June Ings
books, music, art, poetry, film
Happy end of June.
I’ve seen heat waves making their rounds and life feels a bit like this painting above by Arthur Streeton. Painted during an Australian summer outside of Melbourne in the plains of an “artists’ camp”, Arthur was just 21 and this is now considered a masterpiece of Australian Impressionism. I can smell the dry grass and feel the cool shade slowly dissipate as the sun rises higher and higher to an unrelenting summer day.
Reading | Envy by Yuri Olesha - An NYRB classic- this is a Russian novel and it gives Dostoevsky vibes with the melancholy, wandering the streets at night atmosphere. A well off man takes in a drunk man on the street one night and he ends up staying with him for a while and it’s kind of a spiral of envious thoughts and woe is me and the toxicity of comparison.
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell - I know people reference 1984 a lot nowadays (and for good reason) and commend Orwell for his novels but this man was truly still a “man of his time”, meaning sexist, racist, prejudice, etc, etc. This was his first full length work detailing his time in the 1920’s experiencing poverty in Paris and London. We follow him around as he pawns his clothes and other random possessions he comes across in order to pay for his room in various locales.
While I was a bit annoyed at what I mentioned above, I did enjoy it to an extent because I like older books where the person lives from day to day like this. Another book that comes to mind like that is On the Road by Jack Kerouac. They don’t know where their next meal will come from (orwell didn’t eat for 5 days at one point), how they’ll make their next dollar, or where they’ll be but somehow they do it and they make it, just by living “by the seat of their pants”. While we live in different times, it reminds me that life is not that serious and the structures we were conditioned into believing is the one right way, is not the one right way. And it’ll all be fine.
At the Pond: Swimming at the Hampstead Ladies’ Pond - I don’t think I’ve ever talked about this niche interest of mine but I am drawn to the Hampstead ponds for some reason. I will read anything, watch anything, follow anyone online that swims or talks about the ladies pond. I’ve never been there myself, but it is a bucket list item to swim there at least once. If you don’t know, there are very old ponds in London that are a ladies swimming pond, a men’s pond, and a co-ed pond. This book has several essays from women, young and old, who have swam and lifeguarded at the ladies pond. Apparently it’s quite deep and even has water snakes toward the bottom, several fish species and other creatures. I love how there’s a group of older women who swim year round and bob about in beanie hats for a couple minutes every day in the winter.
There’s a documentary on the ponds but I can’t find anywhere it’s streaming online at the moment.
I love the idea of having a women only pond as a third space, a place you can go and just exist in the natural world, regulate your nervous system, lie on the meadow next to it, and not have to worry about anything.
Ripening: Why Women Need Fairytales Now by Sharon Blackie - I’ve read all of Sharon Blackie’s books and this is the latest release. In this one she drops more lore on old fairytales, the original meanings, and how they’re meant to teach women everything they need to know to survive life I suppose. Fairytales have gone through a bit of the telephone game over the years and have evolved to express very different stories and meanings from the original intents. It’s fascinating to learn about their evolution and what the original tales can teach us.
A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison - I found this on Libby to read on my kindle before bed. It’s a cozy mystery where a young woman whose mom passed away and her father kept her away from her aunt and cousins for 20 years, has now gone back to the town they live after leaving her job in NYC. She starts working with her aunt and cousins in their witchy apothecary in Bellamy Bay, North Carolina. A death occurs early on and they need to figure out what happened. I’ve just started it but it’s cute so far and great for summerween.
Beauty: The Invisible Embrace by John O’Donohue - Originally published as Divine Beauty, it can also be found by that name. I’m just starting this one also and I’m planning to dip in and out of it throughout my days as a bit of an elixir to daily woes. A page here, a page there. I have so much underlined and annotated already. I told myself I can’t tab every single page because I want to. I think I will make a post for this book when I’m finished. It’s everything I need right now.
Noticing | One of my side quests for the year was to write down 100 beautiful things I've noticed over the year. As of today, I have written down 38 things. We’re halfway through the year and I thought I’d be further along. I thought my eye for beauty was already properly attuned. This summer, with John O’Donohue and Mary Oliver, I plan to make this my main focus. Can I find something daily? I’ll try.. I’ll try.
Watching | I’m working on my side quest of watching a movie for every year I’ve been alive and just watched Miss Willoughby and the Haunted House for 2021. I feel like this should be a kids movie but it involves murder. I’m just not sure but it was fine.
I also watched the documentary Gauguin: A Dangerous Life (2019). There are documentaries on most of the impressionists and others in that time period on Tubi that I plan to work my way through this summer. Gauguin has never been a favorite of mine and he gives me a bit of the heeby jeebies. Particularly, because he left his wife Mette and 5 children to venture out in the world to paint and try to make money, found himself in Tahiti and married Teha'amana, a 13 year old.
Anticipating | I mentioned this before but there’s a definitive release date now~ The PBS special for Mary Oliver ~ Saved by the Beauty of the World will be released 8/25/26. A few days before my birthday and it’s the perfect gift. I can’t wait.
Listening | to concerts in the park. Every summer, my town has concerts in a few different parks on friday nights in June and July. My youngest daughter and I have enjoyed sitting on a picnic blanket and taking in the scene and watching the local bands. It’s one of those activities that helps turn the season in my mind. I know it’s summer now.
I just love Sargent’s work.
I created a summer playlist and it feels like this painting. You’re wandering the forest and happen across a fairy festival. You dance and dance and the trees dance with you and the fairies dance, and the sun turns to gold while it seems, do our eyes deceive, the flowers are glowing. Forget the world, we’re here now.
Quoting | I’ve come across some lovely quotes this month and I’d like to share them here~
“They’ll tell you that the arts and humanities aren’t practical and then read poetry at funerals and weddings, cry over films and search for meaning in ancient philosophy. Surviving is one type of practicality, knowing why we bother is another.” ~ Joel Uili
“Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.” ~ Henry Miller
“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of joy and wonder. I choose joy over despair, not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”
~ Robin Wall Kimmerer
“The longer I live, the more deeply I learn to love- whether we call it friendship or family or romance- is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other’s light. Gentle work. Steadfast work. Life-saving work in those moments when life and shame and sorrow occlude our own light from our view but there is still a clear eyed loving person to beam it back. In our best moments, we are that person for another.”
~ James Baldwin
Relaunching | August 1st will be a year Iris has been out in the world and I don’t think I did a good enough job sharing and promoting it so I’m going to do a relaunch and start posting more of it and probably pieces of Somewhere Dawn is Rising as well. I’ve written 3 poetry books and I don’t think from what I share online, anyone would really know it aside from me linking them. In the next week or two I’m going to photograph the entirety of both books to slowly share over time, most likely here and on instagram.
Well I hope you’re staying cool. Let me know if you have thoughts or suggestions on any of these topics!
x,
Courtney
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