Welcome welcome, make yourselves at home :)
Hello! Each month I send out an eclectic collection of the brilliant things I have chanced upon in the last month that I loved so much I think you might too. I keep the list (relatively!—quite a lot this week) concise but I’d never assume you didn’t get there before me, hence the In Case You Missed It of it all. The archive of past editions of this series can be found here and in the comments you are always warmly invited to share all the wonderful things you’ve stumbled across yourselves.
Now, onto the main event…
THOUGHT PROVOKING
Freya India You Don’t Need to Share Everything
This was heavily shared on Notes including by me but sharing again because my GOD. This piece is as powerful as it is forthright and I couldn’t get enough of it. Incredibly astute observations and an effervescent pep talk to the social media generation to not aspire to the relentless documentation of everything which will ultimately amount to nothing, and to get the hell out of there before it’s too late.
Ted Gioia on How To Break Free From Dopamine Culture
What Ted said. (More on very similar themes but it’s the way Ted says it.)
Jessica DeFino on Not Keeping Up with the Kardashians
I found this piece unbelievably powerful. I have never actively watched or engaged with anything to do with this family but their overwhelming influence on pop-culture cannot be denied. This beautifully articulated exposé of their exploitative business practices will likely come as no surprise but is no less jaw dropping in its scale. Another must-read from Jess DeFino.
FOR THE WORD NERDS
Grant Snider with some Words of Wonder
Grant Snider has launched ‘A Weekly Treasury of Language’ so I imagine this is something for all word-lovers out there (and you know I am literally in heaven when it comes to libraries so love the above pic so much.) Grant brings his weekly words to life through his beautiful illustrations and thoughtful insights (this is a pleasingly calming, predominantly picture based newsletter) and I am living for it. So far we have Words of Wonder Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 (Revelatory Words), along with Luminous Words, Extravagant Words, Monosyllabic Words and most recently even more Words of Wonder. LOVE.
Office Ladies Podcast
The List
If you’re a fan of list making, discover the delightfully surprising origin of the word ‘list’ which was used for the first time in the context we understand it by Shakespeare in Hamlet Act 1 Sc 1—anyone know how many words/ phrases he is said to be responsible for in their first recorded use in the English language? Around 1,700 according to my research. Woah. I love love love stuff like this so for my fellow amateur etymologists out there, head to minute 50:25 for the full down low. And briefly for some other fun Shakespearean tidbits, I found this (readily in print to buy in lots of places from what I could see) which I also really enjoyed.
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FEELING CHARITABLE
Leyla Kazim with a Fundraising Raffle for Practical Action
This. Woman. And the joy she brings. Just look at her beaming in the picture on the left above. My HEART. And now she’s put this fantastic raffle together for Practical Action which you have today and tomorrow to get involved in, with the chance of winning a subscription to one or more of 50+ best-selling Substacks. For more info click here, to go straight to the raffle head here. There are discount bundles too so you can improve your chances of winning!
TAKE A TRIP
Let’s go for a stroll in Paris with Summer Brennan
On y va à la boulangerie? Man, I wish I could speak French. But whilst I take that challenge on with painfully slow intensity on Duolingo, I was enchanted by this Winter offering from Summer Brennan. This is a delightful meander through Summer’s Parisian localities (coupled with delightful videos and pictures) and it is pure slow living joy.
Where’s Wally The Totally Essential Travel Collection
I picked up this mini collection of everything Where’s Wally at a train station recently and my HEART. I used to adore spending hours poring over the pages of Martin Handford’s illustrations as a child, seeking out my fave travel buddy Wally and later his friends—the Wizard, Woof, Wilma, Odlaw; checking off the boxes of the myriad hidden extras on each page too—and now I’m at it again. This edition contains all seven of the original Where’s Wally books plus six gorgeous high quality postcards. It’s intentionally on the small side but super chunky so it’s easy to travel with, and I suppose also makes everything even more challenging to spot, perfect for returning readers but I am tempted to buy an old school detective magnifying glass to accompany it all the same, feels like something Wally would approve of. Though he goes by other names internationally, this classic speaks the universal language of peak geekdom nostalgia must-haves. (Also ace for actual children too, lol.)
Available in all good bookshops but to support your local independent, buy it here.
What if you could trade a paper clip for a house?
I also have the Office Ladies Pod to thank for sending me down this rabbit hole—have you heard this story? I hadn’t. It’s about a guy who traded a paperclip… for a house. Ok, not directly but that’s the joy of this tale; the meandering adventure, the chance encounters, the leaps of faith, one person’s trash being another person’s treasure. And though the tangible, the material, is at its heart, this is really a story about the most humane and deeply immaterial; kindness, generosity and connection. I mean, imagine a world where human trade and transaction existed beyond the realms of currency… just a thought. Speaking of, here’s…
Emma Gannon with some Trains of Thought
This is a blissful and deeply comforting read from Emma as if you are in fact being rocked gently to and fro on a train thundering somewhere in deep countryside, wide open landscapes racing gently by and gifting you endless possibilities of quietitude and brain space. Adored. 🚂
EYES PEELED 👀
The Crown
I’m surprising myself sharing this one but guess what, Imelda Staunton is one of the reasons I became an actor and I was reminded why in this final season of The Crown. The Princess Diana narrative that has dominated recent seasons dramatically drew to its inevitable devastating climax and the focus pitched sharply back to the Queen (also why I thought the above poster was an epic example of visual storytelling.) Despite some genuine reluctance to get onboard with this season because of its salacious potential I was proved wrong again and again, sure it has its moments, but overall it’s just so masterfully made with some of the best casting in television history (across all six seasons.) Both the restraint and scale of the final shot in particular took my breath away. This is ultimately an almost annoyingly classy show that could have gone so horribly wrong but I’m thrilled to say, stuck its landing.
