Pep talks, hypocritical marriage stance, Jane Austen, paper journals, and more
Seven thin(g/k)s I explored this week
Dear Reader,
It’s Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles and locals are bracing for another rainstorm (which in LA amounts to a mere sprinkle or so). The weather has been moody and the sun is hiding, which for me means it’s the perfect time to go on a hike. I have a mid-day square packed as a snack, Harry Potter Book II is prepped and ready to accompany me on Audible, and I’m about to put my running shoes on. The solitude felt whilst strolling through nature is therapeutic, and I’m grateful for its generous boundlessness. Wishing you a lovely week ahead.
Here are seven links to bits of the world I explored this week, shared with the hope that you will find them to be an inspiring springboard for deeper thinking.
Hypocrisy re marriage — an example of, politically speaking, talking left, but walking right.
There were a few films I watched this past week, including an Edward Norton and Naomi Watts-led love story that left me catching my own tears on the treadmill at the gym, much to the bewilderment of fellow gym rats. Also squeezed in a film called Becoming Jane, which equally left me in tears by the end. It trails the story of Jane Austen and Thomas Langlois Lefroy, who developed a young and flirtatious rapport that ended in a heart-twisting something that was not to be. Also squeezed in a far-from-Valentine’s-Day film called The Menu, which captured a level of satire I wasn’t prepared for as it embarked on a commentary of one character who portrays a blind follower and unquestioning consumer of [art, media, politics, news, a skill, etc.], one who thinks he can get away with buying his way into creativity and higher callings without having taken the effort to work hard to form a skill set, a craft, an opinion. In one instance in the film, the character boasts of knowing what a “pacojet” is and owning one, but ends up showing how oblivious he is to the simple things in kitchen life, such as knowing how to dice a shallot. And of course, such characters are often accompanied by a vastly disgusting ego and urge to social-climb by placing flattery, self-aggrandizement, and idolatry above simple human decency; and the film does a great job portraying this. Oops, okay, back to the love-fest genre of film, I also sobbed at the new Netflix limited series called One Day, which is based on the novel by David Nicholls, as it follows two people over the course of their budding, simmering, blossoming and catastrophically tragic union that spans twenty years. Wholeheartedly recommend!
The case for a paper fitness journal. The writer here talks about the overwhelm perceived by apps and optimization hacks and all kinds of online templates for productivity (I’m looking at you, Notion), and ultimately chooses to forego all that for a simple physical journal. There’s some sort of liberating feeling in that, I think.
Picked up Clarice Lispector’s Besieged City and am finding it largely impenetrable, which doesn’t make for an all too pleasant reading experience. Would love some input from fellow readers on how to approach her writing.
Here’s a great pep talk on writer’s block; of note, this observation—“The key to writing anything worth reading is simple: have an obsession and then write it down.”
Until next time!
Warmly,
Ani
I love writing these newsletters and creating deeper threads of connection for you in this absurd world of ours. It is my soul’s sustenance, but it is also an enormous endeavor with regard to time and effort. If you enjoy my writing, and if able, please consider supporting it by way of interaction—follow along on Instagram, YouTube, or leave a comment/like here— or by subscribing/upgrading to my paid-tier here on Substack. It is hugely appreciated, and I thank you.