January Roundup

points of curiosity, books I read this month, and gratitude

Points of Curiosity:

1. In January I attempted the 10x10 clothing challenge - 10 items styled 10 ways. I posted (and deleted, lol) awkward self-timer photos on the clothing swap app Lucky Sweater. It got me thinking a lot about the relationship I have with clothes and style. Reading Gender Queer (Kobabe) has made me question how I dress - and for who. I have been thinking a lot about inner child work and subsequently the “inner teenager,” asking the question: what is the relationship of healing to personal style?

2. I have enjoyed listening to the podcast Articles of Interest while I work on my quilt piecing and highly recommend their series on “American Ivy.” Sometimes we just need a podcast that doesn’t obsessively devastate you (like The Retrievals, which is so good, but so intense, still highly recommended).

3. Fascinated by Shigenobu Kobayashi’s “Book of Colors” - so much so that I even ventured to the downtown Powell’s to retain their only copy - and have been enjoying day dreaming about color & meaning. It reminds me a lot of skipping school to go to my Mom’s frame shop and watch her design. I actually don’t know a lot about how color works and being in discussion with fiber artists, as well as exposed to new/different/unsuspecting combinations, has made me eager to experiment.

   

4. I get the hype of Poor Things and Salt Burn - but if you haven’t seen American Fiction - you’re missing out. So far, it’s my favorite film of 2024 and I am eager to discuss it. I find myself being called to grief in so many ways over the past few months and especially intrigued by the way it works like water, taking shape of whatever vessel it is within. This film really solidified that image.

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books I finished this month (Pure Color - Heti, Light in the Dark - Fassler, Quit like a Woman - Whitaker, We All Want Impossible Things - Newman, Gender Queer - Kobabe, The Fifth Season - Jemisin)

I read a lot this month, to varying levels of interest. The most surprising read was The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (The Broken Earth Trilogy). I picked this up after finishing everything else at my disposal the week that Portland froze over - fantasy books are far from my usual go-to but I was surprised by how much I have enjoyed it. I liked annoyingly asking my partner clarifying questions and staying up late to continue reading. It made me feel like a giddy little kid to hold the secret of a book, perhaps one of the simplest pleasures. I will finish the series.

A lot of what I read was about grief, a feeling that has been active and prevalent in my life lately. We All Want Impossible Things (Catherine Newman) was not a favorite but I forced myself to finish it. I hated the primary character but indulged in this particular depiction of loss. Pure Color by Sheila Heti was another I couldn’t put down but is one I will need to reread. I realized I need to let some things simmer, and this is one of those novels. I trust things to return when they need to.

Two nonfiction texts that left something to be desired: Light the Dark by Joe Fassler and Quit like a Woman by Holly Whitaker. I enjoyed Fassler’s collection (particularly the essays on Emily Dickinson, who has made a sudden appearance in my life for the first time since childhood). Whitaker’s take was also solidly received but perhaps not landing as I hoped it would. I valued her take on resentment v. obligation, musings on how we are steeped in an alcohol centered culture in which we justify use of a substance known to destroy, and the importance of ritual in a practice of healing.

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe was a beautiful surprise. I honestly believe everyone should read this. Oddly, it feels like more of an essential read for adults than for teenagers.

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5. What if I told you posting these absolutely terrifies me? It may be one of the scariest things I have done but I am glad to do it, and glad you are here. I want to do more things that make me feel safely nervous. Thank you for reading.