It’s Friday. Looking for something to switch up your weekend, or to give you an excuse to relax a little? That’s what the Weekend Reset is for. Each week we’ll pull together five things to get your weekend started. Could be something to read or watch, something to eat or listen to, or even something to do. Enjoy the weekend fellas.
GO ON: A Picnic!
With spring in full swing, the great outdoors is finally a hospitable (and gorgeous) place to spend a lazy weekend afternoon. And what better way to do that than to throw a bunch of yummy things into a basket and have a good old fashioned picnic? If you want simplicity — pick up some good bread and yummy cheese (and maybe a bottle of wine?) at the supermarket. Want to go all out? Bon Appetit has a whole guide to picnic-friendly recipes. Bring a good book with you, and you’re in for a wonderful afternoon. Photo by Tim Collins on Unsplash.
If you’re bringing a Bluetooth speaker to your picnic, then Grizzly Bear’s 2009 album Veckatimest is the perfect thing to accompany you. One of the best indie records of the late 2000s, Veckatimest is full of warm Beach Boys style harmonies and guitar licks that are somehow breezy-yet-mathy. The song Two Weeks is, of course, a classic standout, destined to be played in Trader Joe’ses around the world for years, but deep cut While You Wait For the Others is probably my favorite Grizzly Bear song of all time.
Ernest Hemingway casts a HUGE shadow over the past century of American fiction and masculinity. He’s one of those rare writers whose very name conjures up images of bullfighting and boxing and bayonets, a writer whose ethos is so ingrained in our culture that you don’t have to have read a lick of his work to know all about him. Burns’ six hour documentary dives deep into Hemingway’s biography, while also using it to contextualize Hemingway’s most famous writing. Streams free on PBS. Thanks to Joe for the suggestion.
Speaking of Hemingway. Thanks to Ken Burns’ doc, I’m excited to revisit his work. There are classics of his I’ve never read (I’m looking at you, seventeen-year-old-copy-of For Whom the Bell Tolls) as well as stories I’d like to reread. Looking to dip your toe in the water? The Sun Also Rises is a great starting place, full of punchy, ironic prose. Or try the four page story “Hills Like White Elephants,” which is easily one of the best pieces of short fiction ever written. For those looking for a deeper sojourn into the Hemingway Extended Universe, A Farewell to Arms and the aforementioned For Whom the Bell Tolls, both war novels, are meaty classics to sink your teeth into.
TUNE IN TO: The Oscars!
Sunday night is Oscar night, and with a whole host of changes to the ceremony due to Covid, it promises to be a particularly unusual and exciting evening. Falling in line with last year’s ceremony, the evening won’t have a single host, and instead will have a rotating set of presenters which should keep things dynamic and fun. With a number of historic firsts up for contention across multiple categories as well as the opportunity to peek into several stars’ homes via Zoom, this is one worth tuning into. Live on ABC Sunday at 8pm EST / 5 pm PST.
About the author: Michael Robin is an LA-based television writer and tutoring company co-Founder. When he’s not working away on his latest pilot script, you can find him scuba diving, hosting Shabbat dinners, or goofing off with his goldendoodle, Biggie Lebowski.