What We’re Into Now
Reading: A Kind of Intimacy by Jenn Ashworth (former LDS novelist, currently working on a book about a missionary returning to his family in the Preston area of the UK), Cinema 1: The Movement-Image by Gilles Deleuze (brilliant elucidation of time, singularity and machines by the great 20th-century philosopher).
Watching: Ultramarathon Man - A movie on the feat by Dean Karnazes to run 50 marathons in 50 states on 50 consecutive days. Self-obsessed, but ultimately loveable and inspiring.
Listening: Eels (Going to see them tonight - very exciting - I've liked them since I was a teenager and never seen them live until now), Hot Chip, Ice Cube (Yes, I know - strange for a Yorkshireman - but so many of his tracks on the War and Peace album have the PERFECT tempo for my running).
Eating: Small meals of 300 calories, six times a day. Tinned fish, rice pudding, low fat yoghurt, bananas and lots of skimmed milk. Chunks of espresso chocolate that Helen got me for my birthday.
Blogs: The London Review of Books archive (always brilliant writing). John Kynaston's ultra running diary
Reading: How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer by Sarah Bakewell. Just finished listening to Ian Fleming’s Dr. No , read by Simon Vance from audible.com, and now seeking atonement for such literary sin by listening to Vance also read The Brothers Karamazov .
Watching:Using all of his cultural indulgences purchased by watching Bart Ehrman’s 4-part lecture series "The Historical Jesus," Ed is now watching Burn Notice, Season Four (after a failed attempt to watch Big Love, Season One).
ListeningTurning the heart of the father to his children, Ed is vicariously listening to "Pumped Up Kicks.” by Foster the People (and finally understanding the darkly ironic lyrics), while also visiting the sins of the father upon his children by insisting on playing The Cooltrane Quartet’s numerous jazzy covers of rock songs.
Eating:Kosher grilled brie on sourdough with a Georgia peach.
Reading: State of Wonder, Ann Patchett's new novel. Just like Bel Canto and her previous novels, this book feels like it was written with both words and gossamer thread + The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
Watching: Reruns of "Kitchen Nightmares" (cause I love me some Gordon Ramsay straight talk) and "Charlie & Lola" episodes (because I want my children to morph into darling brits who eat their veg and play nicely with each other)
Listening: the new TV on the Radio album "Nine Types of Light," the new Glee Warbler's compilation (for my kids!!) and the new Bon Iver album, conveniently titled "Bon Iver."
Eating: huge quantities of fresh cherries, corn on the cob dripping in butter and box mix yellow cake with nutella instead of frosting.
Blogs: designmom.com. (the best of the Mormon mommy blogs, IMO), Mark Bittman's NY Times opinion page food blog and stuffwhitepeoplelike.com
Mormon in the Cheap Seats (MCS) (Archive | Brent)
This column, written by Brent D. Beal, is about being a Mormon in the metaphorical cheap seats (or, as some refer to it, a “skeptical” Mormon, or maybe even a “ecumenical” Mormon, or pick your adjective--Jack, Open, New Order, Uncorrelated, Post, Middle-Way, etc.).
Reading:I recently thought I should join the masses so I picked up The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Also purchased recent edition of New American Painters, featuring my dad Jerry Cutler starting on page 52. Reading The Swiss Family Robinson to my 5 year old.
Watching: not really watching much right now (summer TV fast) but catching episodes of She-Ra Princess of Power that my daughter is devouring on NetFlix. I started watching Little Shop of Horrors (1986), but felt guilty wasting time since I've seen it so many times. I recently found out there was orginally a totally different, disturbing ending, so now I'll need to go find that version and watch it.
Listening: I'm sad I won't be able to see Erasure when they come to Atlanta since I'll be in Florida for my class reunion, so I've been reacquainting myself with them on iTunes. Also recently really tried to like a version of Bridge Over Troubled Water by Elvis, but I just couldn't.
Eating: Garden produce... a lot of grilled yellow squash and cucumbers. Hoping that one day I'll like tomatoes so I can enjoy the ones my husband's garden is producing. Veggie Sticks, Oats and Dark Chocolate granola bars, fried goat cheese on a salad.
Blogs: The Exponent, Vintage Ric Rac and The Mother Huddle
Reading: Goodbye, I Love You by Carol Lynn Pearson for the fourth time. It gets better every time. God is not Christian: And Other Provocations by Desmond Tutu, Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney - summer beach lit.A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza, Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult and Oxygen by Carol Cassella.
Watching: nothing (see reading list for the last month to understand why).
Listening: see "watching"
Eating: all sorts of amazing/weird foods at funky Austin eateries featured on Man V. Food
Blog: Unnecessary Quotes
Stumbled upon this blog that makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it.
Reading: Room by Emily Donoghue, Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver.
Watching: Atlanta FMLS
Listening: Our rental car had satellite radio, so caught up on some old forgotten faves like Billy Idol, Blondie, Pet Shop Boys. Just saw Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers live, plans to see Erasure this fall!
Eating: Been in SLC for a couple of weeks eating Utah delicassies - cinnamon bears, Crown Burger and Cafe RIo
Blogs: not much leisure internet time while vacationing - I've been using most of it on Pinterest, clicking through to blogs that catch my eye with a great image.
The Sanctuary (About | Archive | Erin | Laurie)
This column explores the big questions of life and the connections between body, mind, and soul.
