“The aesthetic experience is a simple beholding of the object . . . you experience a radiance. You are held in aesthetic arrest.” - Joseph Campbell
Aesthetic Arrest: Mid-Week Libation
Wildstar’s Wednesday Libation: Ryan Wildstar’s New Cocktail — The Cedrata di Sarandë! (Vodka, Cedrata, Green Apple Juice & Lime)
Reading: Rosarita by Anita Desai
“Evocative…subtle and enigmatic...Desai revels in equivocation and possibility, embracing the ambiguity of memory itself to tell a shimmering, sometimes fevered tale in which a mother and daughter are pulled apart and fused together. In Rosarita, the known rubs up against the unknown, and a kaleidoscopic network of possible lives are lost and found in barely 100 pages.” —Financial Times (UK)
“To compare Anita Desai's fiction with that of Chekhov or the short stories of Tolstoy is not extravagant; it is entirely warranted.” — Irish Times
Listening #1: New EP from Yola! — My Way
“Yola released her highly anticipated new EP My Way, released via S Curve Records. Drawing influence from progressive R&B, classic funk and soulful pop, it marks a new era for the six-time Grammy-nominated artist. … My Way is yet another showcase of Yola’s powerhouse vocals which have been praised by media and fans (Elton John, Chaka Khan, Joni Mitchell included) as singular and the best of her generation. … Through whatever medium Yola chooses to share her gifts, she remains an unstoppable force, and remains one of the most exciting and dynamic artists in music today.” [Source]
Listening #2: Carminho — NPR Tiny Desk Concert & Latest EP: Carminho at Electrical Audio
“The world of Portuguese fado is full of emotion that is on display within seconds of this performance by vocalist Carminho. She came to her extraordinary talents by way of hard work, intuition and genetics, since her mom, the singer Teresa Siqueira, is considered one of the giants of her generation. As she explains, some of the songs from this performance come from the EP Carminho at Electrical Audio, a recording she did with renowned American music engineer Steve Albini, who passed away last year before they could celebrate the success of their collaboration. The performance is a front-row seat to the joys and sorrows of the fado spirit, delivered by an artist that uses the genre as a base to explore other musical worlds, always coming back to a tradition that is centuries old.” [Source]
Looking: The Paintings of Eugene Von Bruenchenhein (1910–1983)
Viewing: The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodóvar
“Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.” [Source]
The Room Next Door Review – Almodóvar’s English-language Debut is Extravagant and Engrossing (via The Guardian)
Tasting: Two Culinary Legends in a Delightful Podcast Conversation! Longer Tables with José Andrés: Jacques Pépin Says French Cooking Isn't What You Think
“Personal chef for French President Charles de Gaulle. 16 James Beard Awards. France’s Legion of Honor. At 90, Jacques Pépin is fully synonymous with French cooking — a cuisine that’s frequently misunderstood in the popular imagination, he tells José. The two talk about his early days in America, cooking with Julia Child and a chef’s most important tool. Bienvenue!” [Source]
So that’s it for this week! But in the tradition of our Mid-Week Libations, we’d like to end with this week’s words of wisdom, a quotation from a writer who was born 165 years ago today in 1860: Anton Chekhov!
This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Anton Chekhov (January 29, 1860 - July 15, 1904)
Thank you for joining us for Season 3 of Aesthetic Arrest!
Cheers to that!
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