Letters, The Christian Left, and Mississippi Masala
In my next letter, I’m going to talk some more about bird flu and the public-health argument for increased government funding for cultivated-meat research. If you want to write your own letters, give this a look: https://slaughterfreeamerica.substack.com/p/how-to-write-letters-to-newspapers-6eb
Anyway, let’s do (Cell) Culture Talk. Here’s what I’ve been reading and watching lately.
Book — Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper. I’ve been meaning to reread the fantasy series. If I recall correctly, the first entry is only tangentially connected to others, sort of like how The Hobbit relates to The Lord of the Rings. Three British children are drawn into an Arthurian treasure hunt.
Book — The Christian Left by Anthony A.J. Williams. It’s an interesting history of socialists inspired by the Bible. The title places less emphasis on prefigurative communities than similar texts on the subject, which I appreciate. On the other hand, Williams includes regressive figures like Tony Blair.
Movie — Mississippi Masala. Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury star as an African-American man, who is a self-employed carpet cleaner, and an Indian immigrant from Uganda, whose family owns a motel. The pair fall in love despite their cultural differences. Mira Nair directed the great romantic drama.
Movie — Carry-On. It’s not Die Hard, but it’s a really fun Christmas action flick. Taron Egerton plays an airport security guard blackmailed by terrorists into allowing a bomb to pass through his checkpoint. Despite threats to his family, he continues to try and foil the sinister plot. Jason Bateman makes a good villain.
Movie — The Bikeriders. Inspired by a photography book of the same name, Jeff Nichols’ project follows a fictional motorcycle club through the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film boasts a strong ensemble cast and wonderful period music. I may actually have to find the soundtrack on Spotify.
Sports — Knicks lose to Hawks, 108-100. I’ve tried to avoid drawing any hasty conclusions, but the Knicks don’t look like championship contenders. That’s an issue, considering what they gave up to form the current roster. In retrospect, I’d happily have run it back with last season’s team.
Sports — Knicks beat Magic, 100-91. Orlando played admirably hard, despite being down some key pieces. Ultimately, however, they couldn’t overcome New York’s superior level of talent. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 31 points. Mikal Bridges played in his 500th consecutive NBA game.
Meditation passage — All Paths Lead to Me from the Bhagavad Gita. I’ve been feeling stressed. Generally, adding a new selection helps me with that. I don’t know if it’s the words themselves or the act of memorizing them. Maybe it’s both. But I tend to feel a little calmer after I incorporate a fresh passage.