I thought I’d put together a brief list sharing my best of the best in October. I thought by only sharing what really knocked my socks off would result in a short piece. However, day by day I kept adding to it and, well, it kinda grew. 

Enjoy!

What I Read:

Between the Beats by Foster Trecost in Dark Winter Lit – I love this sweet piece about a lost little boy. It has poignancy and surprise and who wouldn’t love that combination? 

And for a few seconds, the city slowed down. The noise softened. Something inside me quieted. Not silence. It was deeper than that. Tranquility.

Trolls by Beth Sherman in Emerge Literary Journal – skillfully written, deceptively quiet, a devastating story! 

Let’s say your mother didn’t send you to the park with your little sister because it was the maid’s day off. Let’s say the two of you weren’t ten and four, but years older, old enough to take care of yourselves, fast enough to run an eight-minute mile.

Tunnel by Nina Schuyler in Ghost Parachute – Nina expertly tells a story of a mother trying to cope with her child in a claustrophobic situation. You feel every emotion she feels, you care about what is happening to them. For me, it’s a must that I care about the characters in a story and it’s the writer’s task to make me care. This is a stellar piece of writing! 

Voices floated in, along with shouting; they were background noise to the torment inside the car. I wanted us to sob together, bodies of pain; his body was mine. I dreamed his dreams, felt his anguish, felt helpless. I read somewhere that fetal cells invaded the mother’s body, colonizing organs and tissue for decades.

Three poems by Francine Witte in Eclectica – in addition to being an excellent fiction writer, Francine is an eloquent poet. These three poems are all different from each other showcasing Francine’s skill and insight. Each is a star and I love them. 

I thought there would be a tomorrow, and instead
of sitting by his coma bed and holding his paper hand,
I met a friend for dinner, and for a couple of hours
I wasn’t anyone’s child.

Love this poem by my friend Matt Dennison, first published in Riddled With Arrows litmag. He posted it on Facebook where I made a screenshot, with permission. I think all writers, not only poets, will get it. Thanks, Matt! 

Woman of the Hour: Fifty Tales of Longing and Rebellion by Claire Polders – I learned so much about lyrical, spirited writing by reading this book! I’ll be honest, I “discovered” Claire via her travel Substack, Wander, Wonder, Write, and became hooked because I love good travel writing that’s personal, not commercial. Reading her Stack feels like being there with her. Reading this book was a roll in beautiful, lyrical prose with sometimes traumatic content, sometimes sensual content, sometimes just downright sweet content; and often a surprising choices of the words and language. It was the gorgeous, descriptive prose that I drowned in as a writer, like the below from the story “A Tasting of European Chefs.”

South 

Hours slip past in moonlight and summer dresses, sandy and rustling. She watches from the terrace by the shore as he scrubs his outdoor grill yet does not scrub himself. His first note is green with olives and bold with desire, perfectly salted. When she opens her mouth, a blend of flavors pours in, peppery and wet. Tension drains from her body until she’s light in the head.

What I Watched:

Jen Wong creates video poems and flash fiction of her original work. Below is the first in a flash fiction series and it is extraordinary. I’m not lying, I was breathless by the end of this gorgeous presentation. And there’s more to come! Big love, Jen! 

Megyn Kelly’s interview on YouTube with Matthew McConaughey “on why he left Hollywood, “Unbranded” himself, and decided to raise his kids in Texas” and he also talks about his new book, Poems & Prayers. I enjoyed this interview so much! Refreshingly, politics were not discussed! (Hallelujah) McConaughey is a celebrity who is a much needed breath of fresh air and common sense. His personal & spiritual philosophy is inspiring, inclusive, nonjudgmental, and grounded in reality. 

On October 20, Tom Petty’s birthday, I watched a live stream of the making of Somewhere You Feel Free: the Making of Wildflowers on YouTube. It was amazing and a must-see for Petty fans with lots of behind-the-scenes dish. So many outstanding songs on that album it’s hard to pick one favorite.

The Diplomat, Season 3 on Netflix – 🤯🤯🤯 IYKYK & if ya don’t, fix dat! This political drama is one of the best series to hit streaming in forever. Or at least since Homeland(2011-2020) and The Americans (2013-2018). 

No Country for Old Men (2007 movie) on Kanopy – I resisted watching this movie for years because I had the idea it was a violent movie targeted to men and just not my jam. It’s always been men that I see praising it (like The Godfather which is not a favorite – sorry, Diane!) I’ve been proven wrong and I freely admit my knee-jerk bias. (Let’s not do that, friends.) This film is so much more than another violent movie, although it is violent. The acting is compelling, nuanced, & realistic – I have known people like the characters portrayed by Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, and Kelly MacDonald. (Not so much like Javier Bardem who, nevertheless, is ah-mayzing!) The storyline is immersive and suspenseful. The cinematography fits the story to a T – spare, dirty, depressing. I would now count this as included in my top 20 favorite films. Watch it if you haven’t already!

Annie Hall (1977 movie) on Tubi because it’s a phenomenal movie and Diane Keaton was phenomenal in it. I include Diane in the last of the real “old-school Movie Stars” designation. She, like Redford, kept her private life private, just as many of us average people do in an age of TMI on SM. RIP, great lady. Lah-de-dah, Lah-de-dah. 

What I Listened To:

Rock’s Back Pages Podcast: Michael A. Gonzales on TLC + The Source + DJ Kool Herc– So I feel a little like I’m stalking Michael because, since I “discovered” his writing I want to read all the things. I follow him on several SM so I am there when he links to a piece, new or archived. He’s very accessible on SM and it was awhile before I realized that he’s a famous music, culture, and short story writer. Holy shit! I could list all the magazines he’s written for from the 70s to today but it’s very easy to find out via Google. And it’s more fun to hear it in his own words in this podcast. Trust me, if you’re a music lover you’ll enjoy the hell out of this eclectic interview full of anecdotes, drama, and humor. I chuckled quite often. It’s fun, entertaining, educational, nostalgic, and has all the things you’ll want to hear about music, musicians, and pop culture in the 70s through today.

Did you watch, read p, or listen to anything outstanding in October? Share!