Plus the poetry of Mary Oliver, a tribute to sculptor Geles Cabrera, and the magic of Ypovrichio!

Reading: Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver

Listening #1: Psychedelia in White  by Mick Harvey & Amanda Acevedo 

Listening #2: A Tribute to Catherine Ringer (October 18th, 1957 – September 14th, 2026) of Les Rita Mitsouko

Looking: A Tribute to Trailblazing Sculptor Geles Cabrera (August 2, 1926 – September 1, 2026)

Viewing: My Brilliant Career (TV series) — Liz Doran is the showrunner and co-writer for the series, which is directed by Alyssa McClelland and Anne Renton. Staring Philippa Northeast and Christopher Chung. 

Tasting: Spoon Sweets — The Magic of Ypovrichio! 

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Mary Oliver, "Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Plus the art of Ana Elisa Egreja, wisdom from Arundhati Roy, & thirst-quenching hard cider from The Apple Thief!

Reading: The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (published in 2017) and her recent viral essay: “Cockroach Democracy: Unarmed and Dangerous” (July 22, 2026)

Listening: What Does It Take To Bloom?  by Somi

Looking: The Art of Ana Elisa Egreja from her current exhibition, Ana Elisa Egreja: The Flight of Color (currently on view at the Jessica Silverman Gallery in San Francisco until September 3, 2026!)

Viewing: The Captive (El Cautivo) directed by Alejandro Amenábar, starring Julio Peña as Miguel de Cervantes & Alessandro Borghi as Hasán Bajá

Tasting: Milokleftis (Apple Thief) Hard Cider from Athenian Brewery — Forbidden Apple, Pink Splash & Velvet Blush

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Arundhati Roy: “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.” — Arundhati Roy

Plus Erin in the Morning, Ken Klippenstein & Greek Rice Pudding!

Reading #1: Erin in the Morning by Erin Reed

Reading #2: Ken Klippenstein

Listening: Joseph Tawadros: Conversations with Jack— featuring the legendary jazz drummer Jack Dejohnette in one of his final recordings!

Looking: Honoring the Inimitable Artist & Cultural Icon Betye Saar (July 30, 1926 – July 26, 2026)

Viewing: A Film That’s Different Every Time It’s Shown! Eno — directed by Gary Hustwit, a groundbreaking documentary about visionary musician & artist Brian Eno (The Criterion Channel)

Tasting: Rizogalo (Greek Rice Pudding) from Chef Akis Petretzikis!

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Betye Saar (July 30, 1926 – July 26, 2026): “It is my goal as an artist to create works that expose injustice and reveal beauty. The rainbow is literally a spectrum of color while spiritually a symbol of hope and promise.”

Plus Assembly by Rashaad Newsome, LOTE by Shola von Reinhold, & Jacques Pépin's Country Omelette!

Reading: LOTE by Shola von Reinhold

Listening #1: With Every Breath I Take  by Cécile McLorin Salvant

Listening #2: Foreign Tongues  by The Rolling Stones

Looking: “This is Black Queer Culture of the Past, Present and Future”
— Assemblyby Rashaad Newsome (PBS Independent Lens)


Viewing: The Big Johnson (2026) — directed by Lola RocknRolla (documentary about drag queen & queercore rock star Dean Johnson)

Tasting: Jacques Pépin’s Country Omelette!

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Paulo Freire (1921 – 1997): “No one can be authentically human while he prevents others from being so.”

Pride is Protest! No Pride in Silence! Existence is Resistance!

https://outrightinternational.org/

Help Outright International and their partners around the world push for change so that all LGBTIQ people everywhere can live with dignity and free from violence. Donate Now!

Reading: Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000 by Barry Walters

Listening: Skin of My Teeth by Shea Diamond (The perfect album to kick-start Pride Month!)

Looking: A Monumental Exhibition of Queer Art! The First Homosexuals: The Birth of New Identities 1869–1939 (on view at the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland until August 2, 2026!)

Viewing: Our Favorite New Podcast! The Cutting Up: A Kiki with Connie & Lina (hosted by DJ/activist Lina Bradford & fashion legend Connie Fleming!)

Tasting: Cheesecake Fixes Everything! Cheesecake Recipe from The Golden Girls (aka Sophia Petrillo’s Double Fudge Amaretto Ricotta Cheesecake!)

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Judith Butler: “Why is freedom so frightening? Is that even the question? Or is it rather: How has freedom been made to seem so frightening that people find themselves longing for authoritarian rule?”

Plus Crocosmia by Miranda Mellis, Ryan Wildstar’s Homemade Tzatziki & International Museum Day at the National Archaeological Museum!

