Happy Fourth! I hope you’re awash in sparklers and mayonnaise-based salads. I meant to send this Friday, but sometimes it’s all right, even therapeutic, to marinate in slack.
In recent weeks I’ve been to festival screenings for the short films DENNY BARRACUDA (which I wrote) and CONTINUITY ERRORS (which I wrote/directed). Cheers to the friends and thrill-seekers who came out to the New York City Independent Film Festival and AwesomeCon. If you haven’t seen the films, they’re online here and here for FREE!
Also of note:
** the cure at madison square garden **
Thousands came out to see The Cure at MSG, but for some wonderfully strange reason, Robert Smith only sang to me. The long set covered the band’s 45-year career and delighted my kid, who now has a rad first concert story for the great-grandchildren.
Smith has evolved into a lovable goth magi, kind and yet commanding enough to do what no one else could: persuade Ticketmaster to give refunds. Whatever voodoo is in his Yoo-hoo, it’s doing a first-rate job of maintaining his voice and hero status. Couldn’t score tix? You can still buy the merch.
** black mirror, season 6 **
No spoilers, but I thought it was interesting that this season leans heavily on classic horror and the past — I guess the present is terrifying enough. Also, Josh Hartnett has transformed from a cute ‘n’ steady caterpillar into a butterfly who can operate heavy machinery and weep beneath an oak tree. And if Netflix ever launches a show called Whitney Is Awful, I’d like to be played by an AI Jessica Tandy.
** a life of one’s own by joanna biggs **
I’m glad I picked up this memoir/biography, in which Biggs rereads the work of nine women authors (including Sylvia Plath, Toni Morrison, Mary Wollstonecraft and Simone de Beauvoir) and puts them in the context of her present-day life. It’s beautifully written and reminds us how we discover many of these writers in high school and college — and then forget details about their lives/works that become more relevant as we age. My to-read list is now plump with classics.
** the bear, season 2 **
Again, no spoilers — but somehow this show topped itself. This season at least two episodes are platinum-level masterful, and it’s too bad I don’t write headlines for a living anymore, because I’d have a field day with all the potential puns.
Anyway, if you haven’t watched, believe the hype: This show is sweet and savory, a deep dish of succulent storytelling, hearty and well-seasoned, now it’s really cooking with gas. (Also, R.E.M. is all over the soundtrack, be still my hungry heart.)
** the little mermaid **
Halfway through watching the newest adaptation with my kid, I realized that somehow I hadn’t seen the original and had no idea what would happen next. With that bizarre fact in mind, I had a good time, though I suggest you hit the bathroom when the bird starts singing.
** revlon hair dryer **
Is the rest of the world in on this “It’s a brush AND it’s a hair dryer!” trend? I wasn’t, but now I’ll never look back. If you wanna feel fancy and/or would like to teach your child how to dry their own long hair, get your hands on a Revlon One Step Volumizer and Hair Dryer (which I’m not getting paid to talk about, but I wish I were). It cost me $40 on Amazon.
I still draw diary comix every day! I post them on patreon.com/whitneymatheson. My dad digs swords and helmets.
And we’re off! In a few days I’m heading to my little cabin in the woods to write, so I’ll see you at the other end of the calamine bottle. Thank you for reading.
your favorite waste of time,
whitney wollstonecraft
‘The Bear’ has an amazing soundtrack. I’m getting a lot of late 80’s vibes and had to download some of The Psychedelic Furs.