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Hump day recommendations, April 23, 2025
Listen: This Guy Sucked. Are you, like me, nearly as big a history buff as you are a hater? Then this new podcast from Dr. Claire Aubin will be right up your alley. Every week, she and a fellow historian break down the myths and false memories surrounding some of the world’s most unfairly celebrated figures, from Voltaire (the 18th century’s Joe Rogan), to Charlemagne (Aachen’s most genocidal maniac), to Jerry Lee Lewis (Rock n’ Roll’s drunkest sex pest). You’ll laugh, learn, and hopefully come away a little less intimidated by the so-called “Great Men” of history. – Matt
Hear: the evolution of what you’re saying.If you’ve ever wondered how the Proto-Indo-European root word “h1ésh2rnom” evolved over thousands years to become the English word “iron”, or which popular profanity came from the root “pugnéh2nam”, you’ve gotta listen to self-taught linguist @arum_natzorkhang do his 10-second recitations of the words as they evolved from 5000 BCE to today. He also sings Greek tragedies in the original and has thoughts on the languages of Ancient Egypt as well. It’s not for everyone, but if it’s for you, you will NOT be disappointed – and that’s a h1ésh2rnom-clad guarantee. – Alex K.
Watch: “The Mehta Boys.” Directed by Boman Irani, who also stars in the film, this drama follows the relationship between a father and son, two hotheads who are barely on speaking terms. After the passing of his mother, Amay (the son) is stuck with his father after the latter’s flight gets delayed. The duo come face to face with their differences and are left with no choice but to navigate through them. I loved the acting and writing, and how the film shows the reality of a broken middle-class family in India. – SuhaniHump Day Recommendations, March 19, 2025
Watch and listen: “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat.” The partof this Oscar-nominated documentary that’s about the decolonization of African countries in 1960 and the CIA-orchestrated murder of DRC Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba is consistently riveting, if a little simplistic at times. The part of this film that’s about the intersection of African music and American jazz makes this a richly detailed work that’s well worth your time. – Willis
Read: “Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867.” Named one of Canada’s top 100 books of 2024 by the Hill Times newspaper, this excellent history chronicles 150 years of the Canadian military’s evolution from scrappy militia to modern force. Through vivid photographs and stories, author David A. Borys brings to life key battles like Amiens and Operation Medusa, pivotal figures like Louis Riel and Arthur Currie, and defining political issues like conscription. Borys also examines the challenges of underfunding and living in the shadow of the American elephant – as well as the immense courage Canada showed in fighting for freedom around the world. – Tasha
Read: “The Years,” by Annie Ernaux. Okay, I know I’m a couple of years late to the English translation of Ernaux’s book about France in the decades following World War II. But the Nobel Prize-winning memoir is stylistically audacious — at once intimately revealing and aloof — and an astute look at French culture, politics, history, and feminism in the 20th century. It’s history as lived and observed by one woman, a meditation on how time passes and how we see ourselves within time. – Ellen
Binge: “Borgen.”You’d think I’d get enough political drama by day, but at night I’ve been binging on “Borgen.” This Nordic drama follows the life and career ups and downs of the Danish prime minister and everyone in her orbit — fellow politicians, family, spin doctors, and journalists. Replete with romance, infighting, and plenty of idealism, it’s a great guilty pleasure — and PM Birgitte Nyborg is no DEI hire! Find the show on Netflix, and yes, it’s dubbed. – Tracy
Hump day recommendations, Feb. 26, 2025
Listen: Ten Things I Don’t Want to Hate About You. The latest This American Life episode was poignant, moving, and deeply cultural – as more and more of us know friends and loved ones who fall prey to conspiracy theories online. The episode follows the true story of a son trying to reach his father who has been transformed by online conspiracy theories – to the point of destroying his marriage and facing financial ruin – through a bet on the political events he expects to happen in 2024. It made me cry listening to it on the subway. – Riley
Read: “The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions.” This book by Jonathan Rosen combines true crime and a psychological thriller with the coming-of-age tales of two friends, Rosen and Michael Laudor, who grew up in New Rochelle, NY, in the 1970s. Both were intellectuals and aspiring writers who studied at Yale. They were competitive, and everything seemed easy for Laudor – until he developed schizophrenia and watched his dreams go up in the hallucinatory flames consuming his mind. His mental illness would end up costing everyone in his orbit – one tragically so – and the book poignantly describes how helpless those around him felt. The book details how little support there is for the families of schizophrenia sufferers – and the huge challenge these people face in carving out stable, safe, and rewarding lives. – Tracy
Watch: “The Brutalist.” The older I get, the more I want to see films that were made for reasons other than to entertain an audience and make money. “The Brutalist” is a strikingly original film. The Oscar-nominated performances of Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce, and (especially) Felicity Jones give the movie its “hard core of beauty,” and I don’t care thatAI was used to tweak the Hungarian accents of its stars. I’ve seen “special effects” before. – Willis