Reading: Crocosmia by Miranda Mellis

Listening: the color of rain by aja monet

Looking: Celebrating International Museum Day (May 18, 2026) at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece!

Viewing #1: “She’s Not a Terrorist!” — The Testaments (Hulu), a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale (both based on the books of Margaret Atwood)

Viewing #2: Hilarious & Pointed New Stand-Up Comedy!Wanda Sykes: Legacy (Netflix) — directed by Julie Dash!

Tasting: An Unlikely Pairing . . . Ryan Wildstar’s Famous Homemade Tzatziki with . . . Brets Gourmet Potato Chips?!?

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Emma Goldman (1869 – 1940): “The most violent element in society is ignorance.”

Plus Jacques Pépin's French Onion Soup Gratinée! And Metamorphoses, a major art exhibition at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum and Rome's Galleria Borghese!

Editor’s Note: You may have noticed we haven’t been posting as frequently, and that is due to some very serious ongoing medical issues we’ve been experiencing. But you can help! We’ve recently launched a crowdfunding campaign, Saving Ryan & Ryan, to gather some much-needed support for our medical bills. (Click this link for details!)

Reading: Special Announcement! A Live Book Reading of Goth Legend Rozz Williams' Poetry (from his book, And What About the Bells, edited by Ryan Wildstar) at Main Drag Music in Brooklyn, New York on August 15th, 2026!

Listening: In Times of Dragons by Tori Amos

Looking: A Major Art Exhibition: Metamorphoses! (Currently at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam until May 25, 2026! Then at the Galleria Borghese in Rome from June 23 to September 20, 2026!)

Viewing: Smoggie Queens- Seasons 1 & 2(BBC iPlayer)

Tasting: French Onion Soup Gratinée (recipe from Jacques Pépin)

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: bell hooks (1952 – 2021): “Sometimes people try to destroy you, precisely because they recognize your power — not because they don’t see it, but because they see it and they don’t want it to exist.”

Plus Ada Limón, Mia Doi Todd, Henry David Thoreau & Gourmet Vegan Sandwiches in Athens!

Looking/Listening/Viewing/Reading: Boots on the Ground

Reading: Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry   by Ada Limón

Listening: A “joyful balm for the mind, body and soul” — Human Experienceby Mia Doi Todd

Viewing: Jimpa— directed by Sophie Hyde, starring Olivia Colman, John Lithgow & Aud Mason-Hyde, based on Hyde's own family story (including her father, LGBTQIA+ rights activist Jim Hyde)

Tasting: Gourmet Vegan Sandwiches from Handwich! Τζωρτζ 3, Athens, Greece 10682

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862): “If the machine of government is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.”

Plus Unforgettable: Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam, wisdom from Barbara Jordan, and Garlicky Greek Potato Dip!

Reading: Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook by Mark Bray

Listening #1: Laura Jane Grace Live in Concert at Ilion Plus in Athens, Greece (March 25, 2026)!

Listening #2: Hope and Fury by Joe Jackson

Looking: Unforgettable: Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam, 1600-1750 (at the MSK Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, Belgium until May 31, 2026!)

Viewing: The Stranger (L'Étranger) — written & directed by François Ozon (based on the 1942 novel by Albert Camus), starring Benjamin Voisin

Tasting: Skordalia (Σκορδαλιά): Greek Potato & Garlic Mash! (recipe from Chef Akis Petretzikis)

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Barbara Jordan (1936 - 1996): “If the society today allows wrongs to go unchallenged, the impression is created that those wrongs have the approval of the majority.”

Plus The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese, and a glorious new album from Tunde Jegede & NOK Orchestra!

Reading: Watchfiends and Rack Screams: Artaud’s Last Unpublished Work by Antonin Artaud (edited by Stephen Barber, translated by Clayton Eshleman, Paul Buck & Catherine Petit, foreword by John Zorn)

Listening: Invocation by Tunde Jegede & NOK Orchestra

Looking: Happy 97th Birthday to Yayoi Kusama! (born March 22, 1929)

Viewing: Kokuho (2025) — directed by Lee Sang-il, written by Satoko Okudera (based on the novel by Shuichi Yoshida), starring Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Min Tanaka & Ken Watanabe

Tasting: The Epic History of Macaroni and Cheese: From Ancient Rome to Modern America by Karima Moyer-Nocchi

This Week’s Words of Wisdom: Yayoi Kusama! (born March 22, 1929):
“I fight pain, anxiety, and fear every day, and the only method I have found that relieves my illness is to keep creating art. I followed the thread of art and somehow discovered a path that would allow me to live.”