Read, Watch, Listen

Read: The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald

Sebald writes novels for those who find that the past always catches up to them—that it finds its way seeping into our everyday lives and conversations. The Rings of Saturn follows its narrator along the east coast of England and documents—along curious photographs—his sightings. These are surely places, people, and moments of history that have significance to only a select few, but Sebald through his prose style and peculiar choice of photographs that elevate the mundane to a point that which the narrators memories almost become our own. 

A stand out chapter is Sebald’s description and recollection of the natural history of the herring, their supposed inability to feel pain and how they glow after they die; arguably, this is the most alive the fish has ever been. To describe Sebald in one word it would be life-affirming. Amongst the decay and isolation that lays between Sir Thomas Browne’s skull and Norwich’s once prosperous silk industry, the resilience of the narrator’s memories can help any reader draw inspiration from the quotidien. I cannot recommend this enough, 5/5.

Watch: The Babysitter

“Utter trash. Poor in every respect” – Caroline Westbrook, Empire.

The Babysitter is the type of movie you would watch at 1AM during a sleepover. It’s one of those direct-to-Netflix films that feature Z-list celebrities who should have never been given an acting role in the first place. 

That’s the point of the film, though. The Netflix algorithm knows exactly what we want: we love watching trashy horror films with bad acting. The extremely nonsensical and unclear plot follows a young boy named Cole, who has been left with a babysitter while his parents spend some “passionate time together” at a nearby hotel room. 

Unsurprisingly, the babysitter in question is part of a satanic cult and invites her friends over to perform a sacrifice once Cole is tucked into bed. Cole, a naturally curious spirit is faced with a dilemma: should he jump out of bed and investigate, or should he stay in bed and let the ritual happen?

The Babysitter features Bella Thorne, Samara Weaving, and Robbie Amell. 

Listen: corkscrew compilation 001

Yes, this is a shameless self-insert. 

Corkscrew Records is a small bedroom-based label from Lausanne, Switzerland. Their compilation, corkscrew compilation 001, is comprised of a diverse range of voices from all over the world. Corkscrew compilation 001 cannot be shoved into a single genre: with a woozy experimental track by Leeds-based producer Sofa King (cheeky name) to a guitar-based pop banger by born and bred Nashville musician Rella, there is really something for everyone.  Each artist on the compilation has their own unique story and additional information on the artists can be viewed on the corkscrew records instagram, @corkscrewrecs. 

Some highlights on the compilation include “Intervention” by Rella, “Before Leaving” by Take Care, and “Sheela Na Gig” by Maeve Aickin.