This Week: Five Things That Caught My Eye

spring is absolutely definitely almost here

Hi and hello from Durham where I am settling in for a month-long film fellowship at Duke. I am *deeply* enjoying the fervor on campus from the “White Lotus” crossover memes to the exuberance of March Madness. Additionally, perhaps you’ve heard of Trans Day of Visibility, but have you tried Cis Year of Accountability?

In personal news: I was really honored to moderate a conversation between Nina Chanel Abney (!), Briona Jones (!!) and Cheryl Clarke (!!!) in a new, forthcoming monograph of Nina’s work.

the Internet’s baby daddy in a Pippa Garner original

Here’s a quick hit roundup of what’s dazzling my mind, body and spirit right now.

1. A handful of us at the fellowship went to a local theater to see On Becoming a Guinea Fowl and sat in the car afterwards, stunned, trying to articulate the gravity of what we’d just seen. I’ve been a fan of Rungano Nyoni since her brilliant 2017 feature debut “I Am Not a Witch,” and while this film exists in a completely different register, it lives in a speculative realm that explores the relationship between reckoning and abandonment, legacy and obligation. As Namwali Serpell points out, “there’s no obvious dénouement; the film’s revelations unfold in overlapping waves that advance and retreat from the truth.” A few days later, I screened a documentary called “Predators,” that looks at the murky history of Dateline’s infamous “To Catch a Predator.” David Orit, the director, asks difficult questions about what justice looks like when it merges with the sordid reality TV arm of the American entertainment complex. (CW/TW: Both of these films feature subjects and references that may be triggering so please do your own research in advance to make sure it’s a good fit for your precious spirit.)

2. This TikTok series where a young woman sets up a folding table on the subway and serves passengers a sumptuous meal, often feeding them bites from her own hands. It’s *so* delightful. Listen, we all know the devil works overtime online. I’m fully aware that this may turn out to be a scripted stunt, but let me enjoy my delulu ignorance in peace! It’s one of the few things warming my Grinch heart right now. (That and the Tesla Takedown movement, which is impressive in its ambition, organization and scale.)

3. New HAIM is groovy, nostalgic, angst-y, nonchalant-y and ear worm-y in the best way.

4. It’s almost short-sleeve weather so why not get a new t-shirt that supports the community-led Trans Justice Funding Project? This is the fourth fundraiser organized by Bobbi Menuez and John Mollet, and features t-shirts by legendaries including Precious Okoyomon, Pippa Garner (shown above, on Pedro Pascal), Eileen Myles, Chloë Sevigny and my kin Tourmaline. My personal favorite might be the one by Chase Strangio, ACLU lawyer (and champion of our community), featuring hand written text of his own writing, which reads "Our hotness is a threat to their certainty." Exactly that.

5. Black Rice and Black Lentil Salad: This combo has been holding me down the last few weeks. I’m still recovering (and may be forever?) and I don’t have a ton of energy for cooking at the end of the day. I’m over ordering out, so I’ve been looking for inexpensive recipes I can make in big batches and vary as needed. The nutritionist I’ve been working with suggested a variation on this dish for me to try. For my version, I use black wild rice and black beluga lentils (which I pre-soaked and cooked separately), seasonal veggies (lightly cooked cauliflower, shaved brussels, chopped fresh asparagus), and I made my dressing out of organic coconut oil, organic date syrup, cumin and fresh squeezed lemon juice. The other day I served it with fresh parsley and two six-minute eggs for lunch and ✨✨✨✨✨. Wow. A true winner, and the fresh veg elements help me remember that we ARE, in fact, moving triumphantly into spring.

As always, thank you for reading, and feel free to let me know what’s sparking your heart in the comments below! I’m especially looking for new books to read and shows to watch now that Severance is over and Survivor is only once a week….