Hallo mein little friendenbudden. (I speak absolutely no German and it’s a lot funnier to live that way. Not least because you also then escape German ‘jokes’). Anyhow— here’s the last missive of the year. Giving you, in brief fashion, some top things of the year. The classic and completely uncreative list! With little explanation to each. You’re [we’re] too busy getting hammered to get explanation.
Books.
Oh, you’ve ‘seen enough top x books of the year’ lists already? No you haven’t. Shut up. Chances are if you’re one of my friends reading this you’ve never read a list in your life, be quiet. So here are the five of the year. Or if I decide to add more or less that’s fine with me. In reverse order for the sheer drama of it all, darling.
5- Kiss of the Spider Woman, Manuel Puig. First time I enjoyed footnotes. [I’m an MLA girl myself.]
4- Play it as it Lays, Joan Didion. I have so many feelings about and for this woman. Good lord. If I were rich I’d have bought everything in that auction and you know it!
3- The Trip to Echo Spring: On Writers and Drinking, Olivia Laing. Doing some market research. The only nonfiction that’s ever made it this far. Except for The Agony and the Ecstasy in 2020, if that counts. And also Rice’s Language of Buildings.
2- Real Life, Brandon Taylor. Fuck you for having this as a debut, Brandon. Jesus.
1- Calypso, David Sedaris… Had a giggle. A lot of giggles. Mostly read sipping cheap mojitos at a pool bar in Alcossebre so that might warrant some of the joy it brought.
Music.
Spotify Wrapped may have told me what I listened to the most this year but that’s embarrassing and nobody needs to know whether or not the Succession soundtrack was why Nicholas Britell [sp?] was the 2nd most-listened-to artist on my roster. So nobody will ever know [I am a master of irony]. Anyhow— here are five top songs, and five top artists, and five top albums, based on what I was most personally obsessed with over the year. I don’t expect you to listen to them because they’re only here to prove how cool I am and if you of all people start listening that kind of controverts my coolness. No offence.
Top 5 songs:
1- Coyote, Joni Mitchell.
2- Ma quale idea, Pino D’Angiò.
3- El Negro Zumbón, Silvana Mangano.
4- Hares on the Mountain, Isobel Anderson & Ruby Colley.
5- The Girl from Ipanema, Stan Getz.
Top 5 artists:
1- Donny Hathaway.
2- Fairuz.
3- Chavela Vargas.
4- Black Box Recorder.
5- Mdou Moctar.
Top 5 albums:
1- Andre Toussaint: Bahamian Ballads, Andre Toussaint, 2002.
2- Divine Symmetry, David Bowie, (e. 2022).
3- Neil’s Heavy Concept Album, Neil, 1984.
4- Bonnie Raitt (2008 Remaster), Bonnie Raitt, 1971.
5- Platinum, Frank Sinatra, (e. 2023).
TV.
Some good TV has happened this year. A LOT of bad tv has happened this year. To me. Here are my top five. Nothing to do with when they arrived in the world, just when they crossed paths with ME, the world’s most important person and human.
5- This Time with Alan Partridge. This came last because of that fake Alan-child which should never have been allowed on our screens.
4- Back to Life. I don’t think many have watched this which should be a shame but clearly I’m incredibly niche and cool so whatever.
3- The Young Ones. If 90% for Rik.
2- Succession. Can Jesse Armstrong ever lose.
1- The Trip. This will be number one every year for the rest of my life. I love seeing this day out for the little boys.
Film.
Dearth of good films released this year. Except for one obvious contender. But then let’s also be aware of the strike because that has made its effect. But this list will, as all the others, not at all be concentrating on what arrived this year. Only what arrived within the scope of my awareness, which is to say all that is of consequence. Really. So without further ado. A little further ado, perhaps. But not much. Now!
5- Wilde. (The 1997 one.) I haven’t watched it since my Wilde phase (this is universal to any girl who writes and takes place at the age when you’re not yet ready to leave school and when, like Wilde, you talk as if you know everything.) But God have I been thinking about it! So psychologically, psychosomatically, circuitously, it is there.
4- Withnail & I. Not that I hadn’t watched and adored it before, only that this year it became ritualised. And adored yet more. To me, it signifies misty days walking across the Links and oat milk in tea.
3- Passages. Gorgeous, beautiful, lovely writing, I love how wifely Ben Whishaw became in this in his little robe, did I need to see that much of him? Perhaps not.
2- Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris. Everybody who means anything to me knows I’ve watched it a frightening number of times and could probably quote it verbatim. Most notably forced my friends to watch it 3 hours and many drinks into my 22nd birthday celebration.
1- Saltburn. Did I in any way think this was a perfect film? Or that the writing was particularly fantastic? Or that Emerald Fennell deserves any awards for the actual construction of that third act? Not at all!!!!!! Did I, nevertheless, have the absolute TIME OF MY LIFE watching this in the cinema, clinging to my dear friend the entire time as our eyes got wider and wider and… If I mention anything cosmological it will suggest other connotations to her so I will hold off. But suffice to say: oh yes. And I’ve listened to Murder on the Dancefloor so many times, Ms. Ellis-Bextor owes 90% of her royalties to me.
A quick send-off because [I hope] you’re a bit pissed! Or reading this hungover. Or deleting the email immediately as it arrives in your inbox, for which I can’t blame you, and at which point it doesn’t matter because you wont have got this far. Unless to brush your finger sensuously against this oh-so-tempting ‘unsubscribe’ button. Go on. Do it. Rid me. Banish me. Get me hence.
Otherwise, until next year.