Syl's Blog

Things I've Been Into Lately

Georgia O'Keeffe

She's always been one of my favorite artists, but lately I've been falling into her beautiful paintings, looking at them over and over, because they give me a sense of comfort. My favorites are Nature Forms - GaspƩ, Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1, Pond in the Woods, Cow Licking, New York Street with Moon, and her many autumnal paintings.

She had an interesting life as well -- a fascinating trajectory in the development of her art, a tumultuous relationship with her husband Alfred Stieglitz, and a mutual admiration for (and possibly an affair with) Frida Kahlo. My renewed interest in her has led me to read Foursome by Carolyn Burke, which discusses her life and relationships with those closest to her.

Flaming Hydra

Flaming Hydra is a newsletter written by a collective of independent journalists "who like to read and write whatever we want, and to connect in an unmediated way, with no weirdo surveillance or profiteeringā€”like the old internet used to be."

It's subscription-based, but for me personally, it's well worth a few dollars each month for access to independent writing that covers topics I genuinely care about and isn't directed by an algorithm or corporate oversight. They have some free samples that you can read to get an idea of what you'll be receiving in your inbox if you choose to subscribe. Some of my favorite recent articles have been an examination of Google's racist algorithm, a retrospective on the late Shelley Duvall's inimitable performances, and a boat essay about boat essays.

PlayStation 2 Games

I recently discovered that Danny owns Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly for the PS2, and it sparked an interest in collecting PS2 games. I found SSX at a convention for a cheap price, and I bought a few games on ebay, including my favorite purchase so far: Silent Hill 2. The thing is, I've bought all of these games and I don't even have a PS2 at the moment! šŸ˜ I'm hoping to find one soon so I can play some of my favorite old games on original hardware.

Family History

I've been looking to the past quite a bit lately, not just in some of the stuff I've been reading but also in my own life. I went over to my parents' house yesterday and dug through an old cedar chest filled with memories in the form of photographs and keepsakes. I found my paternal grandmother's notebooks full of poetry she wrote, which my parents were kind enough to give to me, along with her Royal typewriter from the '70s. I was close to my grandmother, and I've inherited not only some of her physical features but also her love of writing. It means a lot to finally have these tangible items of hers, which meant so much to her, to hold on to and remember her by.

Music

As always. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

#music #personal