"The windows are open, admitting the September breeze: a month that smells like notepaper and pencil shavings and autumn leaves...A month that smells like progress and moving on." – Lauren Oliver
READING:
Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingway’s Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises by Lesley M.M. Blume — In the summer of 1925, Ernest Hemingway and a clique of raucous companions traveled to Pamplona, Spain, for the town’s infamous running of the bulls. Then, over the next six weeks, he channeled that trip’s maelstrom of drunken brawls, sexual rivalry, midnight betrayals, and midday hangovers into his groundbreaking novel The Sun Also Rises. This revolutionary work redefined modern literature as much as it did his peers, who would forever after be called the Lost Generation. But the full story of Hemingway’s legendary rise has remained untold until now. Lesley Blume resurrects the explosive, restless landscape of 1920s Paris and Spain and reveals how Hemingway helped create his own legend. He made himself into a death-courting, bull-fighting aficionado; a hard-drinking, short-fused literary genius; and an expatriate bon vivant” (Goodreads).
Fitzgerald & Hemingway: Works and Days by Scott Donaldson — “F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway might have been contemporaries, but our understanding of their work often rests on simple differences. Hemingway wrestled with war, fraternity, and the violence of nature. Fitzgerald satirized money and class and the never-ending pursuit of a material tomorrow. Through the provocative arguments of Scott Donaldson, however, the affinities between these two authors become brilliantly clear. The result is a reorientation of how we read twentieth-century American literature” (Goodreads).
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World — “The occasion was a big birthday. And it inspired two close friends to get together in Dharamsala for a talk about something very important to them. The friends were His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The subject was joy. Both winners of the Nobel Prize, both great spiritual masters and moral leaders of our time, they are also known for being among the most infectiously happy people on the planet. From the beginning, the book was envisioned as a three-layer birthday cake: their own stories and teachings about joy, the most recent findings in the science of deep happiness, and the daily practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. Both the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu have been tested by great personal and national adversity, and here they share their personal stories of struggle and renewal. Now that they are both in their eighties, they especially want to spread the core message that to have joy yourself, you must bring joy to others. Most of all, during that landmark week in Dharamsala, they demonstrated by their own exuberance, compassion, and humor how joy can be transformed from a fleeting emotion into an enduring way of life” (Goodreads). Yes, I’m reading this again. It’s brilliant and inspirational and this time, I’m sharing the joy with colleagues.
WATCHING:
Cruella on Disney+ — “Before she becomes Cruella de Vil, teenage Estella has a dream. She wishes to become a fashion designer, having been gifted with talent, innovation, and ambition all in equal measures. But life seems intent on making sure her dreams never come true. Having wound up penniless and orphaned in London at 12, 10 years later Estella runs wild through the city streets with her best friends and partners-in-(petty)-crime, Horace and Jasper, two amateur thieves. When a chance encounter vaults Estella into the world of the young rich and famous, however, she begins to question the existence she's built for herself in London and wonders whether she might, indeed, be destined for more after all. When an up-and-coming rock star commissions Estella to design him a signature piece, she begins to feel as though she has truly arrived. But what is the cost of keeping up with the fast crowd- and is it a price Estella is willing to pay?” (IMDb). I loved this movie so much more than I thought I would — the plot, the music, the fashion — so good.
The Chair on Netflix — “At a major university, the first woman of color to become chair tries to meet the dizzying demands and high expectations of a failing English department” (IMDb). As an English major/educator, I can certainly relate to the love of literature, the challenges of being in a department of excellent communicators and critical thinkers, and the nature of what we do looking antiquated in today’s culture and climate. That being said, the show is funny and engaging for academics and non-academics alike.
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy on HBO Max — “Stanley Tucci travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country's regional cuisines. Viewers will go along with him as he enjoys the luxurious creamy carbonara of Rome, the delicious simplicity of Sicily's pasta alla Norma, the saffron-infused silkiness of risotto in Milan, the crispy tenderness of bistecca alla fiorentina, the perfect classic ragu alla bolognese and the world's best pizza in Naples. Tucci comes prepared with a bottomless appetite for it all, showing us how the diversity of Italian cooking offers a gateway through which you can glimpse Italy's history and culture” (IMDb). I loved the scenery, Stanley’s wardrobe, hearing regional Italian accents, and most of all the food. This show made me hungry for Italian cuisine and for travel.
Only Murders in the Building on Hulu — “A comedic murder-mystery series for the ages. Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.” — This is so funny + Sting!
LISTENING TO:
George Winston’s Autumn — a perennial classic and a personal favorite since my days at Marquette.
Live Jimmy Buffett concerts on Margaritaville Radio while enjoying a fire and a beverage on our deck.
FEELING:
Motivated — I hit the 750,000 meter mark this month and am determined to join the Million Meter Club before Christmas.
ENJOYING:
The changes in my garden and finally, the gardenias that struggled all summer long (featured photo).
The beautiful weather — days in the seventies and nights in the fifties. I could enjoy this all year long.
LOOKING FORWARD TO:
An autumn getaway — if only for a weekend and if only to Door County. We need a break.
Decorating for fall with white pumpkins and our new Peanuts Halloween doormat and luncheon plates.
