It was colder in central Indiana yesterday than it was in Anchorage, Alaska.
Having now experienced two winters where my wet hair doesn’t freeze the moment I go outside, I don’t have to go to school in a blizzard, and “a hard snow” melts in a few hours, I can honestly tell you that I don’t know how I survived the first 22 years of my life.
Anyway, as our gift to you as we enter arguably the worst month of the year, today you’ll find our version of a baker’s dozen. An extra cookie when you were expecting only one. A free drink, if you will. That’s right, we have a guest writer. Today, a third perspective is thrown into the mix with our friend Alyson bringing you a bonus rec for your enjoyment. Bon Appetit.
-Kathrine & Greg
My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
If you need something to remind you that someone in power does actually care about democracy, please go read RBG’s My Own Words. (I’ll confess: I still have about 30 pages to go in this book, but unless RBG’s opinions take a drastic turn, I feel comfortable in my recommendation.) The book, a collection of essays, lectures, and other works by Ginsburg, follows the career of a fierce advocate for equal rights under the law. If you’ve seen On the Basis of Sex, you have an inkling of Ginsburg’s advocacy, but Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue was just the tip of the iceberg that is RBG’s accomplishments. You can thank Ginsburg for dismantling a whole host of institutional discriminations against women including, extending the right to sit on a jury to women. And if you’re wondering how she’s ever had time to sleep between being an equal rights avenger, supreme court hero, mother of two (with a successful decades-long partnership that, I’ll say it, was hella cute), the answer to that would be: she doesn’t. Apparently, when you reach that level of productive good, you only have to sleep four hours a day. Even when you’re 80. As you read My Own Words, you may want to keep your dictionary app handy for some of the legal jargon, Ginsburg’s writing is accessible and her tone serious yet witty. I’m still not too sure how she manages to keep bench announcements from getting dry, but I wouldn’t put it past her to be in touch with some higher deity. -K
“Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang & Arrival directed by Denis Villeneuve
The reason that I lumped these two together is that “Story of Your Life” is the inspiration for Arrival. The novella and the film have a similar thesis, storyline, and twist, but the film certainly adds a few more layers and some background. The movie is one that awed me at the moment and I keep on coming back to it every so often. Amy Adams gives maybe her best performance (hard to decide between this, Talladega Nights, The Master or Enchanted) in one of the more beautiful science-fiction stories in the 21st century. -G
For the People created by Paul William Davies
Continuing on this week’s unintentional theme of the legal system, I’ve binged the first season of Shondaland show For the People this week. For the second time. Not as dramatic as other Shondaland shows, For the People follows both sides of the federal legal system in a way not many crime dramas do. It neither villainizes nor sympathizes with the prosecution or the defense, but instead takes a more even-keeled approach to a system that, even more so outside of the show, is deeply flawed. Still, being a Shondaland show, it is very much a drama and you can expect to witness some hot-and-cold romantic relationships, debates on right and wrong and justice, and some very attractive people in business attire. It’s not a show that will change the world, but it is definitely one that’s fun to watch. -K
Three Identical Strangers directed by Tim Wardle
The week Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement I fell into a deep depressing spiral, losing more faith in the American political system and afraid of what the future held. My friend invited me to the movies to cheer me up only on one condition: I couldn’t look up anything about the film. This documentary will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly question if you may have a long lost twin walking across the street from you. I left the theatre that night not so much depressed anymore, but definitely more skeptical if I was secretly adopted and was part of government testing. If I can share any advice with you all as the fancy ~guest writer~ it is to grab some popcorn, a solid couch seat, and watch this documentary immediately so you can learn about triplets separated at birth living within 100 miles from each other. -A
Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator
I almost always listen to albums straight through when running. I know that playlists exist, but the shock of different artists popping up one after another is jarring to me. What if I don’t want to listen to a particular song or band at the time? There’s too much pressure. A good album—with the songs blending into one another and the songs building or leading somewhere—is often what I need. Since Flower Boy was released in July 2017, I don’t think I’ve listened to an album more during my runs. Sonically gorgeous, the songs take the best parts of Tyler’s earlier offbeat work and blend it together with a more thoughtful view of the world. The album is upbeat enough to run to, but not Busta Rhymes level where you find yourself sprinting, gasping for breath. Before Flower Boy, I liked songs here or there from Tyler, but found that the more songs I listened to, the more exhausted I would get. It was nonstop angst. This album seems to be a happy medium where the artist isn’t hamstrung by the cohesiveness of the album, but instead blooms within the constrictions. Although “See You Again,” “Garden Shed” and “Glitter” are the standouts for me, every minute is a must-listen. Also, here’s the Tiny Desk performance, which is great as always. -G
"The 500-Year-Long Science Experiment" by Sarah Zhang
Scientists are some of the most optimistic people you’ll ever meet. They have to be: many work every day with data that tells them the world is being irreparably damaged and no one will listen to them. That’s why stories like Zhang’s makes me smile. Even with the very real possibility that the Earth won’t be super livable in 500 years, a team of scientists has still forged ahead with an experiment that will last just that long. Their hope that generation after generation of scientist will be able to take up the mantle to test the longevity of bacteria in a few test tubes is inspiring. I truly hope their experiment comes to a fruitful end in 2514. -K
“The Tell-Tale Fan: A Tale of Everyday Heroism, in Five Acts” by Sarah Miller
There’s a deficiency of stunningly stupid, mundane and entertaining stories on the internet. Everything has to be so important and news-breaking. This is certainly a win for the insane. Miller, quickly becoming one of my favorite writers, goes into spectacular detail about an ultimately incomprehensible thing that grates at her. The fan in her friend’s new New York apartment won’t turn off. It’s simultaneously a referendum on the idiocy of the city and an amusing piece. The story is broken up into acts making it a quick read, building suspense all the while. It’s dumb. I like it. Read it. -G