Hello My Croissants-
Here’s some deliciousness I’ve been enjoying this month, for all of your art hoe needs!
Music:
Magnolia Electric Co. Songs: Ohia (Deluxe Edition)
This album was introduced to me by my pal Riley, and it seems I’m way behind on this one. All the cool kids knew about this gem before me, but that’s OK because now I get to enjoy it for the very first - 200000 time (I’ve probably listened that many times this month). This is considered the greatest of Charles Molina’s varied and tragic work, and it came out in 2003. It’s stunning and heartbreaking and one to listen to when you have some time to digest.
Books:
I’m back on my bullshit reading Rebecca Makkai and Rachel Kushner, the two that are really getting me these days. After reading The Great Believers by Makkai (previously reported on in the Croissant), I read her new book I Have Some Questions For You, which I would highly recommend— big trigger warning for domestic violence. Here’s an article from Slate about it if you’re interested. It’s very hard to do a contemporary book about a podcast, with covid references and all, without losing the dream state, but damn, she really does it. Then I read her novel The Hundred Year House. I liked it, but not as much as the other two, which makes sense since it was written years before. It’s inspiring to see how much an author grows over time. I also started Kushner’s book of essays The Hard Crowd. My favorite so far is a piece about her time in the Shu’fat refuge camp in Israel. There are so many places in the world that I know nothing about. Thanks, books, for your help!
TV Show:
Reservation Dogs on Hulu
According to Wikipedia “Reservation Dogs is an Indigenous American television series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi for FX Productions. It is the first series to feature all Indigenous writers and directors, along with an almost entirely Indigenous North American cast and production team.[1][2][3] It is also the first series to be filmed entirely in Oklahoma.[1][4] The series premiered on Hulu under FX on Hulu branding[5] on August 9, 2021[6] (International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples)”
This show is delightful, beautifully done, and definitely worth a watch. It also features a lot of music by indigenous artists which is a delicious touch. Big thanks to my pal Claire for submitting this one to the Croissant!
Hope y’all are having a great week, and hello from Cali!
As always, you can find upcoming tour dates HERE.
-Rachel
Rachel Kushner is a literary descendant of Alden Van Buskirk who went to undergrad with Peter and grad school with Pinky…