August Listopia 2025

What I read, watched, & listened to

August has turned out to be a quiet month for the Gulf South (knock on wood, still 3 days to go) on the hurricane front. I’m sharing my monthly Listopia today because it is the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and I want to raise my small voice in gratitude that, while I will never forget the pain and trauma of that experience for myself and so many others, art and beauty survives and thrives in our imperfect, challenging world. Art and beauty sustained me personally in the long, hard months (& years for many) after the storm when we lived in a truly apocalyptic city.

In reviewing what I accumulated over the month in this post, I realized almost every entry centers on pain. The stories, movies, books, and music I chose this month feels like an unconscious choice to roll in pain then purge it. I’ve shed a few tears for many reasons that lead back to the big one. But, although pain is the theme, it’s written to share and share we will.

Litmag Reads:

My litmag selections for the month are all written with heart and vulnerability. These writers share their experiences with and perception of pain, through fiction and nonfiction. It’s a stellar collection!

Tag, fiction by Claire Hopple in Wigleaf

There's no denying they'd been having problems. You don't need us to spell it out for you. Him drawing a chalk outline of his missing candy bar on the kitchen counter, among other incidents, had already pickled their relationship. Snacks can save your life, but they can also be a weapon.

Speed, fiction by Diane Gottlieb in Matchbook

…they all inhale at once, taking one breath, holding it, holding it, holding. The pounding of their hearts, one muscle red and pulsing, their eyes wide, one deep pool of color.

Dead and Buried, nonfiction by Heain Joung in Bulb Culture Collective -

He had been buried 20 years ago, so the gravediggers only expected to find a few bones. But as it turned out the trouble that had accompanied my father throughout his life could not even be shaken off by death.

Lose, Reject, Discard, nonfiction by Michelle Ross in The Forge -

I think of my childhood as an almost empty drawer. The scraps that remain are tattered. They’re the pieces I’ve handled again and again, e.g., my oldest memory—crying out for my mother who won’t release me from my bedroom.

A Spider Kind of Woman, nonfiction by Avitus B. Carle in her Substack, [How I Learned] -

The folks say how she’s different. Hears things no one else can. How that poor Mo’Bradie, can’t no one understand her. Can’t grasp the why of her. Why she out there in the rain. Ruining that good hair.

Books:

Whatever Kills the Pain by CW Blackwell - Derringer Award-winning author C.W. Blackwell lets loose a whirlwind on us with this collection of gritty short stories. His protagonists are all working class people trying to get through their broken lives in a world that doesn’t give a damn about them. I love CW’s writing so much (Don’t miss his Hard Mountain Clay either) and one thing I love is that he writes strong, resilient women who are very much involved in his stories. If you like to read about real people in the real world, this is a must.

From “I Keep Coming Back Empty Handed,” a story that broke my heart:

By the fifth day, a weariness had spread through the group. The afternoon crew trudged down the trail as the morning crew hiked out, each passing the other with grim nods and few words spoken. It felt more like a shift change at a coal mine than a search and rescue operation. I’d heard the boy’s name so many times that my brain simply filtered it out. It became like a written word scrutinized too closely, the meaning lost, the lettering absurd. The lost boy was no match for the sensationalism of the Gulf War, and he garnered less time on the nightly news and soon disappeared from the front page of the local newspaper entirely.

Swimming Home by Deborah Levy - Hot off reading Hot Milk, I immediately looked for more books by Levy. Swimming Home takes place in another exotic setting, like Milk, and is populated by flawed humans navigating disturbing situations while trying to manage their own depression, loneliness, and obsessions. If that sounds like a hard read, it may be for some people so be aware it tells hard truths with an unflinching eye, including suicide. I love Levy’s prose and the way she digs into uncomfortable subjects with a lyrical shovel. This book was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2012.

Everything was calm. The sun was shining. I was swimming in the deep. And then, when I surfaced 20 years later, I discovered there was a storm, a whirlpool, a blasting gale lifting the waves over my head.

TV:

Series:

A Spy Among Friends on BritBox - This series is based on a true story about two British friends who are also spies for M16 in the early 60s. Starring Damien Lewis and Guy Pearce, the question is which one is the double agent. With lots of intrigue and moving parts, I confess to some confusion watching episode 4 and resorting to Googling for a review. I found this site which was a help so I continued reading it after each following episode. Lewis and Pearce are impeccable in their parts (I’m a big Lewis fan) as are all of the actors, really. It’s a slow burn that demands undivided attention or you might miss a key bit. You won’t want to miss any little bit.

The Agency, Seasons 1 & 2 on Paramount Plus starring Michael Fassbender as a sexy, haunted spy in yet another twisty tale that will not bore you even a little. I close-to-binge-watched both seasons back to back. It’s an action-packed ride, quite the opposite of the cerebral A Spy Among Friends, watching Fassbender outwit the bad guys and the establishment. And, yes, there’s a love story involved. Pure escapism in an absorbing story of espionage.

Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero on BritBox - Christie is the master of the who-in-this-group-committed-murder genre aka “cozy mystery.” While I prefer grittier crime tv, sometimes a cozy mystery is just right and this one fits the bill. The dastardly deed takes place in an English mansion by the sea involving Lady Tressilian, played by the inimitable Angelica Huston (a delightful surprise), and investigated by Inspector Leach, skillfully played by Matthew Rhys. Throw in a cast of beautiful people in beautiful clothes and you’ve get a very interesting romp on the English seaside.

Movies:

Small Things Like These on Hulu - Based on Clare Keegan’s book of the same name, this film was moody, atmospheric, and almost as devastating as the book. The story follows family man Bill Furlong, played by Cillian Murphy, in his past and present life in an Irish village until he finally confronts the secret inside the local convent ignored by everyone living in the village. It followed the book pretty closely but I feel like those who haven’t read it might not grasp some of the undercurrents. Dialog is sparse although Murphy can say more with his facial expressions and posture than others do with words. Because dialog is sparse and the pace of the film is deliberate, it may not suit people who prefer a lot of action. I loved the book but even I, who loves a moody movie, found myself losing focus a couple of times. I give it 4 out of 5 stars for that reason.

The Last Showgirl on Hulu - This story is about what happens when a showgirl’s 30-year career as a dancer (!) ends. There are multiple intriguing story threads but that’s the main thrust. I was skeptical going into this movie because I have zero interest in casinos or Las Vegas but I had read that Pamela Anderson was brilliant in it. And she was. She acted the hell out of her part. Jamie Lee Curtis was very good, too, in her part as a casino waitress and Pamela’s friend. I’d recommend it just to see these two women at the top of their craft. But, to be brutally honest, it was a depressing movie. I felt sad for these women, their lives, and how easily they were kicked to the curb with no clue about what to do next. So maybe it accomplished its point. I give it 5 stars for excellent acting.

Music:

The Black Keys, No Rain, No Flowers

I love this gritty, soulful album and listen to it over and over. I can’t recommend it highly enough if a blues-driven, pulsating groove is your jam. I particularly love this song. Hope you’ll listen.

Read, watch, listen, immerse.

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If you’ve read this far and are interested, here is a link to my Katrina-related writing in a Google file. Tia, if you do.