Works in Progress
Writer's block can be productive
I wracked my brain all week about what to write for this Friday’s newsletter and eventually came to the realization that sometimes you just don’t have it. There’s a ton of ideas swirling through my head and yet that doesn’t always provoke immediate inspiration or move the fingers to type on the keyboard. However, I do think that this week of creative crisis has produced two great ideas that will guide my thinking and writing through the rest of 2023 and I hope you’ll join along:
Beginning
July 28th(Update: August 4th) and over a period of ten weeks, I’ll recap and reflect on a piece of 90s entertainment that shaped me in a way. I haven’t decided yet if this will be all movies or if it will be a combination of pop culture from that time period, but Emily and I’s recent foray into rewatching 90s films has been a fun jaunt of looking back on my childhood. I’m going to explore the profound and the preposterous whilst exploring the decade in which I went from 8 to 18 years old!
I’ll be following that up with a more serious journey into rewatching HBO’s The Leftovers starting in October. More details will be coming soon, but I aim to watch at least two episodes per week with recaps and personal reflections on one of the most meaningful television series I have ever watched. Sometimes I joke (it’s probably not a good one) that instead of going to therapy I watched The Leftovers. What I mean to say, more seriously, is that it was a show that arrived at a time in which I really needed it and I want to revisit why it had such an impact on me. Just a warning now that it can be a tough watch at times, but I hope that you’ll partner alongside me for a collective viewing.
See you next week!
What I’m Watching
Asteroid City
Perhaps your mileage varies on Wes Anderson, I know that for myself I sometimes I have to be in the right setting and mood to watch his films. You can’t knock him for a lack of creativity, though, as Asteroid City is an experimental film that at times works works very well and other times leaves you scratching your head a bit. I don’t think I can even explain the plot here, it’s something you have to see for yourself if you’re willing. Anderson does know how to craft a shot and there are many beautiful scenes throughout the picture. It’s mid-tier W.A. for me this go around, but that’s still pretty enjoyable.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (Part One)
I think this movie needs a longer title, y’all. I don’t want to enjoy this franchise like I do, because it is indeed silly, but I can’t deny that it scratches an itch for me. Barring the fiasco that was M:I 2, this series has produced banger after banger and I of course was thrilled once again with Dead Reckoning. While Fallout is still my personal favorite, this one pokes a little more fun at itself and has a confidence that makes it an amusing watch. We do need to talk about Cruise’s face though, because what is going on there? Is he the one deepfaking all of us?!
What I’m Hearing
The Bear Season 2 Soundtrack
Is the soundtrack to season 2 of The Bear better than the series itself? Probably not, but the fact that I even ask that question speaks to the brilliance of this selection alongside this supremely-written series. Bruce Hornsby, Wilco, R.E.M., Mavis Staples… and that’s just the top of this collection. Do yourself a favor and check out this playlist (I found the soundtrack on Spotify).
The Big Picture
Not only do I love movies but I love listening to other people talk about movies, which Emily makes fun of me for constantly. I think Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins do a hell of a job on The Big Picture podcast. Not only do they cover newly released films, but they do auctions and drafts of past decades and genres. Geek out with me and give them a listen if you wish.
What I’m Reading
Crying in H Mart
I’m only one chapter in but I am IN! Zauner visits Tulsa next week and I’m hoping to have the book read (or a majority of it) when she arrives at Central Library to discuss her memoir of family, loss, and food.
Of Boys and Men
Yes, I am still working my way through this one. No updates other than this random factoid from the book: Apparently 1 in 200 people can claim Genghis Khan in their ancestry?!
What I’m Eating/Drinking
An OKC Mini-tour
Last weekend we had ourselves a little staycation (is it still a staycation if it’s not in your hometown?) and went to Oklahoma City for a couple of days to relax and unwind without a newborn. We went to Big Truck Tacos, Jones Assembly, Packard’s, Elemental Coffee, The Hall’s Pizza Kitchen, Picasso Cafe and had drinks on Saturday night at the wonderful Library of Distilled Spirits, which is an old bank vault converted into a swanky bar. I think both Tulsa and OKC have underrated food and drink cultures and will only grow over the next few years.