Back on Juneteenth the Boston Museum of Fine Arts had free admission so we went for a visit. I particularly enjoyed the special exhibit Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence. You probably know the work of this famous Japanese artist via his painting “The Great Wave”. I was really taken by the work of one of his proteges, Hiroshige, which you can see here. The unique and intense colors are so fascinating.
This summer I’ve been listening to The Summer Isles by Roo Panes a ton. I’ve also gotten into The Milk Carton Kids’ I Only See The Moon , and Phoebe Bridgers Strangers in the Alps, (which I think is better than her followup Punisher but that’s just me). I also revisited Coldplay’s Viva la Vida along with its followup EP Prospekt’s March.
Speaking of music, we got to attend the legendary Newport Folk Fest again this weekend, on the hottest day of the summer. We did a lot of sweating and sunscreen application, but we also got to see our friends Laden Valley perform, as well as some amazing sets by Nickel Creek and Maggie Rogers.
One of our favorite July traditions is attending a massive annual book sale put on by Quakers. We definitely came home with this big pile of books:
Jen and I are both turning 40 this summer a month apart, so we decided to throw ourselves a joint party a week or so ago. Friends came in from out of town, and local friends and family joined us to celebrate the beginning of our descent into old age.
Finally, like many people, I participated in the film event that was Barbenheimer a few weeks ago. I found both films to be brilliant in their own unique ways. My most recent Substack post was on mythological connections in Oppenheimer.