The “forced fun” thing is so complicated and interesting! I think often doing something masterfully, which requires taking it seriously, can be incredibly fun, but then not if you take it too seriously. Doing something hard well is deeply satisfying, but ideally there’s still some lightness / playfulness involved. I don’t know this is all so vague and equivocal that maybe I’m not really saying something. But for instance, I’m a graduate student and I find giving or hearing a really good conference paper to be so exhilarating—your brain buzzes with new ideas—but obviously that’s not a lot of people’s idea of “fun” and the fact that I think it is would be seen as deeply suspicious by many. Anyway, it’s such a nice feeling as an audience member when you sense that the people you’re watching are having a good time—I don’t know if that’s the same thing as fun though.
I’m sure you’re familiar with Reformed Rakes, but their Gaffney episodes, like all their episodes, are great!
P.S. Fran, are you going to write more about Peter Hujar’s Day here or elsewhere? Watching Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall dance = top-tier unforced fun
I want to write more about Hujar, and will hopefully do so here!! I also always loved going to conferences and listening to papers - especially when the person was so clearly passionate and delighted by their own work. You are not suspect to me!!
mazel tov oh my god! recently I read Birnam Wood on the advice of multiple FM commenters: has anyone written about how Birnam Wood’s plot is, with a few significant revisions, the plot of Eddington? I struggled with Lonely Crowds: I found all the kunstlerroman stuff wonderful, loved how Wambugu might collapse whole tracts of time into three paragraphs without warning, but couldn’t get a handle on Maria’s character or why Ruth was besotted with her, and that was a fatal disconnect with the book for me. i have the new Lockwood on loan from the library…her LRB essays have gradually gotten weirder and weirder (and I loved them to begin with) and I hope that vibe carries through. congrats once again!!
Eddington heads STAY winning. I have the Lockwood on hold… hoping to get sooner than later though the reviews from pals tend to run the gamut. I love her LRB stuff always, and this year’s has been especially good. I feel you re Lonely Crowds though Maria felt so brutally clear to me….. maybe my own past coming to haunt me
God yes, the new Wicked was even more endless than the first one. My friend dragged me along to an 8:30AM showing (The only one with good seats, I guess), and I nodded off twice. And it still felt much, much, too long, despite me missing a good 30-40% of it!
wheezing at you slapping Chu in this way... I decline to engage with these films but I have been receiving such appalled text messages about this one and its gloppy cinematography.
curious to hear about Aednan which I've been wanting to read, definitely did not like Lonely Crowds as much as you though I'll for sure read her next book. the Yiyun Li is just about the most devastating thing I've ever read.
and ENJOY REBECCA and your trip! one of the most purely pleasurable reading experiences I've had as an adult, I devoured it in around 2 days despite knowing what was going to happen from loving the film. that du Maurier lady knew what she was doing.
Aednan was more compelling as a form exercise than anything, and I found I had to read through a lot of it in long sittings because the sparse nature of the writing made it hard to grasp onto sensory details. A lot of jumping around, far more voicey than visual. Singular, for sure, but not a total success. And thank you!!!
just finished reading engagement by Gun-Britt Sundstrom which is a a very funny book to read while being engaged. now rereading Priory of the Orange Tree so I can read the other books in the series and loving it. also busy rehearsing Tchaikovsky's fifth for the community orchestra performance this week!
I'm very excited to read (or listen or however else it comes out) your Max Richter interview! I generally was meh on Hamnet and his needledrop at the end, but have been a fan of his work in other contexts. SpongeBob big guy pants okay
What did you think of the Gaffney? That series is one of my favorites. The last time I read To Love and to Cherish I did become very teary during the scene between Christy and Tranter when they sing "Abide with Me".
Really enjoyed! Took me some time to get into the rhythms of it (I maybe wasn’t crazy about the shifting POV because Christy was a much more compelling character to me than Anne…) I am having a bad time with modern lit fic and a much better time delving into romance lately so open to any and all recs you have. Curious to peep the other ones in this series over the holidays maybe when there’s a little more time
I second what another commentor wrote: The Reformed Rakes podcast's Gaffney episodes are excellent!
since you enjoyed To Love and to Cherish, you might enjoy works by Laura Kinsale. Flowers from the Storm, often regarded as her best work, also features a religious main character. My favorite by her is Shadowheart, the second in her Medieval Hearts duology (more religion! more fun!). If you like audiobooks, all of her books are narrated by the same person, Nicholas Boulton, and he's one of the best. I'm picky about audiobooks but he's great.
