Happy September and the first month-ish of school! This month, I looked for inspiration for media to consume outside of class. I am in primarily reading-heavy classes, but I am always looking for new books to read or movies to watch. All these responses have made it to my read and watch list; I would recommend making your own list, too.
— Ray Kirsch, Talk Director
What was the last piece of media (book, movie, show, album, etc) you consumed? What did you enjoy or dislike about it?
The last piece of media I consumed was the book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. It's the book that the new movie Oppenheimer is based on, and it was PHENOMENAL. It's almost 600 pages long, so it took me an entire month to finish, but it was so worth it. The book goes in depth on all aspects of Robert's life, his scientific discoveries, his family and upbringing, his work career and most interestingly (to me at least) what he did after the conclusion of his security hearing.
I love books where I get to learn more than I need to know about a certain topic, and this was no exception. For any fellow book nerds or history nerds out there, I would highly recommend “American Prometheus.” One last pro tip, if you check it out from the UW library system, you can keep it for an entire semester until you finish it, so you don't have to stress about finishing this behemoth in just a few weeks.
— Eliana Sauer
I just read “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” I can't thoroughly explain it, but the pacing of the story was amazing. The character development seemed so seamless, and a lot of books I've read just have the characters grow too quickly or somehow overnight with long gaps of time. This story is all within a span of a year or so, and the timeline is laid out in each chapter. I agree that there are many controversies about this book, but overall, it was an interesting and really hooking read that I'm reading the second in the series right now. It's crazy because the pacing is the same and the story picks up right where it left off, yet things are slightly different. I'm watching the movie tonight, so if you'd like, I could also tell you about that later.
— Georgie Laws
The last piece of media I consumed was an album I've never listen to before. What I like about it so far is probably the messages of the music. It's Christian music, so the songs are pretty uplifting. It's actually an old album it's Empires by Hillsong united, I was listening to one song from the album that I always listen to and just decided to listen to the whole body of work.
— Ty Antwi
If I'm going to be completely honest, the last piece of media I consumed was “Gilmore Girls.” I wanted to lie and say I listened to some sort of underground album or watched an inspiring movie, but alas, I've been re-watching “Gilmore Girls.” The show brings me comfort, as the town that “Gilmore Girls” is set in, Stars Hallow, reminds me of my hometown—a small town with cute little shops and LOTS of gossip. What I love most isn't the charming setting or the immaculate soundtrack, but I love how real the characters in the show are. Not one character is “a saint,” and as you move through seasons, you can see that there's not really one protagonist—it's just a bunch of normal, imperfect people. Everyone experiences failure, makes mistakes and gets their heart broken. One of the most prominent themes in the show is female relationships, and as a young woman who's living away from home for the first time, it makes me feel especially grateful for the relationships I have with my mother, grandmother, aunts, cousins and friends.
— Kayla Dembiec
Last night, for the last day of September, my roommates and I watched the 2019 “Little Women” while baking homemade pumpkin pie. It was my second time watching the movie—the first had been on a plane—and it was specifically chosen as our “fall pick” movie. I think the beautiful part of “Little Women” is you can find a sense of relatability for each of the four sisters. I am part Meg, Amy, Jo, Beth in my own way. I am part Laurie, part Marmee. Similar to Jo, I want to be a writer. I am whimsical and imaginative with love, like Amy. As always, I think Greta Gerwig did an incredible job depicting womanhood—especially for the time this movie was set in. My heart was heavy while watching because of how deeply I adore it.
Attending a large university and being surrounded by popular culture, it is often advertised that we must lead a grand-achieving life—become famous or rich—to live a fulfilling life. However, I think that “Little Women” shows the fulfillment in various ways of living, whether it be raising a family like Meg or embracing being single like Jo. Money or children do not necessarily make a happy or fulfilled life, and I think that's the beauty of it. After watching the movie, my roommates and I stood in the kitchen at around midnight, having a group realization that we are growing up. That there is no stopping growing up. And we can be scared of what it brings, but we can also embrace it.
— Ray Kirsch