Read: TL;DRussia. Sam Greene, the Russia expert who writes this weekly-ish Substack newsletter, always gives a thoughtful, nuanced look at Russian politics and geopolitics. I’ve always found Sam to be adept at cutting through hype and anxiety about Russia’s place in the world, while also making it clear that there’s simply a lot we can’t know, and that conjecturing isn’t that helpful. If you’re ready for a Russia deep dive, I’d start here. – Ellen
Watch: “North of North.” Coming soon to Netflix, currently streaming on CBC Gem and APTN in Canada, this delightful comedy follows the travails of a young Inuk woman, Siaja, who after a very public breakup with her seal-hunter husband Ting, finds her purpose, inspires her community, and learns a shocking family secret. Set in the fictional Arctic town of Ice Cove, the show was filmed in Nunavut and features spectacular scenery, colorful characters, great lines, and a unique window into the Innu world. A must-watch – and hoping for a season two. – Tasha
Hump day recommendations, Feb. 12, 2025
Watch: “Flow.”OK so hear me out. It’s a 90-minute-long animated movie about a cat that gets caught in a flood. It has no dialogue. It has no people. But it does have a capybara, a quasi-magical bird, and some questionable dogs. It’s from Latvia and it was nominated for an Oscar, and it’s completely hypnotic. At some moments, the animals’ expressions and motivations feel vaguely human, at others they are veiled by a kind of basic and impenetrable natural mystery. You can watch it here. – Alex
Read: “The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings,” by James Baldwin. First published in 2010, this collection of Baldwin’s previously unpublished work reveals again the elegantly expressed outrage and provocative musings of a great American writer. – Willis
Listen: "The Blueprint with Jen Psaki." If you’re a fan of Jack Schlossberg’s social media antics and have been wondering what on Earth is going on with him, you need to check out Jen Psaki’s latest episode, “Why are we so Cautious? With Jack Schlossberg.” JFK’s grandson tells Psaki about his social media experiments — he taunts, teases, and dances a lot, for the uninitiated — and compares his approach to how Republicans use social media while noting that Dems need to be far more daring. Did he really get dumped? Nope. Is he Justin Baldoni’s lawyer? Nah. Is he studying ballet? Yep, and he’s poking holes in the notions surrounding masculinity with every twirl. Does he have a bigger project brewing? Listen to find out. – Tracy
Hump day recommendations, Jan. 15, 2025
Read: A band of brothers, literally. In the early 1970s, two Dutch-Indonesian kids in Amsterdam boarded a boat bound for the US with their parents, a few suitcases, and an upright piano. They settled in Pasadena, California, and started playing music, first with their dad, who was an alcoholic jazzman, and then with their friends and classmates. They became one of the most spectacular and influential rock bands of all time. Alex Van Halen’s book “Brothers,” is a rollicking and insightful memoir of how he and his late brother Eddie (an absolute god among guitarists), reshaped rock music in the late 1970s (the last days before “video killed the radio star”) but also paid a steep price for it. – Alex
Watch: “Mosul” Set amid the battle to retake the ancient Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State terrorists who overran it, this masterpiece of war cinema follows Kawa, a young Kurdish police officer recruited to the Nineveh SWAT team, as they attempt to rescue a family from the warlord who enslaved them. The pervasive sense of fear and aggression are masterfully interspersed with emotional sequences displaying the deep toll that decades of war have taken on ordinary Iraqi families, with Kawa’s loss of innocence parallelling his entire generation’s experience. – Matt
Watch and listen: “Weapon of Choice.” Christopher Walken is just not like you and me. Don’t believe me? Set aside three minutes and 52 seconds to watch him take inspiration from Fatboy Slim. – Willis
Watch: A heart break. If you’re a fan of Rosalind Eleazar from “Slow Horses,” be sure to check out the “Missing You” series on Netflix. Inspector Kat Donovan is left heartbroken by the murder of her father — and then by the disappearance of her fiancé. Years later, she’s still struggling to move forward as she begins to unravel the truth behind both mysteries. – Tracy
Go see: “Six” on Broadway or on tour. It’s a hilarious, modern take on the fates of the six wives of Henry VIII that turns historical drama into an electrifying girly-pop concert. – Riley
Hump day recommendations, Sept. 25, 2024
Prepare: “Newsroom Safety Across America.” Covering protests, extremist groups, or even just ordinary politics can expose journalists to death threats, doxing, and all sorts of danger. All of our readers who happen to be fellow journalists would benefit from this terrific training by the International Women’s Media Foundation and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. You’ll learn how to protect yourself online, in unruly crowds, from police harassment, and against people with the intention and capacity to do you harm. Shoot them a request for a training in your area today. — Matt
