So happy to receive this! Was recently ruminating about how much I enjoyed your year of weekly posts. Always full of interesting tidbits and thought-provoking material. For example, this passage haunts me: "After she died, I looked in the mirror and thought 'Who am I now?' Her death was imminent. Yet it’s still a weird process of acceptance and I miss her quirky ways."
Who am I now? is the eternal question (one I've often asked myself) and one I'll undoubtedly encounter more intimately when my mother also passes. I'm very sorry for the loss of yours. Through many of your stories over the years, I felt like I knew Shirley. I know you'll continue to spread her light.
Your classes with Kimberly sound like a lot of fun and I hope they're wildly successful!
Have you seen Red Rocket? I prefer that film by Sean Baker over Anora. The thing that bugged me about Anora is sort of portraying her as a gold digger. Plus, the jealousy by another stripper; their "cat fights" if you will. To me, Baker leaned into stereotypes versus "real" people; the movie didn't provoke empathy for sex workers IMO, as is his declared desire. But he did achieve that with Red Rocket. All this said, I'm a huge fan of Baker's, and Mikey Madison was amazing.
And yes, the world has gone to hell in a handbasket, or shall we say Tesla?
Victoria, so sorry to hear of the passing of your mom. Sending lots of love.
Can't wait to read your piece on the global cooking crisis as I write enough about it in the Global North to know that even we're privileged!
And I agreed that ANORA, although impeccably performed and directed, was about as male gaze-y as it gets. Definitely does not pass the Bechtel Test. And it's not sex as empowerment. I mean--that ending! WOOF!
Mike White's vision of humanity at large is perhaps as archetypal as the Cinderella myth (WHITE LOTUS this season really leans into almost stock characters -- the lovers, the servants, the gossiping maidens), but he gives us a peek into this alternative dimension of their personalities, which reveal something greater about humanity at large... which isn't just that men dominate women. That's a tired old story, no matter how beautifully told.
I was confused(thought it was spam email lol), totally surprised to stumble upon this. So happy that you returned!
Thank you for your service- it’s always interesting to me. 💜
So happy to receive this! Was recently ruminating about how much I enjoyed your year of weekly posts. Always full of interesting tidbits and thought-provoking material. For example, this passage haunts me: "After she died, I looked in the mirror and thought 'Who am I now?' Her death was imminent. Yet it’s still a weird process of acceptance and I miss her quirky ways."
Who am I now? is the eternal question (one I've often asked myself) and one I'll undoubtedly encounter more intimately when my mother also passes. I'm very sorry for the loss of yours. Through many of your stories over the years, I felt like I knew Shirley. I know you'll continue to spread her light.
Your classes with Kimberly sound like a lot of fun and I hope they're wildly successful!
Have you seen Red Rocket? I prefer that film by Sean Baker over Anora. The thing that bugged me about Anora is sort of portraying her as a gold digger. Plus, the jealousy by another stripper; their "cat fights" if you will. To me, Baker leaned into stereotypes versus "real" people; the movie didn't provoke empathy for sex workers IMO, as is his declared desire. But he did achieve that with Red Rocket. All this said, I'm a huge fan of Baker's, and Mikey Madison was amazing.
And yes, the world has gone to hell in a handbasket, or shall we say Tesla?
Look forward to your next post!
Victoria, so sorry to hear of the passing of your mom. Sending lots of love.
Can't wait to read your piece on the global cooking crisis as I write enough about it in the Global North to know that even we're privileged!
And I agreed that ANORA, although impeccably performed and directed, was about as male gaze-y as it gets. Definitely does not pass the Bechtel Test. And it's not sex as empowerment. I mean--that ending! WOOF!
Mike White's vision of humanity at large is perhaps as archetypal as the Cinderella myth (WHITE LOTUS this season really leans into almost stock characters -- the lovers, the servants, the gossiping maidens), but he gives us a peek into this alternative dimension of their personalities, which reveal something greater about humanity at large... which isn't just that men dominate women. That's a tired old story, no matter how beautifully told.
Thinking of you, your mom and family. Sending love and prayers. ♥️🙏🏻