media consumption: articles, video essays, podcasts to make you smarter (vol. 6)

hello.

friendly reminder that it is very much still autumn.

she is alive and well and begging you to stop rushing into christmas and embrace the last ounce of this season we have left.

also, the other day i walked into a french bookstore in the city to explore and wander, intentionally giving myself the freedom to discover without an agenda. i wrote in a note recently how we’ve lost so much joy in the art of discovery so this is me trying to encourage you to get lost in a bookstore every now and then and let yourself gravitate towards art and literature that speaks to you.

today’s media report will be a mix of interesting articles, video essays and podcasts with a mix of some thanksgiving content in between. for more thanksgiving fun, check out this post i wrote recently.

weekly report:

reading:

personal writings by albert camus

this collection offers an intimate glimpse into camus' thoughts, blending philosophical insight with deeply personal reflections. through essays, letters, and notes, camus grapples with themes of justice, mortality, and the human condition, often reflecting on his identity as an algerian and his complex relationship with both france and algeria. the writings reveal his moral integrity and relentless pursuit of truth, capturing the tensions of his time while resonating universally. it’s a deeply human work that showcases camus not just as a thinker, but as a man profoundly engaged with the struggles of his era.

a certain smile by françoise sagan

light yet achingly melancholic, sagan’s novella captures the fleetingness of desire and the emotional wreckage it can leave behind. dominique, a young parisian student, falls into an affair with an older man, and while the story could easily slip into cliché, sagan infuses it with her signature elegance and restraint. it’s not about the affair itself, but the quiet disillusionment that comes when romantic ideals collide with reality. sagan’s prose is like a good glass of wine—light on the surface, but it lingers.

secrets of beauty by jean cocteau

this slim, quirky book is less a manual on beauty and more an ode to the aesthetics of life itself. cocteau’s observations veer between profound and absurd, as he muses on everything from grooming habits to the timeless allure of simplicity. the prose is playful, dripping with wit and charm, much like cocteau himself. it’s an indulgent read, perfect for those who see beauty not just in appearances but in the way one moves through the world.

the inseparables by simone de beauvoir

a whisper from de beauvoir’s soul. loosely based on her own intense friendship with elisabeth lacoin (zaza), it’s a tender yet tragic exploration of female intimacy, freedom, and the crushing weight of societal expectations. de beauvoir writes with an emotional vulnerability that’s rare in her work, making this feel like a love letter to a friend lost too soon. it’s haunting, deeply personal, and a must-read for anyone drawn to de beauvoir’s blend of intellect and passion.

a woman appeared to me by renée vivien

renée vivien’s prose are a fever dream, steeped in longing, sensuality, and the overwhelming beauty of queer love. this semi-autobiographical novel follows the intense, spiritual connection between two women, capturing the ecstasy and anguish of a love that exists outside societal norms. vivien’s writing is lush and poetic, with every sentence dripping with emotion. it’s a rare, unapologetic celebration of sapphic desire, written in a time when such love was often silenced. romantic, tragic, and utterly captivating.

eating:

it’s the week of thanksgiving, so let me tell you what i’m eating. i won’t have a kitchen to cook in since i’m moving into my new apartment this week. so, this year i just opted to pick up food from zabar’s. eggplant vegetable lasagna, parker house rolls, roasted brussels sprouts, garlic mashed potatoes, candied yams, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. peete’s pie reached out to me and generously offered to send me a mini pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream and i am forever grateful for them. it will be a very merry simple thanksgiving and i wouldn’t have it any other way.

playing:

Alison Roman

thanksgiving

la belle personne (2008)

albert camus on dostoevsky’s play ‘the possessed’

the great british baking show (the new holiday season comes out december 8 and i can’t wait)

obsessing:

long walks through central park, admiring the last few days of vibrant autumnal colored leaves

recommending:

cozy earth bedding: this bundle with the duvet cover. let me tell you, i’ve tried parachute, brooklinen, and several other popular bedding brands, and nothing compares to how comfortable and cozy this bedding is. highly highly 100000/10 recommend. (they're having a great black friday sale)

this john derian sticker book for all of your journaling needs

holiday diptyque candle- friandise (notes: gingerbread, cinnamon, candied orange, vanilla) heaven

treating:

some wish list items… i know i said i was on a fragrance buying ban, but i walked into ferderic malle on madison ave to play with some new perfumes and fell hard for musc ravageur. i want the fragrance and hair mist so badly. (notes: lavender, tangerine, bergamot, coriander, and neroli; middle notes are cinnamon, cloves, orris root, rose, and osmanthus; base notes are musk, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, sandalwood, guaiac wood, and cedar.)

i also want the portrait of a lady hand cream, the hair mist, and body wash because i own this fragrance and it’s so sensual and sexy and addictive and i perfect for this season. (notes: top notes are rose, clove, raspberry, black currant, cinnamon, and red berries; middle notes are turkish rose, patchouli, incense, sandalwood, and ylang-ylang; base notes are incense, sandalwood, musk, benzoin, amber, cedar, ambergris, and vanilla.)

let’s move into this week’s media consumption… lots of good stuff today- we’re covering the twisted world of dark romance fiction, the paradox of self awareness, the true glamour of clarice lispector, the obsession with giving the perfect gift, the concept of ‘the medium friend’, writing routines, and more.