Hello, welcome to my slightly belated April wrap-up. I’m curious to know if people enjoy these, I really like saving all of my pictures for the month and then making a monthly “dump,” on Instagram. I’m always the person asking to take pictures with my friends, and I have a large amount of pictures in my house and on my phone. My memory can be fickle, and I want to feel surrounded by the people I love daily. I think that’s my goal here with the monthly wrap ups. Overall I really enjoy my life so I’m happy that I’m creating the space to reflect on all that has happened this month. I’m playing around with the format a little so would love any feedback on that.
Food I Ate
I finally checked out a mano’s patio and had the best Italian meal I’ve had in Atlanta so far. The service is amazing, there are a ton of mocktail options, and the pasta is fresh. The large outdoor area really sells it for me and I think it will be really romantic during the summer at night. Debating on having a birthday dinner here. I also have started going to So So Fed’s weekly pop-ups and they are delicious. The menu changes every week so it’s always fresh, and I’m still thinking about the mapo dumplings I had last week. It’s only a 4 minute drive from my house too, and again there is an outdoor area.
TV I Watched
I’m really only watching Summer House and Summer House Martha’s Vineyard right now. I’m not big on TV, and I’m certainly not big on TV that requires me to think about big ideas (besides Succession, ily) so both of these shows are perfect for me. Summer House is pretty much about a bunch of white people (with 1-2 Black people) who rent a house in the Hamptons every summer and argue a lot. Summer House Martha’s Vineyard is pretty much the same thing except everyone is Black.
Books + Articles I Read
Funny Story by Emily Henry- really love reading Emily Henry at the beginning of summer but starting to sour on her due to her silence on Palestine. I would be okay not continuing to read her books, and also I got this one for free from libro.fm’s influencer program.
Survivor Injustice by Kylie Cheung - read this for some research on my writing
Sexual Justice by Alexandra Brodsky- read this for some research, really enjoyed Brodsky’s nuanced views around responses to sexual violence. Felt so impassioned I messaged her on LinkedIn.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir- so far I like this series though it is really HEAVY. Not sure I’m in the mood to continue right now because of the way my mental illnesses are set up.
The Will to Change by bell hooks - when she’s right she’s right.
Radical Intimacy by Sophie K Rosa - really liked this, thought this paired nicely with Abolish the Family, thought it was clear and accessible and a good entry point to people who are beginning to think about new (or old) ways to form relationships with each other. I’m non monogamous and really enjoy any text that understands polyamory etc within a more political context. I fear a lot of texts don’t do that right now.
Abolish the Family: A Manifesto for Care and Liberation by Sophie Lewis - I agreed with all of this book and I knew I would, I really enjoyed the historical grounding the book provided on family abolition. I don’t think I truly understood how popular these ideas were until our neoliberal turn. Realizing that I may not love manifesto formats though.
Friends/Family I Saw
I had some good times with my friends and family this month, like an 8 mile hike my dad got us lost on, my friend Mohana’s 4/20 housewarming, my introduction to Queer Line Dancing (which I want to write about more later), and going on walks with friends. I also finally checked out Liminal Space and Kiss & Ride and celebrated Indie Bookstore Day at Charis with Suzy by reading together all day. Also had the sweetest bike/skate hangout with Amira where we accidentally matched. It was so nice to spend time outside this month with friends, I’m dreading Atlanta’s heat this summer so I’m soaking up all of the cooler temperatures while I can.
(a picture of K and their friend Amira on a bike trail. They are both wearing green workout clothes and purple helmets)
Movies I Watched
The only movie I really saw this month was Civil War by A24 and I absolutely hated it. For one, the entire experience was extremely too loud. My spouse and I had to cover our ears in the theater and I’m saying this as someone who listens to their music extremely loud in general so that is really saying something. The gratuitous violence with major plot holes, poor writing and acting. and a very silly concept was enough for me to hate the movie from the jump. But the mistreatment of all of the Black and people of color in the film really turned me off. Right now it feels almost contrived if all the Black people suffer in horror or thriller (or whatever genre Civil War is supposed to be), because it is talked about so frequently. Yet the writers really portrayed Black people in the film as really just sites of violence to be consumed by viewers. 0/5 stars from me.
Music I Listened To
I listened to Willow Smith’s Tiny Desk in one morning and I can’t wait to re-listen. They’re a nepo baby I respect and I loved watching them interact with their band while performing. Their bassist’s bass face was also super impressive.
I listened to Dua Lipa’s new album on the plane and I liked it. I’m not a super fan of hers but I will nod along whenever her music is playing. Kevin Parker from Tame Impala (my favorite band), produced almost all of the album and I saw his influences, but again I wasn’t super obsessed with the album or anything.
Organizing
Students are still organizing for Palestine, and I would recommend getting plugged in to local organizing efforts in your area. I popped into Emory and have also been supporting some other ongoing work with students through my organization (Black Alliance for Peace Atlanta), and the coalition I’m on steering for (Demilitarize Atlanta 2 Palestine). I provided some resources and thoughts in my previous blog post. To be honest I’m a little tired of talking about organizing because it’s my paid job and I just left my work retreat so I’m leaving this section short. Also want to amplify some mutual aid right now for our Atlanta comrades.
Misc
I got new glasses and sunglasses and I’m so fucking happy. I hated my old glasses because of the glare they had and I love that you can actually see my eyes clearly right now!!!! I really love my eyes and I’m sorry I blocked them. I also am OBSESSED with my new sunglasses and want to wear them all day every day.
(a selfie of K with an orange scarf and their new sunglasses)
I’m trying to mix up my scents because right now I’m basic and use Glossier You most days. I’m buying some tester kits to come up with a new signature scent. I like earthy scents and I don’t love musk. I have enough super sweet scents, I’m looking for ones that are sensual and mature but also aren’t too heavy. Sorry if that is vague but if you have any recommendations I’m all ears.
The essay The Tyranny of Structurelessness by Jo Freeman has been floating around Atlanta right now and I really enjoy this piece. Here’s a link if you haven’t read it yet.
Okay I think April has been officially wrapped-up! Thank you so much for reading and thank you for dealing with me as I re-adjust to blogging again. I so appreciate all of the subscriptions and support.
K