Volume 14
Welcome back to the Isolation Diaries, our weekly round-up of the things that bring us joy, keep us creatively motivated and help us unwind. What have you been up to?
Milton Glasier, the famous graphic designer who changed the scene throughout the 1960s and 70s, passed away this month. To celebrate his amazing life, we’re reading up on his story and achievements, which included world-recognised poster designs that were reproduced millions of times, and the iconic “I love NY” logo. A captivating story that is as emotional as it is important, The Vanishing Half explores the history of black identity and white passing. And this recent article in Wallpaper explores architecture that looks forward, to healthy environments in a post-pandemic world.
A knowing throwback to the classic Will Ferrell comedies you remember, a la Blades of Glory or Semi-Pro, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is a very funny, very silly movie that continuously ranks number one on Netflix. We’ve also been enjoying Love Life, an anthology series starring Anna Kendrick that follows each character and all of their romances. For a complete change of pace, Queen & Slim is a romantic road crime drama. We don’t want to give too much away… but the story follows a couple (Daniel Kaluuya and Josie Turner-Smith) on the run together following an incident during a traffic stop.
This week, we’re trying not to eat all of this gnocchi in one sitting. The classic pumpkin-and-sage-butter combination never gets old, it’s the ultimate winter comfort. But sometimes comfort foods leave out the digestively challenged (aw, sad). So bearing this in mind, we went looking for a low FODMAP recipe and found this delicious moussaka. There’s a bit of prep involved, but it’s worth it and you’ll have meals for days. Cold and flu season is always bad enough, even without a pandemic to worry about. But winter is always an excuse to warm up and de-stress with a hot toddy: Light, hydrating and basically medicine.
Clear’s latest playlist is Electronic Chill, two and a half hours of soothing electronic beats (plus a couple of wildcards thrown in to keep y’all guessing). We’re also powering through all episodes of the New York Times Rabbit Hole series, a new podcast that explores what happens when our lives move online: what’s changed, what is changing and how we’re changing with it. After reading a recent in-depth Pitchfork throwback review that reminded us about one of our favourite 90s albums, we’re rediscovering Mazzy Star’s So Tonight That I Might See, being seduced by Hope Sandoval’s dreamy-sweet vocals and beautifully dark lyrics.