3 Things: Bess Kalb, Dana Jay Bein, and Michael Apted

Hello!

It's officially Spring and while I don't think this is what any of us were picturing, the seasons keep moving on regardless. Mitra Jouhari, a great comedian and writer, recently posted about Nowruz, the Iranian new year, which took place on Thursday. She said, "Today is Nowruz, Iranian new year. It symbolizes growth, a new day, and most resonant to me right now, a reminder that winter doesn't last forever. Spring will come." I found that to be very moving and relevant to this moment in our lives. I hope you're all staying healthy and hopeful.

Upcoming Events

All live shows are postponed until further notice. Since you can't buy tickets and see a show in person, consider supporting your favorite venue/restaurant by buying a gift card for when they reopen or giving to a local food bank. 

This week’s list

GREAT:
Bess Kalb's new book No One Will Tell You This But Me is the story of her grandmother's life written in her grandmother's voice. It's a beautiful book about love and style and holding on to a person's memory even when they're no longer around. It's also very funny! But that's no surprise, Bess is an Emmy-nominated writer for The Oscars and Jimmy Kimmel Live. In a time like this, maybe we all need a sensible Jewish grandmother to give us advice on eating right, keeping a sense of humor, and to remind us that "if the earth is cracking behind you, you put one foot in front of the other." Nobody Will Tell You This But Me (and an excerpt in the New Yorker: Phone Calls with My Grandmother)


FUNNY:
Dana Jay Bein is a pillar of Boston's comedy scene. He's relentlessly optimistic and kind, hardworking, and passionate about even the most absurd jokes. This week, Dana took over the internet with his rewritten lyrics for Bohemian Rhapsody: Coronavirus Rhapsody


INTERESTING:
"In 1964, with 'Seven Up!' Michael Apted stumbled into making what has become the most profound documentary series in the history of cinema. Fifty-five years later, the project is reaching its conclusion." Apted's documentary series is fascinating, not only because of what he captures on film, but also the scope of the project. And I find it very comforting to think about how much happens over the course of a lifetime and how dramatic moments, even huge historical events, are only a part of what defines his subjects. It's a useful thing to keep in perspective, for me, right now. I loved reading this profile of Apted's work and process: Does Who You Are at 7 Define Who You Are at 63?


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Stay safe!
Chris

3 Things: Wendell Berry, Maeve Dunigan, and the Bronx Freedom Fund

Oooh boy.

My friend Emma is housesitting for her pal who left town for a device-free silent retreat a week ago. The friend got back on the grid, looked at the internet, and was in for a real shock. Her first texts to Emma after reading the news were "I do not feel calm. I hear Tom Hanks has it." 

I feel her whiplash! It's wild how fast things are moving and how anxiety-producing they are. The world feels surreal. There's no better example of that than these photos of the world's most crowded places now suddenly empty. So for this week's email, I'm going to try and not make it about coronavirus and instead focus on some things that I've found grounding and stable this week. Maybe you're in need of that too. 

Upcoming Events

All live shows are postponed until further notice. 

This week’s list

GREAT:
Wendell Berry is a poet, novelist, and environmentalist. He lives in Port Royal, Kentucky, near where he was born, and he's been working the land there for more than 40 years. NPR once called him "America's foremost farmer-philosopher." This week, I've been reading his poem "The Peace of Wild Things" and relying on his advice for what to do when the state of the world makes you despair. It's a short little poem (and you can even hear him read it himself at that link) but it's been exactly what I needed to calm down these past few days.

I also loved reading an interview with Berry where he talks about the importance of connecting with his neighbors and community and the power of understanding that you're not always in control. I've specifically thought a lot about how his Amish friends cared for one of their non-Amish neighbors when he got sick. (Also the rule that you should never milk more than 25 cows in a day. Good to know!) Going Home with Wendell Berry


FUNNY:
Maeve Dunigan's piece in McSweeney's this week really got me. Any fan of true crime podcasts or police procedurals on TV will immediately recognize what she's doing so brilliantly here. A Smoothie Recipe Written by a Cop in a Small Town That Just Had Its First Murder in 50 Years.


