Last week was slow, tiresome and lethargic. I craved long naps and lying down. It was an adjustment to the change in seasons, I would love to say. But that obviously isn’t true because Friday was the picture-perfect last day of summer, and the heat was borderline sweltering. Writing was harder as my brain was foggier, but I found ways to peak over the wall when I hit it. All why trying not to berate myself for feeling too exhausted to manage all the things I set out to. My to-do list does not control me, my to-do list does not control me.
I have been savouring every page of A Life of One’s Own by Joanna Biggs. I’ll likely finish reading either today or tomorrow, and I have loved all of it. Biggs’s ability to reflect on all the invisible strings between her and a very well-curated selection of women writers is a masterpiece. Success, as a woman and as a writer, isn’t linear, and that’s what Biggs seeks to reinforce. All these women suffered setbacks or challenges personally and professionally, and yet managed to commit pen to paper and craft their masterpieces. I will be so sad when this book ends.
I also managed to finish an audiobook of Cleopatra by Natasha Solomons. I struggle to get into this and focus on the story, something which is always a risk with an audiobook, I feel. The temptation of distraction is already high, and if the book isn’t extremely captivating, it suffers.
Other read this week:
The Swimmer by John Cheever
Dancing in the Moonlight by Ottessa Moshfegh
I only just watched the Unknown Number documentary on Netflix - it is completely bizarre. The story originally broke as a feature in The Cut in January this year. Worth the read.
What was Disney thinking by pulling Jimmy Kimmel off the air?
- The selective outrage of the ‘wellness’ industry
After becoming completely spellbound by Joanna Biggs’ relationships with notable women writers, my ‘want to read’ list has had a shake-up and every single writer she mentioned, like Woolf, De Beauvoir, and Plath, has now all been bumped to the top of my list as I want to read more of their works. Maybe the remainder of 2025 can be dedicated to some of the classics.
The weekend was a chill one. On Saturday night, it was cosy sofa time, snacks and an old favourite - Limitless. The idea of accessing unutilised parts of your brain to learn languages in a single day, write books, and make an insane amount of money is incredibly appealing. I liked the way the film plays with saturation, too. Cold, blue hues for when he’s not on the drug and bright, warm, golden hues for when NZT is working its magic.
I kind of forgot the plot line about the murder allegations of a woman on a night Eddie (the main character, aka Bradley Cooper) can’t remember! So random hehe! What’s a bit of murder and violence against women among friends and protagonists!
The early 2000s saw the release of some iconic Sci-Fi films. In my mind, I always pair Limitless together with Source Code (starring Jake Gyllenhaal), so that’s up for a rewatch next.
Vinted and Pinterest are fighting each other for the position of my current favourite app. After a big wardrobe clear out a few weeks ago, my Vinted balance from sold items is in the three figures (arrogant brag). I am in the market for new-old pieces to elevate my autumn wardrobe. Of course, Vinted doesn’t just offer fashion (questionable in itself) purchases. You can find all manner of things if you’re sucked far enough into the void, like this book about improving your betting techniques at the races. £22 is pretty steep if you ask me, so I’d expect to be pocketing serious cash monies upon buying. I also came across a Craig David Bo Selecta face mask for £300. People really will buy anything.
Theatre and musicals were my high last week, and this week it’s my low. That’s showbiz, baby. A musical about Live Aid called Just For One Day, anyone? Nope, I didn’t think so. Not everything was made for the stage. To top it off, a frankly deplorable 10% of ticket sales are going to charity. Nothing quite like looking to make a profit off a 40-year-old benefit fundraising event.
Are we seriously this deprived of original scripts and screenplays? I am begging for something - literally anything - new. Or at the very least, a shred of morality from the West End.
Yesterday I went to the Garden Museum to see the Cecil Beaton's Garden Party exhibition. I had no idea how involved he was in theatre, ballet, and set design as well as photography. As an exhibition at the Garden Museum, the narrative centred on his love for flowers and gardens and showcased the ways this had influence on his work. His wisdom is also the perfect launch pad for a Monday.
“Be daring, be different, be impractical; be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers.”
