Saturday, March 4, 2023

First Friday: March

 






On the first Friday of the month we review all the, er, media that I am in the process of reading, listening to, and watching. These aren't quite reviews, they're more like a cultural snapshot, a kind of scattershot take on the artistic world around me. 

"But hey!" You cry. "Today is not Friday. It's Saturday!"

Interesting point. We will try to address that in a future committee meeting.


Book I am reading:

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart

I am not very deep into this, but I like it very much so far. It is about a young orphan who is a genius. Genius orphans are right up my alley! At its best it is positively Dickensian, but the orphan being a genius really perks that dismal part up for me.


Music:

Nessun Dorma by Puccini as sung by Pavarotti. I think I know this from an old Caruso recording maybe, but stumbled across this double version and keep... listening to it and trying and failing to sing it. And Pavarotti? At the very end? Holy moley.

https://youtu.be/Q_hLh4qCqpg



Book I am listening to on audio (mainly at work):


Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. This is lovely to hear read aloud so far. I have read the book a couple times already and it is a beautifully elegant and rich adventure tale of a fictionalized Shogun Japan with light fantasy elements. One of those strangely unfamous series of books that among the people who know them lies great affection.



YouTube Channel:

Innuendo Studios. Wonderfully clear explications of general American political strategy and some excellent cultural analysis. There is as much satisfaction in having it named as there is in his elegant clarity. Here is a nearly random example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAbab8aP4_A



Read aloud book:


Naomi Novik's The Last Graduate, book two of The Scholomance about which I occasionally have been writing. It is marvelous of course. This time through I am especially keen on its baroque and florid prose, and its so sickening descriptions of its day glo monsters (Mals) that they veritably splash gunk out of the pages.








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