A lady puking a fish, recommended by RBG (truly)
The Sternal Journal
Update from last week: Selena Gomez starts a kitchen fire in one ep of Selena+Chef
Oh, barf, Sternal Journalists. Barf, barfity, barf.
I hope everyone had a nice weekend of mourning the now and cowering at the future. I certainly can't say there's anything joyous about the passing of the great Supreme Court Justic RGB, but I think I found a tiny little Sternal-y Journal-y thing that could help you, if you wanted, to find a pocket of joy in your mourning experience.
In 2002, Ginsberg appeared on the WNYC classical nerdfest, Mad About Music. I have never listened to this show, I don't even think it's still available to listen to. But I found a transcript of it here.
For how definitely tame and nerdy this show is, it's pretty wild. They just like have RGB stop by and guest DJ. Truly. She brings a few songs she likes, she tells the host about some of her favorite stagings of different operas, and the host says "Marvelous" very unironically. Even in transcript, it's pretty great.
BUT the first song she brought is a Cole Porter diddy called The Tale of the Oyster where an oyster is sad in the ocean, hops on a ship, gets eaten by a fancy lady, then she pukes him up and that's the end of the song.
And this is what DJRBG led her set with. Badassery.
So go listen to it. Put some shoes on, pop in some headphones, go outside, peek side to side like you're Zooey Deschanel with a secret, then press play and walk around the block. You'll have a ball. It will make your day better.
...
Did you listen? Wasn't it great? Remember how it literally starts with "Down by the sea lived a lonesome oyster/ Every day, getting sadder and moister?" It was the WAP of its time. I will be listening to it probably 5 times today. I'm sure she would want us to take this moment in history seriously, but that song choice (to me!) says that she would want us to enjoy a little zaniness if we can as well.
That's really all I've got for you today. You want more content?! Come on! You haven't even walked around the block listening to Tale of the Oyster yet!
Okay, fine, fine.
Some things I liked this week:
Detroiters: a show people have been telling me to watch for years and I finally did and it is so joyful and I love it.
Detroit 2: No relation, but a wonderful new album by Big Sean.
Message in a Bottle by Nalo Hopkinson: This sci-fi short story is funny and cynical about the art world in all the right ways. Couldn't find a pdf to link you online, but it's available in a few different anthologies you can probably eborrow from your library!
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey: Honestly a bit of a slog compared to the first, but Death and Station made it all worth it to me.
Okay, that's all!
P.S. Esqueechamugs are officially sold out(?!!?), but I will be ordering more soon! Get in on that next batch! (But not if it's your only disposable income. Give that money to any of the unfortunately many people and entities necessarily fighting off fascism right now!)
<3
Julian