 20% of childbearing women will have at some point in their lifetime: a miscarriage. But her essay takes us a step further. The Duchess of Sussex ties in the grief Black people feel in a world that constantly shows us that our lives don’t matter and the grief we feel from the losses connected to this global pandemic. She comments on the polarization of facts and those questioning the validity of science . Throughout the piece Markle repeats the phrase “Are you Okay?” calling back to a moment a reporter asked her this very same question and she gave a very honest, off-the-cuff reply. This was the first time I read any of her writing and I felt moved by her openness and honesty. I’d give this a read.
Book
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib (Link)
I’ve recently become obsessed with Hanif’s writing and his hot takes on Twitter (although he’s wrong about the peanut butter to chocolate ratio in Reese’s). This Ohio native has a way of using music to talk about life’s greatest themes: love, friendship, identity.
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us was written during 2016, a difficult time for Black Americans both politically and socially. Two essays that stood out to me come very early on in the book. In the first, Abdurraqib touches on the killing of Michael Brown and juxtaposes the Black American experience with the America that is often sung about in Bruce Springsteen’s songs. The second is about The Weeknd concert he went to in Seattle at the encouragement of a woman he knew. I’ve provided an excerpt below:
“I’m unimpressed by The Weeknd. I am perhaps unimpressed by The Weeknd because I’m jealous of the way he makes that which I once believed to be complicated sound so simple…When I arrived in Seattle, there was a small bottle of nail polish, from a trip we’d taken together months ago. Not enough people face the interior of separation in this way. What it is to find small pieces of a person who you know you’ll never get to wholly experience again. It feels, almost always, like piecing together a road map that places you directly in the middle of nowhere.”
If you’re interested in music, I would encourage you to give this book a read.
Podcast
What A Day by Akilah Hughes & Gideon Resnick (Link)
What A Day is a daily podcast by Crooked Media that covers the biggest news of the day and stories that may not have risen to the top, but are often quite interesting. I love comedian Akilah Hughes’ take on things and it’s a great way to digest important news in a fun, quick format. The podcast is typically between 20 and 25 minutes long.
Watch
The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
My father taught me how to play chess when I was a little girl. He was on the chess team in high school and, by his account, he always had a lot of fun. The game stretches the mind and pushes one to think ahead and understand the inner workings of their opponent. For me, there’s something very soothing about this process. I stopped playing a few years ago, but watching The Queen’s Gambit reignited that desire to pick up the game again. The miniseries is a story about a woman dominating in a field that is overrun by sexism.
One of the best lines in the series come early on when a reporter says, “Creativity and psychosis often go hand in hand. Or, for that matter, genius and madness.”
It’s going to be a long winter, my friends. Please take care of yourself and others. Also, shop local this holiday season. Our artists, our small businesses, our farmers are essential to the vibrancy of our community.
- Bronlynn
