Right about this time, folks start yearning for Summer. But before we get so excited for summer that we forget the sweltering heat, let's pull back the throttle, play some soothing sounds, and dig in to The Digest. This issue spotlights topics in music, tailoring, art, and leisure - just what peak springtime calls for. Enjoy.
April 03, 2022
The Digest - April
Patience Is Pleasure
It's hard to imagine springtime without the sonic swells of Count Basie. One of the greatest bandleaders of all time, The Count and his orchestra perform a brilliant set for BBC's Show of the Week. By the mid-'60s, the Big Band sound was out of fashion, but this is a breathtaking performance to show that classics never die. Stream on your TV and observe a masterclass of perfection at ease.
"I'm not an elitist — I just don't want to be so intermingled with everybody. What does that mean? Attention to detail, a special style. It means no casual Fridays; you don't have a Saturday attitude about going to Central Park."
Gay Talese's convictions on formality are anything but opaque. He's a hardliner when it comes to how a man should dress. Here, he gives an autobiographical flourish of reasons. Talese has drawn a red line - the question now begs where do you stand?
In May 1958, Robert Emmett Ginna visited Ernest Hemingway at his home in Cuba for an interview. Hemingway, playing aloof, is reluctant to open up and talk about the topic - writing. The interview is quintessential Hemingway - faux machismo masking a tragic sensitivity, talking about fishing, war, women, and eventually, writing. Head over and read the Esquire archive when they were still classic.
La Haine is a heart-pounding 90's film by French director Mathieu Kassovitz. Criterion Collection calls it a "gritty, unsettling, and visually explosive look at the racial and cultural volatility in modern-day France." 'La Haine' is a tumultuous yet beautiful film with dynamite performances, notably from the legendary Vincent Cassel. As we follow the characters along their downward spiral, the ending scene poignantly narrates, "It's about a society falling. On the way down it keeps telling itself: "So far so good...how you fall doesn't matter... it's how you land!" It also doesn't hurt that you'll find some of the best casual style in its scenes. Plenty of Levi's, Lacoste, and Carhart to percolate a bit of nostalgia.
A favorite account we've come across on the 'gram, @maisonhomme___ is a prime source for relaxed chic style and plenty of outfit inspiration. It's a beautiful curation of the enduring and elegant 90's ideal that we've all come to love. Give it a follow.
"After he's shot in 1968, Andy Warhol begins documenting his life and feelings. Those diaries, and this series, reveal the secrets behind his persona." This eye-opening snapshot of Warhol's life shows the fragility and tragedy behind his prolific persona. Filled with interviews, photos, and source footage from heartwarming to unsettling, 'Diaries' is an eye-opening account of an artist ahead of his time.