Reading: The Kind Diet, by Alicia Silverstone, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan, The Gift, poems by Hafiz.
Watching: 127 hours, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, So You Think You Can Dance (FWDing to the good parts).
Listening: Podcast: Rick Bayless with Joey Altman on The Commonwealth Club of California , Podcast: Mormon Stories -- Joanna Brooks on Mormon Identity
Eating: Mangos and avocados and less and less meat, dairy and eggs, The best chocolate layer cake EVER (made for son's birthday) Recipe here
Blogs: Yoga Modern, Sadie Nardini,Tracey Clark
Reading: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (Delicious -- A man who can talk to cats, surrealism and moments of haunting poetry), The Places That Scare You by Pema Chodron (Rereading. A lot of places scare me.)
Watching: Not very much. Some documentaries on Modern British Art, Wallander, a Swedish procedural drama.
Listening: Pulp, Black Kids, CSS
Eating Tomatoes with fresh basil and mozzarella drizzled with olive oil. Loads of cherries.
Blogs:the Paris Review, The Other Emily, The Guardian -- for all the breathless (and sometimes gleeful) coverage of the News of the World/Murdoch empire scandal.
Love this list, guys!!
Andy, how do you manage the 300 calorie meals with your kids? I have a hard time meshing my eating with my kids’ eating . . .
Ed, you just couldn’t stomach Big Love? We watched a couple seasons and were amused/entertained, but then lost interest.
Erin, I read Bel Canto years ago. Didn’t love it. It felt like work to slog through that book. So now I’m feeling sheepish to hear that you loved it.
Mel, are you liking The Room? I keep seeing it in bookstores . . .
Laurie, I loved that Mormon Matters podcast with Joanna Brooks and co. So much good food for thought there.
@Heather, I quite liked Bel Canto, although, I can’t say it stuck with me. I think Room is definitely worth a read — quick-paced and cleverly done.
Big Love just came on TV over here — there’s a channel called Sky Atlantic that basically plays HBO shows. I sort of made it through the first season, but it didn’t really take. Not a matter of being able to stomach it, I just haven’t found the characters that compelling, especially Bill. I think I needed to have more of a hook with Bill.
You mean you didn’t like Bill playing the role of Bill Paxton?? I think he’s a terrible actor and I’m not typically sensitive to that.
I just watched Apollo 13 and minded him less in that than I have in other things, but still–he’s JUST the same in every movie. Kinda like Kevin Costner and Julia Roberts and . . .
Oh, the kids eat lots… actually, a lot of their calories in a day come from a big breakfast and lunch – they have LOTS (I mean, large adult portions) of porridge in the morning… and it just means they’re not so hungry at dinner time.
I just do myself a smaller portion than I used to have. I try to cook meals that I can put leftovers in the fridge for the next day anyway, so it means there’s more for later – less cooking time needed overall!
Andy, you had me at the Eels!!!!!
And you lost me at “tinned fish” … :)
I can’t talk to this many people at once, but I’ll try.
Andy, the “eat less more often” appeals to me, but . . . um . . . does it have any side effects, like . . . um . . . changes to bodily food processing schedules, that is .. um . . . higher frequencies of the same?
Erin: “Nutella, light of my life, heartburn of my esophogas. My sin, my soul. Nu-tell-a: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth, before swallowing a spoonful.”
Claire, try the “Bridge Over Troubled Water” cover by Johnny Cash–it kind of sounds bad too, but in a really good way.
Heather, The constant household bedlam, the creepy fundamentalist “home teachering” visits and Bill Paxton’s bare rump always being in my face (not sure how that was intended to come off, as a reward to female viewers or to remind male viewers how potentially offensive it can be?) all combined to fail to sustain my interest. Plus, to my ear, the LDS-centric dialogue had a tin pan sound since it had been “translated” for Gentile ears.
Mel, you mention Café Rio, I salivate.
Heidi, mmmmm, caprese salad. If Café Rio had caprese salad I’d move to Utah.
Laurie, thanks for the recipe! I wonder if Café Rio would interested?
“esophagus” that is
Ed, first time through Karamazov? It’s one of my favorites.
Yes–I’ve read Crime & Punishment and several of his short stories, but never the big one.
Ed, not for me – but I’m sure different people have different experiences! :)
Erin, not to brag, but my kids sound a bit like Charlie and Lola.)
Gasp!! I want my kids to sound like Charlie and Lola!!! I want my kids to sound like Heidi’s and Andy’s!!
An aside: Brent’s dissertation advisor was from Spain and his wife was from England. They had a daughter Kennedy’s age. When they were maybe 3, I told them once that I loved listening to their Laura talk because she sounded so cute. They both laughed and said they had made the same observation about Kennedy. My response? Confusion. Kennedy didn’t sound particularly cute because of her accent; she sounded “normal.” ;)
My Marin does a pretty mean British accent, for a southerner, if I may say so. I love to hear her read a Charlie & Lola book aloud. And I love Soren Lorensen (also have a nephew named Soren). And there’s even an Evie (my niece). It was meant to be!
Oh, I am jealous … :)
Heidi, The Paris Review is great, it’s one of the few things that I subscribe to that I actually read when it arrives. . . I’ll have to check out the blog. . .
I almost put cherries on my Eating list too :-)
Ed, I’ll check out the Cash cover- it sounds promising. I’ve always like Cash better than Elvis anyway.