Well hello again, friends! I had planned to do this a couple weeks ago and then things just sort of… blew up? Turns out trying to work and do a giant move and still maintain daily life is difficult! But we’re here with Dispatches vol 2!

It’s my favourite time of year, a lot has happened, so let’s get into it.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Like I said last time: Children of the Sun, we got ’em. The return of the sun means we get more outdoor sessions again. And more outdoor sessions means more gorgeous colours. Above is my favourite shot from my recent session with Syrena Seattle, a local Polish dance ensemble. I can’t wait to show you more on the blog soon.

As I’m writing this, we just passed my last weekend working here in Seattle before our move. That’s not to say I won’t be back, because I will!! A lot!! But we’re fully transitioning to Montana mode. So help me fill in the rest of my summer calendar and start filling my fall calendar below. And don’t forget to check my mini session post for dates here in Seattle!

In My Ears: Eurovision Eurotrash Club Bangers

When I mean it’s the most wonderful time of the year, I don’t just mean the return of the sun. Spring also brings us flowers, my birthday, and the greatest spectacle on earth: Eurovision!!

Eurovision week is the best week of the year. And produces some of the greatest songs, from serious ballads like Loreen’s “Euphoria” and Jessica Mauboy’s “We Got Love” to pure camp. This year’s entry into the patently ridiculous was Finland’s Windows95Man. Please go find the video. Part of the fun is the spectacle but I do genuinely enjoy the songs. Because I am secretly Eurotrash.

On My Screen: “Twin Peaks: The Return”

i live in Seattle, I grew up in the 90s, so naturally, I like “Twin Peaks.” I watched the first two seasons during grad school (the first episode at like 1am when I couldn’t sleep, which was A Mistake). My husband hadn’t seen it all (we skipped a lot of the filler episodes in S2 the first time I watched it with him) and we hadn’t seen the movies, so that’s what we’ve been doing. We finally watched “Fire Walk With Me” which, hoo boy and “The Missing Pieces.”

We’ve started “The Return” this week and god, this show is gorgeous. It’s so beautifully shot. Even the ~mundane~ shots of everyday life are composed perfectly and feel so significant. But thanks to this being 25 years after the end of the original series, it benefits so much from the advancements in technology to tell the story.

And beyond drawing on The Lore of the entire franchise, it’s slow. It doesn’t need to rush to tell the story. One thing I’ve always loved about David Lynch and “Twin Peaks” specifically is the focus on humanity and emotion. Sometimes it feels drawn out and melodramatic (James and Laura storyline, hello) but so is real life. And there’s so much to tie together that to be paced any faster would be to do the entire buildup to this a huge disservice.

Now, do I have any idea what’s going on? Of course not, and that’s part of the beauty of the series in general. There are so many threads being woven together at any one time but I know they’ll make a beautiful tapestry by the end.

In My Hands: “The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler” by John Hendrix

Oh look, more nonfiction! But wait, don’t go yet! This is an absolutely gorgeous graphic novel about one of my favourite historical figures, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a Lutheran minister during WWII who stood up against Hitler’s state domination of the church and became involved in a plot to kill him. Spoiler alert: he was executed at a Nazi death camp.

It’s also the best biography of Bonhoeffer I’ve read (to read is “Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus” which my church read in a small group before I began attending). Don’t read the Eric Metaxas biography of him. That guy is a fucking chud and completely missed the point on Bonhoeffer’s life. Which you’d think would be hard to miss but it happens with surprising regularity!!

Anyway!! This book was recommended by one Jason Kirk, author of “Hell is a World Without You” and whose book lauch I filmed in Atlanta in February. Not only is the reading of Bonhoeffer’s life so much more accurate and grounded in reality, the art is just incredible. Like, look at this:

You might remember I bought an e-reader recently but this is a book I had to get a physical copy of. The use of colour here, to say nothing of the fantastic letting work, is one that demands to be appreciated in physical form.

There’s so much more going on, friends, but those updates will have to wait for another time. And just think: the next edition will be coming to you from over the mountains in Montana!

Until next time!