Emotional Speculation, Cultural obsessions and Funny TV
Clear your schedule
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Emotional Speculation
I hadn’t even heard of the late American writer, Laurie Colwin until last year when her novel, Happy All the Time, was reissued and a copy landed on my desk at work. Oh my god, I fell in instant love. A sort of comedy of manners, the story follows “four sane, intelligent, and good-hearted people who manage to find love in spite of themselves”.
Set in New York, the four in question are Guido and Holly and Vincent and Misty. What feels remarkable to me about Guido and Holly is how much Colwin focuses on his internal life and despair at her lack of emotional availability. Guido is the one who does all the second-guessing, yearning and obsessing in contrast to Holly who is detached, elusive and takes her tea “on a tray” (I love that detail). This feels radical now, let alone 1978 when the book was first published. And Misty is a wonderfully misanthropic and acerbic character, the kind of person I often hope to meet and befriend. This novel also contains one of the all time best descriptions of gossip I’ve ever read: “I don’t call it gossip,” Misty tells Holly. “I call it ‘emotional speculation’”. Brilliant.
Colwin died of a heart attack at the age of 48 but left behind a beloved body of work which includes five novels, three collections of short stories and two volumes of essays and recipes and as well as food columns. Home Cooking, her 1988 collection of memoirs and recipes is a seminal text to those in the know. Yes, it’s a recipe book, but of course it’s so much more. Colwin’s writing manages to be both no-nonsense and utterly charming at the same time, beautifully capturing the simple pleasure of eating and domestic life.
“This meal, which takes some time to prepare, must be eaten slowly. Afterwards it is best to stretch out on the sofa, balancing a cup of coffee on your stomach.”
and
“It is wise you have someone to adore talking to in the kitchen while you make these eggs, or to be listening to something very compelling on the radio.”
The only other novel I could find of Colwin’s in print was Another Marvelous Thing which tells the story of an affair from beginning to end and is romantic and complicated in the same mode as Happy All the Time. I loved it.
Cultural rabbit holes
The American podcast Decoder Ring has been knocking around for a couple of years and as someone who spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about and “researching” cultural obsessions, it’s right up my street, forensically investigating the origins and evolution of cultural mysteries. The first episode that got my attention was Sad Jennifer Aniston which interrogates how Aniston became the unwilling poster girl for “tragic” middle-aged singledom. Other episodes I’ve enjoyed are Gender Reveal Party, The Karen and The Madness Behind ‘The Method’. Have a listen, I think you’ll like it.
Why aren’t more people talking about this show?
I suppose it’s because there is too much new TV being made for it to be possible to hype all the best things, but I’m still confused about why Hacks hasn’t been more buzzed about. I heard it being discussed on an American podcast in June 2021 but it only landed in the UK last month. Anyway, it’s really good.
Jean Smart plays Deborah Vance, a veteran Joan Rivers-esque stand up whose long time, 100-shows-a-year Vegas residency is under threat of closure. She reluctantly agrees to work with a younger writer to refresh her act. Enter 25 year-old, down on her luck comedy writer, Ava, whose controversial joke about a closeted senator has seen her excommunicated from Hollywood. In a meeting with her manager, Jimmy, Ava wonders out loud, “Maybe this is Catholic guilt but I can’t help thinking that this is punishment for getting fingered at my Uncle Rocco’s wake.”
She reluctantly take the gig, moves to Vegas and so ensues a Boomer vs Zoomer comedy-drama as their mutual mistrust and sniping gives way to meaningful connection.
I promise I won’t give away all the best jokes but this one made me laugh too:
“Everyone in LA has such good style. I can’t tell who’s Haim and who’s just three people.”
Created by the writers of Broad City, the show is full of great one-liners like this but it’s not all quip – it's heartfelt too, sensitively observing both women’s isolation, sadness and simmering resentments. It’s really a love story and it’s a total a joy.
Season 1 is on Prime Video now (season 2 starts in the US soon and hopefully here too).
Are there any TV series, old or new, that you’re recommending to everyone? Please share in the comments.
See you next time!
Hannah
P.s If you can get to it, go and see the Cornelia Parker exhibition at the Tate Britain. Parker creates these amazing, immersive installations by destroying stuff - squashing, exploding, shooting, burning. The results are brutal, beautiful, challenging and often funny. It starts today and runs until 16th October.
Absolutely love Laurie Colwin, all her books are brilliant. Only discovered her recently and don't hear people talk about her nearly enough
Hacks is fantastic - feels like it’s a bit of a hidden gem. Didn’t know it was from the Broad City team which was also absolutely brilliant