(AND I FEEL FINE)
- Jenie Dahlmann
- Jul 8
- 7 min read
Hello!
Yes, it’s really me. I've crawled out from my bunker of doom-scrolling to shout “I’m baaack!” My last newsletter landed in your inbox in March, which, in 2025 time, feels roughly three wars, six natural disasters, and twelve Supreme Court dissents ago. I normally write every other month, but lately it's felt too bonkers for book-and-movie chatter. How can I recommend a beach read while the beach is literally on fire?
I’m part of a text chain of longtime friends called Alpha Femmes, a powerhouse crew of phenomenal women who swap protest tips, pep talks, and strategies for keeping hope alive. Between sharing which representatives to call and resources for staying safe and alert, we keep repeating one mantra: Joy is resistance. Creation is resistance, community is resistance, and sometimes a perfectly timed cat meme is resistance, too. We remind each other that art and laughter aren’t frivolous extras; they’re our emotional power bars for staying in the fight.
So, inspired by these bad ass women (you know who you are!), the newsletter is baaaack. This issue is titled (And I Feel Fine), a nod to R.E.M.’s immortal post-script to It’s the End of the World as We Know It. Because let’s face it: the world often feels like that song’s rapid-fire lyrics right now, but we can still carve out moments that make us feel, if not fine, at least fine-ish-adjacent.
Inside, you’ll find the books, albums, shows, and small delights currently lighting up the joy center of my grey matter. I hope these sparks of joy help you recharge, re-center, and maybe even smile while dialing Congress.
Thanks for sticking around. Let’s keep reading, watching, listening, and getting into some good trouble together.
Warmly (and resiliently),JenieChief Idealchemist
P.S. If the world doesn’t end this month, I promise the next issue won’t take another epoch to arrive.
READ
The climate-change-focused Wild Dark Shore dropped me onto a windswept island and basically dared me to look away. I couldn’t. The characters are so vivid and messed up you’ll swear you’ve argued with them during Thanksgiving dinner. It ticks all my boxes: mystery, deep meaning, messy family dynamics. I'm looking forward to reading some other titles from McConaghy's backlist.
I devoured Hum in one sitting. It’s a smart, surprisingly tender dive into how Artificial Intelligence we already rely on is rewiring families, friendships, and basic privacy. The tech bits are meticulously researched, but the heart of this book is pure human. Specifically, how a mother’s love endures in spite of modern distractions. I’m nudging everyone I know to read it so we can happily debate the fallout of AI over coffee.
John Lennon once described Yoko Ono as the world’s most famous unknown artist. “Everybody knows her name, but no one knows what she does.” Long overdue, this book finally hands Yoko Ono the solo spotlight she deserves as an artist, visionary, and badass. A survivor who used positive thinking, imagination and creativity to overcome horrific trauma and tragedy, Ono offers the world an alternative to anger, fear, and suffering. I’ve now discovered her music, her writing, and her art, and it's a treasure trove.
Not since A Gentleman in Moscow have I hung on every word of a book. Middlesex is epic in scope, beginning at the turn of the 20th century in Greece and taking us to America through the eyes of immigrants who, in 1923, arrive in New York and settle in Detroit. We follow the Stephanides family, with all their eccentricities, ethnicity, and hardships, through the 1970s. Told by Cal, our narrator, the story sweeps you up and pulls you in. A must-read. Eugenides is an eloquent, humorous, and soulful storyteller.
WATCH
My kids wore out our DVD of Pixar’s Cars during their childhood. F1: The Movie is basically the live-action version of Cars for grown-ups. Brad Pitt's character gets back to the track after a 30-year absence to rescue underdog Formula 1 team APXGP, flanked by teammates played by Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, and Javier Bardem. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer loads it with all the hallmarks of a perfect summer popcorn movie: Top-Gun level stunts, a swoon-worthy leading man, and a soundtrack that rocks the dolby sound system. Buckle up!
I just finished the first two episodes of this new British series on BritBox and it's easily one of the strongest shows this year. Don’t let the “cancel-culture comedy-drama” label scare you off. This is smart, razor-sharp storytelling. from the mind behind Sherlock, Coupling, and Doctor Who. Picture The Morning Show’s premise, but executed about a thousand times better. Hugh Bonneville, Alex Kingston, and Karen Gillan are brilliant. If you crave sharp, well-crafted British drama, queue this up. With only four episodes, you can devour it in a weekend.
Looking for a weekend binge that mixes sharp satire with juicy escapism? Netflix' Sirens, Molly Smith Metzler’s dark-comedy limited series adapted from her play Elemeno Pea, delivers. Over one chaotic weekend in Nantucket, two sisters spar with billionaire power couple Michaela and Peter Kell, spinning wicked laughs around class, gender, and control. Julianne Moore and Kevin Bacon chew the scenery with giddy abandon, and the Easter-egg–inspired Lilly Pulitzer dresses sprinkled throughout? Never disappoint. Think Succession meets beach-house potboiler only funnier and faster.
