What you should read, watch, and listen to this spring: recs from English department students and faculty

What we’re reading to maintain our intellectual muscles

Eliot has a way of taking you deeper into your own life by immersing you in the lives of others.

Dr. Harrison

It’s better the second (or tenth) time around: What we’re re-reading

What we’re reading for escape (what pandemic?)

Our fave movies that never get old

  • Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Bek Hirschmann)
  • Paris, Texas (Hannah Knisely)
  • Tarzan (Jency Shaji)
  • Captain America: Civil War (Jency Shaji)
  • Annie Hall (Dr. Crabtree)
  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Dr. Streit)
  • The Magic of Belle Isle (Dr. Streit)
  • Casablanca (Dr. Weatherston)
  • The Breakfast Club (Dalton Hahn)
  • Sunset Blvd. (Dr. Paszek)
  • Manhattan (Dr. Rombes)

What we’re binge-watching

  • Grey’s Anatomy (Hannah Knisely)
  • Brooklyn 99 (Jency Shaji)
  • All American (Jency Shaji)
  • Rake (Dr. Crabtree)
  • Call the Midwife (Dr. Crabtree)
  • Schitt’s Creek (Dr. Harrison)
  • The Great British Baking Show (Dr. Streit)
  • Planet Earth (Dr. Streit)
  • Bosch (Prof. Hiber; Dr. Rombes)
  • Insecure (Prof. Hiber 
  • Tales from the Loop (Dr. Weatherston; Dr. Paszek)
  • The Man in the High Castle (Dr. Hill)
  • Better Call Saul (Dr. Hill)

Rake is a semi-comic Australian show about an outrageous, funny, sexy barrister who’s self-defeating but lovable.

For a good cry, try Call the Midwife.

Dr. Crabtree

Who/what we’re listening to

  • Fleetwood Mac: Tusk (Bek Hirschmann)
  • Harry Styles: Fine Line (Bek Hirschmann)
  • Khalid Radio on Spotify (Jency Shaji)                                         
  • Bedrich Smetana (Dr. Streit)
  • Herbert von Karajan (Dr. Streit)
  • Angel Olsen (Prof. Hiber)
  • Fiona Apple: Fetch the Bolt Cutters (Prof. Hiber)
  • Everything but the Girl (Dr. Weatherston)
  • Talking Heads (Dr. Hill)
  • Wilco (Dr. Hill)
  • Jax Jones: Snacks (Dr. Paszek)
  • Mitsuko Uchida (Dr. Rombes)

About our recommenders

Dalton Hahn is a Theater major and Creative Writing minor. He’s also been writing music, and playing guitar and piano while quarantined.

Bek Hirschmann is a Literature major and Philosophy minor who wrote the previous Between the Pages post. Check it out!

Hannah Knisely is a Literature major and Psychology minor who’s recently taken up repurposing and painting old furniture.

Jency Shaji is a Biology major and a Literature minor. In addition to reading (etc.), she’s been relearning ASL during the quarantine.

Dr. Crabtree is reading advice columns, cooking more creatively, and eating frozen brownies.

Dr. Harrison has been Zoom-ing and forest bathing.

Prof. Hiber can be found reading food blogs and almost-finishing NYT Sunday crosswords.

Dr. Hill has been ordering and planting flowers.

Dr. Paszek is listening to a ton of music and cooking with his air fryer.

Dr. Rombes has been walking and rediscovering jigsaw puzzles.

Dr. Streit is gardening and re-reading Harry Potter books.

Dr. Weatherston has been biking, playing Yahtzee, and reading home renovation magazines.

6 thoughts on “What you should read, watch, and listen to this spring: recs from English department students and faculty

  1. Great Idea, here goes …..

    What we’re reading to maintain our intellectual muscles
    The Russian Origins of the First World War by Sean McMeekin
    Also Data Mining and Analytics by Kris Jamsa

    It’s better the second (or tenth) time around: What we’re re-reading
    A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

    Our fave movies that never get old
    Blade Runner/Blade Runner 2049

    What we’re binge-watching
    Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
    up next Altered Carbon Season 2

    Who/what we’re listening to
    Thievery Corporation Radio on Pandora

    Liked by 2 people

  2. What I’m reading to maintain my intellectual muscles:
    Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre

    What I’m re-reading:
    The Plague by Albert Camus

    My fave movies that never get old:
    Godfather (I and II)

    What I’m binge-watching:
    Chernobyl
    The Crown
    Babylon Berlin
    Sharp Objects
    Unbelievable

    Who/what I’m listening to:
    anything and everything

    Liked by 1 person

  3. reading:

    Stoner, by John Williams
    Darktown, by Thomas Mullen
    Levitsky and Ziblatt, How Democracies Die

    listening to:

    Aimee Mann, Charmer
    Scarlet Lies, Monsters Coming Out
    The I Don’t Cares, Wild Stab
    Herbie Hancock. River: The Joni Letters

    watching:

    The World On Fire
    No Reservations
    Burnt
    Better Days
    The Plot Against America
    Jeopardy

    Liked by 1 person

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