Quentin's Weeknotes 2/9/19-2/15/19

This Week:

• I finished reading Dr. Sheena Howard’s Encyclopedia of Black Comics, an eye-opening compendium of African-American comic and sequential artists that shines a light on a hidden history of something I thought I already knew pretty well.

• I watched two great things on Netflix:

  • The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, which sits with best of the Western tradition of exploring the complexities of violence and national identity. Also, “The Mortal Remains” is probably the most Aickman-esque piece of filmmaking I’ve seen, combining morbid, sinister horror and comedy.
  • Russian Doll, which Alanna and I devoured pretty quickly. Calling a modern version of Groundhog Day does a disservice to this dark and subtle, strange, eccentric series populated with complicated, funny characters.

• The Yager Museum and the Haan Fund for Native American Studies hosted a talk by Melanie Printup Hope, an artist of Tuscarora (Haudenosaunee) and European descent.Hope’s work has been exhibited across North America, and makes really interesting juxtapositions of traditional and modern forms, in the service of focusing attention on issues of colonialism, memory, land, and community. Her talk, and her subsequent visits to classes here at Hartwick were really inspiring and I thank her for coming and for sharing her ideas and her wisdom.

• I continue to alternatively giggle and sigh at every new volume of Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s Sex Criminals. Volume 4 is sad and sweet, and as usual, is asphyxiatingly funny.