104 Thoughts, 10 Paintings and One Recommendation
From Avatar Aang to Homer, Bill Cunningham and the week's most interesting cultural stories
From the Editor
Across more intense public scrutiny and praise for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey scrutiny, I have turned to art. Inspired by Homer’s epic, many artists have imagined scenes from the story, paintings that have elicited similar divided opinions when they were shown to the public.
At least we can take comfort in the fact that as a people we have always found a way to be offended by adaptations. Feel free to share your thoughts on those works when you scroll down and tap on the story.
One of the highlights of my week was finally getting to watch the animated film Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender animated film. I had a lot of thoughts, so much so that I wrote a lengthy story and dedicated a full podcast episode to it. You call see both of those below. One of the main takeaways from that experience was the craft of creating a world that feels epic, a story that will endure, is no easy feat.
In this week’s quote, I chose a line from an epic indelibly woven into Middle Eastern culture, following up with a question on the very personal relationship we have when we choose the stories dedicate our time too.
The realisation that time is sacred, more sacred than anything else, feels more relevant than ever today.
And with that I thank you for taking the time to read The Culturelist and going one step further by sharing my stories and reaching out to me directly.
It’s alway such a delight that I will never take from granted.
Enjoy,
Maan Jalal
This Week on The Culturelist…
10 Paintings That Reimagined Homer's The Odyssey Long Before Christopher Nolan
Everyone is talking about Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, based of course on the epic poem by Homer. Nolan’s adaptation is on the one hand being hailed as a modern masterpiece of a film and on the other an abomination of the original text.
The Exhibition List: From Kiefer and Kusama to Schiaparelli
This week’s exhibitions have one thing in common – disruption. Whether as a viewer experiencing these works or learning about the artists who created through disorder and interruptions, the result is the same. The works educate, engage, and alter our path.
Listen on The Culturelist…
House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 6 Review: Is Rhaenyra Finally Becoming Ruthless?
I can’t believe we have two episodes left of this season, and still this episode felt like it was still building up to something. That can only mean tat the last two episodes of this season are going to be intense. Hopefully. Please don’t disappoint.
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender Movie Review & Ending Explained | Why Aang's Story Still Matters
Finally, FINALLY, the Avatar: The Last Airbender animated film is out and it was worth the wait. The real wait, if you know what I mean (I’m talking to you if you who watched the leaked version, tsk, tsk).
The Culturelist Recommends…
Everyone should have a book about Bill Cunningham in their home.
His photography was so much more than the capturing style, trends, and fashion of the everyday on the streets of New York. Cunningham’s work, his incredible eye, reveals that street style is also about people and the evolution of culture.
Obsessed with this book which goes through his stunning photographs as he captured them across the decades.
This Week’s Quote…
I have been researching and reading more about great and classic epics, given the current climate in culture, and found myself (as I often do) gravitating towards 1001 Nights.
Reading from Yasmine Seal’s incredible translation in the beautifully curated book The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights, I fell in love again with the story The Take of the First Dervish. The first line is compelling way to pull you right into the story:
“My Lady, I will tell you how I cam to lose an eye and shave my beard. My father was a king.”
This Week’s Question…
Thank you so much for messaging me with your answers form last week’s question. It’s exciting (and a little overwhelming) how long my list of films and shows to watch is getting!
This week, I was recommending novels to a friend after she had finished Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, who wanted something equally “intense.” After a visit to a bookstore, she took none of my recommendations (not offended in the slightest) and picked up a novel by Alice Feeney that she hadn’t heard of before but felt is what she needed.
So I pose this question to you:
How do you know if a novel is right for you to read? Is it the blurb? The first sentence? The cover? What people are saying about it?
Once again thank you for you subscription to The Culturelist.
See you next week.
Maan Jalal