“I’ve always tried to engage in a thinking process. The idea is not so much to become better, but not to become calcified in an antiquated relationship to the world. What’s at stake is not whether that relationship is truer or not — I find the idea of a criteria of truth super-problematic — but whether it’s more alive or not. At least for me." ~Adèle Haenel1
In case you wondered where we’ve been… we’ve been here, still as queer and into queer things as before (if not more so). We have been deeply concerned about the state of the world and overwhelmed by mass killing, wars, laws, inequities, and societal actions/inactions. There are so many humanitarian crises and affronts happening at once seemingly everywhere. We have felt like our perspectives on queer art & media were not the most important things to put front and center. Yes, queer art is transformative and political and necessary—but our voices talking about it isn’t always what’s most needed. Even still, we’ve been fully engaged in our Queerest Year and thinking deeply about what it all means, especially alongside horrific human atrocities.
We want to admit, though, that while our attention has been on many very alarming, attention-grabbing global issues, we missed being attentive enough to what’s happening on the Substack platform itself. We are no longer willing to remain on Substack for one major, alarming reason, which really is indicative of the larger unassailable problem with how the Substack leaders are choosing to operate: using “free speech” as an excuse to platform and reward bigoted and dangerous people. (We are mollified only a tiny bit by the fact that we haven’t directly earned money for us or them with TQY.) We had always thought we’d keep The Queerest Year newsletter going in some form after this year, but we certainly will not do so here—we are looking to switch to another platform, maybe the nonprofit Ghost. Stay tuned. We hope you’ll follow us.
With all that said, we still feel strongly about properly finishing something we started and doing right by this experiment that has given us so much. We will share our Final Deep Thoughts in one last post to come as our official Queerest Year concludes. In the meantime, here’s a bit of the queer that we’ve been soaking up over the past few months if you’re so inclined…
We finally saw Rotting in the Sun (2023), which we had wanted to see ever since a favorite friend of ours called it “the anti-Bros.” Sebastián Silva’s film is yet another queer film from a queer filmmaker that has us feeling reinvigorated by the quality and direction of queer cinema today. If you ask us, many of the best films from the last decade come from queer filmmakers.
We also watched two textually queer women-directed horror films that each feature a queen from the ‘80s and ‘90s (respectively). It was a particular Gen X thrill to see Molly ‘Everything 80s’ Ringwald in Stewart Thorndike’s Bad Things (2023), which is basically a lezzied nod to The Shining starring Gayle Rankin and Hari Nef. Next, Jennifer Reeder’s Perpetrator (2023) gives Alicia ‘Always Cher’ Silverstone a handful of delicious moments alongside some fun, lite body horror moments.
We were thrilled when the indie theatre here got Bottoms (2023) so we could (masked) go laugh our asses off—we’ve been needing it. We also rewatched Deadloch because it’s so damn good. We might have laughed even more the second time around. Laughter is a very necessary medicine.
And, here is a (very) selected smattering of other things we got into that we recommend with varying degrees of enthusiasm…
Films & Shows
Every Body (2023)
May December (2023)
Nyad (2023)
Cassandro (2023)
City of Lost Souls (1983)
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987)
D.E.B.S. (2004)
Jagged Mind (2023)
Theater Camp (2023)
Shortbus (2006)
Caravaggio (1986)
Outrageous! (1977)
The Lady Eve (1941)
Blood Below the Skin (2015)
Reservation Dogs Season 3
Foundation Season 2
The gayest seasons of Britain’s Taskmaster, esp. Season 16
Books
Queer for Fear by Heather O. Petrocelli (Yeah! H’s book is finally out in the US now, huzzah… but they didn’t print enough so it’s already on backorder, boo!)
Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
It Came From the Closet edited by Joe Vallese
I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Articles
The Jodie Foster Guide to Aging in Hollywood by Greta Lee
Music+
Sapphic Culture Club Season 4 is pure lesbian ChAoS in the best way possible
This 2018 Boygenius set and more of their glorious queer harmonies
Sam Smith doing ‘Him’ & ‘Unholy’ at the Fashion Awards
This Fever Ray concert, the Passengers session, at an industrial location in France
Romy’s new video for ‘She’s on my Mind’
Sans Soucis Charles - Mexico City and Merchants
We’ll be back soon to put a bow on this thing and tease what’s next. In the meantime, stay safe and well. Please wear masks in public and use precautions when gathering this winter. “Insecure people are very dangerous, aren’t they?”
The Passion of Adèle Haenel, an Artist of Fierce Political Conviction https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/18/arts/dance/adele-haenel-gisele-vienne-letang.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4Ew.Dtoh.pAXRCUxn8iBd&smid=nytcore-android-share
I missed seeing this until today, so a belated thanks for including Indonesian Queer Histories on your list. I've also enjoyed these books lately: i) two collections of uncanny stories: HOMESICK by Nino Cipri and FRUITING BODIES by Kathryn Harlan (in the latter, I'm not much for fantasy-type stories, but found "Fiddler, Fool Pair" riveting); ii) THE SKIN AND ITS GIRL by Sarah Cypher about a half Palestinian girl (born with blue skin) who's trying to understand the story and stories of her grand-"aunt" who's always had a special connection with her.