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Hump Day Recommendations
Watch: “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.” Yes, the boys are back in town, and this time they’re struggling with an “emerging technology.” It’s been a few years since Nick Park’s last installment in the continuing adventures of daffy inventor Wallace and his loyal and absurdly inventive dog Gromit. I won’t spoil the plot for you. You can find it at your local cinema or streaming on Netflix. – Willis
Check out:The tattoos of Özge Kul. I’m on a real Turkish culture kick these days, and I have been enchanted by the work of this Istanbul-based artist. Her stunningly detailed linework on animal and plant motifs contrasts brilliantly with bold streaks of bright, saturated color, usually in just one or two tones, to emotional effect. Her work often reminds me of Japanese traditional tattoos and the tulip designs of Ottoman-era Iznik tiles, reimagined through a cubist lens in a style that is unmistakably unique. In Istanbul and interested in a piece of your own? Contact her here. – Matt
Read: “James.”This novel by Percival Everett grips the imagination with its retelling of the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (by Mark Twain, of course) as seen through the eyes of James, aka Jim, the slave. I need to go back now and reread the original Twain, but Everett’s version – complete with vivid scenes and dialog that challenges the racist philosophies of Enlightenment figures like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, and John Locke – will be hard to beat. – Tracy
Sit down: with Putin’s Rasputin.We are now in the 26th year of Vladimir Putin’s reign. What makes him tick? To answer that question, Giuliano da Empoli, an Italian political analyst, wrote a novel. “Wizard of the Kremlin” imagines a lengthy conversation with “Vadim Baranov,” a late-Soviet theater kid who becomes a TV producer in the 1990s and is recruited as a Putin aide. Baranov is modeled on the real-life character of Vladislav Surkov, an immensely powerful and famously cynical adviser who shaped Russian politics and media in the early 2000s. Da Empoli’s depiction of the chaos and rush of post-Soviet Russia, his grasp of the country’s culture and history, and his insights into Putinism are all superb. So too are his warnings. – Alex
Watch: “Black Doves.” The Netflix series with Keira Knightley is a spy romp through the corridors of power at Westminster, replete with murder, lust, and duplicity. Set in London at Christmas time, “Black Doves” follows Knightley as Helen, a devoted mother and secret spy, who teams up with suave assassin Sam, played by Ben Whishaw, to unravel a conspiracy after her lover and the Chinese ambassador to England are both murdered. Love, betrayal, and geopolitical chaos are all on the menu – and a second season is in the works. – Tasha
Read: “Ultimatum,” by Richard Rohmer. This 1973 novel was the best-selling book in Canada that year, but it is even more timely today. It tells the story of a Trump-like US president who threatens to impose economic sanctions unless Ottawa grants Washington the right to its natural gas reserves in the Arctic. Spoiler alert: At the end, Canada is on its way to becoming the 51st state, paving the way for the sequel: “Exxoneration.” – Tasha
Watch: “Their Gwangju, Our Gwangju,” by MBC News. Forty-four years ago, South Koreans woke up — once again, amid a recurring pattern of political repression — to nationwide martial law, as strongman President Chun Doo-hwan dispatched troops to quell student demonstrators in the southern city of Gwangju. The soldiers escalated violence against the students, beating, stabbing, and shooting demonstrators, taxi drivers transporting wounded civilians, and, eventually, citizens who raided armories to fight back. Between 600 and 2,300 people died — the casualty figures are still hotly disputed — and left politics in Seoul deeply scarred to this day. Find out more about the uprising’s legacy in this short documentary. – Matt
Read: “What We Can’t Burn,” by Eve Driver and Tom Osborn. This book chronicles the authors, both youth climate activists, as they struggle to find common ground on how to fight climate change. Driver, a journalist and activist, champions accountability from powerful institutions, while Osborn, a Kenyan green energy entrepreneur, advocates for innovative solutions. It’s an insightful joint memoir calling for collaboration in the fight against climate change, and it encompasses many of the arguments I see young people having about the path forward.– Riley
