September 19, 2025, 2:12pm
It was a dark one out there, friends. But we at Lit Hub made it through this week on tides of nostalgia, inspirational icons, and seasonal fruit.
I, Brittany Allen, report from St. Louis this Friday—where I’m obliged to shout out the excellent indie, Subterranean Books. Scoping the local bookstores is easily my favorite part of traveling, and thanks to this thoughtfully curated Missouri haven, I’ll be diving into some Jon Fosse and Jamaica Kincaid this weekend.
And what new books couldn’t vanquish, I gave to a comfort-binge-rewatch of MTV’s Daria. Because Sick, Sad, World seemed appropriate.
On the more inspiring end, Molly Odintz watched a documentary about the badass Barbara Dane, and now feels that “everyone should spend that much time singing about communism.” The undersung feminist folkie was a radical presence on the movement circuits of the 1970s. And, extra fun fact: Dane sang at Berkeley just as the school’s Women’s Studies Movement was lobbying for a curricular change that would have national, field-launching implications. Molly’s mom, Deborah Ellis, was part of that smart set.
If you’re looking for a place to start with her music and can’t find The 9 Lives of Barbara Dane in your hometown just yet, Molly reminds us that Dane’s 1974 album “I Hate the Capitalist System” is a banger. Pump it extra loud this week, and make a comrade.
And speaking of the good guys. James Folta is decidedly un-happy about the late, great Robert Redford’s passing. But it’s been nice to revisit some of Sundance’s best work. Most all of RR’s canon is worth spending time with, but James recommends a deep cut.
“A short performance that I loved revisiting this week was [Rob’s] appearance in a Twilight Zone episode, “Nothing in the Dark.” I don’t want to spoil it, but his performance is excellent, and elevates a pretty average script. I love how understated he is and how it sells the twist. He’s quiet, confident, and eventually, inevitable. Impossible to look away from, part of why he didn’t get the lead role in The Graduate.”
Extra extra fun fact? You can watch the ep for free on Pluto!
And from Drew Broussard, a tasty seasonal reminder. “IT’S APPLE SEASON, BABYYYYY—the abundance has begun, and hot tip to all the readers: if you want to go apple picking in, say, the Hudson Valley or points north of NYC… now is the time. Not October, when you think would be the time, but now. Trust me.” Evergreen advice.
It’s been an especially unhinged seven days in this timeline, friends. May your weekend be full of solidarity and sweetness.