to be sorted later #6
in which it's time for a new space heater, mostly
Greetings from Chicago, where the wind chills are -20 to -30 degrees. I’m writing this while under two blankets, cursing that I don’t own any fingerless gloves. Simone was briefly adding extra warmth by draping herself across my chest, purring loudly, but alas, my typing disturbed her too greatly to stay.
(The radiators have kicked on, in case you were worrying about me and the cats.)
Yesterday I pulled my space heater out of the closet, ready to transform the living room into a hot yoga studio for day 12 with Adriene, only to be foiled by my past self as I plugged it in and was reminded that it broke last winter. Do not ask me why I chose to put a broken space heater back in the closet or how I had completely forgotten this, because I cannot answer those questions.
What I’m Sorting Through, Currently …
Speaking of the cold …
This was one of my favorite Substack reads this week:
Getting my Niles & Lilith fix.
I’ve been watching “Julia,” and really enjoying learning more about Julia — and Paul — Child, and especially learning more about her editor, Judith Jones. But admittedly, my absolute favorite part of it all is that the show stars David Hyde Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth! Disappointed to hear there won’t be a third season. I felt the show was hitting its stride in season two — I want more! Ahh, well. Looks like my inevitable “Station Eleven” January rewatch is happening.
Juanita & Eileen & Joan & Anita …
Still thinking about Juanita McNeely, and dedicated to my quest of discovering more women artists in 2024.
Current fascination: Argentine-British surrealist Eileen Agar, who, according to The Guardian, “painted scenes of indelible strangeness, constructed collages out of wallpaper, foliage and lino, fashioned ceremonial hats – including one to wear when eating bouillabaisse, made from an upturned cork basket stuck with crustacean shells.” Um, hell yes:
Also newly discovered, thanks to Joan Semmel’s list — Anita Steckel. More to come!
The best 7 1/2 minutes you’ll ever spend?
I gave my nephew Drake a Herbie Hancock record this Christmas, which then inspired me to listen to pretty much exclusively Herbie Hancock around the holidays, which then led me to stumble across, as my brother Jay put it, “maybe the best song of the 20th century” — “Just Around the Corner,” which I have now listened to approximately 5,000 times.
Here it is, enjoy:
She composes & collages!
And last but not least, if you’re on Instagram, consider following along with my brand new collage-centric account? For the latest collage challenge, the theme was “upside down” and I made one starring my youngest niece, Araceli. It started with two pictures taken on my Holga 135BC this summer, one of Araceli taking a photo on my phone of “Double Feature with Short Subject” at the Art Institute, and another that I captured at the Cornish seaside. (The Cornish seaside!? I know!)
Stay warm out there, and as Laura McKowen wrote, remember to take your “stupid Vitamin D.”
previously:
to be sorted later #5
I like to read Haruki Murakami at the start of the year. There’s no real rhyme or reason behind this, other than I find his books magical and strange and absorbing, and he’s written many, so it’s a practice I’m confident I can continue for some time.