Black Silk by Judith Ivory is one of my favorite books, romance or otherwise.
Bat Boy and Heathers have the same composer 15 years apart! (In between he wrote Legally Blonde, a masterwork that nevertheless has 38 key changes in one song.) I am young enough to remember when Heathers mania hit high school kids on Tumblr- I was not one of them but my friends were and I generally find his work more interesting than the myriad other pop rock shows that exist. (Although I just saw a friend play JD and the new songs added to the show are whatever.) Sorry to hear that Chess is bad because I was thinking that maybe I should finally get into Chess.
Genuinely shocked at the A CinemaScore for Wicked, which feels so extremely audience unfriendly to me. It’s a marathon with no good songs where nothing happens and what happens makes no sense, yet as in the even worse Jurassic World I remain semi-charmed by Bailey. I saw it opening night and everyone was stone silent except for a kid shouting “NO!” when Ari and Cynthia started wrestling.
I adored Peter Hujar’s Day, great movie about how to listen. Shame it came out after Halloween or everyone would have been dressing as Topaz Caucasian.
I need to see Legally Blonde — or listen but I think seeing feels necessary. O’keefe seems to hold a special place in the hearts of many of my most trusted theater-going friends. I think getting into the MUSIC of Chess is a great idea!!! The music is innocent!!!!
meeting Jay Kelly today and Sentimental Value tomorrow. The awards season cram begins, but since I’ve already seen Secret Agent I am really just waiting for Ann Lee in 70MM
The “forced fun” thing is so complicated and interesting! I think often doing something masterfully, which requires taking it seriously, can be incredibly fun, but then not if you take it too seriously. Doing something hard well is deeply satisfying, but ideally there’s still some lightness / playfulness involved. I don’t know this is all so vague and equivocal that maybe I’m not really saying something. But for instance, I’m a graduate student and I find giving or hearing a really good conference paper to be so exhilarating—your brain buzzes with new ideas—but obviously that’s not a lot of people’s idea of “fun” and the fact that I think it is would be seen as deeply suspicious by many. Anyway, it’s such a nice feeling as an audience member when you sense that the people you’re watching are having a good time—I don’t know if that’s the same thing as fun though.
I’m sure you’re familiar with Reformed Rakes, but their Gaffney episodes, like all their episodes, are great!
P.S. Fran, are you going to write more about Peter Hujar’s Day here or elsewhere? Watching Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall dance = top-tier unforced fun
I want to write more about Hujar, and will hopefully do so here!! I also always loved going to conferences and listening to papers - especially when the person was so clearly passionate and delighted by their own work. You are not suspect to me!!
+1 for the Reformed Rakes mention!
i like the way this is formatted with the bolded words - like poetry
mazel tov oh my god! recently I read Birnam Wood on the advice of multiple FM commenters: has anyone written about how Birnam Wood’s plot is, with a few significant revisions, the plot of Eddington? I struggled with Lonely Crowds: I found all the kunstlerroman stuff wonderful, loved how Wambugu might collapse whole tracts of time into three paragraphs without warning, but couldn’t get a handle on Maria’s character or why Ruth was besotted with her, and that was a fatal disconnect with the book for me. i have the new Lockwood on loan from the library…her LRB essays have gradually gotten weirder and weirder (and I loved them to begin with) and I hope that vibe carries through. congrats once again!!
Eddington heads STAY winning. I have the Lockwood on hold… hoping to get sooner than later though the reviews from pals tend to run the gamut. I love her LRB stuff always, and this year’s has been especially good. I feel you re Lonely Crowds though Maria felt so brutally clear to me….. maybe my own past coming to haunt me
Love Rebecca. I’m also reading in cold blood right now!
Here to advocate for a full post on the Chess revival as someone who loved listening to you and Phil talk about it
Your thoughts on the Washburn play seem to reflect my thoughts on Jay Kelly
God yes, the new Wicked was even more endless than the first one. My friend dragged me along to an 8:30AM showing (The only one with good seats, I guess), and I nodded off twice. And it still felt much, much, too long, despite me missing a good 30-40% of it!
