may media rewind and news stories you should read this month

a collection of what I have read, watched, and listened to in May

May 27, 2024

Hello Tamia Talkers!

I am back again with another media rewind for your reading pleasure! I consumed SO MUCH film, television, music, and news this month that my Substack word limit prevented me from sharing my thoughts on every item on the list. Since we, in the United States, are in holiday mode, I am allowing this Monday post to count as a Sunday publish, because it is (technically) still the weekend. I appreciate you for reading in, and I hope you enjoy!

in the news

Our Campus. Our Crisis: On April 30, the world tuned in to student radio newscasts and social media live streams as hundreds of police officers stormed Columbia University’s campus to clear the Gaza Solidarity Encampment and end the occupation of Hamilton Hall. Among the scene’s frontline reporters were the staff of the Columbia Spectator and students at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism who worked tirelessly throughout their final month of the semester to produce stories that accurately and thoughtfully reflected one of the most contentious and distressing moments of our nation’s history. “Our Campus, Our Crisis,” produced by the staff of the Columbia Daily Spectator, brings readers inside the encampments and protest crackdowns that shook college campuses across the nation and sparked intensified fracture in the American political landscape as students called on university leaders to divest from Israel and cut ties with Tel Aviv University. The clash between students and police occurred on the anniversary of the 1968 Columbia student protests in opposition to the Vietnam War. Read here.
Corporate America Never Really Quit Forced Labor, Bloomberg: A cohort of Black prisoners in Alabama are suing Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, the state’s attorney general, the prisons commissioner, parole board leaders, and a handful of cities throughout the state for forced labor and inhumane working conditions. Workers detail being two-fifths of their contracted wage to work on assembly lines, build auto parts, farm, firefight, and upholster furniture, among other jobs. Read here.
The battle for the patio of College Court: Washington Post reporter Jose Del Real follows tenants at Milwaukee public housing development College Court in their effort to regain access to a padlocked patio on the property. Over the past year, tenants at the 251-unit housing complex have raised concerns about exposed electric wiring, pests, and mold in their apartments while also losing access to recreational spaces like the patio and basement without explanation from building management. A 25-year-old community organizer, Kevin Solomon, is working with the group to bring their concerns to local and national public officials. Read here. (For more coverage, check out my colleague Genevieve Redsten’s reporting in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.)
College students, inmates and a nun: A unique book club meets at one of the nation’s largest jails, Associated Press: Every week, a van full of DePaul University students drives to Chicago’s Cook County Jail for a book club with inmates. The conversations between students and inmates aim to forge connections. Through book club, students lead thoughtful conversations about books centering on the Black and Latino experience, reflecting much of the prison’s population. Sister Helen Prejean, an anti-death penalty advocate, joined the group to discuss her book “Dead Man Walking.” A film and opera inspired by her experience as an advisor to two death row inmates in the 1980s. Read here.
Not Your Childhood Library: Over the decades, libraries have served as sanctuaries. They are cherished institutions of learning, community gathering spaces, polling places, and, for many unhoused people, a rare, safe environment to rest, use the restroom, or access technology without barriers. In her 2024 New Yorker article, Paige Williams visits The Minneapolis Central Library to examine how local librarians engage with unhoused people and are redefining the community’s understanding of homelessness. Using insights from Ryan Dowd’s 2018 book “The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness,” Williams explains the ways staff at public libraries have unexpectedly become intermediary social workers, engaging with almost as many homeless individuals as staff at shelters do. Read here.

on my screen

I don’t think there has ever been a time in my life when I have watched so many movies and shows in one month, but I thoroughly enjoyed this batch! I continued my “Glee” watch (of course). Over a series of long plane rides, I caught up on the Oscar-nominated films. And, I did a four-episode Bridgerton binge, for the culture <3

