Monthly Meanderings: May

Over the last couple of months, nearly every corner of the world has experienced an unexpected season of uncertainty and tribulations. For us, the best means of survival and remaining hopeful meant creating a library of sorts: a collection of art, culture, humor, film and, frankly, the bizarre. A place that, while virtual as it may be, offers an escape, solace and inspiration.

Here is what has been getting us through the month of May:

Duncan Trussell Family Hour

Despite the title, this podcast probably won’t be what you listen to in the moments you have your family gathered around. Rather, enjoy these humorous and chakra-provoking discussions late at night with an herbal remedy or in the early morning hours when you simply can’t get your brain to focus on what you “should” be doing. 

Hosted by comic and actor Duncan Trussell, a wide array of mindful guests discuss meditation, spirituality, psychedelics and other concepts that can help us heal during these uncertain times. Though recorded, the conversations often flow in a steady stream of consciousness—a kind reminder that none of us know everything and we are all in the search for something.

Episode 377 with author Sharon Salzberg left us feeling soothed and cozy, like being wrapped in Grandmother’s quilt and eating special brownies.

Listen if you: dabble in hallucinogens, wish you were a voice-actor, admire people who meditate and go vegan (yet you continue to stress-eat cheese and bacon) 

NatGeo Says We’re Mentally Stable

Those classic, yellow-framed publications are part of the reason that we fell in love with travel writing. In fact, we continue to keep a stack of them—now crackled, dog-eared and with pages missing here and there—in various closets, desks and shelves around the house. Call it hoarding, but there’s something comforting about having them around.

NatGeo once again put us at ease with a recent article that commented on the importance of planning for future adventures. “Our future-mindedness can be a source of joy if we know good things are coming, and travel is an especially good thing to have to look forward to,” says Matthew Killingsworth, a senior fellow at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Click link if you: like positive news, need positive news, are feeling negative about life

How to Talk to Strangers

We prefer the intimate relationship of caressing the thin, worn-down pages of a paperback book, but when quarantine struck and book stores closed shop we were left with the temptation to discover something new. And so, we became unfaithful and downloaded an audiobook. Before you judge, please consider it was for the sake of listening to Malcolm Gladwell narrate a Malcolm Gladwell book.

In his latest deep dive into social constructions, behaviors and interactions, the Canadian journalist immerses listeners into his examination of “what we should know about people we don’t know.” 

Racial and religious tensions, cultural misunderstandings, words of love and hate lost in translation, mishandled cases of sexual assault and murder—this wide-reaching investigation reveals how important events in history have gone all wrong due to the fact that we are simply unequipped to understand the unknown. 

And in a time of social distancing, faces half-covered in masks and false perfection perpetuated on social media, it’s a startling thought that it could only get worse.

Listen if you: dislike social media but have an Instagram, are a stand-in psychologist to friends, have not heard Janelle Monae’s “Hell you Talmbout” yet are intrigued by the song title nonetheless

Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin

What we know about Chatwin is that he was one of the greatest last explorers. His book, “In Patagonia,” is a stirring travelogue that talks about Patagonia’s sentiment of isolation and nothingness. It has left a mark on almost all of his readers, conveying Chatwin’s venturous spirit and the idea of travel in a very particular and singular way.

German film director Werner Herzog was a close friend of the late English explorer. When he was approached by the BBC Two to make the film, he said they had asked the right person because, in a way, he carried the film within him. Herzog’s heartfelt documentary is a tribute to his dear writer friend—a reflection about fundamental things of life  such as nomadism, travelling on foot, solitariness, wild storytelling and poetry. 

The journey starts with a trip to a cave in the Patagonia where Chatwin’s ancestor identified the skin and bone of a 10,000-year-old giant sloth (which he had wrongly assumed was a brontosaurus). Divided into chapters and containing interviews with key characters such as biographer Nicholas Shakespeare and Elizabeth Chanler, Herzog follows ‘a similar erratic quest for wild characters, strange dreamers and big ideas about the nature of human existence.’

The documentary shows the genuine common worldview that both Herzog and Chatwin shared, as well as their curiosity for the mythical tales that resumed in voyages of the mind. According to Herzog, Chatwin’s invisible presence was perceived throughout the making of the movie, being able to recognize and discover things that the writer himself had encountered or seen.

Watch it if you: have lived abroad, talk to animals, cherish relationships but like to be alone

WePresent: Unexpected stories about creativity

WeTransfer is the preferred file-sharing tool that helps creatives during different stages of their work process. In our case, we use it to send and receive information/visual material on a regular basis. A couple of years ago they launched a content platform called WePresent. It features stories about art, photography, music and other creative stuff from around the world.

Recently we came upon an entertaining article where writer Christopher Hooton discusses  the inevitable information overexposure we’re all going through during the pandemic –especially the overwhelming avalanche of content on social media. In the article, he shares the awesome hand-drawn cartoons of a fabulous group of artists: from Sara Hagale’s (@shagey_) somber and tender characters to Hiller Goodspeed’s (@hillergoodspeed) minimalist and simplistic artwork. 

Check it out if you: like to stay on the cutting edge, are feeling uninspired, prefer to laugh out loud as opposed to typing LOL

WSJ+ What to Watch Guide

What we love about The Wall Street Journal’s new “What to Watch Guide” is it provides alternatives for every need and mood. You have to be a WSJ + member to be able to download this complimentary guide but if you decide to go for it you’ll find plenty of stuff to fill your time.

From films and TV shows, to historical videos and other web-based offerings, this site is a neverending window to probe.

We especially enjoyed Joe Morgenstern’s film review “Movies from the Past still Deliver,” about movies that talk about delivery services such as “The Lunchbox” or “Kiki’s Delivery Service”. Martin Johnson’s “Staying Inside Guide” gives some brilliant suggestions of livestream performances from jazz musicians while Will Friedwald compiles a short list of classic videos, all available on YouTube and other platforms that capture the blazing sounds of jazz.

Take a peek if you: are looking to invest in quality of life, take advice and criticism well, appreciate the unusual

Cover art: Sara Hagale Instagram (@shagey_)