Black America Breaking News for the African American Community
Related Articles
As selected by Shirley Li, Hannah Giorgis, and Megan Garber
1. Normal People (Hulu)
Normal People, the much-lauded Millennial author Sally Rooney’s second novel, is a wrenching exploration of young romance in all its uncertainty. … It’s hard to look away, and harder still not to hope that they keep finding ways back to each other.
— Hannah
2. I May Destroy You (HBO)
What does it mean if an incident feels wrong in retrospect? How can anyone define or interpret a sexual experience “correctly”? [The series’s creator, Michaela Coel] treats these questions with a steady, sensitive, and lyrical touch—and even some levity in just the right moments.
— Shirley
3. Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
Ted Lasso is the happiest of mediums: The sitcom about an American football coach brought on to lead a British soccer team is charming but not smarmy, smart but not pedantic, heartfelt but clear-eyed too.
— Megan
As selected by Lenika Cruz, Hannah Giorgis, Spencer Kornhaber, and James Parker
1. Wizkid, Made in Lagos
Wizkid’s record sounds like the sorts of nights made impossible by the pandemic, like the condensation-filled air of a summer party. That Made in Lagos still feels hopeful when such gatherings remain unthinkable is a testament to Wizkid’s star power.
— Hannah
2. Rina Sawayama, Sawayama
It’s tempting to call this the future of pop: internet addicts singing about capitalism and intergenerational trauma in a style that bridges Ariana Grande, Evanescence, and Sega Genesis soundtracks. Really, though, the debut album by the visionary Rina Sawayama hits so powerfully because it nails the zeitgeist of the past two decades.
— Spencer
3. Andy Shauf, The Neon Skyline
Working in the style of Paul Simon, while inhabiting a mood that’s glum yet grounded, the songwriter Andy Shauf recorded the hummable literary-fiction event of the year. Across 11 songs, he takes you inside the head of a man who, when out for a night of drinking, bumps into an ex.
— James
Continue reading. Follow our critics’ picks as a playlist on Spotify.
As selected by The Atlantic Culture Desk
1. Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd)
The workaday lives and thoughts of women may not seem revolutionary, but Mieko Kawakami manages to make them so in Breasts and Eggs. — Jane Yong Kim
2. Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley
Headley’s text springs these surprises strategically, almost trickily, little fireworks of idiom to hold our attention as she winds with great fidelity of purpose into the depths of the Beowulf poet’s language—the alliteration, the compound words, the sinewy formality, the doleful magic, and the hard existential light. — James
3. Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby
Brisk and inventive in form, Wow No Thank You is a quarantine book that conjures that most elusive of experiences: idle time spent with a friend, talking about everything and nothing at all. — Hannah
Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
Source link
