Newsletter No. 2: Rock 'n' roll, valley girls, goats, etc.
Howdy, newsletter* friends!
Congratulations on (almost) making it through the week. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed and helped spread the word that, at long last, I have emerged from a sweaty cocoon of child-rearing, teaching and sweet-tea-drinking** to reclaim my passion for comic books and '80s goth rock. Let's get on with it, shall we?
* If you're a new subscriber, to last week's newsletter.
** an Arnold Palmer > sweet tea. Don't fight it!
11 things I'm into right now ...
1. I think my favorite part of the BETTER CALL SAUL finale was the opening scene. Did you see this pic of how the writers mapped out the episode? (Obviously, don't click if you haven't seen it.) If you've been putting off watching this series (like I did), I'm here to say it's worth a fall binge, especially since there isn't much else on right now. And oh, I finally caught up on KIDDING. Catherine Keener, man. She steals the heck outta this and Amazon's FOREVER. And I swear I try to avoid Twitter, but this video offers a cool look into how one super-cool KIDDING moment was made.
2. The HEAVYWEIGHT podcast is back for another season. In each ep, host Jonathan Goldstein tries to help someone resolve something that has been weighing on them. Heavily. Goldstein has kind of a corny uncle vibe that I hope he finds complimentary if he reads this, but the stories are heartfelt and usually much bigger than they seem. In the first ep of the new season, Rob Corddry wants to know why he's the only person in his family who remembers the time he fell and broke his arm. I just listened to the second ep an hour ago, and it made me cry.
3. While procrastinating at a bookstore this week (one of my favorite hobbies), I spent a looooong time looking through all of the new "Best American" anthologies. The one that appeals to me most is THE BEST AMERICAN NONREQUIRED READING 2018. Edited by Sheila Heti, it contains a healthy mix of comics, nonfiction, fiction -- and several things I'd consider required reading, like Alex Tizon's "My Family's Slave" from The Atlantic.
4. I haven't seen A STAR IS BORN (should I? Isn't the movie I picture in my head probably better?), but I did watch MAYA DARDEL, an odd little indie about a 60-something poet who says she's going to disappear as soon as she finds the right young poet to inherit her estate. Some critics loved it, and others absolutely hated it, which makes it my kind of movie. Lena Olin stars, and Rosanna Arquette has a supporting role.
5. Let yourself shake to "Comeback Kid," the new song from Sharon Van Etten. As she explained on Twitter, she took some time off to go to school, have a kid and do some acting. I can relate to 66% of that. New album arrives in January.
6. Jonathan Richman just released a new solo record, SA, and is going on tour. You can buy the album at Blue Arrow Records and/or a tote bag and T-shirt that feature a drawing by Jonathan. They also sell totes with the classic Modern Lovers design, which may help you meet some interesting people at the grocery store.
7. Not only does the fantastic Jordan Crane have a colorful new kids book (WE ARE ALL ME), pretty much everything at Toon Books is worth sharing with the small people in your life. (When I lived in Tennessee, I was grateful our local library had a huge selection of these.) Other recent titles include THE DRAGON SLAYER: FOLKTALES FROM LATIN AMERICA by the one and only Jaime Hernandez.
8. This week I enjoyed reading The Creative Independent's interview with My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields. When asked about the band's high-volume shows, Shields says this: "It might damage your hearing, but ears weren't built to last." Ha! Also, check out Randal Doane's piece for Harper's about seeing Echo & the Bunnymen as an adult, getting old and all of those other things we think about in between plucking our nosehairs and doing our taxes.
9. I used to work alongside the good folks at WMOT, a listener-supported Americana/roots station. You can stream it 24/7, and many of its shows are on Soundcloud. My faves include ELECTRIC WESTERN ('50s and '60s rock 'n' roll that doesn't suck) and LOST SOUNDS, which highlights amazing old blues/bluegrass/everything tunes. If you like what you hear, throw a couple bucks their way.
10. Mark your calendars for Oct. 30, because that's when a) you'll have to put together a shoddy last-minute Halloween costume; and b) the "collector's edition" of VALLEY GIRL arrives on Blu-ray. Bonus features include new interviews and a poster (if you order from ShoutFactory.com). If you haven't seen this movie, just leave work right now and fix the situation.
11. Finally, I'm taking a writing class -- maybe one day I'll finish that screenplay I've been working on since 2003 -- and one of our recent assignments was to write a seven-sentence short story. (You're supposed to write one sentence every day for a week.) What I wrote wasn't life-changing by any means, but if YOU wanna try this exercise and send me your story, I promise to email you mine.
So what are you up to? Shout your own recommendations into the sky so I can hear them.
Good times were had at New York Comic Con, where I moderated a panel for the new DreamWorks Animation series 3BELOW. Left to right: Rodrigo Blaas, lil' me, Marc Guggenheim, Guillermo Del Toro and Chad Hammes. (Not pictured: Diego Luna, Glenn Close and Glenn Close's dog, Pip, who stole the show.)
... And 11 things YOU'RE into right now:
Have you called my pop-culture rec line? (Should I call it the Rec Room? I can't land on a name.) Anyway, dial 929-515-1988 anytime to hear a daily culture recommendation from myself and/or leave your own at the beep. Some of my faves from you guys:
1. The AMC series LODGE 49, which was just renewed for a second season;
2. new music from MILCK;
3. Sam Jones' interview with Sissy Spacek for his podcast/video series, OFF CAMERA;
4. the Instagram feed On Brooklyn Stoops;
5. any news related to the new DUNE movie;
6. Metric's new record, ART OF DOUBT;
7. the webcomic SUBURBAN METAL DAD by D.X. Ferris;
8. Johnny Marr's new record, CALL THE COMET;
9. the improvised musical podcast OFF BOOK;
10. Athens band The Glands, which have an overdue box set out next month; and
11. Fred Schneider impersonations (inspired by my daughter, who did one on the phone).
You guys have impeccable taste!
This week at Greenlight Bookstore I had the pleasure of interviewing writer/artist/fine human Brooke Barker (center), author of SAD ANIMAL FACTS and its new sequel, SAD ANIMAL BABIES. Brooke and her husband, Boaz Frankel (left), also create the IT'S DIFFERENT EVERY DAY calendar, and they say 2019's edition is the best one yet!
Last week I shared my grandmother's recipe for shrimp jambalaya. Shout-out to @BIGBUSINESS for actually making it! Mmm.
I saw some cool goats at the Bronx Zoo last weekend. The one on the left resembles Michael Shannon, while the one on the right is more of a Steve Buscemi.
Before I go ...
- Tell people to sign up for this newsletter by going to WhitneyMatheson.com and scrolling to the bottom of the page.
- My logo still sucks, but there are bigger things to grumble about.
- Is there something you'd like to see in my future newsletters or life choices? Feedback is welcome.
- Finally, please never use the words "adult" or "journal" as verbs.
With sweetness and lightning,
*beckons you closer*
Whitney
Daniel Birnbaum: "What time is it on the sun?"
Miranda July: "Hot-o’clock."