On Women [Collection of essays]

Author: Susan Sontag

Although she was in the right circles and highly regarded, I’m not sure how liked  Susan Sontag was. Which I’m sure wouldn’t have bothered her at all. From reading these essays, I get the impression Susan Sontag’s entire raison d’être for writing was to prove that she doesn’t care about any other inferior intellects – which is everyone. This is the quote that summed it up for me: “Although I defy anyone to read what I wrote and miss its personal, even autobiographical character, I much prefer that the text be judged as an argument and not as an “expression” of anything at all, my sincere feelings included.” Sigh, another powerful smarty pants who can’t use the sentence “I feel…”

The essays cover a variety of subjects that impact women, such as ageing or the division of labour in households. You might like this too if you want to read someone who truly ‘tells it like it is’ for the state of women in Western political systems.

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(Everything in this library is sorted into a category by what it asks of you, not by genre or quality. Click on a category to find more of what you might like.)

Perfect Days (2023) [Film]

I came for the meditative Japanese zen cinema vibes, I fell in love with the gorgeous public bathroom architecture in Tokyo! The film sits beautifully with my own reverence for the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and learning to be at peace during the storms of life. In reading a reddit thread by someone who had a completely different take, I was interested by the links others made to film makers such as Ozu.

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(Everything in this library is sorted into a category by what it asks of you, not by genre or quality. Click on a category to find more of what you might like.)

Turn Every Page (2022) [Documentary]

I had to dive into this documentary by Lizzie Gottlieb. And yeah, it’s a total joy. Watching Robert Gottlieb and Robert Caro who have collaborated together since the 1970s, and obviously have a deep affection for each other but who also do an awkward half-hug when greeting each other, made me feel like a long-suffering wife who wanted to kvetch “just tell him you love him for goodness sake, who knows when you’ll see him again!”

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(Everything in this library is sorted into a category by what it asks of you, not by genre or quality. Click on a category to find more of what you might like.)

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop [Book]

Author: Satoshi Yagisawa

There is something so charming about how Japanese fiction tends to be quite short. There’s a rhythm to it, and a lack of posturing with flowery language. And as a result, I find it as calming and cosy as a warm blanket. This story, about a girl who hides away from the world at her uncle’s bookshop to nurse a broken heart, is the perfect starting point for a Nancy Meyers plot.

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(Everything in this library is sorted into a category by what it asks of you, not by genre or quality. Click on a category to find more of what you might like.)

This is Important [Podcast]

If you don’t know the TV show Workaholics, heads up on the crass factor. I love listening in on men in creative relationships and how they navigate around their masculinity while needing to be deeply attuned to their emotions in order to make anything that connects to an audience. It’s a fascinating high-wire act.

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(Everything in this library is sorted into a category by what it asks of you, not by genre or quality. Click on a category to find more of what you might like.)

Smithereens (1982) [Film]

A young woman who drifts around the early-80s New York punk scene, desperate to become somebody. She plasters the city with her stickers, chases a self-absorbed punk musician, and uses the people who actually care about her. It’s an unsentimental character study, and Wren isn’t made lovable. The film watches her self-delusion, ambition, and carelessness without softening them and without handing her a redemptive arc.

The story isn’t sweet, but the vibes are immaculate with the grimy East Village streets, club scenes, cheap apartments, and a post-punk soundtrack.

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(Everything in this library is sorted into a category by what it asks of you, not by genre or quality. Click on a category to find more of what you might like.)