📚 Art I Turn To in Chaotic Times
A short list of movies, books, mixtapes, and more that make my life a little better
I’m currently having a notably emotional night. I’ve been listening to jazz for the last hour and a half and have only recently noticed this playlist is more horror film and less “I’m having the time of my life in this music club,” and for some reason, all I want to do is watch Tina! In our introduction letter, Grace and I briefly touched on my deep love for music documentaries, so I’ll spare you the details, but there are very few scenarios where I would consent to be annihilated the way I do when watching the story of Tina Turner (emotionally of course…but I suppose there are several other things I’d be fine with being destroyed for?). It’s one of those things that you watch, listen to, read, etc., and it just stays with you. Eventually, it becomes a reliable place to return to and access those first feelings again. It’s far from an easy watch, but the storytelling, the emotional honesty, and the raw talent are more than enough to bring me back.
There are quite a few pieces of art I’ve encountered in my life like this and our conversation with Geneva, in addition to this emotionally chaotic week, made me want to share. I don’t want to say much more because I think they all have a way of speaking for themselves- but here’s my list. Or a small part of my list that I’m feeling particularly connected to right now. Enjoy the links, blurbs, and pics.
Tina! - To be clear, my feelings about Tina Turner certainly don’t end with this documentary. There’s so much I love and am fascinated by when it comes to her impact on the world. The music, the outfits, the hair, the dancing, the energy she brings to everything she does- she’s just stunning to watch. But I am a sucker for archives and people narrating their own stories; Especially women, and times a million when it comes to Black women. It’s incredible that she arrived at a place where she was able to voice her own experiences.
Women Who Run With the Wolves - Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a writer, psychologist, post-trauma specialist, and many other impressive titles that would be too long to recount here. Her book Women Who Run With the Wolves spent 145 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list after it was published in 1992. Personally, I’m not too hung up on what the New York Times deems worthy of celebrating (The Daily podcast and NYT recipes excluded), but I think this book deserves an exception. It’s a collection of stories and reflections about womanhood, healing, and the cycles of life. Initially, I felt hesitant to share this as a favorite since a lot of the mainstream discourse about this book I initially found was from white women with feathers in their hair- which tends to be enough for me to turn the other way. However, I’m glad I didn’t. I will not let the people who wear “Namastay in bed” shirts take this from me! In all honesty, this book felt immensely resonant and healing to read. My copy, albeit digital, is full of highlights, aggressive notetaking, and “!!!” in the margins.
One of my five million highlighted quotes: “It is interesting to note that among wolves, no matter how sick, no matter how cornered, no matter how alone, afraid, or weakened, the wolf will continue. She will lope even with a broken leg. She will go near others seeking the protection of the pack. She will strenuously outwait, outwit, outrun, and outlast whatever is bedeviling her. She will put her all into taking breath after breath. She will drag herself, if necessary, just like the duckling, from place to place, till she finds a good place, a healing place, a place for thriving”
No one section can really encapsulate all that I love about this book. Read it yourself if you please.
But You Caint Use My Phone - I love a conceptual album. Mixtape really. But You Caint Use My Phone is fun, experimental, and speaks for itself. So, out of respect, I’m going to shut up. Highly recommend for long dishwashing sessions and particularly upbeat showers. My favorite song is “Hello,” because who’s complaining about an Erykah Badu and Andre 3000 collab? Literally no one.
Tierra Whack’s Whack World - To attempt to create a better review of this video/album than people who actually take the time to comment on Youtube videos would be useless. The dedication is unmatched. They are carrying public opinion and tastemaking as far as I’m concerned. Here are some takes I endorse wholeheartedly.
For Harriet - Do I consider making Youtube videos a form of art? Yes. Does it matter? No, not really. I was going to add Kim from For Harriet to my list regardless. It’s my newsletter post world, and you’re just living in it. Kim is intelligent, thoughtful, and well-researched. At least two of those things are rare in almost all of our media landscape. Also, isn’t learning about social issues through pop culture the fun, accessible counterpart to academia we all deserve? I think yes. This video was one of my favorites in the WAP controversy era (weren’t things so simple then?), but I’d recommend just about anything she creates.
Lastly, The Uses of the Erotic by Audre Lorde - Unintentionally, this feels like a foundational text to many other works I’ve discussed here. I love when things come full circle like this. I’m not going to try to sell you on why you should read Audre Lorde; The first reason being it feels like a given for most people who are remotely interested in reading. The second being I’m writing this during Black History Month, so I’m abstaining from begging as a political act. But this text is essential. Read it, re-read it, lose it, buy it again, and all of the steps that come after that.
Writing this was fun. I hope reading it was too. Are any of these on your favorites list? What am I missing out on? Comment, DM me, yell into a voice note aimed at my phone. I’m flexible.
i know you watched the kanye doc, so im waiting for some high level analysis on that! wonderful writing here, insightful stuff! well read girls of the world!