The Light-Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures, You Will Die at Twenty, and Crying in H Mart
Featuring an interview with femdot.
Welcome to the seventy-sixth installation of The Q : your one-stop weekly newsletter of culture recommendations.
Album
The Light-Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures by R.A.P Ferreira
The fence-building nihilist returns over yonder: “Him with the filthy fits, Black orpheus.” The captain of the Ruby Yacht manages to fit an encyclopedia and thesis paper in the 28 minute run-time of what is his second brilliant body of work in a year.
Film
You Will Die at Twenty directed by Amjad Abu Alala
What if your grave was marked the day you were born? Amjad Abu Alala’s You Will Die at Twenty meditates on such a question, following the life of protagonist Muzamil who, at birth, was told by a sheikh that he would die at age twenty. The prophecy haunts him and his family, whose lives become shrouded by misery.
Book
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
“Ever since my mom died, I cry in H Mart,” Zauner opens her memoir with the same suddenness with which her mother receives her cancer diagnosis. Zauner is only 25 years old when she finds out about her mother’s stage IV squamous-cell carcinoma. She is living in Philadelphia with aspirations of being a full-time musician. Chongmi is merely 56. She has never smoked a cigarette. She applies QVC cream on her face religiously. This wasn’t supposed to happen, Zauner expresses. Her anger at life’s inexplicable cruelty seeps through the pages.
Playlist
Alice’s “winter 21” features Valentine, Apollo 8, and Cinema
Alice’s favorite track: “I Drink Wine” by Adele
Description: “This is a mix of pop and electronic tunes I’ve been enjoying at the start of winter. It features Moses Sumney, Snail Mail, and recent Adele and SZA releases.”
Podcast
Episode #71: Sparkling Apple Cider and an Interview with femdot.
On this week's episode, Sam and Teresa talk to femdot. over a glass of apple cider. femdot. is a Nigerian-American rapper from Chicago, whose 2018 debut album Delacreme 2 was released to wide critical acclaim. On November 9, femdot. dropped Not for Sale — a project that tackles much grittier sounds, as well as themes of money, religion, and romance. femdot. talks to Teresa and Sam about the importance of family, experimenting with new sounds, and the Chicago Bulls.