Available to watch on Netflix.
NAVALNY
This Oscar winning documentary has been described as ‘one of the most jaw dropping things you will ever witness’ and I concur, utterly.
I saw this when it was released in 2022 but in light of Alexei Navalny’s recent passing it felt necessary to share particularly if you’d like to be more informed about the political implications of his death, but it is also probably the best documentary I’ve ever seen or certainly amongst them.
This chilling quote taken from an article in the Guardian also from when the film was released (and a great complimentary read) reminded me of the importance of this unmissable piece of work.
“I just hope that Alexei is able to stay alive, that the public attention that the film is receiving will dissuade the authorities from murdering him in prison. I hope that he has the ability to one day get out and walk his daughter down the aisle and live his life and, if he decides to run for the presidency again, to run for the presidency again. But it’s all of course built on him surviving this horrible moment of his life.”
Daniel Roher, Filmmaker and director of ‘Navalny’
In the UK you can find this on BBC iPlayer and internationally it is widely available to stream or rent.
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GOOD THINGS HAPPEN IN THREES
THE BEAR
So I finally got around to watching The Bear. Truthfully this was my third time of trying, I really struggled to get past the aggression and shouting initially (my god the shouting), but I went back because so many friends whose taste I trust told me it was worth persisting and once I did… ooh, it really is *chef’s kiss* good. A lot of American actors set apart their British counterparts and hold them/us in (wholly unwarranted) reverence to the extreme, but the performances in this show are why I revere American actors in such high esteem myself. The commitment and earnestness with which they give themselves over to a role is on as fine a display here as I have ever seen. The filmmaking is also super dynamic and interesting too.
Available to watch on Disney+ in the UK and FX/Hulu in the US.
Severance
OMG. Okay. Pheeeewie. Deep breaths. (This is THE BIG ONE.) Where to even begin? This show has only one season thus far with a second on the way (pretty heavily delayed by the writers and actors strikes much to my dismay) but I am currently rewatching it for a third time because it is that good. I honestly cannot overemphasise that enough. I feel as though this one’s gone under the radar somewhat in a particularly heavy few years for ‘prestige television’. I have a friend watching it for the first time right now though and didn’t hesitate to use that as an excuse to refresh—so we could properly discuss it, of course. This is a slow burn dystopian thriller extravaganza, directed by Ben Stiller (yes the comedy writer/director/actor but did you watch the excellent Escape At Dannemora that he also directed? This is even better) and every aspect of production is exquisitely executed. I urge you to seek it out in earnest and then come back and let me know what you think—that is if you can even speak as it comes to its screamer of a finale.
Available to watch on Apple TV.
We Can Do Hard Things Podcast
Episodes 268, 269 and 281 with Elizabeth Gilbert
You know when you read a book and end up wanting to highlight every single line to the point that it becomes pointless? That’s how I felt listening to each of these episodes of We Can Do Hard Things where our hosts (Glennon, Abby & Amanda) along with their pal Elizabeth Gilbert discuss their approach to her Letters From Love practise in depth (that she has been practising privately for years but has shared widely on her Substack since September 2023.) Despite being best pals with Liz and by the sounds of things, trusting her in all things, all three women were resistant to trying out Letters From Love for themselves and all for wildly different reasons so for anyone that might have seen this around on Substack but whilst curious felt reluctant to join in - found it too cringey, too woo woo, think it’s likely impossible to get out of their own heads enough to even allow themselves to do this - to point their ears towards these epically candid episodes. What follows of course is a profound (and sometimes hilarious) experience for each of them in their processes and discoveries—again, all in wildly differing ways. I found each one absolutely fascinating and related to all three of their experiences just as profoundly. Below are all of the Letters as featured on Liz’s Substack in the order they were published, along with their accompanying WCDHT podcast episode. They are illuminating and revelatory and all of the things. I cannot recommend them highly enough, particularly for anyone seeking some loving guidance, even if it’s just from this extraordinary group of women.
Abby Wambach’s Letter From Love
Elizabeth Gilbert On Her Most Important Daily Practice + Abby shares her own Letter
Glennon Doyle’s Letter From Love
Glennon Shares Her Love Letter With Liz Gilbert
Amanda Doyle’s Letter From Love
How Amanda Finally Calmed Her Brain & Her Letter From Love With Liz Gilbert
ICYMI on Still Space
The bounty of life-changing gifts that a decade of practising Yoga With Adriene has afforded me—
I’ve been allowing myself to experience my first true Wintering and it has been deeply comforting, so grab a hot choc and your squishiest armchair for this one—
Do you believe in perfect timing? In this piece I dig my heels into Winter, get candid about my relationship with the weird and wonderful space time continuum and commit to a new experiment in ‘anti-productivity’—
Feeling called to slow things down? In this piece, the first of four, I invited subscribers to join me for a collective experiment in altering our overall relationship to productivity, pace and time—
Later this week I will be sharing my observations from Week One of this practise and how those might influence the second stage of our exploration complete with our Week Two tasks and toolkit. This one’s for my paid subscribers so if you’re not one of those yet, join us below!
Any of these pieces really speaking to you? Anything you’d love to recommend to the community? What’s caught your eye recently?
Sian,
I spent a lot of time going through your recommendations. I'd missed Ted Gioi's latest as well as the Jessica Delfino post. Thank you for this valuable and terrific curation.
My darling girl, what a marvellous write-up, as usual. And THANK YOU for the beautiful words. MY heart ❤️