Read: “War,” by Bob Woodward. The famed Watergate journalist dropped another book this year, this time delving into the corridors of power involved in the Middle East and Ukraine wars. He also looks at the upended Democratic ticket, the rise of Kamala Harris, and the 2024 presidential election. Woodward predictably fawns over Joe Biden and criticizes Donald Trump, but his fly-on-the-wall glimpses at conversations between leaders like Biden, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jake Sullivan, and Volodymyr Zelensky at pivotal geopolitical moments over the last four years are worth every penny and page. – Tracy
Watch: “Gladiator II.” This movie was a lot of fun. Ridley Scott is truly a master at epic battle scenes. As a huge fan of the first movie, I never expected to get a sequel and was admittedly skeptical when I initially heard this film was being made. But Denzel Washington delivered one of his best performances in years, and the movie (whether intentionally or not) touched on a lot of political themes that hit close to home in the present day for the US. It’s not the most thought-provoking or sophisticated movie you’ll see this year, but it’s quite a spectacle and well worth seeing in theaters. – John
Read: the case for tariffs.As Trump heads back to the White House promising even more potent protectionism, it’s worth understanding the leading arguments for a rethink of free trade. Robert Lighthizer’s 2023 book “No Trade is Free” and Oren Cass’s 2018 “The Once and Future Worker” are good places to start. Both say that policymakers’ focus on boosting consumption has wrecked America’s social fabric by destroying millions of productive and meaningful manufacturing jobs, and both argue the US hasn’t stood its ground against the anti-free trade practices of major partners, especially China. But Lighthizer focuses on trade and China specifically, telling fascinating stories from his time leading Trump’s trade agenda against Beijing and NAFTA. Cass, a rising star among the new economic populist right, casts a wider net, calling for a rethink not only of trade but also for more work-oriented approaches to education, the social safety net, immigration, and environmental regulation. Agree or not, you should know these arguments as they will shape US policy for (at least) the next four years. – Alex
Watch: “A Real Pain.”I loved this movie. It’s about two cousins who’ve lost touch and decide to go on a trip to Poland to reconnect and honor their grandmother — a Holocaust survivor. The film is largely about the challenges of confronting the past, and touches heavily on grief and generational trauma. Despite the heavy subject matter, the movie somehow manages to be incredibly funny. It’s the perfect balance of heartwarming, profound, and hilarious. — John
Read: “Atatürk: The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey,” by Andrew Mango. During my trip to Turkey last week, I witnessed something rather remarkable. Around 9:05 a.m. on Nov. 10, ships in the Bosphorous began sounding their horns, cars stopped in the middle of the street, and people paused their routines to stand respectfully. They were mourning the 86th anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey and one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. And yet, in the US – inexcusably – he is virtually unknown. Do yourself a favor and pick up Mango’s comprehensive biography, which unsparingly cuts through Kemalist propaganda and legend to trace the story of Turkey’s rise from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. – Matt
Watch: The 2008 Nadal-Federer Wimbledon final. As Rafael Nadal, king of clay, retires from professional tennis, take a minute — or six hours — to watch one of his best performances when he beat Roger Federer at his peak at Wimbledon. Both men gave their all, and the match was nothing less than a thriller. Nadal is finishing his career with Davis Cup play this week. – Suhani
Read: Calvin and Hobbes. Tired of the existential dread that hangs over this US election like smog? Me too. Time to revisit Calvin (history’s most imaginative cartoon boy) and Hobbes (his sardonic stuffed tiger and best pal). It’s hard to top “Something Under the Bed is Drooling” and “The Revenge of the Baby-Sat.” But for my money “Scientific Progress Goes Boink” is cartoonist Bill Watterson’s masterpiece. Enjoy. You deserve it. – Willis
Watch: “Somebody Somewhere,” a slightly under-the-radar but critically acclaimed comedy series on HBO Max, starring Bridget Everett and a cast of eccentric but endearing characters living in Manhattan, Kansas. Now in its third and final season, the show follows Everett as Sam Miller, a 40-something, single woman who moves back to her hometown following the death of her sister. This series is touching, hilarious, filled with beautiful music (Everett is an amazing singer), and won a Peabody this year for excellence in entertainment. – Tony
Watch, if you haven’t already, last week’s episode of “Saturday Night Live.” If US politics has you feeling grim or overwhelmed, this episode will be a much-needed respite. – Riley
