Shrines, The Last Black Man in San Francisco and The Bluest Eye.
A featured article by Elina Arbo and a podcast covering Run the Jewels' RTJ4.
Welcome to the fourth installation of The Q: your one-stop weekly newsletter of culture recommendations. Can’t find a platform where you can receive condensed, reliable, pop-culture content? Yeah, we can’t either.
Every Saturday morning in your inbox, you’ll find a featured article, an album, a film, a playlist, a book, a video, and something funny we found that week. Oh, and a Two Virgins podcast episode, where Sam and Teresa talk about a recommendation while drinking virgin drinks. We also invite a guest onto the show every week (that guest could be you!)
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Featured Article
“Magic Exists, But Trans People Don't?” by Elina Arbo
J.K. Rowling should have saved this one in the drafts, no doubt. Her recent opinion piece “J.K. Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking out on Sex and Gender Issues” was published a couple of days ago. Since her editor failed to modify all those terrible statements and run-on sentences, I decided to help by simplifying the title for her: “My Transphobia”.
Album
Shrines by Armand Hammer
It’s hard to passively listen to anything Billy Woods or Elucid release. A full listen through of Shrines means a lot of googling, reading, and an intense focus. But once you get used to Armand Hammer’s style, Shrines has incredibly profound power and beauty unmatched by any other album released this year.
Film
The Last Black Man in San Francisco directed by Joe Talbot
At a glance, The Last Black Man in San Francisco tells the story of a man named Jimmie and his friend Mont, who try to reclaim an old Victorian-style house built by Jimmie’s grandfather before he was born. The beautiful shots of San Francisco makes the film a celebration of the city, as much as a critique. With its winding hills and colorful houses, its richness extends far beyond the reaches of the Golden Gate bridge. However, like any other major city, San Francisco is plagued by the issue of gentrification, as the city is slowly stripped of its immigrant roots and painted with white millennials.
Book
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
There is not much that can be said about Toni Morrison’s classic 1970 novel, “The Bluest Eye,” that has not been said before. However, re-reading the book in the last couple of weeks, it struck me how the ugliness Morrison talks about in the novel has changed since its publication. Of course, the idea of a racialized ugliness never will go away, but the ways in which it manifests itself can change.
Playlist
Sarah Finkelstein’s the sun is shining, the birds are chirping features Jay Jay Pistolet, Real Estate, and Vampire Weekend.
Sarah’s favorite track: “Side A” by Alohaha
Description: “easy listening music for any summer picnic, day in the park, or just time outside with friends”
Podcast
Two Virgins Episode #4: RTJ4, Ice Tea with Lemon, and Yeabe Fekade
On this week's episode, Sam and Teresa talk about Run the Jewels' RTJ4 over a cup of ice tea with lemon with Teresa's friend, Yeabe Fekade.
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