INTERESTING:
The Bronx Freedom Fund was founded in 2007 with the simple but radical idea that no one should be in jail simply because they were poor. Thousands of New Yorkers were ending up in pre-trial detention because they couldn't come up with the money for bail. To be clear, these were folks who had been convicted of no crime and posed no risk. They were simply being held behind bars because they didn't have enough money to pay. Which, of course, cost New York City taxpayers millions of dollars.

The Bronx Freedom Fund raised money and posted bail for thousands of low-income New Yorkers over 13 years. And they also provided a crystal clear moral argument for why the cash bail system was so unjust. Such a clear argument, in fact, that after a decade of advocacy, New York State passed a historic bail reform that ended the practice for the vast majority of cases. This week, the Bronx Freedom Fund closed up shop. It's one of the rare cases of a non-profit shutting their doors because of success. I strongly encourage you to read the letter they wrote about the organization and their fight and to be inspired that good people really can make positive change in the world! The Bronx Freedom Fund


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Hoping you stay safe, healthy, and have the appropriate amount of toilet paper,
Chris

3 Things: Pooja Reddy, David Shrigley, and Composting in Seoul

Happy Saturday!

I've never seen people so enthusiastic and determined about personal hygiene. Thanks to coronavirus, thorough hand-washing is even a viral dance on TikTok.  And yesterday, the city of Austin canceled all of SXSW. It's wild! I flew to San Francisco this week to tell jokes at a corporate event. The airport was deserted and I was the only person in line for TSA. So there are some perks to COVID-19.

Here in LA, people are definitely stocking up. I went to Costco to pick up groceries and it was packed full of very nervous people buying ungodly amounts of toilet paper. As far as I can tell, most folks here never put together emergency kits for wildfires or earthquakes, but COVID is finally making them do it. There's no doubt that after the next big earthquake, everyone in LA will have perfectly sanitized hands.

I hope you're staying safe and healthy! Remember to cough directly into your elbows, and then bump those same elbows with other people as a way to avoid shaking hands. 

Upcoming events

AUSTIN, TX
CANCELLED Sunday, March 15th at 5:30 pm. I'll be at SXSW for a special live taping of You're the Expert. 

LOS ANGELES, CA
Wednesday, March 25th at 7 pm at the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre. Matt Porter and I are hosting another edition of Powerful Points, where comedians give presentations. Link (STILL HAPPENING!)

DETROIT, MI
CANCELLED Tuesday, March 31. I'll be performing one of my Pop-Up Magazine stories at the Local News Summit. 

This week’s list

GREAT:
Pooja Reddy is an NYC comedian and writer. She was "born in Brooklyn and confusingly raised in rural Kentucky" and is "a recovering government employee under the Obama Administration." Pooja has a natural comfort on stage and a warmth that comes across on screen. She's great. Her latest video for ABC's Localish is about Punjabi Deli, one of the food spots I miss most from New York. Nothing beats a late night combo of #1, #3, and #5 with a samosa on the side. This Is Where You Can Find the Most Authentic South Asian Food in New York


FUNNY:
David Shrigley's artwork consistently makes me laugh out loud. He's created an immediately recognizable visual style and he has a bizarre and perfect sense of humor. It seems mutually exclusive, but he's able to craft jokes that feel topical while also being evergreen. (See his most recent post on Instagram.) I love exploring his website: David Shrigley's Drawing and Painting


INTERESTING:
If I care about fighting climate change, I guess I'm going to start having to care about garbage. This article by Rivka Galchen was eye-opening about how terrible food waste is for the environment and emissions. But unlike many climate change articles, she highlights a practical solution. We can learn from South Korea, where 95% of food waste is recycled. "Automated bins, rooftop farms, and underground mushroom-growing help clean up the mess." It's an important story that also gave me hope! Who would have thought it was possible? How South Korea is Composting Its Way to Sustainability


Thanks for reading! if you like these emails, please forward to a friend or spread the word. If someone forwarded you this email but you're not yet on the list, you can subscribe here.

Safely quarantined inside the internet,
Chris