2017 in Reading, Watching, Listening
So many things shape our thinking and planning at Amour. Here are a handful of readings, videos, and songs that have inspired us recently. We hope they inspire you, too.
• Movie by Tom Misch - a smooth and lush song from one of our favorite artists out of the UK. Mystery and memories!
• Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee - a historical fiction account of a young British lord's romp across Europe. Funny, snarky and thoroughly modern.
• Drink I'm Sippin On by Yaeji - chill tunes from a Seoul-and-NYC based DJ. Very now.
• Murder on the Orient Express at Fleur Cinema - Agatha Christie's classic mystery stylishly updated for today. And the mustache!
• Here I Am by Al Green - Al's performance on Soul Train (with a broken arm!) smolders at first and turns into a blazing fire by the end - wow!
• Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty - A darkly hilarious novel from the author of Big Little Lies, now a HBO mini-series.
• Life is All the Negative Space Surrounding Orgasms and Belly Laughs - by Holly Wood - A rambling rant about screens, Buddhism, emptiness and turning things off to tune in better.
• Blu by Mura Masa (featuring Damon Albarn) - a slow, retro feeling tune to calm things down in the summer heat.
• The Music of Strangers - an amazing documentary showcasing Yo Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble about how music can bridge cultures and make them last.
• How Art Can Make You Happy by Bridget Watson Payne - a brief handbook with tips, ideas and quotes about bringing more joy to your life with art.
• God in Chicago by Craig Finn - part story, part song -- all beautiful!
• Finally by M.I.A. - an airy, spacious tune from a normally hard-hitting artist.
• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid - what are we seeking when we immigrate and look for a better life; what do we lose?
• How Missy Elliott Became an Icon by Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah - a profile of the rap star and icon expressing how she was "going to be a superstar!" since grade school.
• Writing Advice to My Students That Would Also Have Been Good Sex Advice for My High School Boyfriend by Helena de Bres - even if you aren't a writer you'll find this list will have you rolling on the floor.
• Truth by Kamasi Washington - a lovely jazz suite and accompanying video of beauty, faces, work, space - the cosmos.
• The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi by Elif Shafak - A fictional story of Rumi who reminds us "Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."
• Lover Come Back by City and Colour - dancing through a rural land of fields and buildings to a song about lost love.
• This Turkish Lingerie Brand Is a Success Everywhere - Except in Turkey by Liana Satenstein - a short profile of designer Ela Onur, who designs Else Lingerie - a favorite of ours and our customers.
• Interlude (That's Love) by Chance the Rapper - I'd be lying if I said we've never sung this song at the top of our lungs to each other in our living room (to the embarrassment of our kids).
• Army by Ellie Goulding - sometimes the love you get from your best friend makes you feel stronger; this song captures that.
• Kitchens of Great Midwest: A Novel by J. Ryan Stradal - a quick and fun story showcasing the terroir of the Midwest; I'm sure you'll find your friends and family in the characters.
