Need a great book to read, album to listen to, or TV show to get hooked on? The Flavorwire team is here to help: in this weekly feature, our editorial staffers recommend the cultural object or experience they’ve enjoyed most in the past seven days. Click through for our picks, and tell us what you’ve been loving in the comments.
David Bowie’s 100 Favorite Books
This week I was fascinated by the list of David Bowie’s favorite books that was published on The Independent‘s website earlier this week. There’s heaps of stuff on there that I haven’t read, and plenty I’d never heard of, which means that I’ve now got many new things to add to my own reading list (some of which are collated right here.) —Tom Hawking, Music Editor
Bridget Everett and the Tender Moments — Pound It
Downtown cabaret sensation Bridget Everett has been hustling on the scene for years, and you can catch her very often onstage at Joe’s Pub. While you won’t experience the manic insanity of her live show (which she peppers with partial nudity, sprays of Chardonnay, and playful assaults on audience members), Pound It gets to the core of Everett’s sensibility: a mixture of hard-hitting rock ‘n’ roll and an absurdly sexual comedic sense. While it could have easily turned into a one-off novelty record (and with song titles like “Titties,” “Just the Tip,” and “Pussy Power,” it wouldn’t be surprising), Everett and her backing bad (which includes Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz) turn out a collection of bangers and ragers with an enthusiastic fervor, and hopefully it’s only the first in a extensive catalogue. —Tyler Coates, Deputy Editor
Jem Cohen: We Have An Anchor from EMPAC @ Rensselaer on Vimeo.
We Have an Anchor (dir. Jem Cohen) at BAM’s Next Wave Festival
Known for unusual films about bands like Fugazi and The Ex, Jem Cohen’s latest project brings his collaborations with musicians to the stage. We Have an Anchor is a experimental documentary about Cape Breton, off Nova Scotia, its gorgeous interviews and quotes from naturalists, historians, and Elizabeth Bishop only occasionally interspersed by interviews with the island’s residents. But what really makes it an experience is the live score that accompanies the film. Performed by an all-star post-punk/post-rock ensemble including Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto and members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion, White Magic, and The Quavers, its mood fits the subject matter, ranging from quiet and peaceful to loud and tumultuous. —Judy Berman, Editor-in-Chief
Touching the Rock by John M. Hull
I’ll admit it. I take my sight for granted. So when I saw John Hull speak about blindness and memory at Serpentine Gallery’s Memory Marathon last October, I was floored and intrigued in a way that you can only be about experiences you’ve never had and are grateful that you haven’t. Hull is a writer and theologian who went blind in the early 1980s, and his memoir, Touching the Rock: An Experience of Blindness, is based on the autocassette diary he kept during those early years. But it’s not just a book about the struggles of living without sight; Hull has written a beautifully crafted meditation on perception that forces you to reexamine how you literally see the world. —Brie Hiramine, Editorial Apprentice
TV Hangover’s recap of the Breaking Bad finale
Perhaps you’re done reading Breaking Bad recaps, but in case you’re not, TV Hangover’s recap of the finale immediately became my favorite of the many I read. I’m probably a little biased because the writer, AV Club’s Pilot Viruet, is a good friend of mine, but just trust me, there are so many reasons this recap is special. Viruet has been one of Breaking Bad‘s most hardcore fans from the beginning (I can honestly say it was her consistent praise that made me watch), and her clear love for the show added something personal to her deftly written analysis. Viruet cared more about what happened to Jesse Pinkman than anyone I’ve ever heard of, and despite my weird feelings about the finale, it was enough to hear that she approved of the ending. Her predictions of what comes next are just as wonderful, and I’d like to believe they’d come true. —Sarah Fonder, Editorial Apprentice