5AM StoryTalk Coffee Reading: Issue 7
A compilation of arts-related articles that you might've missed
On the first Friday of every month*, I share a list of arts-related articles (and occasionally podcasts) I’ve recently read that I think you might find illuminating/challenging/inspiring, too. I don’t necessarily agree with everything in each article/episode, but I don’t need to entirely agree with something to think it’s worthy of my time - and, when it comes to art, I encourage you to embrace the same philosophy.
Today’s links come to you in three different sections: Screen & Page; Music, Podcasts & Stage; and Arts Industries & Fucking AI. It’s capped off with some recommendations about newsletters to read here on Substack.
Thanks for being part of this conversation!
Cole
*I’ve course-corrected on how often I share these reading lists. Once a month now, rather than twice; the single reading list will be shared on Fridays instead of Wednesdays. If you disagree, please make your feelings known in the comments section.
SCREEN & PAGE
So Fierce is the World: On Loneliness and Phillip Seymour Hoffmann
By Richard Deming; The Paris Review
This is an extraordinary read.
The Man Who Invented Fantasy
By Dan Sinykin; Slate
All those wizards, ogres, and barely-clad elf queens in the bookstore? You have Lester del Rey to thank.
This is a wild, mind-blowing read about the origins of the modern fantasy genre.
‘Rejecting hatred and fear’: why Powell and Pressburger’s weird, confounding films are perfect for our times
By Xan Brooks; The Guardian
They made 24 often morally complex pictures before falling out of fashion. Now, as a monumental BFI retrospective kicks off, can their stricken pilots and posh ballerinas speak to our divided era?
Some of my favorite film experiences of the past twenty years were watching Powell and Pressburger films. If you’re not familiar with their work, start with THE RED SHOES. Your mind will melt.
‘Obedient to Their Words’
By A.E. Stallings; The New York Review
As a writer who is so obviously a real person, Simonides perhaps more than any other ancient poet attracts anecdotes and stories that reflect on his character as much as his work.
The Genius Behind Hollywood’s Most Indelible Sets
By Noah Gallagher Shannon; The New York Times
How Jack Fisk, the master production designer behind ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and many other films, brings the past to life.
Vince Gilligan Slams AI as a ‘Plagiarism Machine,’ Reflects on ‘Breaking Bad’ Finale and Teases New Rhea Seehorn Show: ‘No Crime, No Meth’
By Ethan Shanfeld; Variety
A fun read for “BREAKING BAD”/“BETTER CALL SAUL” fans.
Kermode on… Nicolas Roeg: ‘Nothing is what it seems’
By Mark Kermode; The Guardian
In the first of a new monthly Observer column on his favorite filmmakers, Mark Kermode salutes the elliptical vision of the director of Don’t Look Now, Walkabout, Performance and so much more.
Don’t Look Now at 50: Nicolas Roeg’s mesmeric horror of inescapable grief
By Scott Tobias; The Guardian
The acclaimed adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s short story remains a visually immersive descent and a chilling portrayal of loss.
I adore this film.
Daniel Clowes on His Most Personal Work Yet
By Bryan Hood; Vanity Fair
“I just wanted to put everything I had into this one book in a way that I never have,” the beloved cartoonist behind Ghost World tells Vanity Fair of his new graphic novel, Monica.
‘Daredevil’ Hits Reset Button as Marvel Overhauls Its TV Business
By Borys Kit; The Hollywood Reporter
Launched during the pandemic with a playbook to shoot $150 million-plus seasons with no pilots, the Disney unit is undergoing growing pains and seeing the logic of "traditional TV culture."
Tech Bros standing amidst the napalmed ruins of Hollywood's once-thriving TV landscape: "Look, we've invented TV! It has commercials! Returnable seasons! Characters viewers can invest in and look forward to coming back to! Behold how we have changed the business! Disruptors!"
Crisis at Marvel: Jonathan Majors Back-Up Plans, ‘The Marvels’ Reshoots, Reviving Original Avengers and More Issues Revealed
By Tatiana Siegel; Variety
This is an insane read.
