THE QUIRK QUARTERLY, Volume 1 | January, February, March 2021

Welcome to the first volume of The Quirk Quarterly! Every three months or so, I plan to share a collection of my recent music, TV show, literary and film highlights, as well as some mini life lessons I have learnt, all in short form. Have a read to take a journey through my hyper-fixations and to maybe get a recommendation or two for yourself! 

THE MUSIC MAYHEM

(PLAYLIST AT THE SIDE ON DESKTOP!)

For creative writing inspiration and daydreaming:

The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor soundtracks

right where you left me by Taylor Swift 

rue by girl in red

K / Sweet / Heavenly by Cigarettes After Sex

My Silver Lining by First Aid Kit

Death by a Thousand Cuts by Taylor Swift

killing boys by Halsey

Man's World by MARINA

Me & You Together Song by the 1975

seven by Taylor Swift

For days I wanted a pick-me-up and for sunny walks:

Dog Days are Over by Florence + the Machine

Every Bad Suns album

the album O My Heart by Mother Mother 

More Like You by Orla Gartland

fever dream by mxmtoon 

Healthy by LAOISE

Dead to Me by Kali Urchis

21st Century Vampire by LILHUDDY (I'M NOT KIDDING AAAAH)

I Got 5 On It by Luniz and Michael Marshall

For dancing and/or running:

Potential Break Up Song by Aly and AJ

Shinzo wo Sasageyo by Linked Horizon (and some other Attack on Titan opening themes...)

Lie Lie Lie / Telling Myself by Joshua Bassett

On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull lmaoooo

4ÆM by Grimes

For singing and (sometimes) crying to (I'm okay I promise):

Journey to the Past from Anastasia

Only a Matter of Time by Joshua Bassett

Nothing by the Script

18 by One Direction

august by Taylor Swift

i love you by Billie Eilish

driver's license by Olivia Rodrigo 

THE WONDERFUL WORDS

I read books and poetry for my World Fiction and Literary Texts and Critical Methods courses. Themes such as the private versus the public, history, and love were the most prevalent.

 Zadie Smith, The Embassy of Cambodia

"The fact is if we followed the history of every little country in this world – in its dramatic as well as its quiet times – we would have no space left in which to live our own lives… Surely there is something to be said for drawing a circle around our attention and remaining within that circle. But how large should this circle be?"

M. NourbeSe Philip, Zong!

Tayeb Salih, Season of Migration to the North

"They were not angry; they said such things to each other as they laughed, a stone's throw from the Equator, with a bottomless historical chasm separating the two of them."

Gwendolyn Brooks, The Anniad

Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude

"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."

THE TERRIFIC TELEVISION

Wandavision

While the sitcom homages and crazy plot twists were a lot of fun, what I thought was so beautiful about Wandavision was it's amazing but heartbreaking depiction of of grief and trauma.

Parks and Recreation

The ultimate comfort show! The antics of the Parks and Recreation department of Pawnee, Indiana warms my heart no matter the episode I'm watching. 

Attack on Titan

WOWOWOWOW! The world building! The plot twists! The pacing! The animation! The writing! The exploration of the complexity of human nature! Levi Ackerman! All the characters! All beautifully haunting.  

THE FILM FEELS

Treasure Planet, Return to Neverland, Peter Pan (2003), Atlantis: The Lost Empire

I re-watched these four films for nostalgia and to feel a childlike sense of magic, and that's what I got and I loved every second of each.

I'm thinking of ending things

This film is crazy weird and my family enjoyed trying to suss out what was going on as director Charlie Kaufman really unsettles you from the beginning. I can't say anything else before spoiling the film's genius so watch it!

Us

I re-watched this recently and my goodness I cannot get enough of Jordan Peele's genius!

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry

This film reminded me how young Billie is and, how, like me, she also worries about boys and relationships even when everything is on the up for her career wise. It also reminded me how much I miss concerts *cries*.

THE LIFE LESSONS

I will get to where I need to be eventually.

I may regret not doing some things sooner, but I shouldn't dwell on those regrets.

Embracing my inner child is good for me.

I have lost some things, but I have gained other things.

I should trust my talents and intellect more.

Just because I am not where I want to be yet, does not mean I am wasting my time.

Go outside!!!!