85. The Week in Me

Life updates! Good ones! For once!

May 31, 2024

I thought I would keep this week’s letter light and update you on the life outside of my heavy head lately.

First, I was truly honored to be asked to join Mayor Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken’s inaugural Pride Committee. I came up with the idea for a fun family queer event, a dog parade in our local dog park! If you’re local, dress your dog up in a fun costume or bring them naked (you devils, you) and parade them around before heading to our nearby yappy hour! Feel free to share all of these great FREE events with your local New Jerseyans and New Yorkers!

I appeared on the podcast Cult Cinema Circle to discuss the teen parody Not Another Teen Movie, starring a young Chris Evans looking like the guy from Lazytown1 but hot(ter, some of you are freaks.)

I attended

Hunter Harris

’s party at the Georgia Room, hosted by Substack. It was a true pleasure getting to meet Hunter and

Akosua T. Adasi

in person, and connecting with

Sophia Efthimiatou

and Katie from the Substack writer relations team. There’s a photo of me if you click through - Matt said I looked very cute with my plate of cold cuts.

Hung Up

PARTY REPORT: “And I’m Glad You Brought It Up”

“Can I get you a Tree Paine Paloma?” Upstairs at the Freehand New York, hundreds of you packed into The Georgia Room to talk about pop culture moments big and small. At the bar, you could get a “Power Publicist Tree Paine Paloma,” a “Carrie Bradshaw Banging on That Window…

Listen now

a year ago · 37 likes · 12 comments · Hunter Harris

I went to see The Wiz on Broadway with Michael. What an unequivocally Black production, from the audience reacting to the dance solos and modern references like an AKA sorority induction to Amber Ruffin’s updated-just-so book (some newer references, nothing jarring, and a deftly-defined journey for each character beyond their missing parts) it felt like a gentle adaptation for a story that has aged well, and didn’t need much in the way of magicking for a modern crowd.

On a shitty Sunday, I stepped into Oz, which was exactly where I needed to be. You can get tickets here.

I met my two beautiful little nieces, Rosie and Brookie, and I learned that babies love an impromptu lullaby version of “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

Appeared on a podcast where I got so, SO, goddamn nerdy:

Thank you to

Jesse Jackson

and Charles once again for having me.

Saw my friends in Zeta open for High on Fire at White Eagle Hall with my friend Kelsey and her husband, Aaron. Got to chat for a while with my sweet friends in this band and pick up some of their new merch. These boys are so tight live, such an invigorating presence, and some of the hardest working dudes I have seen on the road. Check out their music and fundraiser here.

Went to see Moulin Rouge! and All That Jazz with Orli. Please support your local theaters, such as the IFC Center and Nitehawk Cinema. Nitehawk serves food! While you watch the movie! I want to discuss All That Jazz more in-depth, whether in a podcast episode I’m pitching or by writing about it here: it is one of the finest films I have ever seen.

I saw my friend Avery and her band Little Hag: one of my favorite modern bands.

Saw The Fall Guy twice with Matt. We enjoyed it that much. I laughed, I cheered, I threw a big thumbs-down to the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard joke (?!?!?! I missed it the first time, and it was a sick surprise on watch two), I thought about my similarly avoidant ex with great hair. It is streaming, and despite the extremely tasteless joke I highly recommend it. An original story, a love letter to stunt performers and the magic of making movies, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s chemistry for miles, Hannah Waddingham looking maybe even hotter as a bespectacled brunette, and R. Gos at his comedic and follicular best. This will be a heavy-rotation, sick day kind of film, for fans of Bullet Train and Man from U.N.C.L.E. Currently in theaters and now streaming as an extended cut.

I’ve seen Mary Jane twice: with Carrie Coon and much of the current cast before the pandemmy, and more recently with Rachel McAcams. Carrie Coon is my favorite living actress, but as I say knowing my blasphemy, I enjoyed Rachel’s China-shop bullish hope with its China-fine splinters performance more. It is her and Alex against the world, a superhero in a cape and a smile that is never allowed to crack, not even when holding a burning building over her head. Magnificent. Go see it, maybe with your mom, if you love her.

Michael, a wonderful and generous friend, also took me to the ballet: this long finale piece was set to the music of James Blake, and was my favorite of the four we were treated to.

Rebecca

took me to see Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss on yet another shitty day for me (they’re all shitty lately). He really made me laugh. I had never heard of him or his work, and I enjoyed his ability to tapdance firmly on the edge without punching down on marginalized groups like many comedians complain about not being able to do.

He made a hard day much better. I want to watch more of his standup!

Nick and I watching Gene Kelly’s ass in those little sailor pants in On the Town this week, at the Angelika.

The theater was the exact same theater (theater 6) where I had my first date with my second-worst boyfriend and it only collapsed my soul a little. I *did* have a very serious palms sweaty, mom’s spaghetti panic attack at work the very next day while thinning my wallet and finding his navy-and-lime business card.

I saw my chosen brothers, Fenn and Mark.

This was after I had a massive depression episode, sobbing with death on the mind on my way to the party. It has been a tender and tortured time, this CPTSD cycle I am living since March 1st. These tears come often, the thoughts too. I pulled over to look at these cows, and in a moment of nihilist courage I approached the fence and this sweet cow licked my hand with pure love.

When I texted Matt about her, he decided her name should be Josephine. This was somehow the name I had conjured for her without his knowing. Matt and I really do have a special connection.

I saw my grandmother everywhere - her signal to me has been gloves on the ground for a while, her way of giving my ass a little pinch from the beyond. With her redhead bouffant, this pair of gloves felt like the most her way of sending her love, carrot-colored and with both hands.

Oh, also I’m getting married in June ANYWAY!!!!!

newyorkcomiccon

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To read:

From

anam raheem

: Free Palestine.

liminal fuzz 🥀

for my survival

Yesterday, I saw a video of a Palestinian father standing in the midst of a flame-engulfed catastrophe. He was holding his child’s body with a look of utter shock on his face. The child’s body was missing its head. This atrocity took place in Rafah—the area where Palestinians were ordered to move as a safe zone—and the scene was an aftermath of an Israe…

a year ago · 10 likes · anam raheem

Very sweet words from a sweet someone, and I want you to pretend they are from me to you. You should receive them, often.

“The only problem was, he didn’t love her. She was good, yes, and kind, and so cute it made his knees feel a little wobbly—her frame small and delicate, her smile bright. She was clever, too, he knew. Too clever sometimes. He liked her so much. But he didn’t love her. He never really wanted to.” -

Genevieve Wheeler

, Adelaide

I read this book last year, it was a burr in my heart, I am recommending it again.