Has it been a long time since we spoke? I’m not sure. I live outside of time now, where there are no deadlines, wrinkles or sports. Please join me. You can be the mayor.
Last weekend I saw the new Andy Warhol show at The Brant Foundation, a stunning mansion of a space in the East Village. Man alive, it blew me away — I mean, look at this photo I took:
Titled Thirty Are Better Than One, the exhibition includes more than 100 works: giant canvases, small early drawings, famous bits like Marilyn/soup and lots in between. I posted more pics on Instagram. Take a trip, tickle your mind.
Above is a photo of my studio, where I’m still trying to write a book. Every time I finish a chapter, I pin it to the wall.
Have you tried …
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (in theaters) and Judy Blume Forever (on Amazon) are just what I’d hoped. I took my kid to see Margaret and was teary-eyed within the first five minutes.
I saw poet Eileen Myles read from their new book, A “Working Life.” One of these days I wanna take a Mylesian voyage to Marfa to make my masterpiece.
Patti Smith is rocking her Substack with a month of video messages/tutorials devoted to Arthur Rimbaud.
Maggie Smith’s new memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, is so lovely and heartfelt and, as a bonus, she references several bands that convince me we could be best friends.
At the risk of sounding like an out-of-touch grayhair, the kids are on to something with Fred Again, whose ambient album with Brian Eno is a good shh-I’m-working soundtrack.
Dave is back on Hulu/FXX with weirdness and laughs and wait, is that Don Cheadle?
I just started watching the mockumentary series Jury Duty, which has sparked the James Marsden Renaissance.
Jeff Hiller is sublime on HBO’s Somebody Somewhere. He talks about that and small, expensive shirts on the latest episode of Drew Droege’s Minor Revelations podcast. (That episode also features the incomparable Naomi Ekperigin, who reveals that a) she hates drinking water; and b) has seen every episode of American Dad.)
David Marchese (love his interviews) talked to author/artist Jenny Odell, and if you only read one answer, scroll to the last one, in which she defines the meaning of life.
Jesse Thorn talked to Alan Ruck about playing Connor on Succession. I hear the show ends with the reveal that they’re all in purgatory.
I’m still posting diary comics at patreon.com/whitneymatheson.
I’m so happy to own this work by Miguel Ayuso! As soon as I saw it at the recent Arts Gowanus auction, I planned to bid like a fiend until it was mine.
Recently I visited one of the oldest public libraries in the U.S., the Providence Athenaeum. Once my time comes, just bury me inside that statue on the left. No one will know.
Here’s a shot I took of Oliver Ackermann of A Place to Bury Strangers, aka the loudest band in the world. Ollie and I went to high school together. He once made me a mix tape that included “Disco Mystic,” the most ridiculous song Lou Reed ever recorded.
And hoo-ah, my film Continuity Errors is an official selection of AwesomeCon Film Fest! It will screen in Washington, D.C. on June 17, which also happens to be my parents’ 51st wedding anniversary.
Well, I’m spent. Have a rad weekend, and thanks for reading! I will name my newest freckle in your honor.
xo
Whitney Wambsgans
Love Naomi! I’m seeing her live on Tuesday, which I think is my 4th or 5th time seeing her live.