Recommendations from Seth Stewart
On Wanting to Change and On Getting Better by Adam Phillips
As with most of Phillips' writings, On Wanting to Change and On Getting Better do not argue or persuade points so much as lead the reader Socratically down a forking path of questions about our preoccupation with changing ourselves, how to do it, and the allure or a personal story built upon ideas of evolution and a trajectory of progress. Both of these compact volumes relate to a broader conversation about the ways in which what is out of reach, unattained, or "not us" appear to actually drive and shape much of who we are.Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
Written after the passing of Ocean Vuong's mother, Time is a Mother contains the fullness and complexity of grief. Sadness and celebration come in equal measure, and within this slim collection of poetry Vuong is somehow able to speak in all the roars and whispers that make up the language of loss.
Recommendations from Michelle Scott
TV Show: The Bear
Trans artist Kim Petra released a new album last month that has been my anthem for summer!
Recommendations from Rebecca Hirsch
Podcast: Wiser Than Me- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine on Seinfeld and Selina on Veep) interviews women who are wiser than her (age 70+) about all things perspective, grief, joy, and overall life lessons. She starts each episode with a brief anecdote about her guest and ends up with a sweet recap phone call to her mother. Favorite episodes include Jane Fonda, Isabelle Allende, and Amy Tan!
Coffee Shop: Cafe Nido, a new Silverlake coffee shop located inside the old Tenant of the Trees. Beautiful place to sip a cup of coffee and read a book--plus it feels like you're transported to being in Mexico City. They have books for free to read while there or rent for $5/month!
Perspective: Being a beginner. I recently took up tennis as a hobby. Aside from getting outside and moving my body, what i've loved most is soaking up the joy of being a beginner. It has facilitated a space for me to take time balancing being kind to myself as I learn, while also finding moments of joy laughing at some of the silly mistakes I make. Highly recommend finding a way to try out being a beginner at something!
Recommendations from Joanna Greenbaum
Wild LA: Explore the Amazing Nature in and Around Los Angeles
I got a copy of Wild LA after a trip to the Natural History Museum in 2019. It is an easy read you can pick up anytime to learn about native species or inspire a new way to spend a day in Los Angeles. Although it is a good resource year-round, it is a nice little Summer handbook for a solo adventure, to share with friends, or even kids would enjoy.
Recommendations from Jessica Sardas
Music Album: Comfort To Me by Amyl and the Sniffers
I recently discovered this female led punk band out of Australia… and this album in particular! The lyrics are empowered, contemporary, relevant and unapologetic. So amped and so fun!Artist: Sho Madjozi is a South African rapper I’m really enjoying, introduced to me by a friend/colleague. Her music has a unique quality that for me sparks a sense of felt inspiration… a wild sense of letting oneself be truly free creatively.
Book: Alex Ketchum's Ingredients for Revolution explores the question ‘What makes a restaurant feminist?’ Alex starts in 1972 with the opening of Mother Courage in New York. This book launches into explorations around how far reaching the food and hospitality industry can be, and how restaurants with a feminist mindset are thinking about all aspects of the industry from farm laborers to work place practices.
Recommendations from Jocelyn Gee
Book: The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living
For those who struggle with body image, summertime can bring up a lot of self-consciousness and anxiety. Maybe this is the summer you're ready to release harmful messages you've received about your body and come back home to yourself. Clinical psychologist and researcher Hillary McBride's excellent book The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living offers insights into how many of us have become disconnected from our bodies and provides a roadmap to healing this sacred relationship.
Recommendations from Rebecca O’Krent
My summer rec is a podcast called Maintenance Phase, which takes a critical look at all things diet culture, weight loss, and wellness. The hosts approach the science behind the wellness industry from a fat-positive, critical scientific lens, and listening to them debunk everything from the most outlandish to deeply held cultural beliefs around health is simultaneously healing and highly entertaining.
Recommendations from Sophie Shekarchian
Pageboy is a memoir by Elliot Page. It delves into Page's relationship with his body, his experiences as one of the most famous trans people in the world, and he circumvents topics like mental health, assault, love, relationships, sex, and the shadow side of Hollywood.
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi is a memoir about the author’s life and experiences as an Iranian woman. She recounts her memories of living in Iran, including teaching at universities and Allameh Tabataba’i University during the 1970s and 1980s. The novel also discusses her departure from Iran to America in the mid 90s.
The Creative Act (2023) is a meditative manifesto by record producer, Rick Rubin. It is about what it really means to be an artist. It affirms that everyone is inherently artistic. He shares insights on how to access that creative artistry within us by finding moments of creativity in the fabric of our everyday lives.
Podcast: Therapists Uncensored - a podcast of conversations rooted in attachment and relational psychology hosted by queer married couple, Dr. Ann Kelley, PhD and Sue Marriott, LCSW.
Recommendations from Negar Sarshar
Book: Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
Rodsky wrote this book to address discrepancies in domestic labor that reflect society’s tendency to value men's over women’s time. She notes that women in cisgender heterosexual couples tend to hold a disproportionate amount of the responsibilities, even when the woman works outside the home. Rodsky cautions against the dangers of the notion that "Time is money," reminding us that all time is created equal; when we honor this truth in our families, we give the same respect and gratitude to the time that goes into making dinner as we do to the time dedicated to an office desk for a paycheck. She created a card game with 100 household tasks to help partners divvy up chores in a way that feels equitable (not necessarily equal!) to both parties. Rodsky asserts that creating balance in household duties can help diminish the resentment that is born out of unfairness – without this resentment, couples create space to reconnect and thrive.