An Advertisement for Tom Lake
Ann Patchett's new novel, by me, her stalker, plus Channing Tatum content
If you’re reading this newsletter, you probably have a few favorite novelists—writers whose books you buy already knowing that you will love them, writers for whom each new book feels like you’re a kid on Christmas morning. I don’t just mean writers you like, whose books you buy. I mean writers you love, whose books move inside your body and stay. I have a terrible memory (for everything except the full names of every kid at my elementary school and everything about the New Kids on the Block) but there are images from each of Ann Patchett’s novels that live inside my brain, crystal clear. I know there’s a film adaptation of Bel Canto, but I haven't seen it (Julianne Moore, I love you, I’m sorry) because I don’t want to replace the images I have in my head.
ANYHOO, all of this is to say, I just finished Ann’s new novel, Tom Lake, which comes out in August, and it’s perfect. It’s about a family on a cherry orchard in Michigan, three grown daughters trapped at home during the early months of the pandemic, and their mother tells them the story of her romance with a movie star when she was young. It’s about Our Town and acting and the magic of place, it’s about choices and ambition, it’s a fucking instant classic, it’s a bucolic pandemic sex mystery, I loved every page and you will too.
Preorder it here, from Ann, or here, from me. You should probably order it from Ann. Or preorder the audiobook, and have Meryl read it to you! I’m going to listen to it ASAP.
Other Works of Art I’ve Enjoyed Recently:
Succession, obviously. And I’m not saying that just because of this. What an ending! Total heartbreaker. And kudos to Evan Ross Katz for doing this on Instagram. Kiera Knightley is not my personal Elizabeth, but I will take Matthew Macadyen’s Darcy.
I also just finished the first season of XO Kitty, brainchild of my friend Jenny Han. I knew I’d enjoy it—a high school love story set in Korea, sign me up—but the series was funny and sweet and also explores that ‘Wait, do I have a crush on this person? Or that person? Or both?’ feeling so well. Excellent characters, all of them! I won’t spoil it, but I will say, go watch! I loved Kitty. Good job, Jenny! And Siobhan Vivian, Jenny’s BFF and fellow YA novelist, who also wrote for the show. Go team!
Some months ago, my TikTok and Instagram stories suddenly were flooded with videos of Matty Healy. I had no idea who he was, or how he got there, or what he had to do with anything. (I think my phone was like, hmm, she sure seems to like Harry Styles concert videos, here’s another British guy with floppy hair. Clearly my phone doesn’t completely understand.) Nowadays, I am neck-deep in Matty Healy/Taylor Swift fan theories and videos and so I was delighted to read this Jia Tolentino profile of Healy. I still don’t know what a single 1975 song sounds like, nor do I care to. Jia is so smart and so funny and I read everything she writes, but this timing was extra good. Is it THE 1975? Whatever. Do I think they’re actually dating? I don’t care. I hope Taylor is happy. That’s all I care about. That woman works so hard, and is so brilliant, and I hope that when she finds three minutes to hang out or have fun or smooch somebody, that she’s enjoying it. This has been a miniature Taylor Treatise.
High Desert is a show on Apple and it has the best Gen X leads—Patricia Arquette? Matt Dillon? Yes please! I love them both so much. Patricia Arquette is still the coolest girl in town, but now she’s the coolest girl on the flip side of a lot of bad decisions. It’s so satisfying to watch actors you love age into different kinds of parts. That is truly all I want—not for Patricia Arquette to play 25 forever, or to be 25 forever, but for her, and Winona Ryder and Molly Ringwald and all the goddesses I love the most play 40, 45, 50, 55 and on! I want Book Club but with my heroines. (I’m not knocking Book Club—I fucking love Book Club.) Related—I cannot fucking wait to see the new Nicole Holofcener movie. I feel about Nicole Holofcener the way I feel about Ann Patchett. Absolute genius, every single time.
Last but not least: Channing Tatum came to the bookstore yesterday. Long story short: he has a series of picture books, and we hosted an event for his latest. There were more emails and video meetings about this event than we have ever had about any other event. There were two bodyguards that looked like matryoshka doll versions of Channing himself—shorter, stouter, older, with necks the size of their shoulders. Channing was nervous, visibly so, about reading his picture book to the 125 kindergartners sitting in front of the store. We exchanged only a few sentences. He seemed kind, and was surrounded by women who worked for him who all clearly loved him enormously. Most of all, I was struck by how overwhelming it must be to move through the world that way, so that people see you on the street and immediately take out their phone to take a photograph. Sometimes people stop me on the street, but it’s always a very nice person who says something lovely about one of my books, or the bookstore, or about my father’s death. This was not like that. This was like standing near a giraffe who has escaped from the zoo. I felt sad for the giraffe, and I hope he comes back someday so we can sit around and talk about picture books. Channing Tatum is an American treasure, and like Taylor Swift, I wish him nothing but happiness and also for people to leave him the fuck alone.
I feel the exact same way about Ann Patchett and Jia Tolentino. Write about anything you want, I don’t care, I’ll read it!
I had no idea who The 1975 were until our daughter announced that they‘re seeing them in Vienna on Monday (taking a night train to get there which should be interesting). For any of you with growing / grown children, I highly recommend one of those Spotify family playlists - it opens up new windows into family members’ lives (or, well, at least into what they‘re listening to). Like, I have now listened to a few of The 1975‘s songs!