Five Fine Things on a Thursday...
a regular segment in which I inflict my taste on you dear reader
Photo credit: Mrs Edward Mayer as Medusa, Society Women as Goddesses, 1935, by Madame Yevonde.
Watching! Dreaming Whilst Black on BBC i-player. I seem to be really late to the party, apparently this came out in 2021 but I just found this very brilliant, very funny-with-a-serious-point mini-series. I saw one review describe the show as a satire but I’d say it’s not far off reality from some things I’ve personally over-heard white people say/do when interacting with black friends, colleagues, passersby. Told from the POV of a Jamaican-British wannabe film-maker currently grinding in a shit recruitment job and dreaming of more.
Experimenting! in creative writing lessons with my favourite list of 66 poetry prompts from Charles Bernstein and Bernadette Mayer. I love how these prompts shake up your mind. If you do not consider yourself a poet (which I do not) these prompts are still worth trying, using them feels like playing, and they seem to bring something wonderful out of the even the most blocked/shy/cliche-ridden student. Some of my experiments with them are here.
Cooking! cabbage, it’s not boring I assure you, when it’s made using a Veganistan recipe from Sally Butcher owner of Persian vegan store/cafe Persepolis in Peckam. Simple, (mostly) easy, delicious and suitable for non-vegans too! Some free recipes online from the ironically named Butcher here.
Swimming! in the ponds and lidos of London. I am an inefficient, quite pathetic swimmer who doesn’t like water going up their nose, however, it doesn’t matter, doing things you’re bad at makes you happy it turns out. I had suspected this for some time now and in seems the ‘evidence’ is mounting. (Case in point: a few winters ago I had attempted to ice-skate, I was utterly terrible at it, so wobbily, lacking grace, form and confidence that I had to use the penguin accessory created for small children. My friend Paddy recorded me and put the clip up on instagram stories, it was a hit, friends and strangers laughing at not with me but in the nicest possible way, the video brought joy and I came away totally exhilarated!)
Researching! the myth of Medusa after a trip to Greece and because I have a vague idea to write something involving her. Over the course of research I’ve come across many interesting pieces on the depiction of this Gorgon throughout history including this one, though it’s one I, in part, disagree with; I don’t believe Athena was punishing Medusa but rather gifting her with a protective power. I’m not a classicist, just a person with an opinion, so if any of you out there reading this are I would really love to hear your take on the Medusa myth below.
Thank you for reading, and if you like this newsletter then please do forward, like, share, comment or, if you can afford it consider becoming a Paid Subscriber. Other Thursday recommendations here, some fiction here and some non-fiction here.
Finally, I would LOVE to hear your own recommendations too, as it it says ‘Leave a comment’….
Love,
Emma x o x o