THIS WEEK
Michelle Obama reading us stories is exactly what we need right now. Turning 50 tomorrow, Earth Day has been around as long as we have — only this year, the events are entirely digital. Kathryn Hahn brings us American Girl dolls starring in Glengarry Glen Ross. A good, long talk with Fiona Apple, and the story behind every track on her new album. The ghostly beauty of parked airplanes. Margit was spotted singing on her roof. To combat loneliness, this woman reenacts her favorite musicals and we’re here for it. How to master the art of omelettes. John Maeda’s meditative 5 objects review is a delightful a.m. treat. For moms, is this the 1950s? Get high with Kelis — no really. “That's not art, it's Victorian porn!” Ten Netflix docs you can watch for free. Embracing the Zoom chaos. Keep calm and cuddle on.
OBSESSED: My Victory Garden
Victory is imminent. (Photo: Diane Carpentier)
This April, as I live a “new normal” — shopping, cleaning, teaching, masking and caring for those near and far — I feel the call of a garden, now more than ever. Every year around this time, I plant herbs and flowers, and immediately begin harvesting anticipation and, eventually, accomplishment. The fresh-cut flowers end up in vases all around my house and become easy gifts for friends. The herbs take my cooking and grilling to that next level, as I impulsively harvest and deploy them mid-recipe.
In this unprecedented year, these delights, this anticipation, and yes, this sense of taking control and making plans, adds to the importance of a garden. My family and I built extra space for the garden in our yard, and we are calling it our Victory Garden. During WWII, the government called on citizens to make ‘victory gardens’ to help people “feel empowered by their contribution of labor,” and rewarded by the vegetables they grew.
I get that. My kids get that. Intuitively, without the history lesson. And by the time our peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and peas are ready to harvest we will be able to share them with friends. We will be able to get together and talk about the future with hope, and know that we all got through this extraordinary time.
— Diane Carpentier
TUENIGHT 10: Sulyn Silbar
Sulyn in the sunshine. (Photo provided by Sulyn Silbar)
Age: 52
Quick bio: Sulyn has been a personal trainer for 20 years and a massage therapist for 14. She has recently moved from NYC to Denver to spend more time in nature, and more specifically, in the mountains. During the Covid-19 pandemic, as a professional who relies on in-person workouts, she switched up her business to offer customized virtual personal training sessions. She mixes her simple DIY workouts with a badass personalized playlist from her days as a DJ.
Beyond the Bio: “Turning 50 was huge. I found more confidence in my daily life and I wasn’t afraid to ruffle feathers, but I also realized that I had the power to defuse situations. Part of this comes from my daily meditation practice, which started in 2014, and from endless hours of talk therapy. Being in my 5th decade on this planet, I live life as fully as I can, each and every day. And I try to find kindness in moments that may have eluded me in my younger days.”
What makes you a grown-ass lady? “Being able to say yes to things that are scary, and no to things that do not serve me.”
1. On the nightstand:Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed. Sometimes I just need a short read to help lull me to sleep.
2. Can't stop/won't stop: Motivating folks to live their full lives as healthy and pain-free as possible.
3. Jam of the minute: “Hell n Back” by Bakar. He’s a young lad out of England with a great sound.
4. Thing I miss: My NYC peeps
5. ’80s crush: Mariel Hemingway
6. Current crush: Alison Brie from GLOW
7. Latest fave find: Juicy Bits Double Dry-Hopped IPA by Weldwerks
8. Last thing you lost: My ATM card. I think it’s somewhere in my apartment.
9. Best thing that happened recently: I met a wonderful woman who lives in Steamboat Springs, an awesome ski resort town. She is currently my COVID boo.
10. Looking forward to: Going out for dinner with friends in NYC.
POETRY: What Our Country Has Lost With Corona We’ve Lost Before
By Karrie Myers Taylor
“I wrote this poem in 2001, just days after 9/11, when I was 25 years old and living in Brooklyn. Reading it now, at 43, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am experiencing similar feelings of grief, anger, suspicion, confusion about what this means for our civil rights, and yes, fear of going to war once the dust settles…”
EVENT: Grown-Ass Lady Bedtime Stories
Join in the fun! Sign up here. Or go to the TueNight Facebook page at 8pm.
Wednesday, 4/22, 8pm: Robin Gelfenbien reads “Moo Sexy: Getting Out of My Comfort Zone for Love”
Thursday, 4/23, 8pm: Karrie Myers Taylor shares her poem, “A Matter of Gray”
Pin from 1970, the first Earth Day.