Minimal Monthly

Hello, hello!

This month I kept circling the idea of control and release.

One big spark came from a cult classic film that critics call one of the greatest movies ever made, though few people outside cinephile circles may have heard of it: Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975).

It follows a widowed mother through three and a half hours of painfully quiet domestic routine: peeling potatoes, running errands, polishing spoons, and switching very many lights on and off. Nothing “happens” (which is, historically speaking, so poignantly reflective of a woman's existence), and when her rhythm falters, the tension becomes unbearable.

This film haunted me for days afterward and still sits deep. It made me think about how much of our own organising frenzy is less about tidy cupboards and more about the need to feel in control. To maintain agency. To cope.

If you'd like to watch it, you can do so for free at the Internet Archive. There is very little speaking in it, but I found a version with English subtitles.

Meanwhile, my own home life tilted toward release. I sent off another few hundred books and CDs for resale this month, and pretty much have the process down to muscle memory: scan the ISBNs, box them up, ship them out. Painless, profitable, and oddly calming. A small system that kinda runs itself while creating space.

Sometimes control matters. Sometimes letting go does more.

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Mixed Bag 'o Links

• Interior tours: this famous house in the Hollywood Hills has the most insane views. Just wow.
• What does it physically feel like to be 80 years old? This wearable suit developed by the MIT replicates the elderly body.
• The WSJ has some good tips on how to prevent the stock market from messing with your retirement.
• Have you noticed the archive.ph links I’ve been using btw? It’s a great way to get around paywalls! 💁🏻‍♀️
• Heads up: the FDA issued a warning about purchasing imported cookware that can "leach significant levels of lead (Pb) into food."
• iPhone Liquid Glass got you confused? Joanna Stern's got you covered with 26 tips for iOS 26.
• When was the last time you checked your cable bill? 😯
• If you only watched one piece of political commentary about the abhorrent event of this month, I sure as heck hope it was Amir Odom, because he's the only one out there who has his head screwed on right.
• I leave you this month with a copy cat. 😂

Be well! 🍂🥮🍁

Thank you for reading. If you have any comments, feedback, or would like to be featured in an upcoming issue, hit reply and drop me a line. Have a great month ahead,

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