My contributions to a fall feature of what my colleagues and I have been reading, watching, and listening to:

Those who know me well know I’m usually reading many different books at once (almost entirely nonfiction) and also usually never finishing any of them. That’s still the case, but lately I’ve been working on sticking with a few at a time and seeing them through before moving on to any others (wish me luck!). In that vein, I’ve returned to finish the back half of Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy, which I first started reading a few years ago and which quickly revolutionized my conception of what being a Christian actually is. I’d argue Willard—a Baylor alum!—is a must-read for modern American Christians. I’ve also been appreciating Discerning Vocations to Marriage, Celibacy and Singlehood, which offers a framework for and tremendously practical insights into the discernment of marriage, celibacy, and what the authors call “singlehood.” As someone practicing and discerning celibacy, I’m always grateful for thoughtful resources to aid me in that journey. I’m still early into Against Purity, which argues for contamination as a useful starting point and against purity as the ideal endpoint in our quest to live ethical lives, but I’m intrigued by what I’ve read so far. And finally, to try to balance out all this heady, “serious” reading, I’m slowly making my way through Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, which never fails to elicit in me awe and wonder at the beauty of his characters and sentences.
In terms of viewing, I also delighted in the final season of The Bear, which was as much about chosen family and the bonds we form with them as it was about bio-family and the bonds we’re born with. I was moved to tears on several occasions, and I thought this season brought the show to a wonderful and endearing close while also leaving it somewhat open-ended and up for speculation, as I think a well-done finale should. Jamie Lee Curtis probably deserves another Emmy for her performance. And speaking of the Emmys, I was thrilled to see The Penguin receive 24 nominations. I simply could not shut up about this show last fall when it was released, and I’m glad to see it getting the recognition it deserves. The writing, directing, acting, and prosthetics(!)—all nominated—were masterful. It’s admittedly a dark show and not for everyone, but it’s a haunting and gripping—and timely—exploration of ambition, power, and violence and the people who wield them.
Finally, it was a summer of music for me, as I took a long, long road trip out west to Seattle in late June and had a lot of listening time. I made it through most of Jacob Collier’s discography (I was mostly familiar with his recent releases); In My Room, his debut album, was a standout. I also enjoyed James Taylor’s two Greatest Hits albums, the beautiful Nina Simone & Piano album, and Roberta Flack’s Quiet Fire, the latter of which I bought on vinyl from a small trading post in Ouray, Colorado during my drive. In addition to music, driving was a great chance to listen to the audiobook of Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley: In Search of America, which is an absolute delight and best listened to while driving on the open road. All in all, a summer well spent appreciating good media and art!