Plus Día de los Muertos! Celebrating The Day of the Dead with Performance Art, Elaborate Costumes & The Bread of the Dead!

Reading: The Rose Field (The Book of Dust, Volume 3) by Philip Pullman

Listening: Everybody Scream by Florence + The Machine

Looking: Celebrating Día de los Muertos [The Day of the Dead] with the Art of Teotecpatl Santin Martinez & the Cultural Collective Yaotecame! (Videography by Francisco González)

Viewing: Hedda (2025) — written & directed by Nia DaCosta (based on Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen) starring Tessa Thompson as Hedda, plus a stellar supporting cast including Nina Hoss & Imogen Poots

Tasting: Baking for Día de los Muertos! Mely Martinez’s Recipe for Pan de Muerto: The Bread of the Dead! (from her wonderful blog — Mexico in my Kitchen)

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Philip Pullman: “After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”

Plus Anne Waldman's newest collection of visionary poetry & the cheesy toasted goodness of traditional Welsh Rarebit!

Reading: Mesopotopia by Anne Waldman

Listening #1: A Tribute to the Legendary Dave Ball of Soft Cell (May 3, 1959 – October 22, 2025)

Listening #2: Mirrors (Expanded 50th Anniversary Edition) by Peggy Lee

Looking: New Exhibition! Nigerian Modernism at the Tate Modern in London! (On view until May 10, 2026!)

Viewing: Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore (PBS American Masters) — documentary about Marlee Matlin, directed by Shoshannah Stern

Tasting: Traditional Welsh Rarebit (NOT Welsh Rabbit! No rabbits were harmed!)

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Anne Waldman: “Poets have to keep pushing, pushing, against the darkness, and write their way out of it as well.”

Plus Aimee Lou Wood's charming new rom-com, Charles Lloyd's brilliant new album & The Complete Book of Cheese!

Reading: Chronicles of Ori: An African Epic by Harmonia Rosales

Looking: The Art of Harmonia Rosales (as featured in her new book, Chronicles of Ori: An African Epic!)

Listening: Figure in Blue by Charles Lloyd

Viewing #1: Film Club (BBC iPlayer) — created & co-written by Aimee Lou Wood, starring Aimee Lou Wood & Nabhaan Rizwan (with a cast including Suranne Jones, Owen Cooper, Adam Long & Liv Hill)

Viewing #2: Riot Women (BBC iPlayer & BritBox) — created, written & directed by Sally Wainwright, starring Joanna Scanlan, Rosalie Craig, Tamsin Greig, Lorraine Ashbourne & Amelia Bullmore

Tasting: The Complete Book of Cheese (1955) by Bob Brown

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (October 25, 1946 – October 13, 2025): “We lived our true selves. We enjoyed our lives. We did what we had to do to survive.” — Miss Major Griffin-Gracy [Source]