I'm starting a digital "Junk Diary"
A new newsletter series inspired by junk journaling and fluid thought.
May? Already? I’m scared.
Not really, but damn. This entire year has been an absolute sprint. I blink and suddenly I’m onto the next thing, going to the next place, or looking toward the next task — feverishly trying to balance all three corners of the holy triangle (relationships, career, & health).
Since April, every other week has involved a red-eye flight to some different corner of the US to support my friends in their life accomplishments and milestones. My savings are depleted, but the feelings of security and gratitude I hold in my friendships make me feel rich. Getting to celebrate my friend’s milestones and explore new cities together is something I will never take for granted.
Because of the frequent traveling, work craziness (nothing new there), and general trying to stay on top of life, I’ve put a lot of my creative work on the back burner. I have three vlogs awaiting edits, I’m sitting on four zine ideas, and I have a tufting commission that’s screaming at me to be finished. That’s not to say that I don’t have creative energy - I very much do. I don’t have the time, which sounds like a poor excuse but it’s true. While my creative aspirations sit unticked on my to-do list, I remembered that I have my writing, SubStack, and an amazing community on this platform who are also incredible writers. And so, this very rambly newsletter is born. Writing feels most accessible to me right now as a creative outlet, and for whatever reason it (just) clicked in my brain that I don’t have to always write curated, researched newsletters. My writing can be more fluid, freeform, and dare I say, visual.
So with all that said, I want to use this space - this new newsletter series - to act as my digital junk diary. Below is where you’ll find some photos I recently developed (taken by my Kodak EKTAR Half Frame camera), which books I’m reading, songs on repeat, movies I watched (and rated on my Letterboxd), and what oddly specific thing(s) I find myself gravitating towards lately. Hope you enjoy and hope you see something worth sparking a conversation with me about (please, I’d love to know what you’re reading/watching/listening to as well!).
⟡ Current —
↬ Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Page-turning sci-fi about a sole survivor in space on a desperate mission to save Earth.
↬ Where Are Your Boys Tonight? by Chris Payne
The oral history of emo’s mainstream explosion from 1999 - 2008.
↬ A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Adult fantasy novel about a world with four parallel worlds - four parallel Londons to be specific.
⟡ Recently Finished —
↬ Wool ( Book 1 of the Silo Series) by Hugh Howey
A dystopian future novel about the remnants of humanity living in a massive, self-sustaining, underground silo with no contact with the outside. After watching S2 of Severance, I was craving more sci-fi. This has been my book of the year so far!
↬ A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Non-fiction book surveying the history of humankind, starting from the Stone Age and going up to the 21st century. I love Harari’s writing so much and I wish I had him as a teacher for every single subject I’ve ever taken - he has the amazing ability of sharing information in a way that feels like you’re conversing with a friend.
⟡ Recently finished —
↬ Presence (2024)
Yo uh, this movie really sucked. I was really hoping for more because the trailer looked cool but the writing was horrendous.
↬ 28 Days Later (2002)
So glad this movie is FINALLY watchable without torrenting a shitty, blurry version online!
↬ Frida (2002)
It took me way too long to watch this movie. It’s sat on my watchlist for years. I finally did it, and I’m so glad I (finally) did. I was especially impressed how they recreated Frida’s paintings and superimposed them over the film.
↬ John Wick (2014)
Consistent travel means consistently watching free movies on the airplane. I noticed American Airlines has all four John Wick movies for free, and I’ve never seen any. I decided it’d be fun to try to watch all four John Wick movies on the plane since I have four more upcoming trips this summer. (Four movies / four trips? Fate.)
⟡ Added to watchlist —
↬ Sinners
It’s a sin (ha ha ha xD) that I haven’t seen this yet but damn it I promise to myself that I WILL. IN THEATERS TOO.
↬ Friendship
I feel like I need to buckle a seatbelt for this movie.
↬ Bring Her Back
New horror movie from the ‘Talk to Me’ directors. This somehow looks 10x more scary.
⟡ In my headphones
↬ Hector Bachan
Like Helado Negro, Hector Bachan also creates nothing but no-skip songs. Untitled ‘91, noise cancelling headphones, and a lay on the couch is a free vacation.
↬ Helado Negro
I think I can confidently say that Helado Negro will be in my top 5 most played artists for 2025. His album ‘Far In’ is something you’ll crave more of as the final song on the album ‘Mirror Talks’ fades — a craving I quench by eagerly going back to track one for another listen.
⟡ On my turntable
↬ Françoise Hardy en vogue best of 1662-1967
I found this gem in a small record store called Smash Records in Washington, D.C. last weekend. It’s a 2LP featuring 24 of Hardy’s greatest songs. I love buying bossa nova, piano, psychedelia and jazz records because it gives my home a “sunday morning”-type atmosphere every day of the week.
↬ Video Game LoFi: Final Fantasy
My friends at Curaga Records sent me their latest Video Game LoFi release, and this time it’s a 2LP of iconic themes from across the Final Fantasy series, reinterpreted as lofi chill beats. This is another “on repeat” record for me; it’s hard to grow tired of it, and it’s great mood-setting background music — think lighting your favorite candle or opening your windows on a cool day.
⟡ Recently picked up a signed copy of María Medem’s graphic novel Land of Mirrors.
⟡ New game from Chucklefish (publisher of Stardew Valley) called Witchbrook is coming to PC, Switch, and Xbox this Fall/Winter.
⟡ A positive update dropped on Taika Waititi’s Akira live-action remake
⟡ Lost in Cult has an amazing art book bundle for indie game Animal Well up for pre-orders
⟡ Just realized that my favorite/the coolest stationary store ever in LA has an online shop! Check out HIGHTIDE - you won’t regret it.
⟡ Getting back into routinely checking Frankie Magazine’s blog. If you’re a creative or like interesting, creative things, you need to bookmark this site.
This was so incredibly fun to go through
You inspire me everyday with your energy for creativity and I look forward to more photos of your trips and art!!!