Read:
Eindhov recommends ‘The Dispossessed’ by Ursula K. Le Guin
An anarchist sci-fi novel subtitled “An Ambiguous Utopia”. Is that not enough? Okay, then it’s a story where the author tries to create an anarchist society, and I am using the word ‘create’ because the characters in the world also are trying to figure out how to live in the society they’ve created. They argue for the process of endless revolution, constant creation. The author expands her imagination to include the potential challenges the society faces, like st- well I was about to spoil. It also has the main character, Shevek, interact with a capitalist society on another planet (ofcourse it’s all planets, that’s where the sci-fi comes from). The whole story’s arc tries to understand the living customs of the capitalist society from the perspectives of a born-and-bred anarchist. All in all, one of the best works of imagination I’ve experienced.
Listen to:
noor recommends ‘Not Your Muse (Deluxe)’ by Celeste
This album is essentially lots of soul, r&b, and a bit of jazz and pop, all of which mesh together to explore different aspects of Celeste herself. This being her debut album is absolutely insane, but the range of topics explored through each track is even more impressive– from politics, to love, to loss, and more. Personal favourites of mine are ‘Both Sides of the Moon’, and ‘Lately’, both of which are soulful, and betray a strong influence of Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald (and maybe a little bit of Amy Winehouse). Not the most nuanced critique/review of an album, however I would argue this album hits in every weather, and that alone should be intriguing enough for you to give it a listen.
Watch:
Mikage recommends ‘While We Watched (2022)’, a film by Vinay Shukla
This documentary follows the journey of journalist Ravish Kumar during a time when mainstream Indian media was becoming sensationalised and polarised. It gives a very close look into how one of the veteran journalists of the time continued to show up while facing falling ratings, online abuse and institutional pressure. Without doing any dramatic narration, it quietly shows the everyday cost of speaking up and remaining honest in public life. My favourite part of the documentary was watching the stories of people working alongside Ravish in the newsroom and how each of them navigates their role as journalism itself begins to change. It shows you how to hold onto your ethics and value system in the hardest times, so if you have been feeling hopeless lately, you should definitely give it a try.