Monday Memos // 108

Listening:

“Summer Girl” by HAIM

“Golden Babyland” by Lina Tullgren

“True Blue” by Mark Ronson ft. Angel Olsen

Reading:

There There by Tommy Orange. “Tommy Orange’s groundbreaking, extraordinaryThere There is the brilliant, propulsive story of twelve unforgettable characters, Urban Indians living in Oakland, California, who converge and collide on one fateful day.” I have about a third left and it’s blowing me away.

I haven’t sobbed from a Modern Love story in a long time and who knew a dog named Dusty would do me in. Must read: She Wanted a Man With a Good Job Who Is Nice to Animals

Craving:

Essentially my summer diet has been a whole lot of pizza. Specifically the best homemade rooftop pizza. I’ve also been on a kick of melon, plums, smoothies, seedy crackers, almond butter, spicy noodles, and Guittard’s Super Cookie chocolate chips .

That jor-dough!

Recent memorable dining out experiences include: Superiority Burger (a wrap that lasted two meals, realllly good sorbet/gelato, and good laughs), The Turk’s Inn (the decor alone is worth a visit, but the food is great too), General Deb’s (so spicy and so good), Best Pizza (sharing a bowl of garlic rolls with your brother and blabbing about all your anxieties is highly recommended).

The Turk’s Inn interior doesn’t even look real. (image via turksnyc.com)

Wearing:

Digging into my shirt collection, I’ve been wearing a lot of old Gainesville establishment tees, old graphic gems, and breezy button ups. Unearthed some overalls recently and wore them despite the weather being way too hot for so much denim. Also, I’ve been wearing the same billowy chambray dress on repeat—often two or three days in a row because it’s just all I want to wear.

Watching:

Recently watched: Four Weddings and a Funeral. I’m surprised I never saw this. I also never considered myself much of a Hugh Grant fan, but this movie made me realize the appeal—particularly when he’s learning about his great love’s sexual history and wearing a pretty great shirt-short-sock-shoe combo. Really enjoyed!

Scarlett, on the left, has the best outfits, too. On the right, this is the best I could find, so go watch the movie.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette. Not as good as the book, but the book was just so good. Still, a great cast, great soundtrack, and nice for a big cry at the end. Plus, the wild architectural moments are fabulous.

Girls. It took me two months to finish the series. I forgot how weird the ending is, but hey, still a solid show.

Want to watch: Joker. I think Joaquin Phoenix is going to win something for this. Looks brilliant and terrifying.

Treasuring:

Love and support: From the sweetest text messages to answering frantic phone calls to back rubs to big hugs to silly pictures to dinners with laughter to long drives with sick pets, I feel so much care and affection from so many different people. Summer can be sweaty, exhasting, and emotionally draining for me, so extra thankful for all these wonderful peeps.

Lounging in the nearby park is one of my new pastimes and I thoroughly enjoy.

Monday Memos // 103

Listening:

"Hire" by Girlpool. New girlpoooool. Woohoo!

“Sugar Bum Bum” by Lord Kitchener.

“Cavern” by Liquid Liquid.

Reading:

I wrote about wanting to read Her Body and Other Parties months ago and I’m finally reading it and LOVING IT. So weird and wonderful.

“A wife refuses her husband’s entreaties to remove the green ribbon from around her neck. A woman recounts her sexual encounters as a plague slowly consumes humanity. A salesclerk in a mall makes a horrifying discovery within the seams of the store’s prom dresses. One woman’s surgery-induced weight loss results in an unwanted houseguest. And in the bravura novella “Especially Heinous,” Machado reimagines every episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a show we naïvely assumed had shown it all, generating a phantasmagoric police procedural full of doppelgängers, ghosts, and girls with bells for eyes.”

Craving:

Dinner from Zyara. “… the Vegan Arabic Sandwich, a kitchen-sink sensation of deep-fried veggies (cauliflower, eggplant, and paper-thin zucchini) plus falafel, tomato, cabbage, and assorted pickled things that all gets stuffed into a housemade pita like circus clowns into a Volkswagen.” (via Grubstreet)

Cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine. As someone who often proclaims they don’t care for cupcakes, even though I greatly adore cake, these really were outstanding. Very unassuming but absolutely delicious.

Sometimes less is more. (image via sugarsweetsunshine)

Wearing:

When I woke up Wednesday and the temperature said “4,” I just piled on all the things. Long Johns, undershirts, sweaters, boots, scarves, hats, gloves. I am ready for spring. I am ready for summer. I have finally maxed out on the cold. I forgot what it’s like to have my legs exposed to the fresh air.

Watching:

TV: I’ve already rewatched the first three episodes of High Maintenance season 3 (so many amazing comedians I admire keep popping up!). I’m deep into True Detective—it’s good! I tried a couple episodes of The Assassination of Gianni Versace, but I’m finding it too slow. I’m a few episodes in Russian Doll, the latest Netflix original with Natasha Lyonne—I wouldn’t say it’s brilliant, but it’s entertaining. It’s cold! so the tv is on!

Movies: I watched The Lives of Others. A German drama/thriller from 2007. It was very good. As one apt review says, “fierce and gloomy.” I just learned while looking up the cast that the main actor, Ulrich Mühe, died months after the film won an Oscar. So sad.