Notting Hill (1999): According to my friends, this was a pre-London trip must-watch, and “Notting Hill” is an entertaining movie, but the entire time I found myself wondering, “Wait, why does she like this man?” and vice versa. The central characters exemplify what (I guess) people love about 90s rom-coms which is raw, inexplicable attraction. I found the concept incredibly hard to grasp for this duo. I don’t think they even know each other’s names before the nonconsensual first kiss. In my 23 years of life, I have never known where the “I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her” line was from, and I was SO beyond disappointed to see A-List, potentially winning fictional legend Anna Scott begging this random man to love her. Was it because he didn’t see you just for your fame? The allure of being just a random dude is too irresistible?! She also was cheating on her horrible boyfriend which made me ask, “Girl, why can’t you just break up with him!!” Why are we leaning into escapism?! Side-eye. If a celebrity randomly fell in love with me, I would hope to never behave this way, but maybe I would and that’s…???
The Idea of You (2024): “Notting Hill” and “The Idea of You” are kind of the same film, but “The Idea of You” seems far more practical. In my mind, it is entirely sensical for a 24-year-old man, no matter his degree of success, to meet Art Gallery Anne Hathaway and not only be impressed but think, “Wow, I’d love to be with her forever.” She’s the full package, stunning, financially independent, and a mother (in the sense that she serves, but also has a child)! The boyband songs in this film were swell, and I do find myself singing them under my breath throughout the day.
The Iron Claw (2023)
Zone of Interest (2023)
Origin (2023): Ava Duvernay’s “Origin” was one of my favorite watches of the year. The film, based on Isabel Wilkerson’s book "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” explores the role of caste in shaping social and racial hierarchy in the United States, India, and Germany. The film’s narrative flows seamlessly in and out of Wilkerson’s personal and professional life, binding her experiences of familial loss and trauma with an examination of hidden systems of discrimination across the globe. I was surprised and delighted to discover that this film features a cohort of actors that I deeply admire. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor beautifully captured Wilkerson’s experiences of pain and loss throughout this film while featured actors like Niecy Nash and Victoria Pedretti steal the show in all of their scenes, sometimes without even speaking. Also, Jon Bernthal! I shed some tears throughout the film and it made me want to revisit the book which I read shortly after its publication in 2020.
Priscilla (2023): I loved my much overdue Priscilla watch this month. I always adore stories about young women seeking autonomy and reclamation of their power in environments where their voices have been minimized. Sofia Coppola’s refreshed take on Elvis’ story conveys exactly that by bringing a teenage Priscilla Pressley (Cailee Spaeny) into the foreground. “Priscilla,” adapted from Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir Elvis and Me, addresses years of turmoil and abuse that Priscilla faced while living with the rock star at Graceland. The costuming in this film is spectacular, and the wardrobe plays a critical role in guiding viewers through the central character’s struggle for control over her identity and self-expression.
Wonka (2023): Why did no one tell me that Wonka was a banger? Why did I expect to not like it? I have no idea. It’s a musical, incredibly wholesome, so whimsical and I loved it. Claps for Chalamet and little star Calah Lane!
If Beale Street Could Talk (2019)
Bridgerton, Season Three (2024): Colin Bridgerton was not built for winking and flirtatiousness. I’m here for my sister, Francesca!
Glee, Season Three (2012): This show means everything to me. Nene Leakes, MVP of Season Three.
Wildcat (2024): This month, I attended a screening of “Wildcat” at Milwaukee’s Oriental Theatre. I had the opportunity to hear from the film’s director Ethan Hawke and editor Barry Poltermann during a Q&A post-screening. In the film, Hawke’s daughter, Maya Hawke portrays celebrated writer Flannery O’Connor as she struggles to publish her first novel, Wise Blood. I first read O’Connor’s work in high school when I read and wrote my AP Literature Exam essay about “Violent Bear It Away.” It was nice to contextualize that work and the rest of her essays with further context about her Lupus diagnosis in her early 20s, her Southern upbringing, and the complex familial circumstances that influenced her writing.

