The Wednesday List
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by Providence impoverished in squalor grow up to be a hero and a scholar? You’re about to find out. Hamilton is coming to Disney+ this Friday, and I’m planning to spend the month of July (and maybe August) watching it on repeat. I’ve been obsessed with Hamilton since I saw it on Broadway a couple of years ago, and I’m thrilled that it’s coming to the small screen so those who may never have been able to see it otherwise can now get a front-row seat to the groundbreaking musical. This is not a movie version of the show – it’s the actual Broadway show with the original cast (including Lin-Manuel Miranda) filmed so you watch it as an audience member would. If only every Broadway show would do this. Do yourself a favor and turn off the lights, put away your phone and immerse yourself in this unforgettable experience. Sign up for Disney+ now. Do not throw away your shot.
Speaking of history, I’m taking two online classes which I highly recommend. Both are free and available to take at your own pace, and now I can say I’ve taken classes at Harvard and Yale. At Yale, I’m taking African American History: From Emancipation to the Present with Professor Jonathan Holloway, who’s excellent. The reading list and resources are amazing and, although the class is from 2010, it’s so relevant and I wish he would do a follow-up. At Harvard, I’m taking Women Making History: Ten Objects, Many Stories, which is more of a series of videos but it’s fascinating and I’ve learned so much already.
I came across an article in The New York Times, The Radical Quilting of Rosie Lee Tompkins, about a retrospective at the Berkeley Art Museum, and spent hours taking a virtual tour and reading more about this quilter. The colors are gorgeous, and they made me want to create one of my own. I know some of you have gotten into quilting during this pandemic, and you will love this. I am itching to see these in person – I can already feel the fabrics – and I hope this exhibit will be extended as long as necessary until I can get there in person.
Michael and I have been binge-watching the best, most soothing TV show. Detectorists, a British show about two friends whose hobby is metal detecting, has become our unlikely favorite show and we’re trying to watch it slowly since we only have one season left. The first two seasons are free on Amazon Prime, and we’re going to sign up for a free seven day trial on Acorn to watch season three. I guarantee you will ADORE this show.
I may be a little late to the party but I’ve reached the jigsaw puzzle part of the pandemic. I wrote this piece about puzzles back in May but finally got around to doing one the other day. I did this New Yorker cover puzzle in two half days and found it surprisingly relaxing. I put on my headphones and listened to music while I focused. This may become my form of meditation, and I just started this Doors of the World puzzle. Send me photos of the puzzles you’ve been doing!
The Wednesday List is growing, and I so appreciate your nice emails! Please share with your friends, and encourage them to subscribe here. Let me know what you’d like to see by emailing me.
Until next week,
Lois
xo
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