collecting joy & wonder
a short list of small, cozy delights on a dark, bullshit day
I’m back for another season of newsletters on what is, admittedly, a really dark day for us all. Don’t know about you all but between this inauguration and the ceasefire in Gaza, the LA wildfires and whatever Tiktok’s deal is for now, I’ve been feeling…destabilized.
I don’t know that I have anything particularly insightful to share about anxiety today because I am in it with you. It’s hard to focus on much of anything. There are folks who are more politically and socially and culturally savvy than me who can rise to the occasion in that regard. We’re gonna be hit with a lot of bad news in the next few days especially, and in the coming months. I don’t want to tax your brain or your wallet or your empathy reserves today. A lot of us are sitting with a fuck-ton of anxiety right now. We have a lot we need to fight for, and a lot of precious, vulnerable people we simply must protect.
And right now, some of us, myself included, are just out here…surviving. So I’m building an arsenal of joy for the dark days I know are coming. I thought I’d share some things that have made me feel wonder, or awe, or just plain expansive within the past week. Help yourself to it all. Because we’re really gonna need to cultivate, nourish, and foster a hell of a lot of hope these next several years, wherever and however we can.
If you feel so inclined, leave comment with something that has brought you some joy and relief recently.
This Ethel Cain x Robyn mash-up of “Sun-Bleached Flies x Dancing On My Own.” I know this is old by internet standards but my god, if this isn’t the sound of finding joy while drowning in misery and grief, I don’t know what is. Strongly recommend dancing to this one while vacuuming or unloading the dishwasher or whatever lame chore you have to do today.
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. This is one of those “came-back-wrong” horror trope novels, but it’s also a lot more than that. Miri’s wife, Leah, comes back from a botched scientific expedition in a submarine six months later than she was supposed to. And while Miri is glad to have Leah back, Leah is…no longer herself. This is less jumpscare-scary and more existential-fear-scary, with some stunning meditations on grief, trauma, and returning to nature. Even though the pace is a little slower than I typically like, I seriously couldn’t put it down. The prose was so beautiful and lyrical and the mysterious questions left unanswered have haunted me ever since I finished it.
Anora. Look, everyone and their sugar daddy has seen and discussed this movie, and I’ll probably write something longer about it here someday, but if you haven’t seen it? Go watch it today. Maybe not with your parents or your child. But go watch it, its already won all kinds of awards for a reason. Also, Mikey Madison is an absolute queen and I won’t hear anything to the contrary.
Powdered Chai Latte Mix. I’m not a sweet coffee kind of lady, but on occasion I treat myself to a skim chai latte. Yes, it’s not the healthiest drink in the world when I already have chai tea, and sure, there’s sugar in it. But! These lil powdered mixes are the best way to fulfill a chai latte craving at home so I don’t have to go out into the stupid Arctic tundra that is my Brooklyn neighborhood this time of year. And you get eight drink packets for the price of like, two freshly made chai lattes. So give yourself some chai latte powder. As a lil treat. You deserve it.
r/AccidentalAlbumCover. This subreddit is what it sounds like. As will all crowd-sourced online forums, some entries are better than others. But the ones that are good are GOOD. Other honorable subreddit mentions (all devoid of politics from what I can gather):
r/WhatIsMyCookieCutter: A place where you can help folks figure out what the fuck kind of cookie cutter they have. Sometimes there’s even illustrated demonstrations. It’s wild.
r/ShittyMovieDetails: Direct your anger at dumb plot holes and boneheaded directorial mistakes.
r/AccidentalRenaissance: This one is mostly pets in dramatic positions or, even better, candidly epic pics that resemble Renaissance paintings. Just trust me, it’s good.
Color Drip Candles. OG Nervous Wreck readers know that I’ve always been a big candle girlie. And then I recently found these multi-colored dripping tapered candles and now I simply cannot stop using them. I need them. You need them. We all need them.
The Pitt on HBOMax. It’s a prestige TV version of ER mixed with 24, by the guy who originally made ER. Every episode takes place over the span of one hour of a work shift in an emergency department. There’s drama and intrigue with a plethora of plucky doctors and nurses screaming numbers and acronyms I don’t understand at ALL. I love it already.
Museum Tours on YouTube. I got into these during lockdown, and I still love them. I particularly enjoyed the Mütter Museum of Medical History’s tour, but I’m a freak. A few other good ones include: the Van Gogh Museum; the Field Museum in Chicago; the Louvre in Paris; and the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.
Hang in there, my Nervous Wrecks. You are so, so loved. I’m thinking of you all and hugging you from afar. We’ll make it through this fuckery, together.
Until next week then, stay safe out there.