Listen: “The Pure Sound of Mountain and Water,” by Yu Shuishan. Things are … stressful right now. Why not take a deep dive into the most relaxing, non-political album I know of in this beautiful rendition of traditional Chinese guqin music. The fretless zither has been a staple of Chinese music since Confucius was just a rowdy scholar, and Yu’s peaceful, minimalistic interpretations might be just what you need today. — Matt
Read: “Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue,” by Sonia Purnell. Imagine being a young English woman with the respected ear of Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II. Then you go on to know, love, and frolic (often) and work with powerful men involved in nearly every pivotal geopolitical moment and scandal until your death five decades later. Was Harriman scandalous? You bet. A brilliant feminist? Jury’s still out. A cunning political operative? You decide. I loved this book, and I think you might too. — Tracy
Watch: “The Apprentice.”This Donald Trump biopic came out just weeks before Election Day. It’s an attempt to examine the forces and experiences that molded the former president as we know him today, particularly Roy Cohn, the influential lawyer who mentored Trump when he was younger. While some aspects of the movie are based on actual events, it’s still a fictional depiction of Trump at the end of the day. Trump has made it clear he’s not happy about the movie, calling the people who made it “HUMAN SCUM.” Though reviews are mixed, this film definitely has people talking, and I’d say it’s worth two hours of your time. — John
Read: “Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire” by Judith Herrin. Quick, when did the Roman Empire fall? All of you who said 476 CE need to read this magnificently accessible and thrilling history of the Eastern Roman (aka Byzantine) Empire, which outlasted its Western twin by a millennium. Herrin takes a unique approach, cutting through the… well, the Byzantine nature of the history of the emperors in the east and forgoing chronological order to focus on specific themes. You’ll learn about the establishment of great Constantinople, the rise of Christianity as the state religion, its intensely violent iconoclastic conflict, and the empire’s many near-death experiences with Muslim invaders and civil wars. Pick it up today! — Matt
Read: “The Empty Space,” by Peter Brook. In this thin volume, first published in 1968, famed director Peter Brook divides theater into its “Deadly,” “Holy,” “Rough,” and “Immediate” forms. It’s the most important book on theater – and, by extension, art — that I’ve ever found. The older I get, the more I see that the book is also about life. You don’t have to care about theater to become fascinated by this masterpiece. – Willis
Listen: “The Anti-Trans Hate Machine,” hosted by Imara Jones for TransLash Media. Season 2 of this riveting podcast explores the violent supremacist groups that target the transgender community in the US and abroad, including Patriot Front, Proud Boys, Blood Tribe, and many more, as well as the role of local politicians and law enforcement in fostering these dangerous extremists. It’s a heavy subject, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel, as Jones explores deradicalization and healing after hate. — Matt
Watch: “The Last of the Sea Women.”This fantastic documentary focuses on the haenyeo of South Korea’s Jeju Island — intrepid women who dive into the ocean without oxygen to harvest seafood for a living. But their numbers are dwindling, and their way of life faces myriad threats, ranging from climate change to nuclear waste. It’s hard not to cheer these women on as they fight to preserve their traditions and protect the ocean. — John
Listen: The Interview’s conversation with JD Vance.This hour-long interview pushes Vance to explain how many of his views have evolved, and is a great peek inside the brain of Trump’s number two, who knows he will play an outsized role as vice president if he wins in November. – Riley
Read: Language City. More languages are spoken in New York City than anywhere else on earth. But many are endangered tongues from Asia, Africa, the Balkans, or Indigenous America, spoken by just a handful of old heads whose grandkids don’t understand a thing. A new book details the fight to preserve them. Written by Ross Perlin – a Columbia professor who co-directs the NYC-based Endangered Language Alliance – “Language City” maps Gotham’s linguistic landscape and profiles the living speakers of six dying tongues: Yiddish, Nahuatl (from Mexico), Lenape (from pre-colonial New York), Wakhi (Tajikistan), and N’ko (West Africa.) Language nerds will love it, but so will anyone interested in the way that vast sweeps of history are revealed simply by listening to who speaks what languages, and why. – Alex