Gumbo’!, Plan B, and Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza
Featuring an interview with Seth Parker Woods
Welcome to the sixty-third installation of The Q : your one-stop weekly newsletter of culture recommendations.
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Album
Gumbo’! by Pink Siifu
The longer I sit with the album Gumbo’!, the more I begin to appreciate its genius. Pink Siifu’s newest project is by far the most varied album of the year and acts as an amalgamation of all the disparate aspects of Siifu’s work. The project perfectly bridges between the poppy and the experimental, but luckily it comes together into a wonderful blend of the most interesting aspects of Siifu’s work.
Film
Plan B directed by Natalie Morales
When Sunny’s mom goes out of town for a weekend, Lupe convinces Sunny to throw a party, and the two use the occasion as an excuse to invite their crushes over. Sunny agrees, and although she ends up losing her virginity at the end of the night, it’s not to who she initially planned. In fact, it’s the opposite. The next morning when she’s peeing, a condom falls out — and with nothing but Lupe, her mom’s car, and a paralyzing fear that she will actually not beat teen pregnancy, the two friends set off on an adventure to find Plan B before its effectiveness wanes.
Book
Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldúa
Borderlands is a chance for the reader to recontextualize their own experiences and the borders that have affected their lives. Anzaldúa argues that borderlands are the future, and leads the readers in a call to action to actively help build up a new culture. She calls on us to embrace our backgrounds in a critical light and reminds us that we need to reconstruct our identity and cultural assumptions as much as we deconstruct them.
Playlist
Teresa’s “legal” features Ela Minus, SOPHIE, and Blood Cultures
Teresa’s favorite track: “Both of Us - Edit” by Jayda G
Description: “A playlist specifically for when you turn 21. Do not play this if you are not 21 yet.”
Podcast
Episode #58: Tomato-Lime Sipper and an Interview with Seth Parker Woods
On this week's episode, Sam and Teresa interview Seth Parker Woods over a glass of Tomato-Lime Sipper. Woods is both a solo cellist and has performed with groups such as the Ictus Ensemble, Ensemble L’Arsenale, and zone Experimental. He is also part of modern music collective Wild Up, which recently released Julius Eastman Vol. 1: Femenine, the opening entry in the group's multi-volume anthology celebrating Eastman. In the 2021-22 season, Woods also joined the faculty at the University at Buffalo as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Visiting Professor. Woods talks to Teresa and Sam about his introduction to the cello, straddling different genres, as well as his relationship with Julius Eastman.
