The uncompromising artistry of Poor Things and much moreΝβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ 
James Pillion
 

MY FAVOURITE THINGS | You Can Get It If You Really Want

β€œShe doesn’t really think to not just tell the truth at all times about what she feels, what she wants and I think, she’d probably say: β€˜If people were a bit more resolute and honest and clear about what they wanted, we wouldn’t run into so much trouble.’”

β€” EMMA STONE
 

In the hours after being received as an honorary Doctor of Philosophy, I fell into a quiet panic. What now? The existential question sent me on an introspective quest that revealed the obvious. I love sharing the things I love, illuminating the path for those to come. Which is how I began fleshing out Putting Yourself First, my self-published book, into a tangible practice. I stumbled over the founding principles in pursuit of my sanity during the post-production process of my debut film, techniques that encouraged me to purge my demons through creative expression. I’m excited (and just a little terrified) to launch the first episode next week. 

In the meantime you can twiddle those Sunday thumbs to my March playlist. 🐣
 

Poor Things πŸŽ₯

Tony McNamara’s adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s 1992 book of the same name is the match that Emma Stone sets aflame with uncompromising wonder, elevating this tragi-comic drama into a timeless tale. I dare you to take your eyes from Bella Baxter, her radical honesty and unashamed earnestness made for the big screen. The razor sharp storytelling, highly inventive set and costume design and inner wealth of its reanimated protagonist make this a true work of art. I also have Emma Stone to thank for inspiring the debut installment of Monday Musings, a weekly YouTube shorts, after her honest thoughts on anxiety.

β€œI have adventured it and found nothing but sugar and violence.” β€” Bella Baxter
 

Spoon Fed πŸ“š 

Why is just about everything we’ve been told about food wrong? The bottom line, of course. As Tim Spector argues, over and again, it doesn’t pay to hock ethically produced fruits and veggies. Instead, we’ve become a culture of snackers, knowingly ruining our appetites (and our digestive cycles) with highly-processed goodies. There’s a reason these snackables are so bloody moreish, manufactured with the same hollow intent as Silicon Valley’s social apps. Maximize growth no matter the cost. It’s no surprise these fat cat food conglomerates are winning the war, filling their pockets as our waistbands expand. The book brought Michael Pollen’s sound advice to mind. Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

β€œIn a decade we will look back on and wonder why we stood by and allowed a few greedy food corporations to get us addicted to ultra-processed foods, while turning a blind eye to the effects on our health.” β€” Tim Spector

 

True Detective: Night Country πŸ“Ί

Not since Thelma & Louise have I enjoyed a pair of leading ladies quite like Jodie Foster and newcomer Kali Reis. Hell, they’re β€˜burn it all down’ modus operandi made the six-part series all the more scintillating. I have a particular fetish for stories set in criminally isolated destinations, especially when they’re ravaged with hell below zero temperatures. Issa LΓ³pez, the new show runner (replacing Nic Pizzolatto), resuscitates this procedural series with gusto. The Alaskan setting proved ripe fodder for an unfolding narrative that stretches the fabric of consciousness. I’m just a little bit jealous of all those yet to embark on the ice-cold whodunit.
 

The Illusion of Free Will πŸ“»

Robert Sapolsky, a neuroendocrinologist (I had to look it up), has devoted himself to better understanding the complex social order of human beings. His test subjects, a troop of Kenyan Baboons, illuminate his compelling argument over the illusion of free will. As much as I tried to poke holes in his airtight logic, I came away waving the white flag. As the dust settled, I was liberated from the final vestiges of grief by accepting that my actions have always come in reaction to any given moment with failure being my greatest guide.

β€œYour temperament, your emotional make-up and drives are a much better predictor of your political views than whatever it is you claim you’ve thought through.” β€” Robert Sapolsky
 
 

Measures of Men πŸŽ₯

Leonard Scheicher, a principled ethnologist in 1900s Berlin, feverishly advances the study of mankind against the ticking clock of civilization. The recent release is set against this time-sensitive backdrop, as King Wilhelm II, the last Emperor of Germany, eradicates all vestiges of aboriginal culture in β€˜German South West Africa’. You’d be forgiven for looking away at the many depravities that play out in the former colony. Lars Kraume weaves a curious thread into the narrative in the guise of Girley Jazama, a Herero diplomat made to suffer the indignity of being a test subject against her will. Modern demands for colonial restitution seem thoroughly justified from this introductory scene alone.

 

The Practice πŸ“š 

Seth Godin delivers self-help in the guise of self-acceptance. The onus of responsibility lies in reforming our habits, turning our priorities on their head by rooting out vicious cycles of self-deception. Making time for the things we love, he reminds, jump-starts the abundant mindset, one focused on love and generosity. As I attempt to live Picasso’s wise words, I’m starting to see what Godin’s on about. A great addition to the bookshelf for anyone hell bent on also making 2024 a year of abundant creativity. 

β€œUltimately, the goal is to become the best in the world at being you.” β€” Seth Godin
 

Alexei Navalny πŸ‘€

Alexei Navalny’s death didn’t come as a surprise. But my cynical anticipation didn’t make the news any easier to swallow. After sitting down with Navalny, Daniel Roher’s 2022 documentary, I quickly understood why Vladimir Putin had kicked the bucket. The lawyer’s blind belief and consistent optimism flew in the face of a culture jaded by endless graft and corruption. His unlikely recovery from Novichok poisoning was one thing. That he set about doxing the perpetrators is something else altogether. Palace for Putin, Navalny’s greatest gift to the Russian people, proves the rule. Alexei Navalny was many things but the man was not afraid.
 

Doo-Bop 🎢

It was the cover that arrested my gaze while perusing the Feira da Ladra markets. A topless Miles Davis splayed out in alluring polka-dot lounge pants with his weapon of choice pursed between lips. From the opening bars of Mystery, an infectious energy rains down, ripe propulsive beats laying the groove like a plush red carpet. The genesis of the album came from the sounds of a New York summer floating through his open windows. A phone call to Russell Simmons the following morning set the ball in motion. Respiratory failure would take Davis’s life before Doo-Bop’s 1992 release. Yet this album stands as a living, breathing artefact that passion is eternal.  
 

Thanks for reading. To show your support, forward it to someone who’d like it or treat yourself to one of my books.

If you’re seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can read previous issues and subscribe here.
 

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