The best of 2021
Before the calendar flips over to another year, I wanted to share a few of my favourite things from 2021. In general, I have consumed less this year. My life has been full and I’ve been deeply focused on my own work which left less time for consuming other people's work. But there has been some great #content (hate that word!) in 2021 and I wanted to take a moment to collate it.
Film + TV
Promising Young Woman - quirky revenge movie that I’m still thinking about! (Read Carmen Maria Machado on the film.)
Pieces of a Woman - a raw portrait of grief. I still think about Ellen Burstyn’s performance in this film.
It’s a sin - Heartbreaking story about the early days of the AIDS epidemic.
American Crime Story: Impeachment - A re-telling of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. We can never apologise to Monica Lewinsky enough! (Doreen St Felix writes about the portrayal of Linda Tripp.)
In Treatment - Uzo Aduba (who played Crazy Eyes in Orange is the New Black) as a wealthy therapist living in LA. Come for the dialogue, stay for the fashion!
Mare of Eastown - Kate Winslet is a local cop in a small Pennsylvania town. It’s rare to find a police show that packs as much emotional punch as this one did. Avoid the spoilers!
White Lotus - A dark satire about rich people on holiday in a tropical location.
The Year the Earth Changed - David Attenborough documentary about how pandemic lockdowns impacted nature.
This is us - re-watched for comfort throughout the year.
Roadrunner - a documentary about Anthony Bourdain (& these two articles about it and the undisclosed use of AI in the film)
Waffles + Mochi - A kids show starring Michelle Obama and 2 puppets which I watched while on serious painkillers after surgery. My favourite episode involved a trip to the moon in a magic shopping trolley where Waffles and Mochi harvested a potato to power the journey home. As I said, I was on a lot of drugs! (Helen Rosner on this great kids show)
Podcasts
Thresholds, particularly the episodes with Jordan Kisner, Melissa Febos and Suleika Jaouad.
Death, Sex and Money especially this moving interview with a former professional climber, a thought-provoking conversation with Claudia Rankine, a series of stories on one night stands and a visit to a strip club during a pandemic. (Pair with this piece on sex work during the pandemic: )
Heavyweight. Start with Hallie.
Hear to Slay - I’ve only heard the free episodes but they are great!
Where Should We Begin? Eavesdrop on therapy sessions. I learn something every time.
The Ezra Klein Show - I don’t listen to all of them, but some of these conversations have been really great. Start with the octopuses.
Anita Hill + Dr Christine Blasey Ford in conversation
I’m not a Monster - a BBC/PBS show about a woman who became entangled with ISIS.
The Sporkful’s Mission Impastable brought me a lot of joy this year.
The Supreme Court of Facebook.
Patricia Lockwood + Anne Helen Peterson in conversation.
The N word (Still Processing)
Longform, Literary Friction and Fresh Air were all on regular rotation throughout the year.
Articles
What if Trigger Warnings don’t work?
Mary HK Choi on her parents and her marriage
Living with a hackable heart
Tavi Gevison on Britney Spears
He had his reasons - on Irish media and domestic violence.
Lucky to be here: Sexism, assault and cover-ups in Irish media
Do you really need your period?
The craziest story I read this year
Two great pieces by Masha Gessen: To be or not to be and The Sackler family and mine.
Some great profiles: Glennon Doyle, Kirsten Stewart, Alison Roman, Megan Rapione + Sue Bird.
Read and learned a lot from Dr Tressie McMillan Cottom’s work this year. Start here or here.
Read a lot of Anne Helen Petersen too. Start with this piece on Generation Disaster.
And I fell for Melissa Febos’s work. Start here or here.
For even more recommendations, try:
Best books of the year lists from the NYT, New Yorker + The Irish Times
Longform’s best of 2021 lists
The New Yorker’s best of the year, especially movies and TV.
The Atlantic’s best of the year, especially movies and TV.
Hopeful images from 2021
