The September Digest
Anyone else feel like September flashed by in all of five minutes?
I limped through August, and now we’re snapping into October - although the LA weather refuses to show up with anything close to fall-appropriate style. It’s around this time of year where I feel most homesick for Boston (where I spent four years at Boston University): fall weather that feels like fall, crisp autumn air, the smell of fallen leaves, changing styles to chunky sweaters and coats and jeans and boots. Hunkering down in the library with a dirty chai latte between classes or taking a breath down by the Esplanade. Sometimes I’m so homesick for it that my chest physically aches.
September was a genuine whirlwind. The bullet overview, to name a few:
• The official launch of The Actor Diaries.
• My dad visiting for two days! (And packing in enough for a week’s trip into forty-eight hours.)
• Two photoshoots, including new headshots with Stephanie Girard.
• Signing with a manager (hi, Brian)!
• Seeing Hamilton’s touring production at Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
• The premiere of the Getting LOST documentary at the Lumière Music Hall.
• A day trip to San Diego to check off a major bucket list item: seeing the Blue Angels fly at the Miramar Air Show.
And… a lot of movies at AMC. Of course.
September Thoughts: It’s becoming more and more apparent to me how much I don’t celebrate my wins. Working tirelessly, achieving a wonderful blessing, and then instantly moving on to the next hurdle. Something to recognize; much harder to amend. For October: a personal challenge to celebrate more. Celebrate all of it.
THE BOOKS
Songs My Mother Taught Me by Marlon Brando
This was a month of memoirs, and Brando’s was unlike any I’ve read before. It encompasses a life so much more full than simply an acting career (even an iconic one). He’s brutally honest: Brando openly states that the main reason he wrote the memoir is so the proceeds could afford (literally) the publisher to take chances on up-and-coming authors and artists. Most interesting? Brando repeatedly insists that acting was a vocation, not a life’s passion. It was something he discovered he was good at, and he worked hard, but the end goal was always to make a lot of money on one or two films a year… to then be able to focus on other endeavors. Whether all of this is purposely incendiary or genuine reflection is up for debate - it feels like there’s a deliberate screen between Brando and the reader, despite brutal candor - but no one can argue that his life wasn’t wild, vast, and truly his own.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
Another memoir. The stories Lowe shares, and the experiences he’s moved through in life, will blow your mind. One after the other after the other. His constant evolution and reinvention, both in life and career, will resonate with readers from any walk of life. For my audiobook friends: this is an excellent one to queue up, as Lowe’s personal narrations add further layers of depth, meaning, humor, and loss more than simple text on the page affords.
A follow-up recommendation: watch Andrew McCarthy’s Brats documentary on Hulu after reading.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
No explanation needed. Currently working through it for the third time. “Pray to catch the bus, then run as fast as you can.”
THE WATCHLIST
Getting LOST, dir. Taylor Morden (2024)
If you know anything about me, you’ve probably heard me mention LOST… once or twice. I’ve been following Popmotion Pictures and Taylor Morden’s long-gestating LOST documentary for years, and it’s genuinely incredible what they’ve been able to accomplish - and who they’ve been able to interview. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of LOST’s premiere date, Getting LOST finally premiered in Beverly Hills, complete with premiere posters, tickets gorgeously replicating Oceanic 815 airline tickets, and much of the cast in attendance. I can’t fully explain how special this evening was, and I’m so grateful I was able to attend.
Though the official release date is TBD, follow along on their journey here and check out a sneak peek of the project here.
An incredible lesson in trust: chase what you’re passionate about with wild intensity, and the art will follow.
Strange Darling, dir. J.T. Mollner (2024)
The best film I’ve seen this year. Impossible to elaborate, other than to urge you to find a way to see it however you can. Stunning, risky, brilliant filmmaking that reminded me why I went to film school and why I chose this career path. This is the kind of work I want to do.
Party of Five (1994-2000)
One of my comfort shows. Feels like a big, warm hug. What I wouldn’t give to find a nineties-cozy coffee shop vibe in Los Angeles, with worn couches and big mugs and space to curl up with a journal or a good book in an autumn sweater and just be.
September turned out to be, most likely, the strongest showing of films I’ve seen this year. Other highlights include…
• Alien: Romulus, dir. Fede Álvarez (2024)
• Blink Twice, dir. Zoë Kravitz (2024)
• Saturday Night, dir. Jason Reitman (2024)
• His Three Daughters, dir. Azazel Jacobs (2024)
THE RECOMMENDS
The Getty Villa
Absolutely stunning: the gardens, the art, the sculptures, the architecture, all of it. The perfect way to spend an afternoon - leave your phone in the car and bring a film camera instead. Be present and take it all in. Timed admission is free and parking is $20. After you’ve worked up an appetite, drive a few miles further up PCH and get some lunch at Malibu Farm Café.
A little axe-throwing for your fall schedule. So, so fun. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll work up a good sweat and be a little sore the next day. Over an hour of throwing time with your group, and they give you new options of axes and things to chuck at the target every fifteen minutes. Girls night, anyone?
Three Wishes Grain Free Granola
Currently on the hunt for the best grain-free granola that isn’t loaded with sugar, and Three Wishes has a solid contender. I’ve tried the original and maple pecan flavors. If anyone has other grain-free recommends I should try, let me know!
And in case anyone’s wondering how the Miramar Air Show went…
I really, really love planes. A whole lot.
