Aesthetic Arrest Podcast: John le Carré, Isabel Allende, Stephen Fry, Paul O'Grady & The Honky-Tonk Nun of Ethiopia

“The aesthetic experience is a simple beholding of the object . . . you experience a radiance. You are held in aesthetic arrest.” - Joseph Campbell

Aesthetic Arrest is our weekly dip into the Epicurean pleasures we’ve been enjoying lately. Cheers to that!

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Ryan Wildstar’s Recommendations:

Reading: A Legacy of Spies by John le Carré 

Purchase here.

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Listening: Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou aka “The Honky-Tonk Nun of Ethiopia” (December 12, 1923 – March 26, 2023)

• Click here to listen to The Honky Tonk Nun, an audio documentary about her life from BBC Radio Four!

• Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, Ethiopian nun and pianist, dies at 99 (via The Guardian)

• The Honky-Tonk Nun of Ethiopia by Ted Gioia (via The Honest Broker)

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Looking: The Art of George de Forest Brush & Mary “Mittie” Taylor Brush

Portrait of Mary Taylor Brush by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

Orpheus by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

The Indian and the Lily by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

The Potter by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

The Moose Chase by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

An Aztec Sculptor by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

The Sculptor and the King by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

The Shield Maker by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

The Weaver by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

The Crane Ornament by George de Forest Brush [Public Domain]

To purchase prints of George de Forest Brush’s work, click here!

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Viewing: Stephen Fry: Willem & Frieda - Defying the Nazis — documentary hosted by Stephen Fry, about WWII Resistance heroes Willem Arondeus and Frieda Belinfante (Sky TV and Channel 4)

Channel 4 @Channel4

'I often ask myself, would I be brave enough to do as they did?' Stephen Fry follows the incredible story of two heroes who defied evil. Stephen Fry: Willem and Frieda – Defying the Nazis starts Thursday at 9pm. Stream free on All 4.

The Guardian @guardian

Stephen Fry: Willem and Frieda – Defying the Nazis review – oh, what an astounding story this is!

theguardian.comStephen Fry: Willem and Frieda – Defying the Nazis review – oh, what an astounding story this is!Fry lovingly brings to life the incredible adventures of two war heroes, whose all-night forgery parties fuelled by booze and amphetamines saved thousands of Jews

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Tasting: Dinner at Oriental City Chinese Restaurant (Tirana, Albania)

Steamed Beef Dumplings [Photo by Ryan Wildstar]

Beijing Style Noodles with Sweet Soy Bean Paste [Photo by Ryan Wildstar]

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Ryan Elston’s Recommendations:

Reading: Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

Purchase here.

Isabel Allende Opens Up About the Real People Who Inspired Her Epic Novels

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Listening: Terri Kunda by Gao Hong & Kadialy Kouyate

Purchase or Stream (Multiple Platforms)

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Looking: The Art of Leon Polk Smith (1906-1996)

Adriano Attus @adrianoattus

Daily #mathart inspiration 🔢✏️💎 . Leon Polk Smith (Usa, 1906-1996) Constellation Twelve Circles, 1969 Acrylic on canvas, 7 elements + #math #art #numbers #NFTartists . GN #NFTCommunity 🧮

Paul Brightwell @brightwell08

Leon Polk Smith 'Green Black Point' 1967

Art Basel @ArtBasel

🟪 Preview Art Basel Online Viewing Rooms: ‘2 diamonds 2x's 9 Rectangular Modulars’ (1969) by Leon Polk Smith presented by @RichardGrayGall for 'OVR: Pioneers.' Register: bit.ly/389mYic — •VIP preview March 24–25 •Public days March 25–27 #artbaselPioneers

Lisson Gallery @Lisson_Gallery

From 9 February, @hauskonstruktiv will host the major solo presentation 'Leon Polk Smith: Going Beyond Space' – the first solo institutional exhibition of the artist's work in Europe for two decades bit.ly/3GJ2bUk 📸 Leon Polk Smith, Constellation A, 1969

Harry Mobley @harry_mobley

GO BLUE! Beat TCU. -Constellation 5, Leon Polk Smith

Lisson Gallery @Lisson_Gallery

'Leon Polk Smith: Prairie Moon', organized by #LynnZelevansky, features work spanning nearly fifty years that explores Smith's impact on the language of abstraction and importance of his Cherokee heritage. Open from 9 September at #LissonGallery New York bit.ly/38Nkhmi

BM: Contemporary Art (Bot) @bm_contemporary

Leon Polk Smith, Diagonal Passage 120 Large, 1947-1950 #contemporaryart #brooklynmuseum brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection…

BM: Contemporary Art (Bot) @bm_contemporary

Leon Polk Smith, Stonewall, 1956 #leonpolksmith #brooklynmuseum brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection…

Jan Baumgartner @jnbmgrtnr

Leon Polk Smith, 1960 Cobald Violet Deep - Yellow

Corrado Franco @corradofranco

Leon Polk Smith, ‘Tamarind E’, 1968.

Official Site of the Leon Polk Smith Foundation

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Viewing: Celebrating the Life of Paul O’Grady aka Lily Savage (June 14, 1955 – March 28, 2023)

• Paul O’Grady faced down Tory austerity, homophobia and shame – he was a true hero (via The Guardian)

• ‘I’m Lily Savage, the blonde bombsite’ – the genius of Paul O’Grady, by Suzy Eddie Izzard, Russell T Davies and more (via The Guardian)

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Tasting: Dinner at Oriental City Chinese Restaurant (Tirana, Albania)

Crispy Fried Pork with Sweet Sauce [Photo by Ryan Wildstar]

Crispy Peking Duck with Plum Sauce and Pancakes [Photo by Ryan Wildstar]

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That’s it for this week! But we want the dinner party to continue! So last week we decided to ask a question to everyone joining us here at our table. Last week we asked our listeners:

In honor of Women's History Month, who is one of YOUR favorite female singers, musicians or composers? And we got some great responses in the comments!

• Christina chose Elizabeth Fraser (from Cocteau Twins)!

• Del Mar chose Joni Mitchell!

• kde chose Dolly Parton!

• Andrea Engstrom chose Alanis Morissette!

• Brenda Bryson chose Roberta Flack!

Thank you everyone for your wonderful responses! That was last week . . . but we don't want this week's dinner party to end either!

So here is this week's question for the table:

You've probably noticed that we watch a lot of documentaries, but what about movies? We need some viewing recommendations! So here's this week's dinner party question for everyone listening right now: What was the last good movie YOU saw? Tell us your choice in the comments, and we'll share some of your responses on next week's podcast!