Friday Fixations

What I'm into right now

Happy Friday, my fellow suffering beings. Each week, I share two things I’m digging right now (books, TV shows, movies, music, and the like) plus one online video of nearly zero cultural merit.

• The Little Friend, by Donna Tartt. In the 1990s, I read and loved Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. In the 2010s, I read the even better (IMO) The Goldfinch. But I somehow missed her 2000s novel, The Little Friend. (She apparently only puts out a book once a decade.) I’ll admit that I see why many critics regard this book as Tartt’s troubled sophomore outing. That said, I still really liked it. The power and beauty of her writing is so overwhelming that it makes the experience well worth your time, no matter the flaws.

• Re-watching seasons 1 and 2 of The White Lotus. At the end of season 3, I missed the show so badly that I went back and started watching the earlier seasons. As happened with Succession, I am finding the second viewing to be even more enjoyable than the first. The density of the brilliance—both in terms of incisive social commentary and also humor—is kinda breathtaking. (The scene where Tanya attempts to throw her mother’s ashes overboard is a comedy clinic.) I’m also noticing this time around how impactful the soundtrack is, which makes news of this feud even more of a bummer.

• My new spiritual leader.

• One last thing: Join me May 19th-23rd for The Buddhist Antidote to Anxiety: A Live Meditation Miniseries, designed to help you navigate the various dumpster fires of life with greater balance and sanity. Monday is open to everyone, and the following four days are for paid subscribers only. Hope to see you there.

Agree or disagree with these recommendations? Subscribers can comment on this and all other posts. You can also chat with me, my staff, pod guests, and one another. And there’s lots more: ad-free versions of my podcast; cheatsheets for every episode (which include time-stamped highlights and full transcripts); and twice-monthly live video sessions where I guide meditations and take questions. Join the party.