5AM StoryTalk Coffee Reading: Issue 5
A compilation of arts-related articles that you might've missed
On the first and third Wednesday 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, and Stage, Music & Fine Art. It’s capped off with some recommendations about newsletters to read here on Substack.
Thanks for being part of this conversation!
Cole
SCREEN
The Decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes
By Lane Brown; Vulture
The most overrated metric in movies is erratic, reductive, and easily hacked — and yet has Hollywood in its grip.
Richard Linklater on His Comedy Thriller ‘Hit Man’ and Why Indie Movies Might Be “Gone With the Algorithm”
By Patrick Brzeski; The Hollywood Reporter
Ahead of the film's Venice world premiere, The Hollywood Reporter connected with Linklater to discuss the ideas behind his new film with Glen Powell and Adria Arjona in two star-making performances.
“Martin Eden” Lurches with Salty, Oceanic Appetites
By Anthony Lane; The New Yorker
In a cooped-up age, the great escapes and far-off horizons of Jack London’s fiction feel resonant.
This film captivated me. This review eloquently captures so much of what I loved about it.
A Brief Introduction to the Subversive Cinema of Jafar Panahi
By Anahit Behrooz; AnOther
The jailed Iranian auteur drew plaudits for his latest film, No Bears, at [last year’s] Venice Film Festival. Here’s our guide to a cinematic oeuvre steeped in defiance.
How to Write a ‘Mission Briefing’ Scene That Doesn’t Suck
By
;James Cameron’s Aliens (1986) shows us how it’s done.
PAGE
Say Goodbye to the Sad Girl
By Roumina Parsa; Kill Your Darlings
From The Bell Jar to Bella Hadid, the ‘sad girl’ is a potent symbol of feminine suffering. But just as the trope reaches its pinnacle in pop culture, its icons have begun to abandon it, making way for more multi-dimensional understandings of womanhood.
This strikes me as an essential read.
A survivor's guide to being a working comic book creator
By Joseph Illidge; Popverse
Living and dying in four-color time: the ballad of the working comic creator.
This really begs the question: how does anyone survives as a comic book writer (or anything else in the comic book world)?
Some Shrewd Contents: The Anatomy of a Query Letter
By Brittany N. Williams; Such Sweet Thunder
Let's break down the email I sent to attract an agent
If you’ve written a novel and are looking for an agent, you’ll find some great help crafting your query letter here.
Bill Willingham Sends Fables Into the Public Domain
By
; These Foolish GamesThis is one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen an artist do. There’s an argument from DC that he can’t actually do it, but I’m not so sure.
‘It is nice to be adored, until it isn’t’: Anne Enright on the problem with unrequited love
By Anne Enright; The Guardian
The famous poets who wandered Dublin when Anne Enright was growing up were often inspired by beautiful young muses. But their obsessive love looks less romantic now, writes the novelist
Joe Matt, Creator Of Peepshow, Died Aged 60 At His Drawing Board. RIP
By Rich Johnston; Bleeding Cool
Comic book creator and cartoonist Joe Matt, creator of Peepshow, has died at the age of 60 a heart attack at his drawing board. RIP.
STAGE, MUSIC & FINE ART
New blood: Scotland to stage all-woman and non-binary Dracula play
By Libby Brooks; The Guardian
Set in a psychiatric hospital in Aberdeenshire, new National Theatre production puts Mina Murray at centre of action
Country Music’s Culture Wars and the Remaking of Nashville
By Emily Nussbaum; The New Yorker
Tennessee’s government has turned hard red, but a new set of outlaw songwriters is challenging Music City’s conservative ways—and ruling bro-country sound.
Constable painting lost for 40 years found in Guernsey
BBC
An oil sketch by John Constable missing for 40 years has been discovered in a private collection in Guernsey.
Jann Wenner Apologizes for Controversial Comments After Being Removed From Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Board
By Jem Aswad; Variety
Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, known for his inflated forms, has died at age 91
By Manuel Rueda; AP
SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATIONS
I enjoy reading the following Substack newsletters about art. Maybe you will, too.
Story Club with George Saunders from
In the Writing Burrow from
LegalDispatch from
Thin Ice from
The Cavletter from
Inkygirl from
Sketchbooks & Scratchpads from
Development Hell from
Frame by Frame from
If this article added anything to your life but you’re not up for a paid subscription, please consider buying me a “coffee” so I can keep as much of this newsletter free as possible for the dreamers who couldn’t afford it otherwise.
My debut novel PSALMS FOR THE END OF THE WORLD is out now from Headline Books, Hachette Australia, and more. You can order it here wherever you are in the world:
