Good Stuff for Your Weekend
Vol. 17
Some Good Stuff… Nine links, a mystery about ballerinas, and two essays from The Bittersweet you might have missed.
But first, a thought…
“A feeling that everyone you’ve ever loved has found a place at the grown-up table and here you are, still searching. Still grasping, still alone.”
― Rachel Kapelke-Dale, The Ballerinas
Yes! To every one of these feel-good movies. (Vogue)
Low cut jeans, “girl power” that didn’t actually feel powerful, and the male gaze of the 2000s really messed us up. (Culture Study Podcast)
“When you can see your life as a story, you can encourage the main character to make better decisions.”– MIKE BIRBIGLIA
Give her the flower, man! (NYT, Tiny Love Stories)
This deep dive into Walter Mosly’s classic Devil in a Blue Dress had me thinking hard about the origin stories of the amature sleuths of detective fiction. (The Stacks Podcast)
You don’t need more stuff!
This retrospective on the Spice Girls’ smash hit, you know the one, is so entertaining. (The Moves)
Letter writing (NPR)
If you love in-depth conversations about random things that force you to think deeply about your place in the world, this conversation about Cyotes! is for you. (You're Wrong About)
Recent Reads
The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
I love a book that takes me into a small, insulated world. The descriptions of the demands on the ballerina's body, the inherent competition, and the ticking time clock of age felt very authentic.
Very pretty sentences. The characters were well drawn, and the plot was compelling. I wanted more from the ending.
In case you missed it
"Baby Names"
Recently, our dentist had a baby girl. They named her Honey.
When Nick was in the office a few weeks ago, the dentist said, “We went a little out of the box.” Well, yes, I’d agree, but is your baby’s name any of my business? I’m going to go with no.
Walk with me for a bit while I talk about “baby names."
Lost, Again
I’ve been thinking a lot about random lifetime usage stats. The ones that add up the number of years the average person spends sleeping (26 years), commuting (3 years), waiting in line (another 3 years), and doing housework (6 years).
I’d like to know how much time I spend looking for things: keys, phone… my bank card. I’m guessing it’s a lot, and I would like it to be less.
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