I may have shared this before, but one of my all time favorites documentaries is “Jay Myself,” about photographer Jay Maisel. He has a quirky, beautiful, and immensely curious way of seeing the world. You can watch this with your kids, too. https://youtu.be/nDD4OKZ_0uU?si=gA_gNYl9fYezjbGk
Hi Austin! What an amazing list you have! I’m also a new subscriber and just want to say I honestly LOvE your books! I have the full Steal Like An Artist collection and to be honest I can hardly put the books down! The Journal been a life changer along with the books. Thank You for sharing and stealing from Artists. It’s like something opened and awakened inside me.. the inner hidden Artist and now gaining more confidence to Show My Work & to Keep Going. Thanks so much Austin.
My favorite books (stories) of 2024 were Marlon James: The Book of Night Women. Slave life in Jamaica (rather than the US!) from the women’s perspective. With slave rebellions, where I did not know by heart how they would turn out. Also, in their English. Yangsze Choo: The Ghost Bride. Chinese-Malaysian author, with their ideas of an afterlife where you have the stuff people burn for you. The !! idea for me was an afterlife that can be just as corrupt and dramatic as this one.
Books about the world: Dan Saladino, Eating to Extinction. Led me to new (old!) foods IRL, like lambic beer.
Video games: Steamworld Dig 1 & 2, Steamworld Quest. Lair of the Clockwork God. You play as both a old-school platformer (who can run, jump but not much else) and an old-school adventurer (who can examine, collect, give, manipulate objects, talk to people). You switch off between them as you choose to get through puzzles. Zelda: Oracle of Ages. Oracle of Seasons. Echoes of Wisdom. And yes, after Tears of the Kingdom, I can now Ascend up through ceilings and other solid objects in my dreams.
You know when you feel like going out searching for resources? That’s one of the times I go through Nintendo eShop’s sale, picking out ones that might be interesting, then reading reddit reviews of those. Or if the artwork *really* draws me, get it without knowing what other people think. Sorting by price (low to high) rather than popularity often uncovers neat stuff.
Thanks for turning me on to Cindy Lee and Diamond jubilee. A real gem. It will be on repeat. Actually convinced me to subscribe after enjoying the Friday recommendations for a while now.
You shared so many interesting things in this letter but I had to come and say that I too did not love Big Swiss the way so many people around me did and that was one of those reading experiences that made me feel so out of step with THE DISCOURSE I almost felt like I was awkward and in high school again 😂
Thanks for all of the curation and inspiration Austin. Really appreciate all that you do! If you haven't already, I'd highly recommend subscribing to Mubi's physical magazine Notebook. It's an absolute gem. A really rare piece of excellent physical media in an increasingly digital world. Dedicated to great cinema. You'd love it!
I just finished the audiobook for Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act" and absolutely loved it; it felt like you could pull any single sentence out of the book and build a whole creative process around it. Every time I listened to a new section it made me want to make stuff.
I found a little gem of a documentary on Tubi called "Nothing Changes: Art for Hank's Sake," all about the process, studio, and work of Hank Virgona, an 87-year-old artist who dedicated his whole life to creating. Really inspiring and just what I needed right now. (Tubi is free and doesn't even require you to make an account to watch stuff. It's chock-full of great lesser-known watches -- the Andy Goldsworthy documentaries are both on there right now too and super good as well.)
And I am very late to the work of Amy Krouse Rosenthal, but I discovered her memoir written in the form of an encyclopedia this year ("Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life") and it's one of my all-time favorites now.
Thanks for this newsletter, Austin! I'm so grateful for your work!
I spent most of the year reading Robert Caro’s The Power Broker - an incredibly engaging read from beginning to end. All 1200 pages. It’s a commitment but well worth it. I also stumbled upon a podcast that followed along - 99% Invisible with Roman Mars and Elliott Kalan- breaking down the chapters with great special guests commenting on the book. Robert Caro’s writing is top notch and I can’t recommend it enough!
"Roland Allen’s The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper, a book that felt like it was written just for me." I'm only twenty pages in, and already feel the exact same way!
Thanks for keeping such good track of everything you read, watch and listen to, and passing it on to us. I've been benefitting from it for years now.
I may have shared this before, but one of my all time favorites documentaries is “Jay Myself,” about photographer Jay Maisel. He has a quirky, beautiful, and immensely curious way of seeing the world. You can watch this with your kids, too. https://youtu.be/nDD4OKZ_0uU?si=gA_gNYl9fYezjbGk
The things that are right at the top of my head of most enjoyed this year:
Will and Harper - documentary with Will Ferrell and his transitioning friend Harper on Netflix. Gorgeous.
CMAT's 'Crazy Mad for me" album, especially the duet with John Grant.
Slow Horses / Bad Sisters series on Apple TV.
Elizabeth Strout's "Tell me Everything" book.
