009. Leftover Reliquary
Hello friends,
"Leftovers" is quite an apocalyptic word, even in the context of a post-holiday feast. I write to you now with a belly full of warm soup and a trash bag sitting on our fire escape. I usually equate leftovers with bleach white bones, scraps of flesh, the bits that can't be pressed into the teeth of a fork. For this week's letter, I consider the rinds, the geologic residues, the traces of fabric we floss from our teeth. Enjoy. //
TOUCH
Call Me By Your Name. I have so many thoughts about this book. How I wish I could spend a summer in Italy, eating peaches, lounging on the beach. I don't want to go into too much detail about why I loved this book (I devoured it in just two days), but I'd highly recommend if you're looking for a queer romance which will leave your heart aching and sore. When I finished, I closed the book and exhaled, paused to collect myself. Yeah, it's that kind of novel. Expect a movie review (hopefully) next weekend.
The day after Thanksgiving, my family and I drove to Salem. I went to the Peabody Essex Museum (which had an amazing exhibit on science fiction and horror posters, as well as a great collection of contemporary and ancient Chinese and Japanese art). After walking around, I went into a couple of Wiccan stores (when in Salem) and picked up these three items. Shungite is an ancient healing stone, used to shield the body from electromagnetic radiation and neutralize toxins in the body. Desert Rose is a type of Selenite stone also meant for healing, although much gentler and is designed to help with decision-making. The dagger is one of the primary tools in Wiccan practice, for directing energy during rituals. Symbolic of fire, the dagger is an object of strength and control. Just what I need as the end-of-semester stress looms.
LOOK
Ashley G. Garner is a conceptual filmmaker and photographer (shoutout to the algorithms of Instagram for leading me to her). Her work examines mythic identities at the intersection of the scientific and the surrealist, operating on a kind of poetic duality across her beautifully rendered pieces. One of my favorite series has to be Mermaid Food (it's been on my mind since I scrolled past some photos she posted). There's something so utterly divine and gothic about these photographs, the way bone and pulpy flesh and gore are mapped across skin. Obviously, it should remind you of the tales spread by sailors, of cruel sharklike feminine beings (and I'm also thinking about the grisled poems of Aase Berg). I'd highly recommend checking out the rest of her work, including her series The Book of Ancient Records and Faeryland.
I first came across Jesse Ng's work on Instagram. She draws these beautiful slices and cross-sections of landscape, terrain so gracefully mutated that becomes an alien, crystalline mass. I adore her softened use of color both in her paintings and intricate drawings. A kind of unnatural history. In a recent interview, she described the earth as "a big delicious cake." You can check out the rest of her work here.
In something-that-made-me-laugh news, I've been researching the many shapes and sizes of coprolite. Coprolites are fossilized feces, a type of trace fossil that is literally dinosaur shit. Coprolites are particularly helpful for palaeontologists because they offer unique insight into an organism's behaviour through their diet at the time. Over the years, most of the fossil's composition has been replaced by silicates, calcium phosphates, and calcium carbonates hence their rock-like appearance. So far, studying coprolites has led to breakthroughs in the history of human cannibalistic behaviour, parasites, migration patterns, and discover extinct food organisms. You can also purchase prettier-looking mineralized pieces in the form of jewellery.
I recently came across Andrei Tarkovsky's Polaroid photography. Although the book of images, Instant Light, retails for about $150 (why??), I've had a lot of luck finding most of his original photos on the Internet. Tarkovsky was fascinated by the passage of time and the Polaroids act as his attempt to pause the hours, and the lights and shadows that transform with it. There's something melancholy about these photos, most of which were taken both in his native Russian and his time spent in Italy under political exile. They could be stills from one of his movie. You can see some more of the photographs here or check out this video slideshow.
LISTEN
As I'm typing this, I'm enjoying the sweet, energetic beats of Yaeji. I saw her DJ over the summer but I finally got around to listening to her new EP. Each of these tracks is utterly infectious, the right balance between mellow and danceable that's perfect for sweat-soaked parties in the dead of winter. My personal favorite? The bite of "raingurl" ("mother Russia in my cup / and my glass is fogging up). Give it a listen, along with her most recent mix for Dazed .
One song I've had stuck in mad (thanks to resuming my Tumblr scrolling) is "Waiting Room" by Fugazi. I haven't had the chance to have the apartment to myself yet but its safe to say that at some point I'll be dancing around shouting, "I AM A PATIENT BOY / I WAIT I WAIT I WAIT I WAIT". This song is not just a reminder of my angry Hot Topic phase, but a great stress reliever tune after dealing with family over the holidays.
