tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39855092483278803852024-03-14T00:31:43.039-04:00William the Wonder Bear and Other StoriesWriting, reminiscing, and exploringLaura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-63660790230248985732018-09-02T11:05:00.000-04:002018-09-09T11:05:27.152-04:00Sunday Postcard #19<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday Postcard 19<br />Siem Reap, Cambodia July 2018<br />Eric’s
birthday was yesterday! The first one we celebrated together was in Ann
Arbor at Prickly Pear, and yesterday’s was the first in Boston. This
photo is during week 10 of Eric avoiding a haircut this summer. </span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-71527631934924086872018-08-26T11:03:00.000-04:002018-09-09T11:04:07.069-04:00Sunday Postcard #18<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday Postcard 18<br />Boston Harbor August 2018<br />Friday night at
the end of a full week, which included highlights such as this sunset,
meeting new people, and a strategic approach to dodgeball followed by
victory. </span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-21767281694967281682018-08-19T10:23:00.000-04:002018-09-09T10:26:03.548-04:00Sunday Postcard #17<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday Postcard 17<br />Boston, August 2018<br />I grew up in
Massachusetts and this week I’ve gotten to feel like I’m learning
somewhere new and reconnecting with my past at the same time. For
example, I know the lyrics to Charlie on the MTA by heart but never knew
the song’s history. And yes, I will likely sing it if it so much as
comes up in conversation.</span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-48163596252172085282018-08-12T10:16:00.000-04:002018-09-09T10:22:09.196-04:00Sunday Postcard #16<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday Postcard 16<br />Boston, August 2018<br />I took this photo
after seeing a tourist snap the same shot. I’ve only lived in Boston for
a week and feel more like a tourist than not. Every time I move I
wonder how long it will take for somewhere to feel like home. It’s never
one moment, but gradual accumulation of knowing what grocery aisle to
go to for lemon juice, leaving the apartment without checking a map, and
having an opinion on where to get good Thai noodles. Eventually, I’ll
look up and feel different.</span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-90420774677202772572018-08-05T11:26:00.000-04:002018-08-08T11:26:58.664-04:00Sunday Postcard #15<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday Postcard 15<br />Dubai, UAE August 2018<br />Eric and I have a
photo from the last day of the first trip we took together in 2010. We
look tired and happy. I made sure to take one on our last day of our
three months in Southeast Asia, though maybe I should have done it
before the eight hour overnight layover.</span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-91942756992883004072018-07-29T11:42:00.001-04:002018-07-29T11:42:57.137-04:00Sunday Postcard #14<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday Postcard #14</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Outside Siem Reap, Cambodia July 2018</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is our last Sunday in Southeast Asia before we head back to the states. This summer has been a lesson in time for me. Events that happened a few days ago feel like they happened weeks before, living in Ann Arbor feels like a year ago, and yet the entire three months we've been away feels like a blink. Earlier this week, our friend Laura - our neighbor in Ann Arbor - was in town. She and I took a four hour round trip tuk-tuk ride to see <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/attractions/beng-mealea/a/poi-sig/500536/1002179" target="_blank">Beng Mealea</a>, an overgrown and remarkable temple. We could hear thunder approaching during the two hours we walked through the temple complex, but luckily the rain held off until we started the ride back. After a stormy ride to Siem Reap, we could see a full arc of a rainbow behind us. </span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-80490917070135324392018-07-22T06:00:00.000-04:002018-07-23T01:51:59.930-04:00Sunday Postcard #13<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday Postcard #13</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Chiang Mai, Thailand, July 2018</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Eric and I got engaged when we were traveling for most of 2012. We started planning the wedding and I became obsessed with lights. I took pictures of every pretty light fixture we saw, so many of my travel photos from that year are of lanterns, bulbs, and string lights. (Honestly, I was trying to recreate look from the Mumford & Sons <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7bHe--mp1g">"Little Lion Man"</a> video.) When we got married in 2014, we decorated with dozens of carnival lights. We keep finding beautiful lights this summer, too, and places like this outdoor mall in Chiang Mai let me celebrate our wedding again and again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-17882263593965103392018-07-15T14:04:00.001-04:002018-07-16T04:43:09.906-04:00Sunday Postcard #12<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunday Postcard #12</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Siem Reap, Cambodia July 2018</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Allez les bleus!</span><br />
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Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-50234923905317558292018-07-11T06:37:00.001-04:002018-07-11T06:38:10.396-04:00Sunday Postcard #11<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk-WKY6lHi0/?taken-by=laura.chanoux">Sunday Postcard 11</a><br />Road to Pai, July 2018<br />Between Kathmandu
to Pokhara and back and Chiang Mai to Pai, I’ve spent about 20 hours on
winding bus rides in the past couple weeks. Though I don’t love
switchback roads, part of me always enjoys long road trips. Even when I
was a kid, I loved knowing that there was nothing else I was supposed to
do besides sitting back and reading a book. Before driving to visit my
grandparents or visiting my siblings at college, I’d pack a pile of
library books to last the whole ride and then some. It’s still one of my
favorite parts of getting ready for a trip. </span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-25745979716920997072018-07-02T03:59:00.000-04:002018-07-02T03:59:59.591-04:00Sunday Postcard #10<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkroS5blFGH/?taken-by=laura.chanoux">Sunday Postcard 10</a><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Pokhara, Nepal June 2018 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />We spent five days in
this lakeside town surrounded by mountains. It sent my mind to the
waterfronts and hills I love: summer in Chicago, eating ice cream in
western Michigan beach towns, a family reunion in Montana where we had
the biggest water fight, the surprise road trip to Vermont with my mom,
her best friend, and four of us kids, and others. I loved being in
Pokhara while simultaneously wanting to be in all the other places I’ve
loved. Traveling always forces me to remember that I bring everything
along with me.</span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-78004577716857033082018-06-26T07:38:00.000-04:002018-06-26T07:38:11.667-04:00Sunday Postcard #9<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span title="Edited"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkaikcuF3SK/?taken-by=laura.chanoux">Sunday Postcard #9</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span title="Edited"><br />Pokhara, Nepal June 2018</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span title="Edited"><br />When
we were in Pokhara, I got to see this little white dog with tan ears
every day. He or she looked like a toasted marshmallow. He guarded a
store/restaurant/guest house. Two mornings ago, I was waiting for coffee
across the street when I heard an explosion of barking. Two large dogs
came running out of the guest house across the street with Marshmallow
Pup hot on their heels, telling them what’s what. I was amazed that such
a small dog could scare off two large ones, and then Marshmallow Pup’s
person stepped out behind him for the chase. Marshmallow Pup may not
have been the reason the two dogs ran off, but he spent the rest of the
morning looking quite triumphant. </span></span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-67962364088144625262018-06-20T06:40:00.003-04:002018-06-20T06:41:52.529-04:00Sunday Postcard #8<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkH_0QLF_Lo/?taken-by=laura.chanoux"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chiang Mai, Thailand June 2018</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />In 2012 Eric and I spent a
couple weeks in Krabi, Thailand. I fell in love with a noodle and
dumpling soup from a stall in town. Nearly every day, I’d suggest we eat
there. I’ve looked for the soup on Thai restaurant menus ever since and
haven’t found anything quite the same. Last week we found a street cart
in Chiang Mai selling the same type of soup and I got to fall in love
again. </span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-12754221924062335422018-06-11T03:14:00.001-04:002018-06-11T03:14:50.661-04:00Sunday Postcard #7<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj2QknrFs-9/?taken-by=laura.chanoux">Sunday Postcard #7</a><br />Bakong Temple, Siem Reap, June 2018<br /><br />Eric
and I spent today seeing some of the southern temples in the Angkor
world heritage site. The long walkway to the Bakong temple made me think
of <a href="http://www.chanouxstories.com/2012/01/my-first-solo-travel-adventure.html">my first solo trip</a>, when I took myself to Chenonceau. I stayed at a
hostel for the first time, ate a crepe and a kir at the only restaurant
in Tours not showing the World Cup, and doubled back through all the
rooms of the castle that I wanted to at my own pace. I was so nervous
about being on my own but so proud of making all the plans for myself.
It felt good to be reminded of that today, on a different continent,
eight years older. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />I can never get enough of those pink bougainvillea, either.</span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-51325745431059262702018-06-04T04:51:00.000-04:002018-06-04T04:51:01.594-04:00Sunday Postcard #6<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjkV3FaF_HP/?taken-by=laura.chanoux" target="_blank">Sunday Postcard #6</a><br />Siem Reap, May 2018<br /><br />Fried noodles with
a runny egg eaten at a plastic table is one of my favorite things in
the world. I have been lucky enough to try this in more than one place, and
I’m always a bit in awe of the fact that I’ve had the opportunities.
(To take the earnestness of this story down a level or two, Eric ended
up with food poisoning likely from this meal.) </span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-13876801396836839922018-05-28T05:47:00.000-04:002018-05-28T05:47:04.784-04:00Sunday Postcard #5<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span><span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjR1aFhlo0K/?taken-by=laura.chanoux" target="_blank"><span>Sunday Postcard 5</span></a><br /><span>Lotus fields, Siem Reap, May 2018</span><br /><br /><span>A
couple weeks ago Eric and I joined a bike tour from our hostel to watch
the sunset over lotus fields outside the city. I haven’t ridden a bike
in six years and was wobbly and nervous. After the hour-long ride out,
where I was solidly at the back of the pack, one of the tour leads asked
if I’d ever ridden a bike before. It was embarrassing, but not as bad
as the ride back when I catapulted myself into a ditch (I was fine,
thank goodness). I’ve spent the time since then being thankful I wasn’t
hurt and thinking about failing in public. Most often, my failures are
private - if a pitch or application gets rejected, it’s between the
editor or admissions officer and me. I don’t often have to be bad at
something in front of someone else, much less a tour group or collection
of kind bystanders watching me get pulled out of a mud puddle. Maybe
it’s something I should try to do more, though probably not on a bike
for a while. </span></span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-18325600129143494442018-05-21T02:57:00.000-04:002018-05-21T02:57:48.007-04:00Sunday Postcard #4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4g1O0KgMxn4/WwJsKoeqvKI/AAAAAAAAFQw/whdjFG3ErH8DKaau0niOH0BrcDgkUZSiwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG-5645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="851" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4g1O0KgMxn4/WwJsKoeqvKI/AAAAAAAAFQw/whdjFG3ErH8DKaau0niOH0BrcDgkUZSiwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG-5645.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ann Arbor, Michigan April 2018</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span title="Edited">Every morning when I walked to work I looked
at the reflection of the graduate school in the mirrored windows of the
modern language building. The beauty of the older structure captured in
the new(er) one was a favorite view that I usually admired alone. It
felt like my own moment on a campus that is always full and in motion.</span></span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-23559366544323599882018-05-14T01:55:00.000-04:002018-05-14T01:55:39.626-04:00Sunday Postcard #3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Krabi, Thailand, May 2012</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eric and I arrived in Krabi on an overnight train. The ride left me
disoriented and I woke up at dawn our first morning. We searched for
breakfast on nearly-empty streets. A woman walked through the main road
towards a temple on what I soon realized was a daily route. She left
food in piles for the stray cats and dogs that wandered around the area.
By the way they followed her, it was clear they expected her. It was a
rare chance to see the evidence of how someone matters to other
creatures, how much others rely upon someone’s acts of care.</span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-26406158974148047692018-05-07T10:54:00.000-04:002018-05-07T10:54:12.794-04:00Sunday Postcard #2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7EG2UX5yRV8/WvBoOaFC3fI/AAAAAAAAFOs/6aWWJ-GB450RdqcUxKdvGD-WL9m8JyzUgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7EG2UX5yRV8/WvBoOaFC3fI/AAAAAAAAFOs/6aWWJ-GB450RdqcUxKdvGD-WL9m8JyzUgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_4777.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span>Night Sky Hotel, Da Nang, January 2018</span><br /><br /><span>We
woke up to a power outage at our hotel. The hotel still served a full
breakfast by candlelight. We listened to the rain outside while the
chef, an older woman, instructed us on how to properly season and eat
our noodle soup. I devoured mine along with the mini creme caramel she
served. The women working the front desk insisted on high-level customer
service despite the outage. They carried luggage almost as big as they
were up the many flights of stairs, as the elevator wasn’t running. </span></span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-45792968045837384812018-04-29T21:38:00.000-04:002018-04-29T21:40:04.713-04:00Sunday Postcard #1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Sunday Postcard is a new project where I share a photo and story each week.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span title="Edited"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span title="Edited">View from the Belmont stop, October 2015<br /><br />Every
weekday for two and a half years, I caught the Purple Line Express to
Evanston. There was one couple in their mid-thirties who took the same
route. If they were waiting when I got to the platform, I knew I’d be on
time to work. In my second summer, the woman was pregnant and had a
baby. For several months the man rode alone while she was on maternity
leave. I got to glimpse a small piece of their lives every morning. This photo is from the last day I commuted on that route. Though
we never spoke, I think of that couple as often as I remember the
sunrises over the lake.</span></span></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-39240833900649570522018-02-07T22:04:00.001-05:002018-02-07T22:12:56.234-05:00Edge of (20)17<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The post title may have been more appropriate going into 2017, but I only thought of it now, so here we are.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For me, 2017 felt like living through several years at once. Here's a quick round-up of some of my favorite pieces of culture from the past twelve months:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X8Q-0nJPAAE/Wnu7_FhWzpI/AAAAAAAAFHk/bGIwMp38LYQux25OjBVNhLMi2el_QckyQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X8Q-0nJPAAE/Wnu7_FhWzpI/AAAAAAAAFHk/bGIwMp38LYQux25OjBVNhLMi2el_QckyQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_2826.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The most French bicycle</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Books</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.ayobamiadebayo.com/stay-with-me/" target="_blank">Stay With Me</a> by Ayobami Adebayo - This is one of the most remarkable books I've read. It follows a couple in Nigeria struggling with infertility while trying to push back against polygamy. Each twist is enough for its own novel, and yet Adebayo continues to surprise the reader with her precise look at a marriage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://rakeshsatyalbooks.com/" target="_blank">No One Can Pronounce My Name</a> by Rakesh Satyal - As I wrote in <a href="http://www.chanouxstories.com/2017/07/summertime-recommendations.html#more" target="_blank">July</a>, this novel follows two Indian immigrants in Ohio as they struggle with loneliness and grief. It's beautifully written and even side characters have depth and complications. It remains one of my favorite novels.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.caitedolanleach.com/dead-letters/" target="_blank">Dead Letters</a> by Caite Dolan-Leach - A woman returns to upstate New York after her twin sister supposedly dies in a fire, yet seems to have set up a twisted scavenger hunt to draw her back from Paris. This remains a favorite from 2017 for its creativity and careful pacing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.juliebuntin.com/" target="_blank">Marlena</a> by Julie Buntin - Cat examines the brief, intense friendship she had during high school with Marlena, a drug-fueled teenager she met after moving to northern Michigan. I hadn't realized how much I crave novels that examine the nuances of female friendship until I finished and wanted to reread it immediately.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.kevinkwanbooks.com/#pages/portfolio/project_1.html" target="_blank"><i>Crazy Rich Asians</i></a> and <a href="http://www.kevinkwanbooks.com/#pages/portfolio/project_2.html" target="_blank"><i>China Rich Girlfriend</i></a> by Kevin Kwan - Economics professor Rachel Chu agrees to join her History professor boyfriend Nick Young at his best friend's wedding in Singapore. Little does she know that Nick's family is one of the wealthiest families in Asia. The first book is hilarious, dramatic, and heartwarming and somehow the sequel is even better. I'm partway through the final book in the trilogy, <a href="http://www.kevinkwanbooks.com/#pages/portfolio/project_4.html" target="_blank"><i>Rich People Problems</i></a>, and can't get enough. Kwan's footnotes throughout are delightful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>TV</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5420376/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><b>Riverdale</b></a> for its over-the-top camp and ridiculous antics. The characters make such dramatic, teenage choices, but they do so in the face of a serial killer and a drug cartel and the pep squad and some really shady real estate dealings. One episode featured not just a knife fight, but a <i>Rebel Without a Cause</i>-style drag race! What more could you want? (Shoutout to the writers for crafting off-brand name dropping, such as "ShareBnB" and "Spiffany's Jewelry." The Riverdale prison is called Shankshaw. I mean, how can you not somehow love it for its audacity?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> </i><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4955642/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><b>The Good Place</b></a> for its thoughtful approach to philosophy and its incredible characters. The ensemble cast is remarkable, and Ted Danson is a standout for his character's arc this season. Also it remains my favorite half hour of the week for the lines I repeat to myself constantly, such as "Anytime I had a problem, I threw a Molotov cocktail, boom! Right away, I had a different problem." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2467372/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><b>Brooklyn Nine Nine</b></a> for every scene Andre Braugher is in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3920596/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><b>Big Little Lies</b></a> because if you put that cast and that soundtrack together I will love it. (I also called the ending early on and am inordinately proud of myself. Correctly guessing the end of suspense fiction is my favorite talent that I can't put on my resume.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Podcasts</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.avclub.com/tag/dial-m-for-maple" target="_blank">Dial M for Maple</a></b> - AV Club Senior Editor Marah Eakin and the Onion's Director of Development Operations Cameron Scheetz discuss <i>Riverdale</i> in depth. I love listening to their analysis of a teenage drama that, this season alone, has featured a serial killer, gang tumult, and a party drug called Jingle Jangle. Discussing pop culture is one of my favorite things to do, especially when it includes characters named Jughead and Jellybean. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://gimletmedia.com/homecoming/" target="_blank">Homecoming</a></b> Season 2 - Talk to me about it. Though it felt a bit like a MacGuffin-heavy season, Catherine Keener, David Schwimmer and Amy Sedaris are ridiculously good. It's a master class in how to manipulate people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500692140/making-oprah" target="_blank">Making Oprah</a></b> - WBEZ Chicago takes a deep dive into Oprah's career and rise to global fame inspired by the closure of Harpo Studios in Chicago. I have fond memories of watching Oprah at 4:00 on weekdays, especially when my grandma visited, and journalist Jenn White does a great job covering such a big subject.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Music</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4JeJPyNnsB3tqnHR7RL5v5" target="_blank"><b>Melodrama</b></a> by Lorde was my new album of the year. I fell in love as soon as I heard the line "I'll love you 'till my breathing stops/I'll love you 'till you call the cops on me." This is one of the rare albums where I can't help but sing along to every song.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>What I wrote in the second half of the year</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Comedy</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thebelladonnacomedy.com/texts-on-my-ex-jakes-31st-birthday-6f11c1b1ba" target="_blank">Texts on My Ex Jake's 31st Birthday</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thebelladonnacomedy.com/fall-recipes-on-my-baking-blog-that-have-nothing-to-do-with-this-garbage-world-b8d225c8f013" target="_blank">Fall Recipes On My Baking Blog That Have Nothing To Do With This Garbage World!</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/quiz-at-what-age-can-you" target="_blank">Quiz: At What Age Can You...?</a> - Writing for McSweeney's was one of my main goals for 2017 and I am still freaking out about this.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thecooperreview.com/18-appropriate-punishments-people-dont-keep-calendars-up-to-date/" target="_blank">18 Appropriate Punishments for People Who Don't Keep Their Calendars Up To Date</a></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Essays</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.thebillfold.com/2017/07/kitchen-tables-and-placeholder-furniture/" target="_blank">Kitchen Tables and Placeholder Furniture</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.thebillfold.com/2017/08/on-joint-accounts-and-cappuccinos/" target="_blank">On Joint Accounts and Cappuccinos</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.thebillfold.com/2017/11/dinners-out-and-out-of-the-ordinary/" target="_blank">Dinners Out and Out of the Ordinary</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.thebillfold.com/2017/12/tea-and-snowstorms/" target="_blank">Tea and Snowstorms</a></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <i>What stood out from your 2017?</i></span></div>
</div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-40256689286865471352017-07-02T15:25:00.001-04:002017-07-02T15:25:41.481-04:00Summertime Recommendations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1pfXz__YIEM/WVghKEnWYPI/AAAAAAAAE6Y/uV-Ze0p-zLU3sMOZZGveI7eASL2MBF2eACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1pfXz__YIEM/WVghKEnWYPI/AAAAAAAAE6Y/uV-Ze0p-zLU3sMOZZGveI7eASL2MBF2eACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3424.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March in Las Vegas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's been a busy few months! Here are a few things I've been making and enjoying while celebrating the longer days:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Writing</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My first short story was published in June and I struggle to describe fully how much it means to me. It's set in Chicago at some of my favorite places. You can read it at <i>Chicago Literati</i>, a nonprofit online magazine:</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://chicagoliterati.com/2017/06/17/certainty-by-laura-chanoux-featuring-photography-by-ben-van-loon/" target="_blank">Certainty</a></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had my first comedy pieces published and am particularly proud of them. I feel that much closer to achieving my youthful dream of being Tina Fey. The Belladonna editors are great to work with and I highly recommend <a href="https://thebelladonnacomedy.com/the-belladonna-submission-guidelines-21f36132f825" target="_blank">submitting your stories</a>. </span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thebelladonnacomedy.com/bruce-banner-9-to-5-itinerary-9c795f286f4b" target="_blank">Bruce Banner's 9 to 5 Itinerary</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thebelladonnacomedy.com/financial-advice-for-the-youths-a894936dace7" target="_blank">Financial Advice for the Youths</a></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've continued working with the Billfold, most recently to discuss graduation season and my ever-expanding wish list:</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thebillfold.com/the-cost-of-saying-goodbye-e32ba9ab2ce2" target="_blank">The Cost of Saying Goodbye</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thebillfold.com/my-wish-list-and-the-likelihood-that-ill-buy-the-items-on-it-27ea72966bb9" target="_blank">My Wishlist, and the Likelihood That I'll Buy The Items On It</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thebillfold.com/travel-turbulence-3e265f093260" target="_blank">Travel Turbulence </a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thebillfold.com/solving-the-holiday-time-cost-vacation-puzzle-17c099a7118c" target="_blank">Solving the Time-Cost-Vacation Puzzle<a name='more'></a></a></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Reading</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://rakeshsatyalbooks.com/" target="_blank">No One Can Pronounce My Name</a> by Rakesh Satyal - The novel follows a friendship between two Indian immigrants in Ohio: a woman who writes paranormal romances when her son leaves for college and a man who is struggling with grief after his sister's death. I found myself underlining passages that were too beautiful to read only once. I gave it a starred review for Booklist and then <a href="https://twitter.com/rakeshsatyal" target="_blank">Rakesh Satyal</a> followed me on Twitter and I still feel incredibly cool about that. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://elenaferrante.com/works/my-brilliant-friend/" target="_blank">My Brilliant Friend</a> by Elena Ferrante - I have been slow to catch the Neapolitan novels because I've been waiting in the library queue, and the first was worth the wait. The beginning of an epic tale of female friendship, I remain amazed at Ferrante's storytelling. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://thebelladonnacomedy.com/it-is-totally-cool-that-my-ex-got-engaged-right-before-my-milestone-birthday-f7675364670a" target="_blank">It Is Totally Cool That My Ex Got Engaged Right Before My Milestone Birthday</a> by Meryl Williams - Everything Meryl writes is great.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/lifestyle/vacation-ideas/things-to-do-in-ann-arbor/?tid=sm_tw" target="_blank">Why you should visit Ann Arbor, Michigan</a> by Rebecca Power - Come hang out with me! I will show you cool things that are not on this list!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.builtinchicago.org/2017/03/21/issues-facing-women-tech" target="_blank">4 Chicago tech leaders address the biggest issues women face in the industry</a> by James Risley - featuring an interview with my brilliant friend Terri Shih!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Listening</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://gimletmedia.com/homecoming/" target="_blank">Homecoming</a> - A fiction podcast by Gimlet Media, Homecoming follows a case worker at a facility for returned veterans. Originally recommended by my friend Hope Gee, I tore through this within a couple days. It features Oscar Isaac, Catherine Keener, and David Schwimmer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.limetownstories.com/" target="_blank">Limetown</a> - A science fiction podcast that I'm late to hear. It follows a reporter who is searching for answers about Limetown, Tennessee, a town that went missing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Watching</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.nbc.com/great-news?nbc=1" target="_blank">Great News</a> - It's still working to find its feet, but this sitcom set in a New Jersey news show is delightful. The cast is excellent and my new go-to response to most things is "Turn down for what, Greg?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.tbs.com/shows/search-party.html" target="_blank">Search Party</a> - <i>Search Party</i> stars Alia Shawkat in a strange, captivating story about her obsession with a woman who she knew from college. It alternates between suspense and dark comedy. I'm torn on the fact that it got renewed for a second season and would love to discuss the ending. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5770786/" target="_blank">GLOW</a> - It's Alison Brie wrestling with other strong, smart women. What more could I want? The Netflix show follows the creation of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling in the 1980s. I'm now wishing I could wear blue glitter lipstick everywhere.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> <i>What have you been watching, reading, or listening to lately?</i></span></div>
</div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-1315449174803324902017-02-01T21:39:00.000-05:002017-02-01T21:55:12.645-05:00Favorite Things, 2016 Edition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now into February, I bring you my <a href="http://www.chanouxstories.com/2014/12/lauras-favorite-things.html" target="_blank">annual</a> <a href="http://www.chanouxstories.com/2015/12/lauras-favorite-things-2015.html" target="_blank">favorite things</a> list from 2016! With so many bigger things to worry about as we start 2017, this list feels rather minor. It's more culture-focused than gift-focused this year, and I hope it provides some entertaining links and maybe something new that you'll like as much as I do.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Television</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.nbc.com/the-good-place?nbc=1" target="_blank">The Good Place</a>
is the best show. Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) dies and goes to
the Good Place, which is run by architect Michael (Ted Danson). She realizes it's a mistake - she's not the Eleanor who conducted humanitarian aid trips in central Asia - and
chaos ensues. The diverse ensemble cast matches Ted Danson's incredible energy
and comedic ability, and the character development and structure of the
Good Place provoke fascinating questions about the meaning of goodness. All episodes are currently available for streaming on nbc.com!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/embed/public/2016/11/02/good-place-cast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for the good place" border="0" class="irc_mi iBqnE4qUrtec-pQOPx8XEepE" src="http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/embed/public/2016/11/02/good-place-cast.JPG" height="393" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="474" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/utopia/" target="_blank">Utopia</a>
(American title: Dreamland) follows the workers at Australia's Nation
Building Authority, which manages major infrastructure projects. A wonderful satire for anyone who has worked in a large bureaucracy, this is well worth adding to your Netflix queue.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-americans" target="_blank">The Americans</a> is absorbing and suspenseful. It's so well-written and well-acted that I occasionally have to remind myself that it's fiction. Set in the 1980s, it follows Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, KGB agents who have been living undercover in Washington, DC, for decades.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Newsletters</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Because I had to replace Nicole Cliffe's <a href="http://the-toast.net/series/the-jam/" target="_blank">Link Roundups</a> somehow </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://tinyletter.com/twobossydames" target="_blank">Two Bossy Dames</a> is a pop culture newsletter sent every Friday night, written by two librarians that I hope to befriend someday. Sophie Brookover and Margaret H. Willison are smart, witty women with impeccable taste. Sign up for the <i>Brooklyn Nine Nine</i> gifs, stay for the music recommendations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you're interested in food, <a href="http://tinyletter.com/snackcart">Snack Cart</a> is for you. Josh Gee (my friend Hope's brother) curates the best food writing from around the US each Friday, providing thoughtful commentary along the way. I wouldn't have found this <a href="https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/the-palate-of-the-common-man-the-oral-history-of-the-cheesecake-factory" target="_blank">oral history of the Cheesecake Factory</a>, this <a href="http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-fo-gold-locol-pete-wells-20170106-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">review wondering whether some restaurants are unreviewable</a>, or this <a href="http://www.amny.com/eat-and-drink/enoteca-maria-s-syrian-nonna-teaches-cooking-and-understanding-on-staten-island-1.13018804" target="_blank">food writer's cooking lesson with a Syrian grandmother</a> in Staten Island otherwise. It's a great weekly reminder about the food's place in culture and each installment adds to the list of restaurants I want to try in Chicago, Boston, New York, and LA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Meryl William's <a href="https://thesleeperhit.com/" target="_blank">The Sleeper Hit</a> is great for writers. Meryl writes freelance, hosts a podcast, and rounds up calls for pitches. Her commitment to writing and her frank talk about successes and setbacks is inspiring. Definitely check her out on the <a href="https://thebillfold.com/search?q=meryl%20williams" target="_blank">Billfold</a> as well! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The Toast</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was extremely sad when the Toast shut down in July. I started reading a year or so after it launched, so I still have archives to go back to. Here are a few of my favorites:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://the-toast.net/2016/06/27/if-barack-obama-were-your-dad/" target="_blank">If Barack Obama Were Your Dad</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://the-toast.net/2016/01/05/what-goes-through-your-mind-casual-racism/" target="_blank">What Goes Through Your Mind: On Nice Parties and Casual Racism</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://the-toast.net/2013/07/30/friendship-on-the-agenda/" target="_blank">Friendship on the Agenda</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The entire <a href="http://the-toast.net/series/western-art-history/" target="_blank">Western Art History</a> series</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://the-toast.net/2015/02/09/stanley-tucci-boyfriend/" target="_blank">If Stanley Tucci Were Your Boyfriend</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://the-toast.net/2016/06/29/the-negro-motorist-green-book/" target="_blank">The Negro Motorist Green Book and Black America's Perpetual Search For A Home</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://the-toast.net/2016/03/07/even-lumberjacks-deserve-lotion/" target="_blank">Even Lumberjacks Deserve Lotion: Gender in the Locker Room</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://the-toast.net/2016/06/14/from-the-desk-of-the-director-cold-war-reenactment-society/" target="_blank">From the Desk of the Director, Cold War Reenactment Society</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are so many more articles that made me reconsider how I read, what voices I seek out, and what narratives I haven't been hearing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Things on the Internet</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A sampling of favorites:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://intersectshihnality.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">IntersectShihNality</a> - My friend Terri's new blog! She inspires me daily to push myself to be a better person.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://catapult.co/stories/romance-novel" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://catapult.co/stories/romance-novel" target="_blank">My Life in the Romance Novel Industry</a> by Kayleigh Hughes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.gq.com/story/my-son-the-prince-of-fashion" target="_blank"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.gq.com/story/my-son-the-prince-of-fashion" target="_blank">My Son, the Prince of Fashion</a> by Michael Chabon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/01/opinion/why-dont-you-just-call-the-cops.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0" target="_blank">Why Don't You Just Call the Cops?</a> by Matthew Desmond and Andrew V. Papachristos - I heard Matthew Desmond speak at the local bookstore last spring and am looking forward to reading <i>Evicted</i>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.eater.com/2016/10/20/13336760/brandy-library-date-essay" target="_blank">You Girls Having Fun?</a> by Sara Benincasa </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.thingsdangerous.com/2016/11/did-we-fail/" target="_blank">Did We Fail?</a> by Eric Reed </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/24/panama-papers-media-investigation-next-donald-trump-hold-accountable" target="_blank">We broke the Panama Papers story. Here's how to investigate Donald Trump.</a> by Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/culture/jia-tolentino/the-most-american-thing?intcid=mod-latest" target="_blank">The Most American Thing</a> by Jia Tolentino</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/alternatives-to-resting-bitch-face" target="_blank">Alternatives to Resting Bitch Face</a> by Sarah Harlan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Books</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I started writing short book reviews for the American Library Association's <i>Booklist</i> in September, and it has been one of the highlights of the year. (It feels so cool to <a href="http://www.booklist-digital.com/booklist/december_1_2016?pg=7#pg7" target="_blank">see</a> <a href="https://www.booklistonline.com/Scrappy-Little-Nobody-Anna-Kendrick/pid=8402473" target="_blank">my name</a> in <a href="https://www.booklistonline.com/American-Hookup-The-New-Culture-of-Sex-on-Campus-Lisa-Wade/pid=8408523" target="_blank">print</a>!) Here are a mix of books I loved that are old and new, <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">one</span> forthcoming in early 2017:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.aliamalek.com/copy-of-europa-synopsis" target="_blank">The Home That Was Our Country: A Memoir of Syria</a> by Alia Malek (February 2017)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A beautifully written family history describing life under an authoritarian regime, US-born Malek also explores the origins of the Syrian civil war and her life in Damascus before her family urged her to leave. This is essential reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Coffee-Elsewhere-Z-Packer/dp/1573222348" target="_blank">Drinking Coffee Elsewhere</a> by ZZ Packer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I've been thinking about this short story collection since I read it over the summer. Her stories reminded me how great storytellers can say so much about a character with a few gestures. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/books/2016-fall/and-monkey-learned-nothing.htm" target="_blank">And the Monkey Learned Nothing: Dispatches from a Life in Transit</a> by Tom Lutz</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book of short stories - just a couple pages each - highlight small moments from Tom Lutz's travels around the globe. The title story made me laugh out loud, while others illustrated the things that make traveling so essential. The structure reminds me of <a href="https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/pieces-left-hand" target="_blank"><i>Pieces for the Left Hand</i></a>, one of my old favorites.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780143036616" target="_blank">Garlic and Sapphires</a> by Ruth Reichl </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ruth Reichl's memoir of her first years as a <i>New York Times</i> food critic made me rethink the value of criticism and food's place in our lives. For me, food writing is the literary equivalent of hot cocoa and a warm bath on a snowy day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>What were some of your favorite things from the past year? </i></span></div>
</div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-34226523148118942372016-04-24T16:40:00.001-04:002016-04-24T23:22:26.030-04:00First Quarter Check-In<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m7HJ-V0Sbpc/Vx0vEMMBVTI/AAAAAAAAEZc/51Yorr-eCfo7_pibwj1jCmfluZBRrQIkgCLcB/s1600/broadchurch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m7HJ-V0Sbpc/Vx0vEMMBVTI/AAAAAAAAEZc/51Yorr-eCfo7_pibwj1jCmfluZBRrQIkgCLcB/s400/broadchurch.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broadchurch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How
is 2016 going by so quickly? Most of the last few months have been
taken up by setting up our new place, bundling up through another
Michigan winter, and thinking ahead to the rest of the year.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Here's a sample of some things I've found lately and loved:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Articles:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://catapult.co/stories/choppers">Choppers</a> - Rebecca Scherm </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I wondered if the rabbit was negotiable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'</span>I don't think it's a snake,<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'</span> my friend Nathan said.<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> '</span>I think it's a dragon.<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'</span>I do<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">n't think you should go through with this,<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">'</span> said pretty much everyone else."</span></span> </span> </span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/mfa-vs-cia">MFA vs. CIA</a> - Jennifer duBois</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Many of my characters feel a sense of their unlived lives flickering
around them; in my first few years of writing almost all of my narrators
were men. As both a writer and a reader, I seem to possess a steroidal
sense of credulity. “That wouldn’t happen,” I’d hear my workshop
colleagues say later on—but the thing about things that wouldn’t happen
is that once in a while, they do. And these make for interesting
stories, if there is anyone to tell them."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0325-friedman-millennials-boomers-work-tips-20160325-story.html?utm_content=bufferd80aa&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">How millennials should deal with baby boomers at work</a> - Ann Friedman</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Restraint, millennials on Twitter agree, is indispensable, even when
boomers aren't showing any. Older colleagues may drop comments such as,
“I have children your age!” Under no circumstance should you point out
that you have parents their age. Just smile and don't stop smiling for
the duration of your employment." </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://the-toast.net/2016/03/28/oh-no-my-thing-is-happening-women-leaving-tactfully-in-western-art-history/">Women Leaving Tactfully in Western Art History</a> - Mallory Ortberg </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"oh gosh<br /> I honestly wish that I could<br /> but I<br /> cannot<br /> cross<br /> running water</i><br /> I thought that was witches</span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br />yes<br /> that<br /> I’m that thing<br /> I’m witches, I’m too witches to come, sorry"</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Books: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.rebeccascherm.com/">Unbecoming</a> - Rebecca Scherm </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I got to see Rebecca Scherm read from <i>Unbecoming</i> at <a href="http://www.literatibookstore.com/">Literati</a> earlier this year. She discussed how her love of classic caper films like <i>Charade</i> and <i>Rear Window</i>
had inspired the novel, and I was sold. It takes place in Tennessee and
Paris, exploring the lead up to and aftermath of a crime. What happens
when you don't become who you were supposed to be?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.celesteng.com/everything-i-never-told-you/">Everything I Never Told You</a> - Celeste Ng </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">An
interracial family deals with the sudden death of Lydia, the celebrated
middle child, which brings up issues that had lurked under the surface
of the family structure for decades. Celeste Ng's novel explores the
relationships between parents and children, a husband and wife, and a
brother and sisters in Ohio in the 1970s. She weaves characters'
histories so fully that each choice is logical, if heartbreaking. I keep
turning over details from <i>Everything I Never Told You. </i>The story is haunting, and I would love to discuss it!</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Music:</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4T3scEaG10/Vx0si_Duu3I/AAAAAAAAEZQ/WonlGQGCuhoGNjNAlJqoxvrRQbJ2qF9fgCLcB/s1600/psychic%2Breader.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4T3scEaG10/Vx0si_Duu3I/AAAAAAAAEZQ/WonlGQGCuhoGNjNAlJqoxvrRQbJ2qF9fgCLcB/s320/psychic%2Breader.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.badbadhats.com/">Bad Bad Hats</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This Minnesota band is playing in <a href="http://www.bandsintown.com/event/11641788?app_id=squarespace-chris-hoge&artist=Bad+Bad+Hats&came_from=67">Chicago on Thursday</a> - anyone there should go see them! Their album <i>Psychic Reader </i>has
been on repeat for me for the past few months. The title track is
pulsing, rhythmic, and melodic. It makes me want to sing and dance
along, two necessary requirements for my favorite albums. The lyrics are
clever and emotionally honest. "Things We Never Say" starts with a
description of buying a dress to spite a boyfriend. <i>All Nighter</i> describes hoping for a friend to make the first move. Check it out along with their EP <i>It Hurts</i>. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Am I hitting a wall? </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Is it nothing at all?</i></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Podcasts:</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Instead of reading articles on the train, I've started listening to podcasts as I walk into work. My newest favorite is <a href="http://callyourgirlfriend.com/">Call Your Girlfriend</a>
by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. As someone with far-flung best
friends, I immediately connected with the "podcast for long distance
besties everywhere." Listening to smart women talk about interesting
things is possibly the best way to get motivated on my walk into the
office and feel inspired to do great things. Every other week, they
interview a cool woman. Recently interviews: Huma Abedin, long-time
Hilary Clinton aide; <a href="http://www.rebeccatraister.com/">Rebecca Traister,</a> author of <i>All the Single Ladies</i>; and Deb Perelman of <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">Smitten Kitchen</a>, my go-to food blog. How could I love this more?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>TV:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEAq_zCNsXc/Vx0rdJB5p9I/AAAAAAAAEZE/xBVXNzsTkusjpMctwxjfsv3gIm_tBkVrwCLcB/s1600/You%2Bme%2Band%2Bthe%2Bapocalypse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEAq_zCNsXc/Vx0rdJB5p9I/AAAAAAAAEZE/xBVXNzsTkusjpMctwxjfsv3gIm_tBkVrwCLcB/s320/You%2Bme%2Band%2Bthe%2Bapocalypse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4337894/">You, Me, and the Apocalypse </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rob
Lowe playing a priest hooked me, and the rest of the characters pulled
me in. The show starts roughly one month before an asteroid will hit
Earth and follows several characters as they navigate their final days
before the apocalypse. I got unexpectedly emotionally invested in this,
so if you want to discuss the show in depth, call me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2249364/?ref_=nv_sr_2">Broadchurch</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also
call me about Broadchurch. The series, starring David Tennant and
Olivia Colman, is stunning. The acting, the writing, and the landscape
itself - I could not look away. Detective Alec Hardy arrives in a small
seaside village after a public failure on another case. Immediately, an
eleven year old boy is found dead on the beach, and the town is plunged
into a murder investigation. The evolution of Hardy's relationship with
DS Ellie Miller is a highlight, as is the exposition of the characters'
histories and motivations. Additionally, I loved the emphasis on strong
women who must resolve the issues of the weak men in their lives.
Amazing, through and through, and I can't wait until the third series.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Food:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I read food blogs and cookbooks to relax on the weekends, and these <a href="http://thewoksoflife.com/2015/04/spicy-meatball-banh-mi/">bahn mi meatball subs</a> are my best recent find.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>To read:</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My list is always growing - here are a few books that I'm looking forward to getting to this summer:<b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.evictedbook.com/">Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City</a> - Matthew Desmond</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674088696">Inside Graduate Admissions: Merit, Diversity, and Faculty Gatekeeping</a> - Julie R. Posselt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.mariakonnikova.com/books/the-confidence-game/">The Confidence Game</a> - Maria Konnikova</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://vietnguyen.info/books">The Sympathizer</a> - Viet Thanh Nguyen </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rick-moody/hotels-of-north-america/9780316178556/">Hotels of North America</a> - Rick Moody</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">...and a pile of detective novels, of course. Please feel free to recommend more!</span><br />
<br /></div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-37102727219511848062016-01-07T21:56:00.002-05:002016-01-07T21:56:37.076-05:00Random Goals for the Next Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At my last birthday, I took stock of a few things I was particularly proud of from the previous year. There are the larger-scale professional and personal successes, of course. However, I was especially excited about the following minor things:</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I can now drink coffee black.</b> Among the handful of reasons I tried to do this: the creamer in my office started tasting weird to me; we buy good quality coffee, and it seemed counterintuitive to brew it and then add coffee creamer; I had access to good espresso and wanted to enjoy it in all its glory; I got the idea that adults drink black coffee. Success! I enjoy black coffee, though still sometimes add cream and sugar.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I can walk in 3+ inch heels. </b>I love being tall. Eric and I are roughly the same height, so for a while I avoided shoes that made me taller. Between working on a team with many men who stand above six feet and realizing that being taller than my spouse is a non-issue, I decided to figure out how to wear kickass pumps. I now have a few pairs that I love and wear regularly. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I am good at volleyball. </b>I took volleyball for a few quarters in high school gym class, but usually focused my recreational sports on softball. This past summer, I joined a volleyball league and remembered that, oh hey, I'm good at volleyball and I really love team sports. I'd gotten burned out on softball by the time I turned 16, and it was fun to feel reconnected to athletics in a way I hadn't been in a long time.<a name='more'></a></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Looking ahead to my next birthday and the new calendar year, here are a few super random goals I have:</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>I want to learn to wear lipstick. </b>I've got my eyeliner game down pretty well, but lipstick has always been a challenge. When done right, it can make you look pulled together and professional. How do you do that without immediately wearing it all off on your coffee mug? I intend to tackle this mystery in the coming year. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Attend yoga more than once.</b> No, not "more than once a month." I want to attend yoga class more than once in a calendar year. This should not be difficult to accomplish, and yet 2014 and 2015 tell a different tale.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Plan better.</b> It's a vague goal, but that fits this theme, right? I'd like to be better about plans in 2016, both big and small. I'm happier getting ready for work when I've packed my lunch the night before. I like having plans with friends and I like planning vacations. So this year - more and better plans. </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <i>What are your goals for 2016? </i></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3985509248327880385.post-67274337858233495742015-12-29T18:46:00.000-05:002015-12-29T18:46:23.825-05:00Laura's Favorite Things 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Last year, <a href="http://www.chanouxstories.com/2014/12/lauras-favorite-things.html">I put together a collection</a> of my favorite things as a year-end round up/belated gift guide. I'm trying to get this one out before 2016, and maybe it will give you some ideas for how to spend your gift cards from the holidays.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nULNwXEeDIU/VoMUiAYKuJI/AAAAAAAAESs/ajtKCGKLrXs/s1600/Jane-the-Virgin-Season-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nULNwXEeDIU/VoMUiAYKuJI/AAAAAAAAESs/ajtKCGKLrXs/s320/Jane-the-Virgin-Season-2.jpg" width="256" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>Jane the Virgin</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3566726/" target="_blank">Jane the Virgin</a> is fantastic. The premise - Jane is accidentally artificially inseminated during what she expected to be a pap smear - is solid, but the characters are what make the show irresistible. Even the most over-the-top, such as telenovela star <a href="http://lovelace-media.imgix.net/uploads/344/a4d04d00-be6a-0132-9a58-0e01949ad350.gif?" target="_blank">Rogelio De La Vega</a>, are grounded in believable emotions and motivations. The writers manage to balance character growth against telenovela-style dramatics (<i>drug lords! kidnapping! mistaken identities! long lost parents! murder!</i>). Even the narrator adds to the show's charms. <i>Jane the Virgin</i> has me considering trying to learn Spanish this year. I highly recommend it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Then We Came to the End</i> by Joshua Ferris</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.literatibookstore.com/book/9780316016391" target="_blank">Ferris's novel</a>
charts the decline of a Chicago advertising agency during the
recession. The story follows the mundane and bizarre aspects of working
in an office. The story is told in the first person plural, capturing
the collective identity of a company. (Instead of a usual book page,
Hachette has a <a href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/features/twctte/twctte_022307/index.html#utm_source=thenwecametotheend.com&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=print" target="_blank">detailed interactive website</a> dedicated to the book. Definitely worth checking out once you've read it!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3nw43Xy7WU/VoMZmlGiRNI/AAAAAAAAES8/QPMj4n3AmZ4/s1600/IMG_2235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3nw43Xy7WU/VoMZmlGiRNI/AAAAAAAAES8/QPMj4n3AmZ4/s320/IMG_2235.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I also clearly have a thing for gold metallic cards.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>waste not paper</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It seems like every set of note cards that I love this year has been made by <a href="http://www.wastenotpaper.com/" target="_blank">waste not paper</a>, an environmentally-friendly company based in Chicago. The designs are bright and clean, and the cards are reasonably priced. As someone who loves sending cards, these are now my go-to brand. I've found them in most card shops around Chicago and Ann Arbor. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Noosa Yoghurt </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They had me at strawberry rhubarb. This <a href="http://www.noosayoghurt.com/" target="_blank">yogurt</a> is more of a splurge, but is incredibly creamy and flavorful. Whenever it's on sale, I grab the coconut and strawberry rhubarb flavors as a treat, and then look forward to my lunch all morning (if the container even makes it past breakfast at my desk). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Om on the Range Yoga</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Okay, so one of my goals for 2016 is to go to yoga more than once per calendar year, so take this as you will. I went with a friend to <a href="http://www.omontherange.net/" target="_blank">this studio in Ravenswood</a> and tried hot yoga for the first time and loved it. Going back on my own was great as well, and I felt comfortable despite my limited experience. The teachers were excellent, as were the candlelight sessions at the end of the week. This was one of my favorite things, even though I never got in a good habit of attending classes regularly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The Toast</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I started reading Nicole Cliffe's link roundups on the train in the mornings and got hooked on the site. <a href="http://the-toast.net/">The Toast</a> covers a range of topics, from <a href="http://the-toast.net/2015/11/24/active-shooter-training/">serious</a> to <a href="http://the-toast.net/2015/12/29/inappropriate-ways-to-answer-where-do-you-see-yourself-in-five-years/">hilarious</a>. I find myself emailing friends articles almost daily. The Toast is less of a "thing" for a gift guide and more a recommendation that you should be reading it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mk97n">JFSP</a> is a sketch show on BBC Radio 4. Yes, radio. Each half-hour episode cleverly uses its format to make unexpected and very British jokes. The cast is about to record the fifth series, and I can't wait. It's made my walk to work in the morning much more entertaining.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>What were some of your favorite things from the past year?</i></span></div>
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Laura Chanouxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14755481988217806288noreply@blogger.com1