weekly wrap-up 1: on the merits of poetry, fleetwood mac and the met gala
the first week of may brings a taurus new moon, my half birthday and the first rays of summer
Growing up in London, May is the month that marks the transition between the seemingly-eternal bleak, gray winter to the vibrancy of summer. The shift in seasons has no liminal space, the fabled technicolors of autumn and spring are non-existent here. Like something out of a fairytale, one day you wake up and everything is perfect.
May marks the waning days of the school calendar, the incandescent evenings that make the days seem eternal, and the reintroduction of florals to both nature and my wardrobe.
In the words of John Burroughs, “all the world is glad with May.”
To me, May connotes fresh starts in a way that January is supposed to. Fittingly, I have decided to expand my “weekly wrap-up” series (found on my tiktok -literatihaven!!!) to a longer form newsletter that will be posted on Sundays or Mondays or Tuesdays (I’ll keep you guessing). This is the first installment.
reading
Why Americans Hate the Media - James Fallows
When Writers Silence Writers - George Packer
ElevenLabs Is Building an Army of Voice Clones - Charlie Warzel
Milk’s Identity Crisis - Isabel Fattal
Poetry Is an Act of Hope - Maya Chung
When Poetry Could Define a Life - Adam Kirsch
How Daniel Radcliffe Outran Harry Potter - Chris Heath
The Diminishing Returns of Having Good Taste - W. David Marx
Are White Women Better Now? - Nellie Bowles
listening
Gypsy - Fleetwood Mac
Walking down the street, looking at the cherry blossoms and listening to this song is a treasured new addition to my morning routine. I love this song so much it’s insane.
coast2coast - Dominic Fike
I’ve been listening to Dominic Fike since he was uploading music to SoundCloud from house arrest. I think that his 14 minutes EP perfectly shows the unique presence he has on the music industry. I had the pleasure of seeing him (and his curls, RIP) live earlier this year, and his stage presence is insane. Love him.
MILLION DOLLAR BABY - Tommy Richman
My entire friend group is currently obsessed to this song. It is the soundtrack to all of our outings. Truly our song of the summer.
watching
Riverdale Season 1
Guys, do NOT judge me for this. After watching Carley Thorne (uncarley)’s 2 hour recaps on this show, I just had to watch it again. I genuinely think that the first season of Riverdale is straight-up fantastic TV. Yes, the slang is seriously dated. Yes, the styling choices are borderline atrocious. Yes, the CoverGirl product placement is so obvious that it hurts. Still, I think the Riverdale falls into the perfect vibe of a kind of out-of-place, vague time period reminiscent of A Series of Unfortunate Events or The Mysterious Benedict Society. That being said, I do choose to ignore the later seasons of this show.
Eva Meloche’s YouTube
Eva Meloche is my favorite YouTuber by far. I love her overall aesthetic, and with finals season coming up, I need some study motivation. I highly recommend her if you’re in need of a gently motivating watch. I just adore her.
The Latest Emergency Intercom Episode
Yes, this newsletter is inspired by media of the week. I’ve been tapping into Emergency Intercom from the very beginning, and it’s a ritual for me to listen to the latest episode while getting ready to go out. This one made me pause my makeup routine to laugh out loud. Honestly top 10 episodes of all time.
obsessing
Taylor Russell + Lana Del Rey Met Gala
I LOVE these looks so much. I will not sit here and pretend to be a fashion connoisseur, but I would consider myself to be a person with taste. Therefore, the Met Gala is my Super Bowl. Jonathan Anderson and Loewe killed it with her ensemble. The wooden bodice leading into the cream skirt is beyond beautiful. I also love the details in her makeup. Lana’s return to the Met Gala did not disappoint. She managed to maintain her personal aesthetic while still perfectly aligning with the theme. A vision.
Kendrick vs Drake
I cannot verbalize how deeply invested I am in this beef. I am personally Team Kendrick (after meet the grahams i don’t see how you couldn’t). This is everything to me, K.Dot is truly going for the kill.
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night - Dylan Thomas
This poem is framed on the bathroom wall of the pub down the street from my friend’s house. This poem has seen my tears, my laughter and my love. This poem will forever be associated with the golden days of my youth for my friends and I.
One of my favourite poems!
if i had an obsessing list your weekly wrap up would be on mine