furthering my investigation into a hidden life i read an article i liked about learning to play the piano, without having a recital. this was so up my alley for many reasons. 1) i am having deep conversations with myself around purpose and meaning. is it any wonder that my sons/suns are existentialists and under 6? 2)i am an extreme hobbyist (clearly baking, writing, paper mache anything, weaving, a lecture on pretty much anything, making playlists, yoga, i mean let's face it writing a newsletter).
upon contemplation, i think my hobby hoarding has something to do with my lust for instruction. hilton als once wrote that too many options makes us feel motherless. perhaps this is why i love to take classes and my preferred way of learning is a body in front of me telling/showing me what to do. being taught something that i can apply to beautify and dignify my days makes me feel immensely cared for.
this is also why i love recipes so profoundly. they have such a bad reputation but is there anything more caring than someone giving you the framework for delicious nourishment. i cook other people's recipes religiously. this week i made two that i wasn't too fond of: a white chocolate pudding (my kids spit it out like they were literally gagging and then i tried it and understood the dramatic reaction). another was a pea and potato chowder that seemed to please some people i was feeding but made me realize that peas are low on my food chain of tastes. making a bad recipe can throw me into a puddle of confusion ... i guess what i'm saying is for as tough as i am, i'm also a little rose petal that gets thrown off by gross flavor combinations. would you be interested in my beloved recipes? i religiously test them so i can share so you don't have to be the guinea pig.
in other news this shoulder season has me on the edge of my seat (you can see i'm not much for complexity these days). do i retire my winter wear? should i make soups or is it time for radishes and butter?
in the meantime i will keep listening to this heavily nostalgic playlist, plant some seeds, watch this documentary slowly and dance with no recital.
please meet rachel chanoff. if you live in nyc you've clearly participated in something that she has masterminded. without further ado...
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30 happy years in the pit at celebrate brooklyn watching artists make magic on stage.
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Rachel Chanoff has been working in performing arts and film for 40 years and is the founder and director of THE OFFICE performing arts + film, her New York City-based programming, consulting, and production company. She is the Curator of Performing Arts and Film for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), Consultant to the Feature Film Program for the Sundance Institute, Curator of The New York Jewish Film Festival and The Margaret Mead Film Festival, and Senior Artistic Advisor to the FreshGrass Foundation. She served as the Director of Programming of the CenterSeries at the '62 Center for Theater and Dance at Williams College for 20 years and as the Artistic Director of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival for 30 years. Rachel is proud to serve on the board of the 52nd Street Project and Working Films. She is also a long time participant in the Theater Development Fund’s Open Doors program, which introduces underserved high school students to the New York theater scene.
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what kind of life do you want to live?
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surrounded by my rockstar colleagues –
i’m so blessed to work with the 20 rockstars that collectively make up the office. there’s so much pleasure to be had in watching these folks creatively produce art around the globe with perseverance , joy and aplomb. i am basking in their reflected glory.
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artists at work - this is our cultural workforce resilience project that we have deployed across ten states, employing 62 artists with a living wage and full health benefits as they continue to make their art and, also, bring their creative vision to a social impact initiative in their communities.
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refuge point - the global issue of refugees is urgent. we need to change the narrative from one of fear and resentment to one of welcoming and humanity.
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rachel's film of the week
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zone of interest - a chilling portrait of the banality of evil. how do these insidious endeavors get normalized and why do get lulled into allowing vile inhumanity to seep into society?
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rachel's song of the week
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sunset on louisianne - zachary richard - a classic , gorgeous ode to nature and a beautiful environmental ballad all at once.
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rachel's article of the week
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how mark meadows became the least trusted man in washington from the nytimes. who are these immoral men attempting to rot democracy and how do we beat them back?
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rachel's food of the week
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estonian rye bread- dark and delicious
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blue hydrangeas they change color depending on the soil - so mysteriously responsive
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and a few picks from push...
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in memory of georgiana pickett--consider donating to her audacious action fund.
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how did i not know this was a few blocks from home? you can find me here practicing my line dancing!
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anyone who knows me knows how much I'm obsessed with seeds. this gorgeous article in the new yorker perfectly encapsulates why you should be obsessed with them too.
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love this visual podcast that taught me about the orchid mantis as an exercise in unconditional love!
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I feel so humbled to work with such artists like Beverly McIver <3 this feature in forbes shows just how amazing she is.
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the psychedelic garden of james hitchmough
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we hope you are staying warm and that you enjoyed another installment of push picks. as always, if you like what you read, forward it to someone or encourage them to sign up. it would mean the world to us 🌎
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