August Obsessions
In this (semi) monthly series, I will share things that I can’t get enough of and I encourage you to do the same in the comments. Enjoy!
Lovecraft Country (Spoiler-Free)
Lovecraft Country is a horror/science fiction series on HBO, based on the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff. It’s set in America in the 1950s and is about Atticus Freeman (played by Jonathan Majors) and his terrifying journey to find his estranged father who has gone missing. It’s only two episodes in and it is already amazing. The show is beautifully shot and the excellent sound design incorporates audio clips from prominent black writers such as James Baldwin and Gil Scott Heron to tie the story together in a way that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced. I’m so excited to see more from the cast, especially the wonderfully talented Aunjanue Ellis. I’ll likely start the novel soon because I can’t wait to see where the story goes. The show gives you horrifying, Lovecraftian monsters and because this show follows a black family, you also experience the (still) very real horror of racism and white supremacy. It’s incredibly difficult to watch black pain and suffering play out on screen after living through more and more news of seemingly non-stop police brutality in real life, but the realness of persistent state-sanctioned violence against black people is what makes these stories so important and worthwhile. We still have so far to go and reality is often scarier than fiction.
There’s also a recap podcast called Lovecraft Country Radio hosted by writers Ashley C. Ford and Shannon Houston (who writes on the show). I love the way they’ve broken down the show so far and the way they give the audience a glimpse into the writer’s room.
Big Friendship
Big Friendship is a book by the hosts of one of my favorite podcasts, Call Your Girlfriend, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. It chronicles the ups and downs of their 10-year, long-distance friendship and the difficulties of maintaining adult friendships. I cried a few times reading this book because I haven’t spent any time with my friends since the pandemic started and I miss them terribly. It reminded me that I need to call and FaceTime them more to let them know that I love them and to remain connected through these hard times when we need each other most. There is a section that discusses the “trapdoor“ of racism in interracial friendships, that perfectly sums up those maddening moments when black and brown people have to question whether a white friend is complicit in racism and how they can confront the situation to repair the hurt it causes. I highly recommend this book to all “long-distance besties” and anyone who has an important, life-shaping friendship.
