Hello friends! I wore socks over the weekend. SOCKS. Fall is almost here, and I’m coming back to life.
Hope you read this under a light blanket.
Try something new: Recommended for you
Some things I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to:
🗽 Basquiat + Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child. I made a double feature out of a documentary and an adaptation, and it was pretty great. The doc about Basquiat is deeply moving, featuring footage of the artist plus his collaborators and friends. Then, the movie, starring Jeffrey Wright, is even more powerful. You see how they embodied the artist and the story. Plus Andy Warhol is played as a strange but sweet mentor by David Bowie. 💥
💵 Hightown. I came into this show knowing nothing except Netflix was pushing it on me. And to my surprise I found a gripping, fascinating crime drama, queer adventure, addiction story, and so much more. It’s based in Cape Cod and Provincetown, with a real tourists-vs-townies vibe, and has some really complex women characters. My allegiances kept shifting, and my yelling at the TV got louder, and that makes good drama.
📋 Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, by Clay Risen. We repeat history, and if we’re unsure of that, this book shows us proof. Replace 1950s’ “communism” with today’s “woke,” and you’ve got a eerily similar match for the Republican playbook of attacking schools, books, art, and the government itself. The book is an excellent, thoughtful read that gives some perspective to what’s happened today.
A better creative community
📓 How many creative groups have you tried? And how many have you left, due to drama, egos, or major mismatches of goals and beliefs? SAME.
But done right, creative community can be a way to get inspired, meet new friends, and recommit to creative work. Enter the Rebel Yell Creative community. Learn more, and complete the interest form!
Feeling stuck?
🎧 Sign up for a one-hour starter session with Rebel Yell Creative to:
Talk through a podcast idea
Get your podcast plan reviewed
See how current content could be enhanced
Get creative advice on a project or goal
See how a specific tool could be reframed as resistance
Come away with clear ideas and recommendations for next steps! Learn more.
Emory Douglas: The Art of Resistance Podcast
This week’s episode: The story of Emory Douglas, who created over 500 newspaper covers and other art for the Black Panthers.
Follow the show wherever you listen to podcasts! And subscribe for free at The Art of Resistance for images, music, and behind the scenes content.
Thanks for reading! In honor of Chicago and its resistance, here’s a song that reminds me of my years living in that beautiful, un-hellhole-like city: