Welcome to this week’s edition of Open Tabs, where I share my current reads, recent obsessions, and media consumptions every Sunday!
I spent the past week hibernating at home, stuck inside due to all of the snow. I happened to have a lot of energy this week, and I channeled all of it into journaling. I wrote down as many thoughts as I could, all throughout the day, in various notebooks, and especially my Notes app. I still had New Year’s reflections and intentions on my mind, with plenty of time to dig into self-analysis. I’m feeling a little exhausted by all of it now, to be honest. The emotional crash is in progress as we speak!
Besides the snowstorms—the devastating fires in LA, the continuing genocide in Gaza, and even more political turmoil to come here in America, there is certainly a lot to be taking in here at the start of the new year. I feel like my attention is in a constant ebb-and-flow, and attention in general is something I’m thinking about a lot this past week. I’ll write more about that another time—but what we give our attention to is of great importance. Distraction is more comfortable, but our lives, ultimately, are about what we pay attention to. So I always want to be mindful about where mine is going…
Reading [Books]
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
A thrifted hardcover copy of this one has been lingering on my physical TBR for years. It’s a pleasant surprise thus far! I’m 50% through now, and hope to finish it this coming week.
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
A work of pop philosophy that approaches the idea of “managing time” a little differently. If we only have 4,000 weeks to live, how do we really want to spend them? I listened to this on audio, and actually found it quite helpful. It’s filled with some nice reminders to help quell the anxiety I hold about time.
Reading [Online]
Your 2024 Climate Wins, Wrapped (Atmos)
It’s difficult to think about the “small wins” when there are such big BIG catastrophes, but it’s important to acknowledge both.
Also on Atmos, Notes to Gaza’s Beloved Dead (please read this one).
Reading [Poem]
Every Morning
by Mary Oliver
"..death as history, death as a habit—
how sometimes the camera pauses while a family
counts itself, and all of them are alive,
their mouths dry caves of wordlessness
in the smudged moons of their faces,
a craziness we have so far no name for—
all this I read in the papers,
in the sunlight,
I read with my cold, sharp eyes.”
Watching [TV]
My Brilliant Friend (season 2)
Continuing on with my viewing of My Brilliant Friend…I finished re-watching season 2, and it hit me just as hard as it did the first time. I think the second book is my favorite in terms of plot and everything that happens (iykyk). I’m SO excited to continue on with seasons 3 and 4 soon. I’ve read the books so I know what happens, but I haven’t watched these two seasons yet, so I feel like I get to re-live the story in a new way. If you liked the book series and haven’t watched the show yet, I highly recommend it!
Watching [YouTube]
I don’t remember what kicked off my research on artist Sister Corita Kent a few weeks ago, but this week I watched a few videos about her. This short doc is quite comprehensive, but I also watched this video and this video. Her 10 Rules now hang on the side of my fridge for inspiration!
Listening [Music]
EP IV — Yumi Zouma
This is really just 4 songs + a bunch of remixes and instrumentals but it’s playing continuously in my head. “Be Okay” is really hitting me at the moment…
Listening [Podcast]
History of the Self: Love (Throughline)
The origins of romanticism, the tenets of rom-coms, the invention of modern dating, and of course…dating apps.
Plus, this episode of Slow Stories with Lauren Elkin.
Books Bought [TBR]
In 2024, I managed to buy only 27 books! So I kicked off 2025 by congratulating myself with 7 more (I had gift cards from LAST Christmas still to use).
Here’s what I bought and added to my TBR:
Daughter by Claudia Dey
Body Work by Melissa Febos
The Anthropologists by Aysegul Savas
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
The Broken Heart of America by Walter Johnson
Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin
Last Week…
![Open Tabs [Weekly] #17](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UTI8!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f0e1955-fc43-448c-9177-b254a7d37e75_1036x1400.jpeg)
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