Welcome back!
The summer is always such a blur. It’s just like an amorphous blob of time. Is it Wednesday? It feels like a Friday? I should really answer that email.
Can anyone else relate?
Also I’m in my second trimester and I’ve been disappointed at the lack of weird pregnancy cravings. Lately, I just get a big burst of hunger right before bed and I creep down to the kitchen to heat up some Hawaiian sweet rolls and spread some honey butter on those bad boys.
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I want to quickly mention a game I’ve been loving: Cat Mail Co. You’re a cat who runs a post office and it’s your role to manage the incoming and outgoing shipments. If you love a casual organization game, I highly recommend it. There isn’t a timer and any penalizations you receive for mislabeling a package are incredibly minor. Very low stress! Right now, it’s only available on PC/Steam Deck.
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Sarah: Happy 20th anniversary to Tom & Lorenzo!
I know how rare and how hard it is for a major blog to last two decades. Every year I file an annual report with the state of Maryland, and say out loud to myself, “STILL HERE, Y’ALL. STILL HERE.”
Big congratulations to you both from a fellow vintage blog.
As Tom wrote:
“…to still be here, after so much of the world seemed to be working to shut us down, is one of the greatest professional and creative achievements of our lives. To publish in 2026 and get paid for it…is one hell of an accomplishment in comparison to doing it in 2006.”
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Emily Wilson, who wrote one of the best translations of Homer’s Odyssey gave her thoughts about Nolan’s adaptation. Have you watched it yet? Would love to know your thoughts! I have not seen it, but that three hour runtime is pretty off putting for me personally.
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This link was shared by Clay in the SBTB Podcast Patreon Discord. It’s about how social media has influenced cover design and I think it’s pretty insightful.
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Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!
That one on social media and cover design is fascinating. It reminds me of being on the subway in New York. The cover of the book you are reading is an important status symbol. It needs to be a literary text and must show you are a serious intellectual.
I don’t think I’ve seen any of Christopher Nolan’s films except ‘Memento.’ Am mildly interested in ‘Odyssey’ but between spring 2020 and last week the only movie we’ve gone to see in a theater wasn’t even that. 🙂 It was ‘Return of the Jedi’ live in concert at the Brevard Music Center’s open-sided pavilion. We’re 60 and 66, Covid is still a thing, plus all the other things. Anyway, I might watch ‘Odyssey’ once it comes to streaming. We like being able to pause.
I saw someone posting about Emily Wilson’s response to the movie and they claimed that she’s “just another scholar who’s jealous because actors and directors get more attention than she does”. Which. LOL
I’ll look forward to reading her thoughts. Is it just me, or does it feel like ancient Greek lit is everywhere lately? I was remembering reading both “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad” in probably 6th or 7th grade – we had copies on the bookshelf at home and they were some of the only books from it that I hadn’t read. A lot of it went over my head, I’m sure.
That article on social media influencing book cover design ties in nicely with the April post on books as luxury items. It’s all about “an aesthetic”, being seen/perceived as someone who reads, whether or not you actually do.
Loved The Odyssey. One note, that run time must include the full bitter end of credits, we walked in at 4:00, saw 15 min. of previews, and were back in the lobby a little before 7:00. Stayed for a good chunk of the credits but not all (my teenager was barely willing to grant me that much).
Haven’t read her full review or her synopsis yet, did like her threads before the movie came out about language, translation in general. (I was reading her translation and liked her introductory essays as well.) I will get to it… later… I’m seeing the movie again with the rest of my family and would like to enjoy it with them before digging into that review, from what I’ve seen of it and seen discussed from it I don’t anticipate it being a pleasant experience.
The Greek Mythology movie I saw in theatres last weekend was the pro shot of Hadestown.
I thought the review was good. I’ve only read her translation of the Iliad but I’ve been curious about her translation of the odyssey
lol to the lack of pregnancy cravings, I was the same way, and my husband was so sad about the lack of crazy food wants.
My one bit of unsolicited advice for when the baby is here is make yourself your midnight snacks before going to bed so when you wake up with the baby in the middle of the night past-you has already made you a snack. I was partial to brie and grapes 🙂
rare books being destroyed in the name of AI training:
https://x.com/HedgieMarkets/status/2081534588485296565?s=20