in my ears

music

the fear is not real, WILLOW: Willow’s latest album “empathogen” is a delicious blend of songs about self-discovery ranging in genres from funk to jazz to rock. "the fear is not real” is no doubt one of my favorites.
Sober II (Melodrama), Lorde
Run Your Mouth, The Marías
BOA, Megan Thee Stallion
SUPERIMPOSE, ELIO: This song has been a frequent replay for me since 2021. Something about it makes me feel charged with energy. It makes me want to dance, to run, to live, and to love. A delight!
Fainted Love, Conan Gray: I finally listened to Conan Gray’s album “Found Heaven” and love this upbeat transition he’s made to dancey synth pop. Tons of headbanging and groovy moments on this album, but I always find myself revisiting this one.
Every Night, Jungle: I, like everyone else, am a Jungle stan.
Number One Fan, MUNA
360, Charli XCX: The “brat” era is upon us, and my life, I imagine, will be changed for the better.
We Are Young, Glee Cast: When I was in the 7th grade, “We Are Young” ft. Janelle Monáe was at the top of the charts. I remember a dozen of my classmates and I sitting on a yellow school bus on the way back from a field script singing this song at the top of our lungs after our driver cranked up the volume on the radio. It brings me such joy, and the Glee version (in addition to the original) was definitely on my playlists at that time and now.
QQ (QUÉDATE QUERIENDOME), Tei Shi
Elevator Eyes, Tove Lo
(You Drive Me) Crazy, Britney Spears

podcasts

This Scientist Has an Antidote to Our Climate Delusions, The Interview: Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, a marine biologist and a founder of the Urban Ocean Lab, joins New York Times reporter David Marchese for a conversation about climate despair and complacency. She speaks about why many people have given up their efforts to combat climate change and sheds light on the many reasons people should maintain their hope for our collective climate future. Listen here.
The Forever Trial, Serial: This episode of Serial follows Colleen Kelly, a member of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, as the group discusses their decades-long wait for the trail of the men accused of orchestrating and conducting the September 11th terrorist attacks. The episode examines the accused perpetrators’ conditions of confinement in Guantanamo Bay and the complexities of the families’ hopes for accountability. Listen here.
The Ghost In Your Phone, Throughline: In this episode of Throughline, reporters analyze the 21st-century race for technological progress that is fueled by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s cobalt industry. The episode’s timeline spans from King Leopold’s overtaking of the Congo to the present-day living conditions in cobalt mines where thousands of Congolese people work endless hours to mine the silvery metal used to build cell phones and electric cars. Listen here.
Are You A Lover Girl or a Hater B*tch?, Lemme Say This: The time has come! Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix have a podcast. In the first episode, Harris and Dix chat about Billie Eilish’s new album, Cannes, and talk to one of my favorite creators, Tefi Pessoa, about Selena Gomez’s love life. I am so glad to have these two icons contributing to my daily listens and I can’t wait for more episodes. Listen here.

on my shelf

All About Love, bell hooks: I started reading “All About Love” after I asked a friend for a travel read recommendation. Since I had been wanting to read the book for months, the suggestion affirmed my decision to head to a bookstore to grab a copy. As a UW-Madison graduate, I’ve always been a big fan of hooks work. She earned her Master of Arts in English from the school in 1976, and the first publication I ever wrote for in college was named in her honor (shout out Bell Mag!). So much of this book is about the unhealthy forms of love that we, as a society, but especially women, have been conditioned to accept and pass on to each generation. As I read, I find myself attempting to unlearn habits that no longer serve me or those I love most. It is certainly a must-read.
Poverty, By America, Matthew Desmond: In 2023, before starting my job at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, I read Matthew Desmond’s book “Evicted.” It had been on my reading list for years, and I hoped to acquire some fresh insights about Milwaukee’s challenged housing landscape and the consequences of eviction for low-income families. I grew to love Desmond’s writing and decided to pick up “Poverty, By America” at the end of May. The book examines the concepts of economic exploitation, hyper-concentrated wealth, and the alienation associated with living in poverty.

on stage

Hadestown: At the beginning of May, I saw Hadestown on the West End. It was my second time seeing the show and was just as gut-wrenching. The musical, written by Anaïs Mitchell, retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The cast was led by Dónal Finn, Ryesha Higgs, and Gloria Initiri, and I adored every second. Now, I’m off to listen to Eva Noblezada’s “All I’ve Ever Known” on repeat.