Yep, like everyone else, I let my newsletter get dusty in 2022; and have only been spurred on by the implosion of Twitter. 😬 I’ve only got an hour to put this out, but it’s always better to do the damned thing.
Are you watching Andor?
If yes, we need to talk about it
If no, we also need to talk about it
What I’ve been reading
It’s been a good year for reading!
- A Psalm for the Wild-Built and A Prayer for the Crown-Shy are now two of my favorite books of all time. I went through them like fire, and can’t wait for the final book.
- After watching the astounding BBC adaptation in 2020; I read John Le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl and it 100% delivered. It’s such a fantastic espionage story that checks all my boxes for the genre; so I want to savor it and only revisit it every couple of years, but I got impatient 😅
- Now that The Expanse adaptation is seemingly over, I’ve started going through the books. I finished book 6, and will probably start Book 7 soon. They’re great companion pieces to each other
- The Rise and Fall Of The Dinosaurs broke my brain. I’ve always theoretically understood the scale of the universe & how evolution works, but this book did such a good at contextualizing it that I distinctly felt it
- The Fire Next Time was an in-between book; and a great breath of fresh air. I truly think James Baldwin was one of the greatest writers of our time.
- The Final Girl Support Group was good, pulpy fun; especially since I read it right as Scream 5 came out (which also rocked)
I’m currently reading Ducks: Two Years in the oil sands from Kate Beaton, which I’ve been anticipating for years. I’m about 1/3 through, and as someone who’s had to move because of the rust belt, I’m connecting with the underlying melancholy.
Next up is Alex Dudok De Wit’s translation of Shuna’s Journey
What I’ve made recently
I’m on the last track of Mesh Network, an ambient EP that explores what a Solarpunk future could look like for us; from a variety of perspectives (and trying to avoid a lot of hand-waving tropes that annoy me with the genre). If you want to learn more, let me know! And once it’s released, I’ll write about it in the Newsletter.
What’re the other highlights
- I saw Carly Rae Jepsen & Bleachers in a special, two-night only concert in Cleveland; and it was fantastic. Two wildly different, full-length concerts. If you ever get the chance to see either; seize the opportunity.
- Went to Dollywood for the first time, also stopped at the Bush’s Best factory. I cannot emphasize enough how ridiculous and delightful it was to see it packed on a cold, rainy, Tuesday morning in the middle of October.
- I’m officially in the Rancho Gordo Bean Club, after a 2-year wait
How’s Kira?
In her Goblin Era. There are too many photos to post, but here’s a small collection: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0T5ON9t3I8Lub
We also took her to the inaugural NC Arboretum’s Dog Parade, which became an instant tradition for us.
How’re you?
Sorry this one is short; the holiday season is in full swing, so I’ve basically had no time. But please let me know how you’ve been!