I’m having a very middle-aged moment right now when it comes to television. I actually said to a fellow fortysomething neighbor experiencing unavoidable tropical summer ennui, “Widow’s Bay is a reason to live.”
Below you will find my other very middle-aged, middlebrow recommendations, which are mostly somehow Italian, as well as the movies I’ve been watching, podcasts I’ve loved, and suggested reading from around the web—essays, PDF books, academic articles, etc. “The web” feels like a properly middle-aged way to refer to the internet, no?
Three essay workshops for summer: personal, reported, and cultural criticism. These will be presentations followed by discussions. Each has three essays to read—no food included, a mix of old and new. Choose day or evening sessions. $100 for non-members; $75 for members; $50 for Friends of the Desk; free for Tomato Tomato Patrons (latter two, email me for your codes).
The Food Essay will return in the fall. You can also book a private consultation or get my workshop downloads.
Want to know what’s up?
Members receive monthly links, watching and listening notes, and get access to an ongoing annual playlist to find new music (or remember the old).