Odessa's Oddities & Curiosities | Week of 12/2/2024

Dear friends,

I wrote the first half of this newsletter from the train en route to the Goldberg Family Reunion. See, writing on a train is undeniably Romantic. I was (hopefully) looking pensive and mysterious as I wrote this missive. Anyways, Yale beat Harvard!! (very unexpectedly) and I experienced the joy of football for that one day a year — and that is all I need. But I did get to frolic in Boston and visit the very dreamy Trident Bookstore (per Miriam’s recommendation) and see my cousin Amber.

Sophie and I have finished our term as HSB Co-Presidents — although, I hear a president always retains their former title. I feel so grateful to have worked with Sophie in this role, and I’m so proud of all that our board has done in a particularly challenging year.

Other highlights: Mia’s “Alice in Wonderland” ballet performance, the hockey game that broke out at this fight, lovely Friendsgiving, 1920s-themed Thanksgiving dinner, chocolate souffle at the new restaurant The Chelsea Hotel.

For my Occult Science class, I had to watch this trippy black-and-white 3-hour Polish film, made in 1965, The Saragossa Manuscript. The film consists of many interpolated tales that fit almost like Russian (more accurately, Polish) dolls. Wikipedia classified it as a “frame story.” The film reminded me of Don Quixote in terms of its location (Spanish countryside), whimsy, and emphasis on interpolated tales. Very strange. Watch at your own risk.

I was only able to go to just the first 20 minutes of this conversation between Marc Glimcher (director of Pace Gallery) and Magnus Resch on the future of the art market. Glimcher described the art market as a business run by non-business people. He also shared some thoughts on the importance of the cult of the artist — very interesting in the influencer age.

Quite a few newsletters ago, I mentioned this 99% Invisible Series on The Power Broker by Robert Caro. Well, I had listened to the first two episodes then not listened further, but when I realized that they were on Episode 11. I felt appropriately guilty about not listening to all of it. So, I spent an outsized portion of my November Break listening to Elliot and Roman talk about The Power Broker (perfect at 1.5x speed for a run).

I have some poems to keep you warm. I know everyone is complaining about the cold and the dark, but the truth is that I have a deep affection for darkness. I trace it back to a deep hatred of being put to bed early when it was still light out. I love the bluster of the wind and sticking my face into a warm scarf. I love the twinkling lights, and how I have to spend more time looking up because it’s far too cold for my hands to be on my phone. Anyway, some poems about the night and the cold and how we might move through it. “Bad People” by Robert Bly. “Apophasis at the All-Night Rite Aid” by Catherine Barnett. “I came to you” by Jean Valentine. “Try to Praise the Mutilated World” by Adam Zagajewski.

I have made my finals period delightfully suffused with research into Jewish magic. Hours feel infinitely elastic when I get to read deeply into a topic that fascinates me. I’m looking forward to Reading Week for the opportunity to have periods of extended focus (I say optimistically).

One more note on Jewish magic. A classmate taught me that voodoo dolls are actually not at all a part of Haitian Voduo or Louisiana Voodoo. But there is a history of Jewish voodoo dolls or image magic.

This week, I offer articles in different categories:

For a good cry: “An Elegy for Crystal Cove A7, Our Family’s Piece of Paradise” Why People Cry Tears.

For some salacious details: This wild story of Hunter’s beau: Zoe Keston — reads like a novel. Sabrina Carpenter at the center of a Church scandal? A love letter to Personal Ads.

Some science! The fitness gender gap. This super cool study using vagus nerve stimulation to treat gut inflammation in IBD (fascinating use-case of my thesis research — although this article didn’t specify how they did the stimulation).

My dream job fixation is to work for Ayin Press— a Jewish press that confidently presses on the boundaries and potentials of Judaism. As my grandfather liked to say, if you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space. Here’s a great interview with their founders. I’m waiting to savor R’Jill Hammer’s new book: The Moonstone Covenant over Winter Break.

I had a bit of an urban design YouTube rabbit hole (inspired by Robert Moses): Urban Designer Answers More City Planning Questions & Architect Breaks Down NYC Subway Stations

And, my last note is rather a request. The Yale Community Kitchen currently has a campaign through Yale SOAR to keep our kitchen open during the summer so we can continue to provide meals to our guests. Yale Community Kitchen has been one of my most meaningful Yale experiences over the past four years. I promise every dollar donated to Yale Community Kitchen will be thoughtfully and meaningfully spent to directly feed our guests. You can read more here.

With love & curiosity,

Odessa