I’m hoping you read this long enough after the deluge of pre/post New Years top 10 lists of books, movies, achievements, goals, pictures, events, etc to not add to the pile. For me, it’s always a bit exhausting when news and social feeds are inundated with lists of things you should have seen or done in the past year or things you should see and do in the coming year. What I’d like to share here are some things that inspired and refreshed me last year; things that spoke to my soul, lifted my spirits, and that I thought were pretty awesome. Most of these are art related, but I’ll throw in a few goodies from my personal life as well. These aren’t going to be listed in any particular order, though I will start with the most obvious and important item.
The Birth of Ethan
Ethan James Sweet - 2 weeks old
Annie and I welcomed our third son into the world last April. Ethan James is the happiest baby I’ve ever seen. His older brothers, Gideon and Sullivan, love him so much and it’s adorable to see the three of them playing together. It’s the best kind of challenge raising these three sweet Sweet boys.
Finally Getting Glasses
For any of you benefitting from corrective eyewear, you probably know how life changing this can be. Reading, writing, looking at my phone, and night driving had all become exhausting tasks. Putting on my first pair of corrective lenses was a life changing experience I’ve been happier and healthier for.
Okay, onto the arts:
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Return of the King
I read The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring in 2023 and was blown away by how truly excellent each book is. While I couldn’t wait to dive into the last two entries in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I’m a fan of delayed gratification and put them off for a while. Reading them last year was one of my favourite literary experiences. The books are chock-full of heart, adventure, and creativity. Even mentioning them now, I get chills recalling some of my favourite scenes. Frodo and Sam’s perilous journey through Shelob’s lair in The Two Towers, written in prose worthy of any classic horror novel, will forever be some of my favourite storytelling.
Dickinson and Shakespeare
Over the past year or so, I’ve been rediscovering my love of reading and writing poetry. While I haven’t written nearly as much of it as I would like, I have been indulging in the works some of the highest regarded poets from modern greats like Billy Collins, counter-culturalists like Charles Bukowski, and classic masters like William Wordsworth and T.S. Eliot.
I’ve always been a fan of Shakespeare, having voluntarily read most of his plays in high school, but I’d never read any of his sonnets until last year when I started on a journey to read all 154 of them. I’ve barely scratched the surface because I’m trying to absorb and understand each sonnet, as much as one can do so without a degree in classical literature. Poetry, to me, is something that really needs to be experienced and absorbed. I’m taking my time with these and have been loving the experience.
And then there’s Emily Dickinson. Believe it or not, until last year I had never read a Dickinson poem in my life (that I could recall). I have an old Dover Thrift Edition of some selected poems of hers and opened it on a whim at the beginning of my re-immersion into poetry. Something about her word economy, wit, powers of observation, and the way she interprets the world grabbed my spirit by the short hairs and demanded its attention. From seemingly simple tributes to insects, to her more introspective observations of the human condition, Dickinson had this uncanny ability to distill the world around her into a handful of expertly chosen and cunningly arranged words. And almost all of them are fun to read. I defy anyone to look at a poem of hers and not feel the urge to read it out loud.
“Barcelona” by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé
I’ve long been a casual fan of Queen, having drunkenly belted out in ear-splitting falsetto every line of “Bohemian Rhapsody” more times than I can count at the karaoke bar I frequented in my 20s and early 30s. I wouldn’t say I was ever a “dedicated” fan, but I’ve always appreciated their talent and, of course, their sound. As a lover of a great many musical genres, and as someone who spent seven years of his life as an event & wedding DJ, I was taken by the best kind of surprise when a friend posted a video (which you can find here) of Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé performing the song “Barcelona” live in Ibiza. The passion of these two virtuosoes cannot be denied. This has to be one of the best live performances in the history of music. I would never consider myself anything close to an expert, but I do love opera, and this song immediately made me a fan of María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch (aka Montserrat Caballé). The song, written by Freddie Mercury and Mike Moran, struck my heart like a tidal wave. The lyrics weave a simple narrative delivered in the most compelling way. I’ve listened to it dozens of times since first hearing it last October and the song never fails to electrify me and stir up new emotions.
James Gunn’s Superman Trailer
I can hear some of your eyes rolling, but bear with me. You don’t need to be a fan of Superman to acknowledge the character’s impact on art, society, storytelling, and more. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s creation was an atom bomb dropped on pop culture and was, at one point, considered the epitome of heroism. Largely maligned for his invulnerability and (sadly) unbelievable goodness, Superman has been a bit of a point of contention in the entertainment industry, especially as it leans toward lifting up antiheroes and villains as the good guy. There have been a lot of different versions of Supes, many recent iterations exploring a darker side of his nature. What’s immediately obvious, watching the trailer, is the intent to bring back the wholesome and admittedly campy Superman of the silver age.
Here’s why it’s on this (personal and subjective) list:
Growing up, Superman was, to me, an ideal to strive for. With all the otherworldly power and strength he possessed, he (in most iterations) remained humble and human. He could withstand the most violent of attacks but had an immediate, unhidden, and often exploited weakness for the people he was raised among. A single human death, to him, was the worst thing that could possibly happen under his watch. When Superman Returns (2006) was released, I was studying journalism in college. Guess who inspired me (partially, at least) to go into journalism in the first place? Yeah, Clark Kent. From John Williams’ classic “Superman Main Theme” playing during the title card (it’s been my ringtone for longer than I can remember) to the iconic “airplane scene” to Superman plummeting to the earth after lifting an island of kryptonite into the sky, the movie managed to capture the essence of the Superman I’d grown up with. Gunn’s version at least promises to strive for the same thing. I was swept up in literal chills when the electric guitar version of Williams’ legendary theme started playing. And, yeah, my heart leapt to see an appearance by Krypto, Superman’s super-dog.
These are things that spoke to me, blew smouldering coals in my heart into flaming life, lifted my spirit, and inspired me. What are some things that did the same for you? Obviously you don’t have to share, but it might do your heart some good to reflect upon. I think we spend too much time dwelling on what we want to change, what could be better, what we could have more of, to appreciate the things that have kept us going, filled our cups, and inspired us. And sometimes those things are hard to recognize until we put some real effort into reflecting on them.
That’s all for now, folks. Thanks for stopping in.
Much love,
-Chris