Weekly Stuff - Evenings and Weekends, James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket - Sep 20 2024
Weekly Stuff is a series from me to you in which I keep you updated on the best stuff I've read (and sometimes seen/heard/watched) this week. It won't always be made or from this week. I'm sure you can deal with that.
We're back to the halcyon days of Weekly Stuff being actually weekly. Those days being, like, two weeks ago.
There's always a lot going on, but I've still been able to enjoy some cool stuff. I guess that's kind of the point of all this - giving me something to share and talk about on a regular basis.
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Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna came out this spring. The perfect time. I was recommended it by what felt like a thousand people - maybe I give off the vibe of someone who likes slice-of-life emotional stories about people going through life and relationships, specifically in the area of East London where I live. Not sure where they got that idea from.
The book was a treat, though. All taking place over the course of one sweltering heatwave weekend, I had to finish it before summer completely faded, lest the story lose its vibe. So thank you to the people who recommended it. I read it in the end, just in the nick of time.
I'd say it's worth a go even if you aren't a late-20s Hackney-dweller like me, but my bias is pretty blatant here.
Someone trying to sell you the book will tell you it's for people who like Sally Rooney. I enjoyed Normal People well enough and wouldn't class myself an expert on Rooney's work, but Evenings and Weekends feels like a story with a lot more to say.
With characters of all ages and relationships flitting in and out of each other's lives, I loved the story as a representation of communities, the connections between people, and the ways thoughts turn into actions (or lack thereof). Drama and hearsay ripple throughout friendships and groups, people gossip, stories get twisted, and people get hurt. It's part of life.
But hey, maybe that's just me finding the story relatable and lamenting the imminent loss of those sweet, sweet summer vibes.
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It was a delight to attend a screening by Fringe!, an annual queer film and arts festival across London venues. From shorts exploring cruising to cult classics like Jennifer's Body, the team are putting on a fantastic selection of queer histories on film. It ends on September 22, so you might still be able to attend the closers!
The screening I saw was a documentary released in 1989 - James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket. The director, Karen Thorsen, was in attendance, revealing in a Q&A that the film was never intended to be a profile of Baldwin. Rather, it was going to be an exploration of the civil rights movement, asking searching questions to the children of martyrs like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
With Baldwin's ill health and death in late 1987, Thorsen and the Baldwin family worked to repurpose captured footage into a tribute to the man they all called Jimmy. What resulted was a kind, deep celebration of the man showcased in what would be his 100th year. I've talked about James Baldwin's impact after witnessing Church of Sound's performance featuring his music, and it's wonderful to see his impact given more spotlight.
His smile is so warm.
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Okay, I'm gonna put the kettle on and have a bit of loose-leaf tea. Maybe I'll badger my landlord to fix my bedroom door - it's been broken for weeks. What's your (evening and) weekend got in store?
