April Favorites: Literature, Film, Life

Life

May 1

Looking at April via the films, books, and content I consumed.

The Neon Demon. I’ve started writing an essay about The Neon Demon and it’s implications of women’s bodies, as well as how it is a proponent of the male gaze in regards to the fashion industry. I think it’s a fascinating film, that’s for sure, but the tight container that it is constructed in is fascinating to deconstruct.
Funny Face. We had to watch this in my costume and fashion in film class. It was our representative of the 1950s, Audrey Hepburn, and the power of fashion journalism in the era. I liked it because of Audrey and how it depicted the 1950s industry, but I absolutely hated her relationship with the photographer. He just straight up makes out with her right after meeting, and that’s not charming.
Jackie: A Tale of Two Sisters. I’ve been on a major historical documentary kick, especially if they’re about women. I thought this documentary was interesting because of how it focuses on the relationship of the sisters, rather than just focusing on Jackie. I didn’t know much about either of them going into this, but now I want to keep reading more about both sisters.
Legally Blonde. It’s corny, but I love it.
The Watermelon Woman. A Black lesbian classic. I loved it, I thought it was an interesting capsule of the nineties, and I thought that it was so interesting that the NEA technically funded this.

Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo. Will be posting a review about this soon, but it’s an interesting insight into Korean society from a feminist lens.
Savage Beauty by Nancy Milford. This is the biography of Edna St. Vincent Millay. This is the one where her only surviving sister at the time was consulted, and it’s so in-depth. I felt so inspired reading this and ended up writing so many poems after reading a single chunk of it.
Obit by Victoria Chang. I first encountered this collection of poems when I took a death workshop with Brooklyn Poets, and the obituaries we read then I thought were so stunning and beautiful. I find it insane that Chang completely wrote these poems right after her mother’s death, That’s an insane level of productiveness right there.
How to Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. A lot of this I already knew because I’m deep in this hole of creativity for many years now, but it was a nice reminder.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang. A masterpiece. Go read it.
Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi. I read this in one sitting, and I even wrote a book review about (coming much later, stay tuned). I thought it was very good, especially since I’m snobby about YA fiction.

Interviews by Mary H.K. Choi. Even before I read Yolk, I thought that Mary H.K. was so cool. This kick started out when I randomly signed up for a Books are Magic event, with Jenny Han and Mary. And their conversation was just so good and natural I started looking Mary up and now I’m obsessed.
Eventbrite events. I’ve been stalking the Eventbrite updates for awhile now, and signing up for any event that I’m vaguely interested in. I can feel my mind growing bigger and my creativity is thriving solely because of this I think.
My new desk! Found it at Goodwill and now I’m getting so much work done. It was the perfect setup I never knew I needed.
Sunlight. I was a lump on a log until I got this desk. Now I’m sitting up next to my window and I can feel my serotonin levels slowly restoring.
Red lipstick. It just makes me feel better about myself. I don’t wear makeup for anyone but myself, but red lipstick makes me feel like who I truly am.
Blue light blocking glasses. I spend most of my time on a computer, so in order to not ruin my eyesight, I use these bad boys more often. It’s prevented a lot of headaches, so I think they work well.
Khachapuri. I made this Georgian delight, and it was so, so delicious. 10/10.