8:30AM????????????????????????????????????????
teen Fran is so cute!!!
wheezing at you slapping Chu in this way... I decline to engage with these films but I have been receiving such appalled text messages about this one and its gloppy cinematography.
curious to hear about Aednan which I've been wanting to read, definitely did not like Lonely Crowds as much as you though I'll for sure read her next book. the Yiyun Li is just about the most devastating thing I've ever read.
and ENJOY REBECCA and your trip! one of the most purely pleasurable reading experiences I've had as an adult, I devoured it in around 2 days despite knowing what was going to happen from loving the film. that du Maurier lady knew what she was doing.
Aednan was more compelling as a form exercise than anything, and I found I had to read through a lot of it in long sittings because the sparse nature of the writing made it hard to grasp onto sensory details. A lot of jumping around, far more voicey than visual. Singular, for sure, but not a total success. And thank you!!!
just finished reading engagement by Gun-Britt Sundstrom which is a a very funny book to read while being engaged. now rereading Priory of the Orange Tree so I can read the other books in the series and loving it. also busy rehearsing Tchaikovsky's fifth for the community orchestra performance this week!
Tchaikovsky 5 is so much fun to play - I hope your performance goes well!! Did you like the Sundstrom? Has been on my longlist.
I'm very excited to read (or listen or however else it comes out) your Max Richter interview! I generally was meh on Hamnet and his needledrop at the end, but have been a fan of his work in other contexts. SpongeBob big guy pants okay
Rlllly wanna see Prince Faggot. How was Steppenwolf legend K Todd Freeman???
He is excellent!!!!!!!!
:D
His performance in Downstate (a curséd but excellent play) in Chicago was perhaps the best thing I’ve ever seen
What did you think of the Gaffney? That series is one of my favorites. The last time I read To Love and to Cherish I did become very teary during the scene between Christy and Tranter when they sing "Abide with Me".
Really enjoyed! Took me some time to get into the rhythms of it (I maybe wasn’t crazy about the shifting POV because Christy was a much more compelling character to me than Anne…) I am having a bad time with modern lit fic and a much better time delving into romance lately so open to any and all recs you have. Curious to peep the other ones in this series over the holidays maybe when there’s a little more time
I second what another commentor wrote: The Reformed Rakes podcast's Gaffney episodes are excellent!
since you enjoyed To Love and to Cherish, you might enjoy works by Laura Kinsale. Flowers from the Storm, often regarded as her best work, also features a religious main character. My favorite by her is Shadowheart, the second in her Medieval Hearts duology (more religion! more fun!). If you like audiobooks, all of her books are narrated by the same person, Nicholas Boulton, and he's one of the best. I'm picky about audiobooks but he's great.
Black Silk by Judith Ivory is one of my favorite books, romance or otherwise.
Thank you!!!!! Yes, I love the religious angle to the Gaffney and eager to read more.
shoutout marching band
Bat Boy and Heathers have the same composer 15 years apart! (In between he wrote Legally Blonde, a masterwork that nevertheless has 38 key changes in one song.) I am young enough to remember when Heathers mania hit high school kids on Tumblr- I was not one of them but my friends were and I generally find his work more interesting than the myriad other pop rock shows that exist. (Although I just saw a friend play JD and the new songs added to the show are whatever.) Sorry to hear that Chess is bad because I was thinking that maybe I should finally get into Chess.
Genuinely shocked at the A CinemaScore for Wicked, which feels so extremely audience unfriendly to me. It’s a marathon with no good songs where nothing happens and what happens makes no sense, yet as in the even worse Jurassic World I remain semi-charmed by Bailey. I saw it opening night and everyone was stone silent except for a kid shouting “NO!” when Ari and Cynthia started wrestling.
I adored Peter Hujar’s Day, great movie about how to listen. Shame it came out after Halloween or everyone would have been dressing as Topaz Caucasian.
I need to see Legally Blonde — or listen but I think seeing feels necessary. O’keefe seems to hold a special place in the hearts of many of my most trusted theater-going friends. I think getting into the MUSIC of Chess is a great idea!!! The music is innocent!!!!
Seeing Peter Hujar again today 🙂
meeting Jay Kelly today and Sentimental Value tomorrow. The awards season cram begins, but since I’ve already seen Secret Agent I am really just waiting for Ann Lee in 70MM
Legit so jealous of Jay Kelly!!! I have not been able to make the time!!!!!
Today tix Black Friday is going so hard, got Keanu godot tickets for like 60 bucks can’t wait
Wait good idea………. I find I miss the twisted mind of Jamie Lloyd
spongebob big guy pants okay
yyyyyup