It's Not That Bad #14: October recommendations, poems to make you feel Autumnal and food hyper fixations

+ how feral am I for Emma Chamberlain's dreamy home?

Hi Friends,

Welcome to my October newsletter! How are we all doing? Badly, I assume, given the current state of the UK. I spend so much of my life writing about doom, gloom, injustices etc, and this month I say nay…let’s have a little bit of frivolity and joy. I’ll dissect the awful Tory party come Monday morning, but, for now, let’s chat BOOKS, FILMS, FOOD &….POETRY.

Books

Square One, by Nell Frizzell.

The Panic Years took the literary world by storm, myself included. But Nell’s newest work, Square One, touched me more. Father-daughter dynamics are rarely explored in such a tender, funny and relatable way.

Acts of Service, Lillian Fishman

I literally only bought this book yesterday, and I’ve almost finished it. A savage and provocative exploration of desire.

Film

Do Revenge

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen me losing my shit over this film. It is nostalgic in the best way, queer, stylish, deeply horny and an uptime cult-classic. It’s giving Cruel Intentions.

@jawilluxbest scene #dorevenge

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Food

I get food hyper fixations, which, if you aren’t familiar, is when someone will eat one dish obsessively. I’ve had the following eras (if we can call them that): cherry tomatoes, hummus, pesto, burrata, couscous, cabbage - and many more. Currently, I will eat nothing but ramen. Preferably homemade, but instant will sometime suffice.

I’ve been adapting recipes a lot, and the below is one I’ve settled on as my ultimate vegan ramen.

For the broth

• Gochuchang paste

• Miso paste

• lots of finely chopped onion

• garlic

• ginger

• chilli

• water

• vegetable stock (homemade is best, but cubes are fine)

• soya sauce

Then, just add Pak Choi, coriander, fried tofu, noodles of choice and finish with spring onion and dried shallots.

Emma Chamberlain’s house

I cannot explain how deeply feral I am for Emma’s home. When I AD video dropped, I’ve never clicked a link so fast. Part of me is embarrassed to be 27 and lusting after a 21-year-old’s home - but she is an ageless style, cool-beyond-her-years and her home is so beautifully done. Hints of interior trends, but personal and THE GREEN KITCHEN. It sent shivers down my spine.

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POETRY FOR OCTOBER: WHAT TO READ, PROMPTS & AN EXCLUSIVE POEM FROM ME <3

A lot of you lovely lot are subscribed to my free newsletter, which I appreciate so so much. But, if you’d like the *full* newsletter, you can sign up for £3.50 a month. For my paid subscribers (love u), the next section is for you. Please comment anything you’d like to ask me or any poetry (yours or otherwise) you’d like me to read.