Watch: “The War Room.” In America,another Election Day looms. It’s a perfect time to revisit D.A. Pennebaker’s extraordinary documentary, “The War Room.” This groundbreaking look inside the 1992 Bill Clinton campaign provides a great opportunity to consider how much has changed in American politics and how much endures. – Willis
Listen: “News in Slow.” Care to kill two birds with one stone – one being that pestering Duolingo owl? The “News in Slow” podcast series lets you flex your language skills while keeping up with current events. There are varying difficulty levels and language options, including Italian, French, German, and Spanish, just in time for UNGA. Happy learning! – Billy
Enter: The Well of Death. “Ten toes in when we standin’ on business.” The Indian-born, Houston-bred, Hyderabad-based, formerly Goldman-employed rapper Hanumankind’s chart-topping single “Big Dawgs” has become the go-to soundtrack for any/all social media content that wants you to get hyped. But have you seen the video? It was shot in Kerala, in a traditional “Well of Death,” a fast-vanishing carnival act (invented in Coney Island in 1911, as it happens) in which cars and motorcycles speed around the vertical walls of a giant wooden cylinder, held up only by centripetal force. It’s wild. And it’s put Indian hip-hop squarely on the global map. – Alex
Hump day recommendations, Sept. 4, 2024
Watch: “Man on Wire.” Now 75, Phillipe Petit continues events to mark the 50th anniversary of his famous windy-day tightrope walk between New York’s two World Trade Center towers. The 2008 film “Man on Wire” detailed both the terrifying logistics and high emotions of that day in 1974. It was not just a brilliant documentary. In my opinion, it was the best film in any category released that year. – Willis
Watch: “Revolution of Our Times.” Hong Kong marked a dark milestone this week as a court wrapped up the trial of nearly four dozen leaders of the 2019-2020 protest movement against the encroaching authoritarianism from the mainland. Hong Kong’s democracy is dead, and this film provides a shattering, up-close perspective on how it perished. – Matt
Watch: “Chimp Crazy.” This docuseries is wild in every sense of the word. It focuses on a woman completely obsessed with chimpanzees — and her fight against PETA and law enforcement over one particular primate. It is bizarre, shocking, and entertaining. And you’ll probably learn a lot about the politics and laws surrounding exotic animals in the US while watching it. — John
Read: “War Is Draining Ukraine’s Male-Dominated Work Force. Enter the Women.” This article shows all the ways women are stepping up to keep Ukraine’s economy afloat during the war. An important and interesting read. — RileyHump day recommendations: 80th D-Day anniversary edition
Read: How the AP Covered D-Day. When Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy 80 years ago, journalists stepped into the maelstrom of German defenses right behind them to record this pivotal day in world history. The Associated Press has combed through internal records to memorialize how its reporters typed out the first copy and snapped the now-iconic photographs that informed the free world of its costly, but crucial victory on the path to liberate Europe. – Matt
See: D-Day viewed from the East. On the morning of June 7, 1944, as Western papers blared optimistic headlines about the Normandy invasion, citizens of the Soviet Union awoke to just a single, small mention of it, buried on the front page of a Pravda edition that led with news about the Red Army’s battles in Romania. The Kremlin, of course, had been pushing the Allies to open a Western front for more than two years while millions of Soviet soldiers and civilians lost their lives along the blood-drenched Eastern front. For a closer look at the Soviet coverage of D-Day – including some great cartoons! – check out this account by a scholar of Russian and Soviet media - Alex
Visit: Churchill War Rooms. Heading to London? Be sure to visit the underground government nerve center where Winston Churchill directed Britain’s military during World War II — and where he spent D-Day. The well-preserved bedrooms and meeting rooms take you back in time, while the computerized exhibition tables and tableaus tell you everything you need to know about the war. You’ll also learn how Churchill bounced back from his failed World War I campaign to seize control of the Dardanelles Straits in western Turkey (resigning in disgrace) to leading Britain to victory against Nazi Germany alongside the allies. “To improve is to change. To be perfect is to have changed often,” Churchill said, in what proved to be a lifelong theme. — Tracy
Watch: "We Were the Lucky Ones." There were over three million Jews in Poland before World War II. By the end of it, 90% of them were murdered by the Nazis. This show tells the harrowing story of a Jewish family in Poland that gets separated at the start of the war and their desperate, courageous efforts to be reunited. It serves as a reminder of the tyrannical forces the Allies were fighting to defeat on D-Day. – John
Visit: The National World War II’s D-Day Exhibit. Find yourself in the Big Easy? Check out the D-Day exhibit in the National World War II Museum (formerly the D-Day Museum) in New Orleans. On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces launched the largest amphibious military invasion in history, Operation Overlord. “The D-Day Invasion of Normandy” interactive exhibit provides a comprehensive look at one of the most decisive days of the war. Through oral histories, artifacts, and more, it breaks down the preparation, logistics, and costs of storming the beaches of Normandy. The museum is hosting a commemoration on June 6 and 7 to honor Operation Overlord and its veterans. – Sophia