The Mixed Bag, Nov 2024
in search of hope and, oh, anything uplifting really
The Mixed Bag is a curated list of stuff I’ve enjoyed this month: books, podcasts, talks, the occasional movie or TV show, and more. We’ll be back to regular programming in the next issue.
🐾 in case you missed it
Profile of the Month: Denise Taylor
Anchoring: Words and wisdom (others, not mine!) helping me deal with what’s happening
🔗 finds
Nick Cave responds to readers’ questions about joy, where it is, and how to find it when everything feels like a mess.
- shares this timely and urgent message about creating possibilities to guard against despair.
Where and how to find a supportive community (and why we must) | Vox
Why Small Pleasures Become a Bigger Deal As We Get Older | School of Life
Ingrid Fettel Lee (author of Joyful) shares 12 research-backed tips on how to cheer ourselves up on a hard day.
- tells it like it is: What’s So Great About Aging?
📚 reading
Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope by Mark Manson. I’ve had this book for a while but haven’t really cracked it open until now. The time finally felt right.
Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit. Beautiful writing that’s been helping me find hope in these difficult times. I haven’t finished the book, but what I’ve read so far is quite uplifting.
One Last Step by Sarah Sutton. The debut novel by Sutton starts a new mystery series; lots of action and suspense and just the right amount of distraction from real-world shenanigans.
📺 watching
One good thing about avoiding the news is that it gave me plenty of time to discover great TV shows.
The Diplomat on Netflix
Slow Horses on Apple TV
Blue Lights on BritBox
💬 last word
Aah. I’m seeing a theme in this compendium. Unsurprising, really.
Things are shaping up to be even more bizarro than imagined. All the more we need to be in active hope mode.
One last thing. My niece got me hooked on anything Sabrina Carpenter. My personal favorite is Espresso. Enjoy!
May the odds be ever in your favor,
Lou Blaser
Lou, many thanks for the shout-out.
Thanks Lou- I’ve had that “Everything Is Fucked” book on my (digital) shelf too. Seems like a good time to try it.