It’s been awhile, I know…blogging regularly just isn’t in me. I’m working on it. A lot has changed since I last wrote about life in Paris. Against all odds, I managed to score a B2 on the TCF French exam last May, which led to a last-minute scramble to apply to the Sorbonne system. I’ll leave out all of my rants about the French administration system, and just say this: I was accepted to Université Sorbonne Nouvelle and I’m about to finish my M1 in Études Anglophones (aka Anglophone Literature) in about a month. I can’t wait for both the freedom to read whatever I want all summer and to head back to school for my M2 in the fall. Suffice it to say, I’ve still got my first-year thesis/mémoire to finish up so this list is going to be succinct. Here’s what I’ve been loving online lately:
50 Fictional Writers, Ranked
Am I a narcissist because I love media about writers? Eh? Maybe? Nonetheless, thanks to Lithub’s 50 Fictional Writers, Ranked , I have my next 50 movie nights/beach reads covered. I think we need to add Andrew Sean Greer’s Arthur Less to this list—he won a Pulitzer for this book! Come on guys! However, considering the list in its present state, it’s obviously all about Nick Miller and Z is for Zombie. To watch Winston read from this work of pure genius, here’s a clip from the show.
Killing Eve
I’ve been watching BBC America’s new series Killing Eve—weekly, like in the olden days sans-streaming—and it’s so good; I’m dead. Check out this interview with the cast and crew discussing the show’s approach to twisting genre tropes. Also, can I just say that I’m over the moon to have a) Sandra Oh on my screen and b) a cast made up of so many badass women? Yes! Yes!
The “Ezra Pound of Rap”?
The debate between judging the art independently of the artist vs evaluating the whole enchilada rages on. This article brings up some interesting comparisons between Kanye West’s recent Twitter spree and Ezra Pound’s Fascist radio broadcasts for Mussolini. However, on a personal level, I’ve never been a Kanye West fan, and now I’m pretty certain he’s dangerously ignorant considering his huge platform.
Mai ’68
The first time I heard about the May ’68 riots in Paris, I couldn’t quite believe it. Molotov cocktails on boulevard Saint-Michel? The most touristy quartier in the city? Are you serious?! Even though it’s basically the definition of revolution, I still find the concept of a group of individuals actually grinding the system to a halt incredibly fascinating.
Expensive Regrets
Eve Babitz is becoming a buzzword: after flying under the radar for years, she’s suddenly au courant. Counterpoint Press has reissued Black Swans, her 1993 collection of autobiographical short stories, and I wrote a somewhat pretentious article all about it!
Stereo Brewing
My college roommate is killing it! Check out his article on SoCal’s Stereo Brewing in OC Weekly.
Bon week-end, mes amis!
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