Third Times a Charm

Gap Year Logs: Issue #3

Oct 27, 2024

And we’re back! I was sick for a couple weeks in September and thus have less content than usual. Thanks for keeping up with Memento and sorry for the late post!

Nota Bene

Anderson .Paak Concert:

My iPhone XR is on its last leg, evidenced by the quality of this photo. But together, let’s pretend this photo is so good it’s almost as if you were there with me.

This was such a fun time! I adore Anderson .Paak, and he put on a great performance. The weather held and I’d never been to Northerly Island before, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the venue. The concert flowed seamlessly, he connected with the audience, and he came out with an insane amount of energy. He is currently doing a month-long tour of his iconic 2016 Malibu album.

Maggie Rogers’ Concert:

WHOA. I was not expecting that. Maggie Rogers is touring her latest album Don’t Forget Me. The concert was so much more alive than I had anticipated. Her stage presence was enchanting, and her live voice was something else. Super glad I was able to go. I’ve seen more live music in these last 3 months than I have in my life! Definitely checking off some gap year bucket list items.

The Election of 2024:

I’m back with another YouTube video. All I have to say is this graced my feed and it would have been a disservice not to share it.

I also would not be a good intern if I didn’t plug volunteer opportunities (Check Mobilize for volunteer opportunities near you), and again provide a link to register to vote.

Canvassing in WI:

I went canvassing in Wisconsin! This was definitely outside of my comfort zone, but I’m so glad I went. The weather was picture perfect and we lucked out as no one was disrespectful.

THE FRONT PAGE!?:

See if you can spot me on the FRONT page of the Chicago Tribune :)

Recent Favorites

Just some things that I’m currently loving.

Slow Horses (Season 4):

One of my all-time favorite shows. This is the kind of show that makes you happy to be alive. Slow Horses is about MI5 agents who have washed out of the agency, and find themselves not quite fired but instead in exile at Slough House. Every season follows these screw ups in the middle of different conspiracies. It’s got the perfect amount of humor + action + character building = 10/10.

She Came to Me:

Imagine this: Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway, and Marisa Tomei star in a movie together… What is it about? I doubt you would have guessed it was about a tired opera composer (Dinklage) who has an affair with a tugboat captain (Tomei) and then she begins to stalk him. This movie felt quality—the shots were tasteful, the acting understated, and the plot meandered just enough for you to wonder if the themes were too intellectual for you.

Willson (Album):

Ashe isn’t my favorite singer, it’s felt as if she hasn’t quite found her place in the indie-pop genre like peer artists such as Phoebe Bridgers. With that, I think this is her best album to date. I can’t quite figure out why, but this album felt like it took itself more seriously than her others. Starting the album with “Please don’t fall in love with me” was also *chefs kiss*. Favorites are “Devil Herself,” “Ashe” and “Running Out Of Time.”

Bewitched (Album):

Jazz is back, and in the form of Icelandic singer Laufey. I’m soooo late to this album but I pride myself on going to the beat of my own drum. This is the perfect breakup album. I mean, you can listen to it whenever, but I suspect it hits different curled up on the couch while eating a pint of ice cream. Favorites are “Lovesick,” “From The Start” and “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self.”

Fall TBR

Between work and being sick I haven’t read much off the list this month, but I thought I would keep it in for motivational purposes.

*Binding 13 + Keeping 13* — I took a break from my TBR to read these two books and the emotional scars I’m left with are no joke. This romance duology follows two high schoolers in Ireland. I cried multiple times, laughed out loud, and am still suffering from a book hangover.
Challenger Deep — Neal Shusterman (Currently reading)
A Darker Shade of Magic — V.E. Schwab
The House in the Cerulean Sea — TJ Klune
Demon Copperhead — Barbara Kingsolver
Invisible Man — Ralph Ellison
The Golden Enclaves — Naomi Novik
1984 — George Orwell
Lord of the Flies — William Golding
Song of Solomon — Toni Morrison
Emma — Jane Austen
Pachinko — Min Jin Lee
When Women Were Dragons — Kelly Barnhill
Notes of a Native Son — James Baldwin
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store — James McBride
The Bee Sting — Paul Murray
Taft — Ann Patchett
The Picture of Dorian Gray — Oscar Wilde
To The Lighthouse — Virginia Woolf
The Fifth Season — N.K. Jemisin

Rough Cuts

I said I wasn’t going to post older work, but to supplement my lack of creative work while being sick I’ve decided to share some older stuff. I lied… Sue me (please don’t)! I did try to pick work I think most people haven't seen. And while none of the artworks are process pieces, “Cheap Lace” is very new and very rough.

Drawing and Paintings:

Writing:

Cheap Lace

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

“I don’t like it.”
“I like it. Turn around.”
I wedged my hand between my back and the lace. “I don’t like how it feels, it’s itchy.” I checked the irritating tag. “And cheap.”
“Champagne tastes on a beer budget… Cheap lace is itchy. Turn around.”
I dutifully spun around.
“I think it’ll work.”
“I don’t like it. I’m gonna be thinking about how itchy it is the whole time.”
“Good news is that you only have to wear it once.”
“Great! So that’s terrible for the environment…” I muttered.
“What do you want me to say?” Mama gestured to the discard pile, “It’s the only one that works. It’s either this or nothing.”
“I just… don’t like it.”
She got up to leave the dressing room. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Make a decision, sweetie. But I like it.”
I stared at myself in the full length mirror. The black bralette did look good, and it was the best option, but it felt so fucking itchy. I tugged at the sides, pulled down the top, and fiddled with the straps, anything to get it to stop being so fucking itchy. When it became clear nothing would work, I sat down on the corner ottoman and rubbed my face, smearing the tears around until I ripped the bra off and flung the cheap lace into a dusty corner. Not only could I still feel the scratchy material, now my whole body felt itchy.
Exiting the room I gestured to the black bra in my hand, “I’m gonna get this I guess.”
“Good. I think that’s a good decision.”
A woman with the nametape Barbara packed the black lace into a plastic bag three times its size. “You want your receipt?”
Leaving the mall reminded me we had a sun, but also why I bought the stupid thing in the first place. I needed a black bra to go under my new black dress, the neckline was cut too low for a funeral.