I finally sat down to watch David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive after seeing it crowned one of the New York Times’ 100 best films of the 21st century, and wow, it earns every bit of that praise. A dark-haired stranger (Laura Elena Harring) staggers away from a Hollywood car crash with no memory until she’s rescued by Betty (Naomi Watts, in the breakout role she absolutely deserved). Together they chase clues to “Rita’s” identity through a dream-logic Los Angeles untouched by traffic or smog. Pro tip: skim Lynch’s own “10 Clues to Unlocking Mulholland Drive” before you press play. Wonderful to also see Justin Theroux in this classic.
LISTEN
Peptoc is a delightful hotline, born at West Side Elementary in Healdsburg, California, where you dial into (707) 873-7862 and let kindergarten voices lift your spirits. Conceived in 2022 by artists Jessica Martin and Asherah Weiss, the project records students offering unscripted words of encouragement: press a number if you’re frustrated, need life advice, or just crave a burst of laughter, with an option in Spanish as well. The cheerful wisdom of these tiny coaches quickly went viral, inspiring a nonprofit “movement for joy.”
Feeling like the world has flipped upside down? Same here. That’s why Samara Joy’s new single, Flor de Lis (Upside Down), feels like perfect timing. Dropped on June 27, it’s her smooth, jazz-bright take on Djavan’s Brazilian classic, arranged by drummer Evan Sherman and wrapped in gorgeous cover art by Brazilian illustrator Anna Cunha. Samara first sang it in Rio, where the crowd turned the chorus into a big, happy sing-along. Now the track’s streaming to remind us that when life tilts, a good song can set things right.
Need a song for that summer glow, not the summer blues? Cue Summertime Blue, the first duet from Norah Jones and John Legend. It's a mellow ’70s-soul groove perfect for swaying in the kitchen while you make a pitcher of lemonade. Instead of heartbreak, Jones and Legend meld warm harmonies about splashy days and castle-in-the-sand dreams, leaving you smiling at the memories rather than mourning what’s gone. Give it a spin and make sure you have room to dance.
FX's The Bear owes as much to Nora Felder’s razor-sharp music direction as it does to Carmy’s razor-sharp knives. Remember last season's cover of the English Beat's Save It For Later by Eddie Vedder? Dare I say better than the original? The music seasons the chaos with R.E.M. for urgency, Pearl Jam for grit, and, this year, glorious ’80s deep-cuts like Love and Rockets’ Haunted When the Minutes Drag for a pinch of nostalgia. Hear every track at FX’s official playlists online.
SHOP
European retailer Béton Ciré’s modern “Miki” hat, half beanie, half brim-less cap, started life on French docks, where Breton sailors needed something that wouldn’t blow off or block their view. In 2013, founder Amélie Le Roux gave that classic workwear shape a sleek update, and it’s since become a street-style staple. Mark (seen here outside Béton Ciré in Paris) snapped up two during our Spring vacation: one in Paris, another in Munich, and I couldn’t resist grabbing my own in Strasbourg. Crafted in Portugal from mid-weight cotton with an adjustable leather strap, it’s the perfect not-too-hot, not-too-light topper.
I’m smitten with Ffern’s Spring and Summer ’25 fragrances, made in the English countryside. Each release is brewed in tiny batches, one hand-numbered bottle per client, so nothing is wasted and every note stays fresh. Each scent arrives on the equinox or solstice, with ingredients perfectly tuned to the season. Even better are the extras tucked into every package: a tiny vial for sampling, a piece of original art, a soothing tea blend, and other surprises. They even produce a short film for every launch; this summer’s sun-kissed scent comes with a dreamy mini-movie starring English treasure Bill Nighy. Their client ledger is full, but get on the waitlist!
SUPPORT
If you believe, as I do, that words can redraw maps and mend hearts, PEN America is an organization worth cheering and, if you are able, supporting. Founded in 1922 and now the largest center in the PEN International network, PEN America stands at the crossroads of literature and human rights. Its mission is simple yet profound: defend everyone’s freedom to write, read, and share ideas at home and around the globe.
That promise becomes action every day. More than 4,500 members, including novelists, journalists, poets, editors, translators, playwrights, publishers, and devoted readers, mobilize whenever a writer is jailed, a newsroom is shuttered, or a new law threatens creative work. The organization produces rigorous research and reports, advocates in Washington and abroad, and mounts rapid-response campaigns for individuals under fire. At the same time, it nourishes the culture it fights to protect through year-round festivals, public events, literary awards, and fellowships that lift emerging voices.
PEN America, a registered 501(c)(3), is headquartered in New York City with offices in Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington, D.C., plus ten regional chapters. Donations help fund everything from emergency legal support for journalists to celebratory readings that remind us why stories matter in the first place. If you value the freedom to imagine out loud, please add your voice to theirs.
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