Kadir Nelson’s portrait, “Distant Summer,” of a child looking both at us and beyond us seems fitting for an image on the eve of this year’s holiday. The painter discusses the New Yorker cover and a potentially lonely summer, “in the midst of a pandemic, with a large part of the country still in lockdown, [with] global protests against ongoing discrimination and violence against black people” in this issue’s Q&A. And on his instagram, where you will also find more of his incredible work, the artist statement goest further to say “As he enjoys a frozen ice pop, he is torn between wanting to be a kid and being forced to consider his future in a bizarre and rapidly changing world around him.” We have a copy on our kitchen counter and I can’t stop looking at it.
How is everyone doing?
We have some close friends (with two same-aged kids) we have “bubbled” up with over the past few weeks, and they’ll be over tomorrow. I’m grateful that our kids have companions with whom to play—it really made a difference. Skyler’s mood seemed to be getting especially low and seeing them together really highlights the kind of imaginative play she would otherwise risk missing without a peer. Hudson and his buddy have been deep into origami and scootering—a nice balance to the reading he can otherwise occupy himself with for hours.
We were supposed to be leaving for Barcelona in a few days, so I’ll be looking for ways to transport myself mentally through last year’s travelogues while we’re barred from Europe for the foreseeable future. (If anyone there can get me a recipe for Bar Mut’s Egg carpaccio—with crispy angel hair, gambas, pine nuts, and loads of butter—I’d be grateful!) Aron and I have been making our way through the How to Cocktail book (his Father’s Day gift), but I keep wanting to come back to my favorites. He’s currently making us Lavender and Coffee liqueurs from scratch and we’ve ordered the bark for making homemade Tonic.
With the kids out of school there seems even less time for anything resembling work, but I’m doing my best to carve out some hours. Still, when there is free time it’s very rare that I feel like I can get into it. I’m more likely to crave some TV time. I just finished a not-very-good but still addictive TV show, Virgin River (love Martin Henderson), and have realized how I miss ‘those’ kinds of shows… like Grey’s Anatomy and other slightly soapy, romantic dramas. What are you watching lately?
I did a Zoom chat last night to discuss Eloquent Rage with my bookclub—and it was wonderful! I highly recommend reading or listening to Cooper’s work on defining feminism and specifically Black feminism. Going to be thinking about it for a while to come. What have you been reading lately?
I have a calendar full of posts I’d like to finish and share but forgive me if things are a bit sporadic around here. Hopefully you’ll still check back…
Some links of note:
That most incredible musical, Hamilton, is streaming as of today! Here’s how to watch it.
“Words have more power than any one can guess; it is by words that the world’s great fight, now in these civilized times, is carried on.” Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Audre Lorde, and Mary Shelley on the importance of speaking up.
“You must at last acknowledge your emotional investment in a legacy of hate.” A most-powerful read about why those Confederate monuments must come down.
Merriam-Webster revises the definition of racism.
On track for 100,000 new cases per day.
“In the Covid-19 economy, you can have a kid or a job.” …”we are being rolled over by the wheels of an economy that has bafflingly declared working parents inessential.” The article that has already been shared with me over and over again since it came out yesterday—it resonates so much.
Related: We need to know!
Also related: encouragement to let your kids entertain themselves.
“Good morning in sad, jealous tweets.”
Glamour‘s round-up of plus-size swimsuits.
20 Black-female-ownded brands to support.
Masks with adjustable ear loops, I’ve discovered, are my favorite. High marks from many for Vistaprint’s line of adult/kid options.
Speaking of masks, creepy or brilliant?
Sorting by size, via Swiss Miss.
Reading this made me want to watch French Kiss again! (But it’s not streaming! I would need my VHS tape!)
I’d almost forgotten that Butterstick Lip Treatment was my favorite summer product last year—it has SPF!
PSA: Chacos on sale.
And an extra 30% sale items at Madewell—including cute, cropped jeans.
Summer staples for eating outside.
Going to try this marbled paper DIY with the kids next week. I think Hudson would love using it for his origami.
BTW, many have asked about his favorite book or tutorial. He likes watching YouTube tutorials from Jeremy Shafer best of all, and tells us it really does make a difference to use true origami paper.
Love Jordan Ferney’s shelf-edit on Domino today!
Finally, for the 4th of July, some older links:
A story about Jasper John’s “Flag.”
Also, when you’re grieving for America, “it’s tricky to translate whatever ‘loving one’s country’ means.”
Emma Lazarus’s sonnet, The New Colossus, the last lines of which are famously inscribed on The Statue of Liberty.
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