Blobs & Globs, No. 01
Everything that bubbled up in May.
I’ve long loved the week between Memorial Day weekend and June, this one jean pocket that’s the beginning of an expansive everything, before it all becomes something else. Let the summer begin.
To capitalize on this summer momentum, I’m starting what I’m calling Do It June. Any and all, there’s no task too small. The goal is to knock of all those tiny little things that stack up without an end date.
And finally, I want to say thank you. Your support, both emotional and your patronage, are incredible, and I really am so lucky to know so many fine, kind people in this world.
Now, a new series. Below is everything I read, watched, listened to, and absorbed in May.
Read
What Am I, A Deer? by Polly Barton: I thoroughly enjoyed this. I love a novel where the entire plot really exists inside the character’s head. Polly Barton is smart, with a capital S. If you like the stream of consciousness narrative of Infinite Jest (like seriously God help you, promise you finished it???), then you will love this take from a lady’s perspective who, as she deftly puts in near the end, has a “stable but loveless life,” I’m paraphrasing here. Also she’s English and I fucking love being inside the melody of an English person’s head. Plot twist: I lived in England during middle school! I went to a school on an Air Force base happily because I was terrified at the prospect of learning the metric system. #NotAllNewExperiencesAreNeeded
Flat Earth by Anika Jade Levy: I think this book is acclaimed because it’s being auctioned for TV stuff and it’s about ~conservatism~ and ~guy money power~ but there’s also a lot going on under the surface that holds its weight in its expression of friendship through Avery and Frances. There are a lot of narratives similar to this, where the outsider view is the main POV, I’m interested in anti-that narrative and what if it does work for someone, and it feels good, like Seinfeld but for the reality too that good things happen. Hm, puzzling.
Currently reading Famesick by Lena Dunham: Of course I was going to read this…
Watched
Eddington, then Bugonia at home: I recommend this viewing order if you haven’t seen either. In the way Matt Damon is a space man in both The Martian and Interstellar, you see Emma Stone’s characters play hilariously together when stacked.
Gummo at home: This is obviously A R T ok, but IMO, didn’t age well, and its sour milk stare and shock value exploit rather than endear for me. It came out in 1997 so go off, but something about Chloë Sevigny being an official ~actress~ and the rest of the town used a literal set piece, THE MOST INFURIATING moment for me when the middle one of Helen Dot or Darby came out and sat across the laps of two redheaded women. It was that moment in which I no longer trusted the care and kindness behind the lens, and IF YOU DO THAT IS FINE, I LIKE MY MOVIES LOVELY IT IS FINE!
Amadeus at AFS Cinema: Everyone should see this on a big ass screen once. I first saw this in three hour-long watches during Music Appreciation class, something me and like six other kids did with the choir teacher Mr. White who truly was and is now an angel in heaven, because we couldn’t sing and had proven to be smart at other things and not just loafing. So I learned the history of music and we were rewarded with this movie and at the time I had no idea BOOBS COULD BE THIS BIG AND HIGH but Constanza Mozart, you dirty diva, you SHOCKED US ALL! Also love the POV from Salieri here, too hilarious to give the mediocre rival and a voice and the priest at the end, lol. I! could! write! about! this! for! awhile! It was fun to see this with other people who happily laughed and that’s cinema baby!
Uptown Girls at Hyperreal Film Club: The wardrobe in this movie, the opening song is still such an ear worm for me, It’s a charmed life, innocence wild, Crayola skies for a thousand miles… SO GOOD
The Summer House Reunion pt. 1, Live: So much to unpack here. Absolutely insane anthropology happening right now.
Listened
USB by Fred again..: It’s! ELECTRONIC MUSIC SUMMER!
You’ve Come a Long Way Baby by Fatboy Slim: See above
Waking Up by Annabelle Chairlegs: The first live music I saw in Austin was Annabelle Chairlegs at the OG Radio right after I moved in and 11 years later, she’s still out here absolutely sssssSHREDDING. I wish more of my friends knew this project because she’s one of the best things coming out of town right now. This album is fucking brilliant, it’s time you start listening and telling all your friends, too.
And I made you this playlist of the Analog Lava Lamps Top 10 Songs of May
Absorbed
Cherrywood Yard Sale: We participated in our first neighborhood thing! How freaking cute.
Manor Road May Day Festival: This was, weird. A for effort! We did miss the bug parade because the yard sale.
The Magic Flute at the Austin Ballet: A Masonic journey of fun costumes! I’m loving it more and more and more the more I reflect on it.
Rock the Park at Mueller: Can’t believe this is in our new neighborhood! Stunning.
Big Dumb Fest at Mohawk: A festival of friends! Always a pleasure to see good people doing good things in a big way. Made even more sweet by finally hearing “Dickhead” after all these years, thinking Rickshaw had retired it from the lineup.
Summer Bucket List
And of course,
Volunteer at the Este Garden
Go to the Drop In, free music at the Long Center
Deep Eddy day
Barton Springs day
Blanton Museum day
Zilker post-up picnic
Beach camp
Polly Potluck: lady potluck dinner
Schlitterbahn
Lone Star Float House
Lake Buchanan
The lamp’s always on
If you want to support my writing, you can buy me a coffee!
Feel free to email me: smrcreates@gmail.com.