I know I mentioned Clairo in my last newsletter, but I couldn't resist including this mix called "Done Witchu" I came across earlier today. Granted, this is more of a playlist than a mix because she doesn't tweak the tracks too much, but they flow together really well. A vibrant mix of chill rap, perfect for lounging around the house or putting it on as you drive in the car.
Outside Magazine's podcast has a great series of "dispatches", stories about humanity's relationship with nature. In this particular episode, "Can Humans Outrun Antelope?" follows Scott Carrier and his brother Dave, an evolutionary biologist who created an interesting theory about how humans were able to survive (spoiler: it involves the way we run and our endurance levels). In the episode, Scott recounts how he and Dave sought out to prove that theory, determined to prove humanity's potential for evolutionary survival. A great piece about brotherly bonds and good ol' fashioned animal chasing.
LICK
Perhaps one of my favourite videos of all time, I'd highly recommend watching this video about the Washing Machine Collectors Club. These washing machine enthusiasts travel across the country to use each other's rare or discontinued washing appliances. The high water bill looks like its definitely worth it.
In fashion-related news, I quite enjoyed Moncler Gamme Rouge's S/S 18 collection. In a mix of airy, sheered fabric and more softly structured knits, the ballet theme is nice but not overwhelming. Not every design completely works for me, but the ones that do remind me of when I used to take ballet lessons when I was little, standing up straight and picking wedgies out of my leotard. Also, I don't really object to leg warmers as a fashion trend. You can check out more photos here.
Tabloid Art History is exactly what it sounds like and more. This brilliant Twitter account pairs iconic images of Old Masters, modern art, and everything in between with images from contemporary pop culture (think: Kardashians, Real Housewives, and Rihanna). These poetic compositions are not only amusing enough to retweet, but they are indicative of the greater "art form" which has emerged as we meticulously document the lives of celebrities (from red carpets and award shows to the camp of reality TV drama) across the Internet.
SOJII (fronted by lovely friend Valerie) recently dropped a music video for their song "Dowry Death". This video (and the track, of course) absolutely fizzle and pop. I love the colours, the over-the-top editing, the disorientation nature of it all. They have a new EP coming out in December (whoa!!) and you should check them out if slimy punk is a thing you enjoy.
I'll wrap up this section with some ~*minimalist poetry*~ by Clark Coolidge. Influenced by jazz, his poetry's strength is in its sonic construction, in the bounces and grammatical rhythms as you read. He's not the easiest poet to read (luckily he also uses more traditional stanza forms if the visuals are disorienting and some of his poems are more coherent than others). I've been thinking of them as puzzles to be picked apart and reassembled and so far that's really helped me enjoy his work! If you're interested in taking some of his poems for a test drive, you can read them here (along with some essays and lectures and unpublished works).
CLICK
I first came across Kristin Valdez Quade's short story Christina the Astonishing (1150-1124) in the New Yorker over the summer. I remember devouring it over the course of a single subway ride, nearly missing my own stop just to make sure I got to the end. This is a story you can't just read, you have to throw your organs into it, about sisters and sainthood and what it means to exist as both terrible and divine. I'd also recommend reading the story first before looking into the history behind it. An excerpt: "Christina was dead, and now she’s alive, eyes shocked and glittering. She perches above us in her gray shift, straddling the beam, dangling two thin legs. Her face is contorted, her color rising, as she wails down at us. She grips the beam, her long fingers pressed so hard against the wood—splintered and rough with adze marks—that afterward they will be bloody."
I first started reading Peach Mag over the summer after a poet I follow on Twitter shared a piece she'd published on there. Ever since, its been a source of writerly inspiration, a place I turn to when I'm looking for new reading material or poets to add to my reading list. Their editorial staff does a truly phenomenal of curating writers who have a unique, engaging voice and unfraid to be honest or to take risks as they seek out poetic revelation or construct their narratives. They publish a mix of stories and poems so there's a bit for everyone. Take a break from journaling and take a relaxing scroll through their published pieces.
Diane Arterian's poem Tarot poem (I don't know the exact title) fascinates me in its instructional construction. I'd never considered generating a piece of writing from drawing tarot cards, but she executes it in such a lovely way. After drawing the cards, she created a 'set' of words, forming a poem through the definitions of the cards themselves. It's tempting me to experiment (although through my own iteration/set of rules). It's not so much a poem as a performative exercise and I don't know, I just liked the lightness of it.
//
Okay, I'm ending this now because I have to meet friends n dash off to the movies as a treat for making it through this week. I love you all. You will hear from me again (hopefully) this sunday!
Love,
Ellie