A Novel to Help You Slow Down
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Welcome back to The Daily’s Sunday culture edition, in which one Atlantic writer or editor reveals what’s keeping them entertained. Today’s special guest is Kristen V. Brown, a staff writer who has covered the privacy concerns plaguing 23andMe, genetic discrimination from health insurers, and why bedbugs could be more horrifying than you think.
Kristen is a fan of Still Life, by Sarah Winman, and the sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson, who is a master at imagining life on Earth in the aftermath of climate disasters. She also enjoys watching anything by Jeff Goldblum—including his band performances—and believes that Lacey Chabert may be the true Queen of Christmas (sorry, Mariah).
The Culture Survey: Kristen V. Brown
Best novel I’ve recently read, and the best work of nonfiction: I just read Still Life, by Sarah Winman; it’s like an antidote to the past few months, which have been pretty high-octane no matter your political persuasion. The story follows a group of characters who find one another again and again over the course of several decades, starting in World War II. It’s told through many small, intimate moments—ordinary domestic scenes and conversations about art and love—against the backdrop of major historical events. It did what I think most good novels do, which is make you consider something about your own life. In my case, that means slowing down and enjoying the scenery no matter what chaos reigns in the world.
I also recently read and loved Taco USA, by Gustavo Arellano, which chronicles the rise of Mexican food in the United States. My family has some Mexican roots, and I am from Southern California, but I never knew much about the history of Mexican cuisine in this country—including how much of it was spread outside of border states by companies such as Taco Bell and Chipotle (and by non-Mexicans). Fun fact: Did you know canned tortillas used to be a thing?
An author I will read anything by: I’m a sci-fi fiend, so I’m going to go with Kim Stanley Robinson. He’s a master at imagining plausible (and scary!) near-futures. Robinson is probably best known for his deep-space narratives, but recently, more of his work has focused on imagining Earth in the aftermath of climate disasters—books such as The Ministry for the Future and New York 2140.
I love him for his details: He builds elaborate worlds in his stories, right down to how sea-level rise would affect the investment market. For anyone who thinks all of this sounds too grim, though, much of his writing is ultimately utopian. His characters persevere.
An actor I would watch in anything: Jeff Goldblum. I don’t even really have a compelling reason for loving him, but I love him. I saw him once in San Francisco, playing the piano with his band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra; in between songs, he did Jeff Goldblum trivia. It was amazing. I also enjoyed The World According to Jeff Goldblum, his documentary series that was canceled way too soon. [Related: Kaos offers a sharp twist on a familiar story.]
A good recommendation I recently received: Hot Frosty. If you love bad Christmas movies, you’ll love it. If you don’t, you’ll appreciate the absurdity of watching a hot snowman come to life, discover home-improvement television, and find his calling as the local handyman.
This movie was also my introduction to the extensive canon of Lacey Chabert Christmas films. I think she might give Mariah a run for her money as the Queen of Christmas.
My favorite way of wasting time on my phone: I have only ever downloaded one phone game, and it was Ticket to Ride, which is a phone version of the board game. Five years later, I still have not tired of it. I play it almost every day.
The television show I’m most enjoying right now: Shrinking. Harrison Ford is doing comedy! His dry sense of humor is incredible, and he’s absolutely brilliant in this. [Related: 11 undersung TV shows to watch]
My favorite pop-culture movie and favorite art movie: My top pop-culture film is a tie between The Lost World: Jurassic Park and 13 Going on 30, which basically sums up my taste.
My favorite art movie is definitely Drawing Restraint 9, a 2005 Matthew Barney film that stars Björk (they were a couple at the time). Watching this film is a very bizarre experience. In one scene, they cut away each other’s flesh, and what is underneath seems to be whale blubber instead of blood. This movie has elements of body horror, revealing the fundamental limits of the human body, which is a subject I’m very drawn to.
An online creator that I’m a fan of: Like many other Millennials, I am obsessed with the cookery of Alison Roman.
A cultural product I loved as a teenager and still love, and something I loved but now dislike: I discovered Nan Goldin’s photography when I was a freshman college student interested in photojournalism. Her book The Ballad of Sexual Dependency truly changed how I viewed the world, particularly how my experience as a woman was different from that of a man. It was one of the reasons I wanted to someday write about gender and women’s bodies. A few years ago, I purged most of my physical books (New York apartments are tiny), and hers is one of maybe 10 I kept.
As for something I now dislike: This isn’t a cultural product per se, but I used to be obsessed with the color red. My teenage bedroom was all red sparkles. Now I cannot stand anything red—I find it aggravating.
Here are three Sunday reads from The Atlantic:
The Week Ahead
- The Last Showgirl, a drama film starring Pamela Anderson as a Las Vegas showgirl who discovers that her production is ending (in theaters Friday)
- Season 2 of Goosebumps, a horror anthology series starring David Schwimmer as a divorced dad whose kids unearth a dark secret in their home (premiering on Disney+ and Hulu on Friday)
- Rosarita, a novel by Anita Desai about a woman who is approached by a mysterious person about her mother’s past (out Tuesday)
Essay
The Isolation of Intensive Parenting
By Stephanie H. Murray
Two nights a week, one family takes all the children for three hours, giving the other parents an evening off. Even outside these formal arrangements, it has become fairly routine for us to watch one another’s kids as needed, for one-off Fridays or random overnights. A few months ago, while I was stirring a big pot of mac and cheese for the six kids scurrying around me, ranging in age from 2 to 7, I realized that, quite unintentionally, I’d built something like the proverbial “village” that so many modern parents go without.
More in Culture
- What not to wear
- Five books that offer readers intellectual exercise
- A history of the end of the world
- “Dear James”: My boyfriend is about to move in with his ex.
- Parents, put down your phone cameras.
Catch Up on The Atlantic
Photo Album
Former President Jimmy Carter died last Sunday at the age of 100. Take a look at these photos that commemorate his life of service.
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