It's been a while since I've made a Cultural Diaries entry and over the past few months I've read and screened a lot, some great, some good, and some less so.
I'm currently reading a biography on Frederick Douglass by David W. Blight. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, it is not light reading, especially at nearly 800 pages. Still, I'm finding its depiction of an 19th century black man, who's journey from slavery to revolutionary orator, writer and leader very inspiring. That's why I read biographies: they give me an idea of how I can better live my own life. Douglass's struggles and the advancements he made towards the abolition of slavery can be applicable to anyone who has ever had their own struggles and tribulations in life, and I fit into that category.
I'm currently watching a Netflix series called Mindhunter. It is produced and some episodes are directed by David Fincher. The stylistics and motifs of the director of Seven, Fight Club and Zodiac is evident in the series' dark tone and visual style. The series depicts of a group of FBI agents who interview incarcerated perpetrators of violent crimes and horrible murders o get a better sense of current cases and the psychologies of similar criminals. It takes place in the late 70s with a very nice attention to period detail. I just completed the first season and look forward to the next and so far only other one available.
I tend to read more than one thing at a time and besides the Douglass bio, I'm also reading an anthology of film criticism originally published in The New York Press called The Press Gang. It covers the reviews and essays of Godfrey Cheshire, Matt Zoller Seitz and Armond White from the early 90's to 2011. The entries are awesome to read, informative, and always engaging. It is comprehensive and long, but I find myself flying through the book and coming away better informed about cinema in many different aspects. The critics also draw on films and directors from before the time they write, such as pieces on Rainer Werner Fassbinder and 70's American independent films.
In the coming month, I'll be embarking on a new educational journey, starting an online Masters degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Writing and New Media. I'm hoping I can see it through, though I'm often feeling hesitant about the time and money I need to commit towards this venture. I also hope that I can learn a lot about culture, writing and myself in a little more depth.