May Reading List (Plus Movies)
1. Metaphysics Aristotle, Edited by Jonathan Barnes
I've been working on this for two months, and I may have just cracked the first layer and nowhere near the mantle. It was such a different experience reading this versus Plato's Republic. I knew that Aristotle was more in the "empirical" and "scientific" camp, but I didn't realize that his primary method in the Metaphysics would be as a logician. I feel like my college years in logic classes are what best prepared me for reading this. I will say that Aristotle is likely more right on ontology than Plato, while the reading experience will always be better with the latter. The other challenge here is terminology, particularly as many of the terms are moving goal posts and overlap with each other. While I feel like I understood the broad thrust of his telos, if I wanted to, I could likely spend multiple days on each page.
2. The Man from the Future: The Visionary Ideas of John von Neumann Ananyo Bhattacharya
The name John von Neumann often comes up in passing when some of the smartest people I read and I have met when discussing the most fascinating thinkers. Neumann casually made some of the most important contributions in physics, game theory, evolutionary biology, nuclear weapons, computing and more over a relatively short life span. He was born in Budapest and was quickly making lasting contributions to math in high school. After coming to the US, he found himself involved in the Manhattan project and Cold War politics. He died far too early and even to the last days worked on neuroscience. Probably one of the most fascinating characters that I've read about.
3. Northanger Abbey Jane Austen
We are continuing our march in my book club through Austen's oeuvre. Like many of Austen's novels, she is also commenting on the genre through her characters. In this one, Catherine Morland, the protagonist, loves gothic novels and uses their motifs and themes as a lens to interpret her increasingly dramatic life. Unlike the last two that I read, I feel like this is her tightest novel so far. While some of the others have extended interludes, this one feels has little wandering and has a clear directionality to it. Like the other two, the novel is a coming of age story. I didn't feel as attached to Catherine as the prior two protagonists.
4. Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference Rutger Bregman
You might say that this book is overly simplistic and perhaps too sanguine, but I still think it is important for many people in my age range who have been chasing fame, status, and money. A lot of us have our idealism ground to powder as we move further into our careers that would make our idealistic college versions of ourselves be revolted. Some of that is normal as the demands of adult life weigh on our ability to contribute to improving the world, but there is also a reality that the seduction of success and money cloud our ethical vision. Bregman is trying to encourage people to reimagine their purpose and push them to cast a more ethically ambitious vision for their lives.
5. Theophanies Sarah Ghazal Ali
This collection of poetry was lauded by critics last year and has been sitting on my shelf since. I finally picked it up this month and enjoyed it immensely. I've been reading more religious studies/theology stuff lately for a podcast project that I've been working on, and I found Ali's use embodied theology beautiful and mind-expanding.
6. King Lear (The Pelican Shakespeare)
A few months ago, I watched Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of King Lear titled Ran, which sets the medieval play into the world of samurai in Japan. Watching the film made me want to return to the play. The play balances big questions on a big stage, while keeping a lot of the drama within the intimate domestic circles. Reading this play during the Trump era makes it even more poignant.
Movies
Spending a lot of time with Rohmer the last two months:
My Night at Maud's, Éric Rohmer, France (1969)
It's probably been ten years since I've seen this movie, and it definitely hit differently this time. Françoise Fabian is so alluring and hypnotic. The men in Rohmer's films are so pathetic and I couldn't stand this one in particular.
Le Belle Noiseuse, Jacques Rivette, France (1991)
This is probably the greatest cinematic representation of the artistic process I've ever seen. The plot is pretty simple: a woman poses for an artist who has hit some creative blocks. The movie is beautiful, Christine Laurent is perfect, and the denouement is frustrating in all the best ways. A complete masterpiece. I'll be promptly watching more of his films.
La Collectionneuse, Éric Rohmer, France (1967)
This is probably my least favorite of the moral tales. Two swarthy guys go to the swarthy south of France for vacation and get drawn into a strange love triangle with a demure young woman who compulsively sleeps around. The movie is about sexual tension and how desire alters our visions and transforms people.
Claire’s Knee, Éric Rohmer, France (1970)
This one, on the other hand, is probably the best of the six moral tales. The plot follows a middle aged diplomat who visits a mountain resort town to deal with a neglected property. While he's there falls under the spell of a teenage girl, and in particular her knee. The moral dimensions of this film are fascinating and Rohmer's use of color is mesmerizing.
Love in the Afternoon, Éric Rohmer, France (1972)
I also enjoyed this one quite a bit as well. The story follows a loyal husband whose old flame shows up at his office and upends his domestic contentment. It's a really powerful picture of marital routine and the illusory nature of fantasies. The ending left me speechless.
A Tale of Winter, Éric Rohmer, France (1992)
This is the most magical of Rohmer. It's thematic adaptation of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. The story is about loss and reunion. A woman has a brief fling with a baby and loses contact with him. She cycles through men ultimately unsatisfied with each before the magical ending.
Warfare, Ray Mendoza; Alex Garland, USA (2025)
I was pumped for this. I have a soft spot for well-done war films, and this one is definitely top-tier. It's based on a true story and is co-directed by one of the guys that lived through it. You know it's good when the guy that went with me said "well, they didn't get much done did they?"
Sinners, Ryan Coogler, USA (2025)
I wasn't sure about this one when I saw the preview, but I was pleasantly surprised and believe that we need more films like this. Much of the content we get these days is legacy IP, derivative bullshit, and small budget beauties. This hits all the marks of a big-screen necessary movie: good acting, tight script, and new ideas. We need a lot more of this kind of stuff.
Friendship, Andrew DeYoung, USA (2025)
Best movie of the year for me so far, in no small part because we don't get good comedies anymore. I laughed continuously throughout this whole thing. I am so glad that Paul Rudd agreed to do this because it will probably pull a lot more people into Tim Robinson's orbit. If you want to decide if this is for you, watch the first season of I Think You Should Leave on Netflix.
The Order, Justin Kurzel, USA (2025)
I feel like this film flew under the radar for a lot of people, but it's a super important film for right now. It follows a white supremacist terrorist organization in the Pacific Northwest. Jude Law is a grizzled FBI agent, which is the way I like my Jude served. The majestic landscape cinematography contrasted with the petty politics of these terrorists is such a stark contrast and maps America's contradictions perfectly.