Matthew Vaughn Quit ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ After Discovering Plan to Trick Halle Berry With a Fake Storm Script That Would Be Trashed After She Signed On to Return
By Zack Sharf; Variety
This is the kind of racist bullshit that happens in Hollywood. (That said, since I shared this reading list, I’ve heard from someone with insider knowledge it’s probably not true or, at least, not entirely true. Not sure what to think.)
Salman Rushdie: allow writers to create characters outside of their own experience
By Ella Creamer; The Guardian
Booker prize-winning author said that if ‘only women can write about women and straight people about straight people’ then it signals the ‘death of art.’
The Sirk-Hudson Connection
By Mark Rappaport; The Criterion Collection
An oldie but goodie.
Peace
By Matthew Freeman
An incredibly insightful analysis of STAR WARS’ relationship to war, evil, and redemption.
MUSIC, PODCASTS & STAGE
Janelle Monáe: 'I'm a time traveller. I have been to lots of different places'
By Kate Mossman; The Guardian
She’s an android-dating style queen who’s been compared to Bowie. Is the R&B singer the savior of pop?
A bit of an oldie, but I’ve only just read this article and immensely appreciated it.
Reclaiming ‘Buffy’: How Amber Benson’s ‘Slayers’ Reintroduces Spike, Tara and Anya — and Finally Gets ‘Justice for Cordelia’
By Emily Longeretta; Variety
Ireland’s embrace of Zombie song at Rugby World Cup stirs debate over lyrics
By Rory Carroll; The Guardian
Fans seen singing the Cranberries’ hit in stadiums but some Irish republicans are unhappy at revival.
A surreal article that is, at its heart, about how meaning in art is malleable and, over time, can be replaced either intentionally or ignorantly within our culture. Recommended reading: Jean Baudrillard’s SIMULACRA AND SIMULATION (1981).
The Least-Known Rock God
By John Hendrickson; The Atlantic
A new biography of the Velvet Underground founder, Lou Reed, considers the stark duality of the man and his music.
“Certain bands, such as the Beatles, eventually come for us all, but you have to go out and find the Velvet Underground.” So…very…true.
Free Your Mind review – Danny Boyle’s Matrix reboot is a thrilling shock to the system
By Lyndsey Winship; The Guardian
The director’s collaboration with hip-hop dance company Boy Blue, designer Es Devlin and writer Sabrina Mahfouz conveys the march of AI.
Christ, I would kill to see this on stage.
Tony Visconti: ‘I’ve been a better record producer than I’ve been a husband’
By Jim Farber; The Guardian
The super-producer, who worked with David Bowie and Marc Bolan among others, reflects on a career filled with highs and lows
ARTS INDUSTRIES & FUCKING AI
It’s Official: WGA Members Overwhelmingly Ratify New Three-Year Deal With Studios
By Peter White and Dominic Patten; Deadline
Artists Lose First Round of Copyright Infringement Case Against AI Art Generators
By Winston Cho; The Hollywood Reporter
While a federal judge advanced an infringement claim against Stability AI, he dismissed the rest of the lawsuit.
Amid Strikes, One Question: Are Employers Miscalculating?
By Noah Scheiber; The New York Times
UPS, the Hollywood studios and the Detroit automakers appear to have been taken aback by the tactics and tougher style adopted by new union leaders.
‘Retrograde, misguided and naive’: Top director slams NSW film and TV budget cuts
By Garry Maddox; Sydney Morning Herald
Why Silicon Valley’s biggest AI developers are hiring poets
By Andrew Deck; Rest of World
Training data companies are grabbing writers of fiction, drama, poetry, and also general humanities experts to improve AI creative writing.
SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATIONS
I enjoy reading the following Substack newsletters about art. Maybe you will, too. I try to change these up every “reading list”, so there is always something new here.
Story Club with George Saunders fromGeorge Saunders
In the Writing Burrow from Margaret Atwood
Inkygirl from Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Sketchbooks & Scratchpads from Daniel José Older
Development Hell from Julian Simpson
The Audacity. from
from
So Here’s a Thing from
Hope For Film from
Scripts and Pieces: notes from a writer's desk from
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