2016 has been a tough year. A lot has happened, both professionally and in my private life, and I don’t yet know what the implications of all these events, changes and developments will be. So for now, let’s focus on simpler things. Pop culture. And it’s kind of funny, I realized while going though the year’s collection of photographs, playlists and reading journal – many of the strongest cultural experiences I’ve had this year are also associated with certain places, moments. I’ve already written about one of them, reading “Desert Solitaire” in Montpellier. But there are more. So here comes, my year 2016 in pop culture, illustrated when appropriate. Enjoy!
MUSIC
This year, I have mostly listened to random songs, and not albums. There isn’t one artist or band that has influenced me more than any other, the songs just happened. Like, the beat in Hearlines with the Broods, perfect when taking an afternoon run in Hundby. Or the beauty of Dagen jag blir fri by Jonas Svennem and Leslie Tay, that I heard for the first time when walking past the Porte du Peyrou in Montpellier, sunset. The clarity, the lyrics like solvent, making knots loosen, worries trickle away. Yes. That is the best song of my year.
BOOKS
Reading I’ve done a lot more. 31 books in total. Many more than last year. I haven’t read as many since 2012. The exciting “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel on a beach in Greenville, Liberia. The summer was lovely, reading “Vitsvit” by Athena Farrokhzad while lying on the grass on Björkskär, moving from hammock to porch to sunbed reading “My Brilliant Friend” by Elena Ferrante, the ferocity of the wind on rocky Nordkoster, while reading “Buddha in the Attic” by Julie Otsuka. “Desert Solitaire” by Edward Abbey in Montpellier. Out of these, if I have to choose, I think “My Brilliant Friend” was the best. The richness of Ferrante’s writing, the complexity of her characters, the depth of the insights about the nature of relationships. It is an incredible read.
MOVIES
I can’t think of a single good movie that I saw this year. I’m a bit embarrassed, to be honest, but I think I’ll have to leave this black. Maybe something I should try to become better at next year, going to the movies.
TV SERIES
I re-watched a lot of things this year. I think, maybe, it’s like a safety blanket when life otherwise seems too tumultuous or exhausting. While in Liberia and Ghana, I watched Gilmore Girls, an old favorite from my teens, in preparation for the new Netflix season that was released a month ago (that I still haven’t seen, I’m waiting to be able to see it together with Ashley!). In Burkina Faso, I also watched Downton Abbey. Back home, I moved on to Friends. Both great shows that I’ve now finally seen from start to finish. But, of the new encounters this year, I must say that the Australian show Please Like Me was the best. Utterly adorable, occasionally dark but hilarious, amazing characters. Like the main character Josh’s love interest, Geoffrey (pictured above), in the first season. Possibly the hottest guy on television, but, oh, so lost, so weird, so in love with Josh. I’m obsessed! I cannot wait until the fourth season becomes available on my side of the globe!
PHOTOGRAPH
Taken with a timer, Ashley and me with some really old rocks on the southern tip of Öland. Just because it’s lovely.
Katja Malmborg 