Hi Austin! What an amazing list you have! I’m also a new subscriber and just want to say I honestly LOvE your books! I have the full Steal Like An Artist collection and to be honest I can hardly put the books down! The Journal been a life changer along with the books. Thank You for sharing and stealing from Artists. It’s like something opened and awakened inside me.. the inner hidden Artist and now gaining more confidence to Show My Work & to Keep Going. Thanks so much Austin.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating and Middlemarch. Two of my favorites.
Great list! A reading recommendation: Why Bushwick Bill Matters, by Charles L. Hughes
My favorite books (stories) of 2024 were Marlon James: The Book of Night Women. Slave life in Jamaica (rather than the US!) from the women’s perspective. With slave rebellions, where I did not know by heart how they would turn out. Also, in their English. Yangsze Choo: The Ghost Bride. Chinese-Malaysian author, with their ideas of an afterlife where you have the stuff people burn for you. The !! idea for me was an afterlife that can be just as corrupt and dramatic as this one.
Books about the world: Dan Saladino, Eating to Extinction. Led me to new (old!) foods IRL, like lambic beer.
Video games: Steamworld Dig 1 & 2, Steamworld Quest. Lair of the Clockwork God. You play as both a old-school platformer (who can run, jump but not much else) and an old-school adventurer (who can examine, collect, give, manipulate objects, talk to people). You switch off between them as you choose to get through puzzles. Zelda: Oracle of Ages. Oracle of Seasons. Echoes of Wisdom. And yes, after Tears of the Kingdom, I can now Ascend up through ceilings and other solid objects in my dreams.
I need video game recommendations! I often want to play and have no idea what to play (other than Tears of the Kingdom some more)
You know when you feel like going out searching for resources? That’s one of the times I go through Nintendo eShop’s sale, picking out ones that might be interesting, then reading reddit reviews of those. Or if the artwork *really* draws me, get it without knowing what other people think. Sorting by price (low to high) rather than popularity often uncovers neat stuff.
I enjoy your mixes and love hearing great new to me music.
The cover collages are very cool.
The albums that stayed with me released in 2024 were:
- À La Sala - Khruangbin (Houston group. Chill mostly instrumental)
- Late Night Etta James (compilation) great choices late night blues especially the ones she does with Otis Redding.
Not released this year but new to me.
- Mambo Cósmico - Sonido Gallo Negro (Chicha! aka psychedelic cumbia) Fun and interesting style of music.
- Tom’s Diner (cover single)- Silvana Estrada (if you usually sing the doo do do do part, she makes you wait for it. Some lovely harmonies.)
Just watched Janet Planet. Loved it. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Thanks for turning me on to Cindy Lee and Diamond jubilee. A real gem. It will be on repeat. Actually convinced me to subscribe after enjoying the Friday recommendations for a while now.
Your post on how newsletters should be letters led me to launch my writing project - digital postcards! Thank you for all the work you do :)
I also read steal like an artist which helped me find my style for the postcards.
You shared so many interesting things in this letter but I had to come and say that I too did not love Big Swiss the way so many people around me did and that was one of those reading experiences that made me feel so out of step with THE DISCOURSE I almost felt like I was awkward and in high school again 😂
happens to me all the time. one thing I don't do on here is talk about all the books I hate that other people are loving (LOL)
Thanks for all of the curation and inspiration Austin. Really appreciate all that you do! If you haven't already, I'd highly recommend subscribing to Mubi's physical magazine Notebook. It's an absolute gem. A really rare piece of excellent physical media in an increasingly digital world. Dedicated to great cinema. You'd love it!
I've been meaning to sign up for MUBI to watch the William Kentridge series on there — good reminder, thanks!
Thank you, Austin! So many great, inspiring things came my way this year from your recommendation (although Middlemarch continues to gather dust).
Not my cup of tea!!
So many things!
I just finished the audiobook for Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act" and absolutely loved it; it felt like you could pull any single sentence out of the book and build a whole creative process around it. Every time I listened to a new section it made me want to make stuff.
I found a little gem of a documentary on Tubi called "Nothing Changes: Art for Hank's Sake," all about the process, studio, and work of Hank Virgona, an 87-year-old artist who dedicated his whole life to creating. Really inspiring and just what I needed right now. (Tubi is free and doesn't even require you to make an account to watch stuff. It's chock-full of great lesser-known watches -- the Andy Goldsworthy documentaries are both on there right now too and super good as well.)
And I am very late to the work of Amy Krouse Rosenthal, but I discovered her memoir written in the form of an encyclopedia this year ("Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life") and it's one of my all-time favorites now.
Thanks for this newsletter, Austin! I'm so grateful for your work!
I spent most of the year reading Robert Caro’s The Power Broker - an incredibly engaging read from beginning to end. All 1200 pages. It’s a commitment but well worth it. I also stumbled upon a podcast that followed along - 99% Invisible with Roman Mars and Elliott Kalan- breaking down the chapters with great special guests commenting on the book. Robert Caro’s writing is top notch and I can’t recommend it enough!
"Roland Allen’s The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper, a book that felt like it was written just for me." I'm only twenty pages in, and already feel the exact same way!
Thanks for keeping such good track of everything you read, watch and listen to, and passing it on to us. I've been benefitting from it for years now.