Current Delights 05/28/21

Early Spring Willow Valley, William Webb 1995

​I'm stealing this newsletter idea from the likes of Austin Kleon and Larua Olin

1. Last week, I went to a bar and heard a friend play his guitar and sing, and it was wonderful and strange. Shout out to Mike Lee! You can listen to his album Pick Me Up Café here.
2. John Steinbeck wrote a werewolf novel: Murder at Full Moon. But his estate won't release it. So now I'm thinking some indie comic film needs to be made about a hypothetical literary heist and maybe werewolves in Austin (that's where the manuscript is kept).
3. This Twitter thread about mentorship, being in your 30s, career advancement, and capitalism (particularly in the theatre world) spoke to me.
4. I've been listening to The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Narrated by the astounding Lauren Fortgang and Michael David Axtell.
5. I listened to TWO podcasts this week about dialect coaching. 1.) The Process over Product podcast interviewed Courtney Young, who is currently working on all of the Marvel Disney+ series. 2.) Slate's Working podcast with coach Samara Bay.
6. The canned potato recipe you didn't know you need. (They must be canned potatoes. Nothing else will do.)
7. I've been watching...The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Mare of Easttown, Hacks, and the French television show: Call My Agent (which manages to scratch a Slings & Arrows itch for me).
8. I've been reading...My Year Abroad by Chang-rae Lee (brilliant--manages to be both sprawling and contained. The writing about food is top-notch. It has a kind of Dickens adventure with a Gatsby-esque character. But I've also never read anything quite like it. There's an energy flowing and I think it'll be a read that sticks with me for a long time. Two mysterious noir-y books:  The Scapegoat by Sara Davis and What Happens at Night by Peter Cameron. Don't go dipping into these two with the expectation that all your questions will be answered by the end. Both books are suspenseful and puzzling. This morning, I started reading Matt Bell's Appleseed (which isn't out until July, but I can tell it's gonna be awesome, so go ahead and pre-order now).​​

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Going on a road trip soon? Might I suggest checking out one of the audiobooks that I've narrated? There's a range of genres (mystery, fantasy, comedy, thriller) which you can find on Audible.


Have a great weekend, everyone!