at midweek

The Poor Man's Feast Shortlist

What are you reading/cooking/watching/listening to today, Thursday, June 23rd?

1. A musical secret: I’ve been playing guitar since I was four (not a hobby; I once opened for Nanci Griffith; I don’t talk about it much because playing for me is wrapped up in equal parts joy and visceral trauma. That’s a story for another time and yes, I am writing it and hopefully you will read it) and I am an absolute freak when it comes to vintage guitars. I’ve shopped in nearly every good vintage guitar store in the United States, but one of my favorites is Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, which is arguably just about the best (the fact that it’s in Nashville doesn’t hurt). Even if you’ve never picked up a guitar in your life but you just love music, head over to the Carter Vintage Guitar instagram feed, where you will find a treasure trove of mini-concerts performed by folks ranging from Molly Tuttle to Ariel Posen, Kirk Fletcher to Dan Tyminski, Billy Strings to Shannon McNally. For the most part, they’re all playing one-of-a-kind vintage instruments that, in some cases, date to the early 20th century and make me pass out cold just by looking at them. A freak. If you love great music played on old, beautifully preserved instruments (that are for sale, should you happen to have a big handful of shekels at your disposal), this feed is for you.

2. I went down a rabbit hole and watched Roxane Gay bake this gorgeous cake at least half a dozen times. I went to cooking school when dinosaurs roamed the earth but I failed baking (seriously), and I don’t even have a sweet tooth. But I love watching Roxane bake because it’s clear how much she loves doing it, and how good she is at it. I also love the fact that the recipe came from a children’s baking book (which are often better then their adult counterparts). There’s also a great video where Roxane is making tomato soup and grilled cheese, and if this were mid-March instead of mid-June, I’d say that’s your dinner tonight.

3. Maira Kalman has produced a limited edition booklet about a subject dear to both of us: bed. (And given the news of late, I’ve been wanting to spend a lot of time there.) If you’re as fanatical about her work as I am and in need of some heart-calming, you might want to queue up this video of Maira from a few years back. (And stay tuned: in the next few days, I’m going to be re-running my conversation with Maira about one of our favorite meals….breakfast.)

4. Have you continued to wear makeup during the pandemic? How has your makeup ritual changed, assuming you had one to begin with? The world may be screeching to a halt, but I still worry about these things.

5. If you can’t make it to Maine this summer, do the next best thing and read The Maine House over and over again. Kathleen Hackett’s prose is absolutely stunning — as good as Roger Angell’s writing about his beloved state —- and visuals by Maura McEvoy and Basha Burwell are gorgeous.

Is there anything that you’re particularly loving right now? Leave a note in the comments, below.

Until next week……