Ulrich Mühe enjoying his stolen literature.

Treasuring:

Warmth: As cold as it is and all the complaining, sometimes the blast of freezing air, especially when you have a warm home and a warm beverage nearby, can be a bit magical. One evening I walked out of the subway station, music playing in my earbuds, and I let the hot tears mix with the frigid air. Emotional release paired with the refreshing winter wind, hey, it’s not so bad.

My winter look. (image by marc pilaro)

Monday Memos // 98

This week is brought to you by lethargy. It’s been dreary, I’ve had a lot of deadlines, and I might have an underlying cold. Energy is at a low, but behind it all I am very excited for December. Pardon the brevity.

Listening:

"The Magician" by Andy Shauf. Last Monday I went to see Andy play at National Sawdust in Brooklyn. The space wasn’t very big and I stood as front and center as you could get. Just him and his guitar. It was better than I could’ve imagined.

“Car Park” by Fenne Lily. This band opened for Andy and was very enjoyable.

“Hasta La Piel” by Carla Morrison. This song was playing in a restaurant scene on The Romanoffs and I had to figure out what it was.

Reading:

I just bought Abbi Jacobson’s new book I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff. I cannot wait to read it (currently in the middle of Jeffrey Eugenides’ latest collection of short stories).

“From the co-creator and co-star of the hit series Broad City, a "poignant, funny, and beautifully unabashed" (Cheryl Strayed) bestselling essay collection about love, loss, work, comedy, and figuring out who you really are when you thought you already knew.”

Craving:

Lots of OHi Superfood Bars—very nutty, crunchy, seedy things. Lots of tortilla chips and saltine crackers—on a salty kick. Theme: busy, tired, craving crunch.

Wearing:

Black and yellow. Black and maroon. Black and stripes. It was a rainy week with lots of layers and umbrellas. Lots of attempting to dress in clothes as close to pajamas as possible. Of course I saw Anna Wintour in the hallway wearing a beautiful gold and black brocade dress.

Watching:

As someone who devoured the podcast of the same name and subject, I’m curious to see the television adaptation of Dirty John. Such a terrifying story of manipulation. I’ll watch anything with Connie Britton.

Maybe one day when I need something terrible to watch, I came across the description for the movie Slice. “When a pizza delivery driver is murdered on the job, the city searches for someone to blame: ghosts? drug dealers? a disgraced werewolf?” Chance the Rapper and Zazie Beetz are the stars—I do love her.

Treasuring:

December: I’m ready for all the Christmas tree smells and lights and holiday music. I’m ready for getting dressed up and snowy days and roaring fires. I’m ready for tinsel and sequins and a little vacation. I’m ready for birthday cake and squeezing more friends.

Monday Memos // 89

Listening:

"Down in the Willow Garden" by The Everly Brothers.

"New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" by R.E.M.

"Charcoal Baby" by Blood Orange.

Reading:

Books I want to read:

No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol. "a fearless reckoning with modern womanhood and an exhilarating adventure that will resonate with anyone determined to live by their own rules."

Fresh Complaint by Jeffrey Eugenides. "Narratively compelling, beautifully written, and packed with a density of ideas despite their fluid grace, these stories chart the development and maturation of a major American writer."

The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon. "a fractured love story that explores what can befall those who lose what they love most."

image from an illustrated book review by Kristen Radtke (via nylon)

Craving:

Hanging in Maryland, which thus far means feasting on Joe Squared pizza and trying a newer spot in DC: A Rake's Progress. The latter is set in The Line hotel, which is beautiful itself — a cobbling together of restaurants, a radio station, and hotel housed inside a 110-year old massive-columned church. 

We had fresh Chesapeake oysters and salty, buttered bread. My mom and I shared a crab cake with shaved cucumber, red onion, tomato and smoked onion tartar; an heirloom tomato tart with puff pastry, vinaigrette and various basils; plus a farro salad with summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, nectarines and yogurt dressing.

We also had an incredible fudge brownie sundae: spelt brownie, mint chip ice cream, tiny homemade Oreos, whipped cream and hot fudge. A winner!

Pre- and post-saucing. 

Wearing:

Since I haven't been wearing anything particularly outlandish (denim, black, black, black), here are some beautiful images of things I love and would wear. 

Leandra Medine shoes (leandra medine via vogue)

Mara Hoffman delights.

Watching:

Last Friday I watched The End of the Tour on the bus ride to MD. It was slow but great, sad but soothing. Maybe one day I'll read Infinite Jest. 

Today I read that True Detective season 3 is back in January. Fingers crossed it's like the first season and renews our love of the show. 

I haven't been going to the movies or falling deep into shows much recently, so enthusiasm is currently in the ebb phase. 

Treasuring:

Giddiness and excitement: I experienced a few days last week where I couldn't contain my wild smiles. I took a ferry ride from the beach to the city — through the sunset hours. I was handed an It's-It out of the blue. I met a stranger in such a spectacular way. I shared stories with lots of details. I daydreamed on car rides. I'm letting the waves of emotions wash over me and I'm constantly pumped for the future and the now. 

Hello It's-It, my old friend / I've come to talk with you again