FILM

Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986) by Hayao Miyazaki & Isao Takahata

This film is Studio Ghibli’s first. The film begins in the thick of an in-air battle where the titular Laputa makes a risky escape. As with many Ghibli films, the story follows children protagonists traveling through nature while in conflict with war-mongering seekers of power. Perhaps less magical and fantastic than his better known films, Laputa sets the foundation for so many of the important themes and characters that Ghibli returns to over and over again in his films: friendly robots, a fascination with flying and aircraft, hidden super natural worlds, empowered children and women (including the off-again-on-again antagonist grandmother figure). While it is special for its incredible hand-drawn animation and score, it is unlike the rest of Ghibli’s films in many ways: it is more plot driven in a traditional good-guy-bad-guy sense. Most of Ghibli’s films eschew clear lines or morality and often portray antagonists who rarely possess the clarity of evil purpose that was common in Disney film villains, for example. This film is also perhaps the most action-driven of any of Ghibli’s films (except for Princess Mononoke). The entire Ghibli archive is now available on HBO Max, so I’d recommend giving it a watch, or bathing in the nostalgic soup that is Spirited Away, Totoro, or Kiki’s Delivery Service.

P.S. while people feel more strongly than I do about the subtitles vs. foreign language dubbing debate (“subs” vs. “dubs”) I tend to fall on the “subs” side. This is not a film that requires following intricate Sorken-like dialogue or Nolan-like machinations, so I think it is probably best to experience the voices as Ghibli intended them.

CAUSES

Free99Fridge

Founded by the impressive Latisha Springer, Free99Fridge is a mutual aid organization (not a charity) that provides free food to people in hunger-stricken communities in the Atlanta area. This cause feels urgently necessary, excellently focused in its mission, and very efficient in providing services to the community. Unlike many causes which struggle to develop a clear purpose because they are really on many levels a vanity project for everyone involved, Free99Fridge knows what it is doing: “1. Eliminate food waste; 2. Provide easy access to fresh, healthy food; and 3. Encourage people to connect with their community.” For many years, I assumed scale was necessary to have impact, but that need not be the case. Up to five solidarity fridges now, Free99Fridge also serves as an important reminder to the community about how far we must go in the project of pursuing racial justice by naming the fridges after victims of violence involving the police. I’d encourage you to give to this worthy cause or look up a similar organization in your home area to see what you can find.

FICTION

The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) by Oscar Wilde

I haven’t read a lot of fiction lately, so I’m dipping into one of my favorite plays by Oscar Wilde, which I probably haven’t read since high school. Wilde’s humor and wit is enduring, as are several of the plays themes and creations, such as “Bunburying.” If you’re looking for a fun at-home activity, I have always thought it would be fun to get a group of friends together for a few hours to do a reading of The Importance of Being Earnest.

More broadly, Wilde’s love of language, Irish heritage, love of Paris, and Queerness have all resonated with me. As ~wikipedia~ notes, this play reflected the height of Wilde’s power and also the beginning of his downfall, due to a ill-conceived libel case that ended up revealing his sexuality:

The successful opening night marked the climax of Wilde's career but also heralded his downfall. The Marquess of Queensberry, whose son Lord Alfred Douglas was Wilde's lover, planned to present the writer with a bouquet of rotten vegetables and disrupt the show. Wilde was tipped off and Queensberry was refused admission. Their feud came to a climax in court when Wilde sued for libel. The proceedings provided enough evidence for his arrest, trial and conviction on charges of gross indecency. Wilde's homosexuality was revealed to the Victorian public and he was sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour. Despite the play's early success, Wilde's notoriety caused the play to be closed after 86 performances. After his release from prison, he published the play from exile in Paris, but he wrote no more comic or dramatic works.

Like many other artists, especially Queer artists who died or were silenced before their time, Wilde inspires the question of what more cultural treasures and joys we could have had but for adherence to misguided yet abiding societal hatred, fear, and intolerance. Beyond the play, Wilde’s poetry and short stories are also very enjoyable, as is, of course, his The Picture of Dorian Gray, which may be a good suggestion for a ghoulish Halloween read.

NON-FICTION

State v. Mann: Judicial Choice or Judicial Duty by Judge Wynn
North Carolina v. Mann, 13 N.C. 230 (N.C. 1830). WYNN, J., dissenting

I am currently welcoming new first-year law students to Duke’s campus this week, so I’ve been thinking about advice and recommendations for law students. In Con Law, we read the case State v. Mann, which basically holds that, under the then constitutionally-endorsed American slavery system, enslaved people’s ability to sue their enslavers was extremely limited and that North Carolina law provided no remedy to an enslaved person intentionally shot in the back.

