June Reflections
Doing
Bananagram stories
The dowager aristocrat sipped a tad of liquor at the local eatery as she reminisced about her recent matricide. Already having thrice killed, she had become a recognized wunderkind of murderers - a short fuse and a brazen thirst for vengeance made sure she ran amuck. Her rival is next on her list ; the annoying upstairs neighbor dough boy who insisted on a jam and jive every evening. That night she prowls through the corridor, avoiding his strobe lights and stabs him in his bed. With a pang she quakes, seeing that she has stained the sheets with the glaze of his blood and wonders if she has not filled her quota. That very same moment she packs up her things and escapes to America, hoping the fields of wheat will hold her freedom. She must flip her life around, this voyage is her own journey on the river styx, a brief intermission on her quest to verity.
Boat
It is officially boat season again in New York and I will be taking advantage of it whenever I can! It is such a fun activity to do when it is hot out as you can tan with a refreshing breeze. Don’t worry, I am NOT swimming in the Hudson OR East rivers with all the dead fish and debris.
My BEST Culinary Invention
These are Strawberry-Oatmeal cookies and they are THE BEST thing I have ever baked, I genuinely thought I was going to cry when I tasted them. I have baked them twice so far but I think they will be a staple of my summer because they taste like straight strawberry shortcake. I improvised on a recipe I found online. I will be gatekeeping this recipe forever and share them only in special circumstances thank you.
Reading
Ms Holmes & Ms Watson- Apt 2b by Kate Hamill
I am always a fan of Sherlock Holmes stories - I’ve seen practically every iteration of the shows and movies made about Holmes and Watson and have read some of the stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. This feminist reimagining of their tales by Kate Hamill is funny, witty and quite intriguing. She spins the tale in a way that hasn’t been done before, quite inventive.
Serious money by Caryl Churchill
This play was incredibly confusing to read - It reminded me a bit of Balm in Gilead in the writing style - I am sure it makes more sense or is more easily deciphered when being watched rather than read. This play is about a group of people involved in the stock market who start to unravel parallel to a secret triggered by a suspicious death. However, there isn’t really a strong resolution here, just a quick wrap-up of events and storylines.
She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Wow wow wow I was in shock throughout most of this book. I could not put it down and my jaw was on the floor every 20 pages. I could not believe how invested I was in our heroine’s story, despite this tale being written by a man. Some people truly have shitty lives and Wally Lamb loves to expose the worst that could happen to us.
Seeing
The Menu
I was actually quite excited to finally see this movie because I do greatly enjoy the three leads but… this movie was pretty average. I don’t think this is Anya-Taylor Joy’s best work and Ralph Fiennes played a pretty one dimensional psycho with minimal backstory revelations. Nicholas Hoult is delightful in a character vaguely reminiscent of his role in The Great but overall the film was pretty anti-climactic. Also, I get what they were trying to do with the “title cards” for each meal but it was jarring and took me out of the present moment.
The Woman King
I had put off watching this film for way too long. Viola Davis always hits me right in the feels and this is such an all-star cast there really was no reason NOT to watch it. This film is so badass and the soundtrack SLAPS. The movie is comparative to a lot of Marvel movies I have seen - and in a lot of cases better. The fact that this was inspired by a true story makes it all the more delectable, and they have made these women so easy to root for while still building 3 dimensional characters with growth.
Rock and Roll Man
Where do I even begin… In the first big number alone I winced and flinched at three lifts that looked like they were going to end in injury - but that was the least of this production’s concerns. The script is kitsch and not in a good way - the quality of the acting of every white person they hired is so atrocious it felt like a racist act towards everyone else in the cast. When I wasn’t wondering what was happening I was cringing at the forced moments and the horrendous dialogue.