So, immediately after last week’s newsletter went out, I got the above text from my mom. I also got a bunch of emails asking about how to do a City Hall wedding (happy to help), but I want to take a moment to publicly address the error my mother pointed out. I had originally written “It was a truly great experience and I recommend it for anyone on the fence between a small City Hall ceremony and spending a fortune on something else,” but Verena hates word repetition and pointed out that I said “City Hall” immediately before in the preceding sentence. In order to rectify that, I quickly substituted “civic” for “City Hall,” which was not the best decision but felt good enough. What I failed to recognize was that it could easily be mistaken as a typo (or, worse, stupidity), and that people might think that I thought it’s called a “civic ceremony” and not “civil ceremony.” So, if you caught that and/or thought I didn’t know the proper terminology, let me reassure you that I know it’s “civil ceremony” and that I was unfortunately being too clever by half. Hopefully you had a little more faith in me than my mom.
-DW
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Full disclosure: I only just downloaded The Tell on my Kindle, but by the time you read this, I will have finished. And if the word-of-mouth endorsements I’ve been getting about this book are even remotely accurate, this recommendation will be much deserved. (Don’t worry, I’ll delete it if they aren’t.) In this memoir, author Amy Griffin recounts her experience uncovering long-buried childhood trauma thanks to MDMA-assisted therapy. In the wake of this revelation and her subsequent effort to get legal justice, Griffin reflects on a life spent in pursuit of perfectionism and what it means to truly be—and forgive—your whole self. Friends have described The Tell to me as “astonishing,” “powerful,” “super well-written,” and “extremely brave.” If that sounds up your alley, you should read it, too.
-VvP
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My grandmother lived her life almost entirely in a blue and white palette. She, like many women of her generation, was also obsessed with chinoiserie. So Wasted Water Pipes really nailed the pattern and name when they created this Grandma Grinder. Despite living in the Greenwich Village in the 1960s, as far as I know, my grandmother never smoked weed. (Watch my dad now send a fact-check text.) But if she had, this would’ve been the perfect addition to her shelf of curios.
-DW
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Rose Los Angeles is one of the rare brands with a true mission: to create delicious, chef-quality, and effective edibles using carefully sourced ingredients that reflect the richness of the natural world. With their latest release, a 5mg indica-infused citrus Delight, Rose Los Angeles teamed up with BBC journalist Dan Saladino to produce a short documentary about “the world’s most sacred orange.” Also known as Citrus Indica, Memang Nerang is an elusive and endangered orange known for its sour juice and natural insect repelling qualities. It also contains a rare gene that could help protect the future of citrus cultivation worldwide. The film is a beautiful and compelling watch.
-VvP
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Will Oldham, better known as Bonnie “Prince” Billy, is one of my north stars. He, David Berman, Jason Molina, Bill Callahan, and Vic Chesnutt swirl together in a large part of my heart, and I return to the music of at least one of them on a weekly, if not daily, basis. So I was very excited to see that the incredibly prolific Oldham (seriously, if you’re not aware, he’s a machine) was back with yet another new album. I heard Oldham say on Marc Maron’s WTF that he and legendary Nashville music producer David “Ferg” Ferguson did not set out to make a country album, but to my Yankee ear, The Purple Bird sounds pretty damn country. Which makes sense considering the litany of local legends who play on this record. You can’t convince me that songs like “The Water’s Fine” and “Turned to Dust (Rolling On)” aren’t country, however, others like “Is My Living in Vain?” and “New Water,” feel more classic Oldham. If you’re new to Bonnie “Prince” Billy, I wouldn’t start here, and I’m not sure where this album ranks for me. But it’s a good listen and like all of Oldham’s work, hearing his words over and over again will continue to reveal genius and beauty.
-DW
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If you find yourself anywhere in the vicinity of High Falls, NY, do yourself a favor and stop into Ollie’s for some seriously delicious pizza. Make your own pie or go with their signature menu offerings, but definitely throw in a side of meatballs and their homemade ranch.
-VvP
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