Majarete, Murder on the Orient Express, and Typhoid Mary: June Favorites
July 4th, 2020
At the end of Hamilton, Eliza Schuyler, portrayed by Phillipa Soo, looks out into the audience and gasps. There are tears in her eyes. Though the show in its entirety is stunning, it is this moment that solidifies the experience for me. I wonder what Eliza sees when she looks at us. I wonder if that cry is one of pride in how far we've come, or one of horror. We have so much further to go. George Floyd. I can't breathe. Breonna Taylor. Say her name. Mississippi's changing their flag. Reform is on the horizon. But I wonder how Eliza feels. I wonder how Phillipa Soo dissected and pieced her character back together. I suppose I feel similarly; I'm not sure whether to be proud or horrified at my world. I'm not sure if they must exist mutually, those two states of being, or if they have the capacity to work in tandem. I hope it's the latter; that's a much happier way of looking at it.
Years ago, on the Fourth of July, my grandparents and uncle and cousin would come over. This was back when they all lived in the same place, and were whole in the same ways. Papa'd grilled his famous ribs and Abby let watermelon juice gush between her teeth and a new freckle kissed my shoulder with each passing minute. It was summertime. We felt alive. When the sun dropped below the silhouette of our nondescript suburb, we'd run to the circle park. Just down the street from my house, it's a strange juxtaposition of a place: empty beer bottles, complementary doggie poo bags, smoldering cigarette stubs, statuesque benches. Kids grow up there. Teenagers get out of cars there, shake hands, and go home to numb it all out. But framed in the nostalgic vignette of childhood, the circle park seemed so pure. This was before the neighborhood across the street bled into the field behind the park, so we had a clear view of all the firework shows. It was quiet, aside from the periodic pops and bangs and cicada song. It felt so personal, like the world made that field just for us, like these sorts of summer nights were intentional gifts from the universe.
I don't believe the universe has a plan for us. I do not believe in gods, or in God. But it was a nice thought, besides.
Tonight, I open my blinds and try to make out red and silver and blue stars. But all I can see is a sea of identical houses, neutral tones, three car garages. Suburbia is the perfect metaphor for this holiday, in a way; futile attempts to unite people under a single banner, under a single HOA-approved paint chip. The American Dream: the freedom to be just like everyone else.
And I wonder if this holiday is more celebration or call to action. Are we meant to merely reminisce on where we've been, or ought we look forward, too? And does it matter how each individual would answer? Does that say something?
P.S. I watched Hamilton on Disney+. Obviously. All the theatres and operas and auditoriums are empty; all of the phantoms are either lonely (or throwing ragers) nightly, a non-existent God their only witness. That picture makes me happy.
Here are my June favorites:
Recipes:
- Nigerian Beef Stew - this can be made vegetarian, if you want. It is amazing.
- Gluten-free fried matzoh; check out my video to see how it's made!
- Locrio de Pollo - The Dominican Arroz con Pollo.
- Majarete - a Dominican Corn Pudding... mmmm.
Music:
- "America" by Sufjan Stevens
- "She Lit A Fire" by Lord Huron
- "Only You" by Jimi Charles Moody
- "Dishes in the Kitchen" by Lauv
- "Falling for You" by Sam Pinkerton
- "Another Story" by The Head and the Heart
- "Like I Loved You" by Caribou
- "A Few Brief Moments" by Yoste
- "Love Somebody" by Lauv
- "Still" by The Japanese House
Books:
- White Fragility by Robin D'Angelo (non-fiction)
- A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (fantasy)
- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (contemporary realistic fiction)
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (contemporary realistic fiction)
- The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren (romance, comedy)
- The Whisper Man by Alex North (thriller)
- Lovely War by Julie Berry (historical fiction, romance)
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (non-fiction)
- Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness (memoir)
- The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli (memoir, nonfiction)
- Having Our Say by the Delany Sisters (memoir)
- With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (contemporary realistic fiction)
- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (mystery)
Podcasts:
- Wondery's Murder in Hollywoodland
- Jubilee's Radical Empathy
- Ariel Bissett and Raeleen Lemay's Books Unbound
- 88 Cups of Tea
- Karsten Runquist's Karstcast
- David Tennant's David Tennant Does A Podcast With...
Movies:
- 13th, written and directed by Ava DuVernay
- Ford v. Ferrari, directed by James Mangold (make sure to watch the bonus features on how the film was made.)
- The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, directed by David France
- Lady Bird, written and directed by Greta Gerwig
- You've Got Mail, written and directed by Nora Ephron
- A Secret Love, directed by Chris Bolan
Movies I Want to Stream, ASAP:
- Her, directed by Spike Jonze
- 20th Century Women, directed by Mike Mills
- Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins
- The Florida Project, directed by Sean Baker
- Disclosure, directed by Sam Feder
- Frida, directed by Julie Taymor
Fun Fact:
Did you know that sparklers can burn at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit?!
YouTube:
- The Take; analysis for film & tv fans.
- Read with Cindy; bookish content, but really funny.
- The Artisan Geek; all things geeky and insightful, with an emphasis on diversity in media.
- Plasma Master Don; the most wholesome song covers you'll see in your entire life.
Other Things I'm Interested In:
- Typhoid Mary
- Yale's free African American History course
- Penn's free course on Hollywood History
- Frostbeard Studio candles - I'm mildly obsessed...
- How J.K. Rowling's books directly combat her own, um, icky beliefs.
- Whether or not the traditional four-year college trajectory is the right path for me.
- This 100% Female Film Fest (can submit movies up to age 25)
- Buy books second-hand on Thriftbooks!
Hope you're well! Happy July.
Love,
Maya
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