Quick Notes: January Media Roundup
Quick reviews on everything I read, watched, listened to, etc
Books
The theme for this month centers around three things: winter, science fiction, and political dread.
Arthurian Romances by Chretien de Troyes: I began this book in December to tackle my medieval saga literature collection (I’m aware that it sounds pretentious; in my defense, I’m a history major- this is my idea of fun). I had dabbled in Arthuriana in college before the pandemic, and one of the key components of that seminar was how different romance and affection were in the Middle Ages. In the West, we have a tendency to ascribe Victorian morality to any works prior to the 20th century. Still, the popularity of Chretien de Troyes's seminal work indicates a very different perspective of what constitutes romance. Mind you, this is a 14th-century monk writing medieval fanfiction about adultery.
Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson: I have a tradition of reading Moominland Midwinter every January as a means of combating the discomfort of the new year. I tend to be one of those freaks who actually enjoy January, but there’s also an incredible, indescribably loneliness that comes with the new year that Tove Jansson captures perfectly. I’m a little obsessed with how Jansson portrays the people who only come out in winter. There's something so tender and inviting about how their invisibility is seen as normal and even comforting. I adore this book, it gets a 5-star every time I read it.
Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis: It comes as no surprise that I’m a Lindsay Ellis fan - I sang the praises of Death of the Author extensively in Fix Your Hearts or Die!- but I’m always a little wary of YouTuber books. I was pleasantly surprised by Axiom’s End; I think the central question of “Is truth a human right” is a particularly attractive framing device given that this is a first-contact novel. Ellis’s writing style is reminiscent of the frankness of Maggie Stiefvater and Diana Wynne Jones, and thus her characters have that real-enough-to-touch quality to them.
War by Bob Woodward: I came across Bob Woodward’s War in Barnes and Noble a couple months ago, in the weeks leading up to the election. Obviously, I didn’t pick it up then (see: 2024 Election) but by some grace of god the hold I placed at the library came in just in time for all the shenanigans of the last week / week and a half. I’m not sure why, but whenever these things happen I find reading history and politics. Not so much in a “it’s been worse in the past” way (although, objectively, it has been worse) but more so in a “this is what people in the past have done.” Woodward’s account isn’t so much a “what-to-do" as much as it is a reminder that the only way out is through.
Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin: I’ve been on a pretty big sci-fi kick this winter, which I know will inevitably lead into a fantasy kick by the time spring rolls around. I had this book on my TBR because of something Le Guin said in the introduction* some variation on “science fiction should be descriptive, not predictive.” I have not completed the novel yet, but I enjoyed reading this novel alongside Moominland Midwinter because of the contrast between the portrayals of winter.
*Author’s Note: I cannot recommend reading Introductions enough. Especially with nonfiction and classics.
Shows and Movies
It’s been a slow month for me in terms of watching long-form media, mostly because my attention span is still recovering from the TikTok of it all. The theme is (evidently) “begin as you mean to go.”
She-Ra and the Princess of Power: I watched Arcane at the end of last year and it made me so nostalgic for the 2015-19 era of CalArts-style queer cartoons that it made my heart ache. Judging by the state of animation and the state of pop culture as a whole, I think shows like that are going to be few and far between unless we start supporting these projects (especially indie projects). ** I never actually watched She-Ra in its original run but I had always heard good things, and I was already a fan of ND Stevenson’s work from Nimona. I’m enjoying it so far- I have a soft spot for Glimmer, she’s incredibly endearing.
Bob’s Burgers and Living Single: I put these two together because they’re the two long-running TV shows I’ll be watching this year. I love them both so far, and I want to write more about both later so I’ll hold off :)
In the Mood for Love: I don’t think I can say anything about this movie that hasn’t already been said by people way more qualified than me (check out this video from Accented Cinema and this one from Nerdwriter). Maggie Cheung’s cheongsams are as much a character as the two leads. I don’t know a whole lot of technical film jargon, but there’s something to be said about the way this movie approaches the idea of being known and being loved. This movie is most certainly one for the yearners, especially those who enjoy warm light.
**Check out the indie animation Community on Tumblr, they have great projects!
Albums
My friend Lulu mentioned that one of her ins this year was listening to Albums and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I started with an album she said she listened to, Charm by Clairo, and then added it to the list. The theme for this month follows the vague political dread and optimism theme laid out in the Books segment.
Charm by Clairo: I love Clairo, and I will stand by this white woman no matter what. I’ve been a Clairo fan since Bubble Gum and Pretty Girl, so there’s no Clairo project that I won’t like. That being said, I wish she leaned a little more into the jazz and jazz fusion inspirations on this project. Still, it reminds me of the Scholastic Book Fair and the Global Village Coffee Shop design motif. Standout tracks for me: Second Nature, Terrapin.
Little Dark Age by MGMT: I kept hearing the audio for “Little Dark Age” amidst the Tiktok Ban and subsequent resurrection. I’ve enjoyed MGMT’s music for a while now, and I remember watching a fantano review on the album but I don’t think I’ve listened in full until now. There’s something very Sound of Silver era LCD Soundsystem to this, a very late 90s-early early aughts era London mixed in with healthy despair. It also gave me a great article title, so thank you MGMT. Standout Tracks for me: James, Hand It Over.
A Seat at the Table by Solange: I haven’t listened to this album in 8 years, but its impact on the person I am today. The concept, the styling, the visuals of the music videos, the oral history structure. I listened to it again following the inauguration and it took me back to 2016 when I first listened to the album following that first election. In a way it was comforting, and in another, it was a little sad. Standout tracks for me: Dad was Mad, Don’t Touch My Hair, Junie, Don’t Wish Me Well.
All I Have by Amerie: This is the first 10/10 album of the year and I don’t really have the words to describe how good this album is. It’s not uncommon to hear, especially on stan twitter back in the day, that Amerie was the star that was sabotaged by [insert whichever popstar the stans are fighting over today]. But I think that kind of positioning does a disservice to Amerie’s actual talent as a singer. Standout tracks for me: Float, All I Have.
Miscellaneous
Blowback Podcast Season 5: Cambodia : So far it’s been incredibly insightful and incredibly heavy. Although incredibly important and interesting, I wouldn’t say it’s pleasant. Kulwin and James excel at keeping the podcast captivating, but what I enjoy most about blowback is how serious the pair are in explaining the levity of the events they’re covering. Another thing I appreciate is that they cite their sources, which is something that has been bothering me for a while now ever since the Video Essay renaissance kicked off on YouTube. This is the first season of Blowback I’m following weekly, and I think this might be the only instance where I prefer binging just because the weekly wait is crazy.
Charlie Rose Interviews: The main takeaway I get from Charlie Rose, and something I think TV journalism is severely lacking today is how easily he treads the line of asking interesting questions while maintaining the conversational tone of the interview. He doesn’t pretend to be anything but a journalist, nor does he pretend to know everything, but he affords his guests dignity without compromising on content. I really enjoyed his interview with Aaron McGruder and Edward Said.
Commonplace Books: This is part of my personal archiving project for the year, so I’ll share a little anecdote about it! I first came across the concept of commonplacing when I was in elementary school, from A Series of Unfortunate Events. For one reason or another I never got around to actually keeping one til I was attending a guest lecture in grad school and became hyper-aware of how useful they would be. I’ve had this one since November 2023 and it has everything from article ideas to thesis notes to restaurant reviews. I have no method for my commonplacing, I write pretty much whatever I like in them with the only method of organization being the index and a couple stray page flags. If you’d like a primer on them, Ruby Granger has some great videos to get you started.