Retreat edit - #4
An edit of what I've discovered recently - in case it takes your fancy, too.
Hello and a warm welcome to Retreat edit.
If you’re new to my Substack, you’ve landed on a feature I write called edit.
It’s a round up of discoveries that have inspired me, brought me joy, or offered an escape from the day-to-day. Whether that’s a book, great music, a podcast, an article, online nourishment or something lovely to dream about owning, I wanted to share it with you, too.
You can find out more about the series here. If you’re looking for creative inspiration but don’t have a minute to hunt it down, consider this a good place to start.
What I’ve been Reading…
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak - my first novel by the Turkish-British writer, activist and more. In 1974, two teenagers from opposite sides of a divided Cyprus - Greek Kostas and Turkish Defne - meet in a taverna in secret, beneath the leaves of a fig tree that grows through the roof. The tree bears witness to their hushed, happy meetings and will be there when war breaks out and the teenagers vanish. Decades later in North London, sixteen-year-old Ada seeks to untangle years of her family’s silence, but the only connection to the land of her ancestors is a fig tree growing in the back garden of their home…
Author David Mitchell describes this book as a ‘balm for our bruised times’ - how beautiful is that?
According to British Vogue, The Leather Jacket is Back and this makes me happy (if not a bit hot at the thought of wearing it on the tube). My trusty faux one might be high-street rather than Saint Laurent (see: Queen Kate), but I always feel at home in a biker. I’m following Vogue’s trusty advice and pairing mine with a maxi dress now that the sun is promising to make an appearance.
What I’ve been listening to…
Music
⚠️ Trigger Warning ⚠️: Baby Loss.
London-based singer/songwriter Lucy May Walker’s striking debut album Nothing Ever Stays the Same is currently fuelling my work day. I especially like Full of It and Are You Free? but all the tracks are well worth a listen.
In standout track The Hardest Goodbye, she delicately captures the heartbreak of miscarriage and baby loss. Lucy wanted people to feel less alone in their grief, and spoke about this on the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio2 last year. The song is as beautiful as it is powerful and a steady flow of tears suddenly erupted from nowhere when I listened for the first time. I quietly sobbed as I recalled our own experience of miscarriage, and allowed myself to feel, and to release, the hurt and ache I suppress most of the time through the power of this cathartic song.
(If anyone is affected by miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth, please do visit the UK charity Tommy’s who provide invaluable support).
Podcast
I'm trying to wean myself off true crime podcasts (she says, listening to Episode 2 of Wondery’s In the Shadows in any available gap!) but I do have the Blank Podcast hosted by Giles Paley-Phillips and Jim Daly waiting in the queue.
It focuses on those difficult blank moments we all have in our life sometimes - including in our personal life, career or relationship - that, although part of the human condition, can throw us off course and make us feel helpless. Giles and Jim have an informal, insightful chat with well-known people from many areas including comedy, acting, writing, broadcasting, politics and sports. I often have writer’s block and I’m regularly overcome by imposter syndrome (also to add to the mix, I think I’m having an identify crisis!) so I’m sure I’ll find this helpful as well as entertaining.
I’m planning on starting with a classic David Harbour episode first, originally released in September 2019, and extracted from the vaults in May 2022.
What’s caught my eye on socials…
@colorpalette.cinema takes a still from a movie and then breaks down its colours in an eye-catching swatch. Simple but mesmerising, and a great distraction from all the other nonsense on Instagram, the accounts explains, “Colour can affect us psychologically, often without us being aware, and can be used as a strong device in story”’. Try and stop at just one, I dare you…
What I’ve been Watching…
Beef on Netflix - (Hasn’t everyone?!). A road range incident between two strangers - played by the sensational Steven Yeun and Ali Wong - sparks a feud that brings out their darkest impulses. Incredible cast, beautifully shot and full of twists and turns and oh-my-God moments, we binged it in three days. It’s absurdly dark and very funny but also delicate and moving.
I'm still thinking about the last scene (and the nightmare-inducing witch lady - inspired by Viola Swamp from the Miss Nelson books by Harry Allard - as explained brilliantly in this article by Patrick Caoile for Collider).
What I’d love to buy…
I absolutely DO NOT need any more coffee table books but, if you insist, I’ll budge up a few and make room for this beauty: London Block by Block: An Illustrated Guide to the Best of England’s Capital. I’m already a fan of Cierra Block’s maps and guides which combine vibrant design and utility, so I hope to add this to my collection soon.
Happy exploring.
Nicola x
ps - Will you let me know what you’ve discovered or what you’re enjoying, too?
Another enjoyable read Nicola.
Sounds like a great book .. one to add to the borrow list!