What I Read, Watched, Listened to in 2022
Wait. What day is it?
I don't know about you, but this pops into my head everyday right before New Year's Eve, mostly while I'm wandering around the house, eating leftovers, in between hanging out with my people.
In the spirit of providing you with entertainment options while you too are wondering what day it is, I created a short list of things I enjoyed reading, watching, and listening to in 2022. Those with discerning eyes will notice that most of these suggestions have been around for far longer than this year. Many were recommended to me by friends and family, and I am slow.
Please enjoy, and let me know what to read, watch, and listen to in 2023.
READ:
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. An excellent and timely read. One that’s responsible for me actually reading and watching the rest of the list.
A Place Like Mississippi: A Journey Through a Real and Imagined Literary Landscape by Ralph Eubanks. If you, like me, have found yourself wondering why so many outstanding writers are Mississippi folks, check this out. Sort of like a mix tape, this book nods to the writers from our state and the regions they call home.
Heavy by Kiese Laymon. If you read nothing else from this list, read this. Mr. Laymon was just awarded the well-deserved MacArthur Fellowship. Heavy is his memoir of growing up in Jackson, Mississippi.
The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi by Richard Grant. A fascinating ethnography of sorts. I literally could not put this down. Everybody I know recommended this.
Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World. My badass mama, Ouida Drinkwater, recommended this book by the Dalai Llama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Three greats. Enough said.
Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives -- How Your Friends' Friends' Friends Affect Everything You Feel, Think, and Do by Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler. You will never look at your friends the same.
The Nix by Nathan Hill. The only novel on the list because I risk job termination every time I read a novel. The rest of my life stops existing. This is a great one. Shout out to my old friend, Pal Moore, for this suggestion.
Listen:
Deep Questions. A good podcast by Cal Newport about how to live a deeper life. The opening music reminds me of Stranger Things, and that makes me happy.
Happiness Lab. Dr. Laurie Santos, who’s responsible for the most popular course at Yale, creates this podcast. Recommended by Cal Newport and now me.
Once Upon a Time ... at Bennington College. My good pal Alison Newcomb texted this to me and MAN am I glad she did. This salacious, fascinating podcast dives into Bennington College in the 80’s, which produced Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho), Donna Tartt (The Secret History, The Goldfinch and also a Mississippian), and Jonathan Lethem (Motherless Brooklyn and the Fortress of Solitude). Ahhhh, the 80’s.
KEXP Song of the Day. Seattle radio station. New song. Everyday.
Danielle Ponder, Some of Us Are Brave. Her official bio: a singer who was once a lawyer. Thanks KEXP.
Mt. Joy. My cool friends Kathy and Mark have been my music gurus for my whole life. :)
watch:
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike. The highest praise my father bestows on another person: “So-and-so is a great American.” Killer Mike is a great American. (Don’t watch with your kids, unless your kids are 20.)
Inventing Anna. I love Julia Garner because I love Ruth Langmore. So I’m probably a little biased, but this series was real, real good. And it’s pretty much true.
Order of Myths. Margaret Brown’s 2008 documentary of white Mardi Gras and Black Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama.
Descendent. Ms. Brown’s follow-up about the survivors, and ancestors, of the Clotilda, the last slave ship that carried enslaved people to the U.S.
Under the Shadow. We watched a LOT of horror movies this year. Poor Aaron, he’s a champ. (Incidentally, Netflix, per its suggestions, straight up thinks I’m a psychopath.) This one is great - it takes place during the Iranian-Iraq war about a mother and daughter and evil spirits.
Stranger Things, Season 4. LOVED IT. Everything about it. LOVE.
