Stuff I’ve Been Reading

— “The Secret Oral History of Bennington: The 1980s’ Most Decadent College” is so freakin’ lit. I don’t even know what else to say.

— Nick Pinkteron and C. Spencer Yeh have a lengthy conversation about the Marvel movies. It’s a deep dive. Pinkerton puts into words stuff I’ve thought and worried about. I’ve met Nick. We were guests on a podcast together. I said to him afterwards, “You speak in full sentences.” He really does.

— The interviews with Timothy Olyphant that have come out leading up to Deadwood: The Movie have been so great. This one with Rolling Stone is awesome.

— My friend Farran Smith Nehme’s essay on Alice Adams for The Moviegoer – resurrected for a couple of pieces only – is so damn good.

— I tore through Michelle Dean’s Sharp: The Women Who Made an Art of Having an Opinion. It’s like crack for someone like me. Chapters devoted to many writers I love: Dorothy Parker, Hannah Arendt, Pauline Kael, Susan Sontag, Rebecca West, Janet Malcolm – and how these writers intersected, often battling it out in print, but also how they forged their own paths. There are many writers I am familiar with, but definitely need to learn more – namely, deep dives into Mary McCarthy and Nora Ephron. I just haven’t explored the work of these women (I’ve read The Group, I’ve read McCarthy’s book on Watergate, but other than that …) and it’s long overdue.

— This is slightly embarrassing but so lovely and kind I figured I’d share it: David Jamell Moses, whom I have befriended mainly through Instagram (he’s fantastic: you should follow him), wrote a post about his struggles with writing, with keeping at it (I have encouraged him. Like I said: you should check him out. Here are a couple of pieces of his I have loved: Michael B. Jordan, Acting and Black Masculinity in Leading Men and this – David is an actor: his is such a necessary voice, so many critics DO NOT GET IT: After all this time maybe it’s time we stop acting like Tom Cruise isn’t really good at acting.) But anyway, in his most recent post, he talks about two writers who have inspired him, and I’m one of them, and I am very very touched. Two amazing Women, Johnny Gill and my writer’s block. Thank you so much, David!

— I thought this was a beautiful piece from Sara Benincasa, whom I really like (discovered her on Twitter): Things I Heard When I stopped Staring at my Phone

— This is more about looking than reading, but my aunt – Betsy Horan – a talented digital/video producer – produced this gorgeous piece for the New York Times Sunday magazine: The Dressing Rooms of Broadway: 33 Photos Over Nearly a Century – using the vast archive at the Times. Incredible images.

— This week is the one year anniversary of Anthony Bourdain’s suicide. I wanted to share this very moving essay: Some thoughts on Anthony Bourdain, suicidal ideation, and the “switch.”

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