For a long time, I had swirling troubled feelings about this case. At least, I felt that it was an important case for law students to read, especially those of us studying in North Carolina, because it conveyed an understanding of the challenges that face judges and judicial decision-makers. The opinion’s author, Judge Ruffin, noted the brutality that slavery necessarily implicated and some in my Con Law class thought that his lack of mincing words was admirably prescient for Ruffin’s time. Perhaps, but this opinion was also written in 1830, not 1730. When I looked up this case after Con Law, I found that Judge Wynn, a federal judge who sits in North Carolina, had written a dissent as if he were a justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court in 1830 (in actuality, he was one earlier in his career). In it, he criticizes Judge Ruffin in ways I found to be helpful to clarify why I felt the opinion was problematic, even in its own time:

[From the abstract:] Judge Ruffin made the judicial choice to preserve the relational status quo between master and slave rather than recognize slaves as sentient beings entitled to rights afforded by the rule of law. [* * *]

[From Judge Wynn’s dissent:] Thus, I remind my esteemed colleagues of the overriding purpose of our criminal law: namely, to protect not only individual citizens but also the fabric of our society as a whole. [* * *]

We need merely to note that depraved indifference toward human life-and cruel and deliberately barbarous actions that reflect such an attitude-will not be tolerated in our society, and certainly not by our courts and common law. The defendant here employed a means of punishment-shooting an unarmed slavewoman in the back-that far exceeded her offense of attempting to escape chastisement. Such immoderate violence, so grossly disproportionate to the provocation, was unnecessary and unwarranted. The mere good fortune that the slave Lydia survived her wound, rather than die from it, should not be the determinative factor in whether the defendant is guilty of murder or innocent of any criminal offense. Regardless of the victim or her health, his behavior remains contrary to the decency and morals of our society. Accordingly, I would affirm his criminal conviction.

ART

Half Full (2020)
Artist: Brandy Bourne @YourPersonalPilgrim
I found Bourne’s art in a delightful gallery shop called Horse + Hero in downtown Asheville, NC, after a meal with friends. I enjoyed the multiplicity of meanings that the geometric forms and symbolic colors evoked in myself and my friends when they observed Bourne’s pieces. To me, Bourne’s signature gilding elevates the simple forms to the level of hieroglyphics or some ancient language, the meaning of which remains somewhat unclear to us.

FOOD

Hale Caesar from Happy + Hale (Opened 2013)

Happy + Hale provides fresh, healthy-ish, and tasty food to the Durham area. Founded by locals and with four locations in Durham and Raleigh, Happy + Hale has an admirable vision for wellness and the good that a well-run and socially conscious business can do in its community. I appreciate that they provide high quality vegetarian options that do not sacrifice flavors and crunch in the effort to make a dish meatless. One such dish is the Hale Caesar, which substitutes fried buffalo-sauce tossed cauliflower for the more traditional chicken option. They also offer a wide selection of juices which are a nice pairing.

TV

London Spy (2015) (Tom Rob Smith & Jakob Verbruggen for BBC)
London Spy is a fantastic mystery-drama that depicts an unlikely relationship tragically cut short and the survivor’s tortured attempt to find the truth about what happened and why. I really enjoyed watching London Spy for several reasons. First and foremost, I think Ben Wishaw’s performance as the series’ protagonist is quite special, believable, and heart-wrenching. Second, I think his character’s relationship with Edward Holcroft’s inscrutable character, a spy whose stoic ambition is explored and questioned throughout the series, is fascinating. I won’t comment further to avoid spoiling the many twists in the plot, but I found the process of unraveling the story to be very enjoyable. Finally, the series is short and self-contained, which the BBC has perfected as a time-honored form. American studios should take note.

GAMES

ROOT (2018) - “A Game of Woodland Might and Right” by Cole Werhle & Kyle Ferrin

I love this board game! You are a woodland creature attempting to claim dominance over the forest lands. In the original game as pictured clockwise from top-left, the characters are: the Woodland Alliance (mouse), the Eyrie Dynasty (bird), the Vagabond (raccoon), or the Marquis de Cat. Root is very replay-able because it offers several different characters to choose from with different paths to victory and can be played with anywhere from 2-6 players (with an expansion pack). Plus all the game’s warrior pieces are these adorable simplifications of their team, like the sneaky-looking raccoon Vagabond or the angry-looking birds of the Eyrie.

Until recently, I had never played a board game with what is called an “asymmetrical” style of gameplay. Here’s an explanation from Ben Garry, an author at Zatu Games, which seems like they know more than me about board games:

At its most basic, I think of an asymmetrical game as a game where players start with differences. For example, [Settlers of] Catan is not asymmetrical, because, before a settlement is placed, every player has the same resources, rules and abilities. [Root], on the other hand, is asymmetrical, because each player has a faction with unique abilities and a different starting position on the board.

Root is very fun, but can take a few rounds to pick up all the rules. Before starting, I’d suggest watching an introductory YouTube video, like this very enthusiastic one from Becca Scott at Geek & Sundry Productions. Enjoy!