Ruben's Top Seven
Yet another end of year list
It was a terrible year in so many ways, but we were blessed with so much good art to help guide us through. Here’s a very short and incomplete list of favorites, in random order.
Past Lives by Celine Song (2023)
If this isn’t my favorite film of the year, it’s definitely in my top five. The acting was excellent, the writing was sharp and full of life. I broke my heart. Many people at my screening left in tears. It deserves at least a couple of Oscar nominations. I can’t wait to rewatch it.
Blue by Joni Mitchell (1971)
I didn’t have parents or relatives who were eager to introduce me to her music, so I assumed Joni Mitchell made music for white people and had nothing to offer me. Big mistake! The only silver lining is that I got to fully discover her this year. What magic. I listened to this album over and over, often when I was writing or feeling homesick for California. A treasure.
Books
What a year for literature. I loved the collections The Sorrows of Others by Ada Zhang and Witness by Jamel Brinkley, which both had the wisdom, heft, and complexity of the midcentury masters of the short story, without ever feeling stuck in the past. For the first time, I read Invisible Cities and If On a Winter’s Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino, who continues to inspire and awe me. Toward the end of the year, we were gifted Blackouts by Justin Torres which deservedly won the National Book Award. I could keep going, but I won’t. Great year for books.
The Returner by Allison Russell (2023)
I was lucky enough to see Allison Russell perform live this year, just weeks before her second album, The Returner, was released. I was obsessed with her first album, and her newest did not disappoint. Also, she’s publishing a memoir with Flatiron Books that I am eagerly anticipating. An artist on so many levels.
Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 (2023)
A spent a couple of weeks obsessed with the Shakira/Pique drama. The jam! If anything came out of a terrible situation, it was this song. More than just a diss track, this is a genuine banger.
Nick Cave: Forothermore (2023)
I was unfamiliar with Nick Cave until I went to his exhibition at the Guggenheim in February. Absolutely stunning work. Beautiful and unsettling and deeply moving.
Italy
Have you heard of this place? It’s gorgeous, and you’re allowed to eat gelato every single day.
Here’s to more glimpses of joy, hope, and beauty in 2024.
