The Return of the T-Recs.

In which I present you with a few things I love.

Hi. Hello. How are you?

Since art is important during stressful times, I’m bringing you a few T-recs today. For newer readers of Slow Dopamine, these are, yes, Tyrannosaurus Recs. You’re welcome.

Have you seen One Battle After Another yet? It is a mind-blowing propulsive piece of cinema that is hilarious, devastating, and stacked with incredible performances. It also has a stunningly eerie resonance with this exact moment in America. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since Katie and I saw it two weeks ago, and she hasn’t either. We’re both like, “Should we go see it again?” And that’s notable because this is a nearly 3-hour-long film! You should catch it in the theater if you can. It’s a brilliant ride and one of my favorite movies of the decade.

I finished reading Newbery Honor-winning MG novel Simon Sort of Says earlier this week, and I can’t say enough good things about it. (Thanks again, Diane Debrovner, for the rec!) It falls within one of my favorite categories: funny art about serious things. In this case, this is a genuinely hilarious book about a 12-year-old boy, Simon, who is the sole survivor of a school shooting. The book is obviously not just funny, but author Erin Bow maintains an astoundingly light touch throughout, giving young readers (and old ones like me) the gift of a story that allows them to think about the horror of school shootings and the resulting trauma for survivors without carrying the overwhelming weight of it through every page. It’s warm and quirky and specific and bursting with life, including a delightfully bonkers motif of animals running amok. The best humor writing seems effortless, but I know getting the words to that point is decidedly not, and this book is really a feat.

For reasons mysterious even to myself (though maybe it’s because the world is…insane right now?), I’ve been slowly rereading 1990’s best-seller Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all small stuff, by Richard Carlson. I first read this in my late twenties and found a lot of it to be genuinely helpful and inspiring. Then I learned that Carlson died in 2006 when he was 45, from a pulmonary embolism while on a plane, and the book took on an entirely new mythical dimension. Like, this guy got famous writing books about how life is short and how you need to appreciate every moment and then died tragically young. DID HE KNOW HIS DEATHDATE OR SOMETHING??? Anyway, that’s very sad, but the book is filled with short chapters that I still find grounding decades later. Like, this paragraph from Chapter 21. Imagine Yourself at Your Own Funeral (see what I mean?!?):

“While it can be a little scary or painful, it’s a good idea to consider your own death and, in the process, your life. Doing so will remind you of the kind of person you want to be and the priorities that are most important to you. If you’re at all like me, you’ll probably get a wake-up call that can be an excellent source of change.”

Wise words.

Come to think of it, I started writing Denton Little’s Deathdate a few years after first reading this. Did this book and this chapter and this man’s story help inspire my debut novel?? Maybe! Sort of! At the very least indirectly!

To which I say: thank you, Richard Carlson. It’s a nice reminder that all of our work is always having ripple effects and inspiring others in ways we often aren’t even aware of. Keep making art. It’s powerful.

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Okay, that’s all from me today. THANK YOU to everyone who has left a review for Zed Moonstein on Amazon and Goodreads. Can’t tell you how much it means. And if you haven’t yet, please consider doing so!

Also, I was on the terrific 80s movie podcast Two Dollar Late Fee, with Zak Shaffer and my older bro Dustin Rubin, talking about the cult 1985 film, My Science Project, a movie I’d never even heard of before this which features a giant T-Rex (T-Recs) attack and Dennis Hopper getting sucked into a time portal. Give this ep a listen (or a watch), it’s a fun time.

Otherwise, I continue to urge you to call your reps at least a couple times of a week, and if you need scripts, check out Jess Craven’s essential Chop Wood, Carry Water newsletter.

I also highly recommend handwriting letters with Vote Forward. It’s easy and cathartic, and there are writing campaigns right now to PA voters about the crucial State Supreme Court races and to CA voters about Prop 50, the law that will temporarily allow redistricting in order to compensate for the illegal gerrymandering happening in TX and other states.

Also, any authors reading this should join Authors Against Book Bans if you haven’t yet. It’s a vital organization doing great work alongside many Freedom to Read organizations to protect readers’ rights across the country.

Sending big love to you all! Hope you’re reading books and watching movies and walking in parks and finding off-screen time to have fun with other humans.

See you soon.