is 2022 over yet? fall & annual favorites
last quarter and end of year list of what has been feeding my soul
2022 has been another year of “…I didn’t see that coming.” Which brings me to think someday I will accept how little I am in control of the future or capable of predicting the future, someday, maybe.
The following list represents some of the ways in which once again I have found sanity and solace in the midst of it all.
First up is my fall list. Then my 2022 “best 4” is found at the end of this post.
Enjoy and hopefully we can all do this again next year.
MUSIC
A Southern Gothic by Adia Victoria. Time and travel in the American South is one of my favorite things. In this work Victoria digs deep into the south beyond rumors and cliché. Production by T Bone Burnett always catches my attention.
Anaïs Mitchell may be resetting her life. In the midst of the pandemic, and being some-what mid-life, she moved from the city back to her small town, rural roots. In this self-titled album she looks in all directions, wrestling and searching for what just might be out there and maybe within reach.
Cockburn came out with, Rarities, a new album of hidden gems. It happens when you spend decades making great music. Hopefully he will both keep making new music and exploring that which was, long, forgotten or overlooked.
Bonny Light Horseman’s second album, Rolling Golden Holy, does a great job of keeping folk music alive and continuing to bridge generations.
Michaela Anne dropped a Christmas EP, Happy Xmas. All four songs are great, but I really love her version of The River. And her efforts made The 2022 No Depression Guide to Holiday Music That Doesn’t Suck!
Watkins Family Hour Vol. 2. I am a sucker for anything with Sara Watkins, so anything by the Watkins Family Hour gets my attention.
VIDEO & FILM
Reservation Dogs continues to be a favorite. I could watch loops of Dallas Goldtooth as Spirit for hours. He is perfect in breaking stereotypes and transcending expectations. Hopefully there will be much more in the future.
In what was possibly the first theater movie for Connie and I to see since the pandemic arrived we saw Harvest Time. A documentary filmed 50 years ago while Neil Young and others created his great album Harvest. The mix of timeless music and seeing others who were stepping into adulthood, a few years ahead of us, was cause for deep reflection and surprises.
Fire Island brings love and friendship, the realities and foibles of living each day and relationships. It’s funny, it’s painful, it’s mind numbing and it’s real. Great cast, great story make a great movie.
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul plays to my prejudices, revealing the darker side of commercial Christianity. Will the Reverends Childs be able to endure the human struggle, and keep appearing true to expectations, and keep the money rolling in? That seems to be the question and the challenge.
I have long been fascinated by the restaurant business. Family members worked in restaurants. A few shoestring relatives owned small cafes. My times in camp and conference work included connections with the food service realities, and washing thousands of dishes. The Bear dives into this complicated world with its lack of resources, pressure-cooker schedules, and stressed relationships. The fast paced story goes many directions to arrive at a perfect ending.
Connie and I have been caught in The White Lotus hype. I am fascinated by the life back story of creator, writer, director and whatever else, Mike White. Years ago I followed his father’s relationship with Billy Graham, yes that Billy Graham. The gradual revealing of the deeper story and lives of the characters and the twists keep it fun and interesting.
BOOKS
I went from one Sue Monk Kidd book to another, The Invention of Wings. Is it a southern story? Is it a historical story? Is it an abolition story? Is it a women’s rights story? Yes to all and more.
Rickey, by Howard Bryant. A great book. It begins with Insights into the connections of the city of Oakland, the great migration and professional athletes. It reveals a depth to Rickey that was both endearing and stopped me short with tragic realities.
I missed reading baseball books this summer and needed to catch up. True, by Kostya Kennedy, is another great book about a truly exceptional man, Jackie Robinson. Everybody knows about Jackie and his breaking the color barrier. While a great feat, his demonstrated greatness went far beyond the diamond. Jackie’s commitments to equality, politics and faith are still making an impact.
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. Once again I am confronted with the realities that death is on the horizon and that wrestling with death is a necessary gift for understanding life.
PODS
Everything Happens, A Good Funeral, season 9, episode 4, Kate Bowler interviews Thomas Lynch. Bowler has been on my list before. She brings her own life to each interview and this is a gem. I love Thomas Lynch. I heard him at a conference years ago. I have read many of his books. Again, without beginning to understand death, we do not understand life. Lynch has the insights and humor to make learning, even about death, a joy.
The Run-up. See comments below in my best of 2022 list.
On With Kara Swisher. Swisher balances professional insights and opinions with her life realities. Her guests are great and topics relevant.
American History Tellers. I give away my not so hidden passion for American History with this one. This year we brought stories of pirates, plagues and more presidents, including assassinations. So good.
Jordan Klepper Fingers the Conspiracy. I am fascinated by current right wing conspiracies, why people believe them and the damage they can bring when left unchecked. Klepper mixes his comedic edge, from the Daily Show, with learned guests to examine the lies, the real and potential impact, and people who believe them.
Have You Heard. I recommend this for everyone who has a connection to public education. Those who work in schools, those who attend or attended schools, those who have family or friends in schools, those who pay taxes… Have You Heard provides clarity and purpose in understating and supporting this institution that continues to define and shape our lives, culture, and future.
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My 2022 TOP PICKS
Search by Michelle Huneven is my book of the year. This may have been influenced by the fact that I have been on a search committee for our church. The book brought insights and comic relief to the pressures and responsibilities of my daily realities. She truly understand the relationships and innerworkings of church life.
Hacks is my television show of the year. Jean Smart has reached a maturity and excellence in her profession that is masterful. Is she is putting it all on the line or cruising on her past efforts? It does not matter, she’s making it happen.
Loose Future by Courtney Marie Andrews is my album of the year. Songs range in style and genre. Over time her songs grow in stature. I keep finding nuance that nourishes.
The Run-Up is my favorite podcast for 2022. Spoiler alert: Christian Nationalism, Trumpism and right wing Republicans do not look good on this one. The deep importance of the mid-terms was examined as the pressure increased. I know the election is over, but this is still worth a listen. There are more elections planned in the future and there will be crucial decisions, challenges, and surprises.