Watched everything on Netflix? Coming to the end of your pile of books? Need a top of culture and don't know where to look? Don't fret, the Because team have got you covered. Find their reviews of the books, TV shows, podcasts and exhibitions they've been consuming throughout the month.
Caroline Issa, Editor-in-Chief
"I've got Corinne Bailey Rae and Smoko Ono's new song, You Are on repeat this summer. It's languorous, and reminds me of a sunny holiday abroad I won't be able to take this year. But I can definitely imagine Regent's Park Rose Gardens being my Amalfi Coast in my head!"
Carmen Bellot, Managing Editor
"I've really indulged in reading this month, having taken an unintentional hiatus when the world reopened at the beginning of the summer. I've currently got my nose in A Lover's Discourse by Xiaolu Guo, a tale about a woman moving from her homeland of China to England, where she meets a man and moves in with him. Whilst I'm only a few chapters in, I'm already captivated by the author's meditations on love and the nature of desire, and the narrative shows the complexities of everyday discourse. Despite being based on Roland Barthes book of the same name, it's an easy read – do not take this as a sign of it's depth – that has reignited my love of literature. I'm excited to see how this story pans out."
Nasreen Osman, Project Co-ordinator
"The Jennifer Packer: The Eye Is Not Satisfied With Seeing exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery was a sight for sore eyes after months of online galleries and trying to get my fill of culture through Instagram. Packer's intimate portraits feel familiar, yet estranged with everyday scenes of living rooms, kitchens and flower bouquets giving a somewhat eerie aura, present in the fluid lines and hazy bodies. Her images evoke a languid and vacant feeling reminiscent of our times in lockdown, a feeling that pervades even the pops of fuschia and turquoise. But of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Packer's intentions are highly political and must also be read through the lens of contemporary Black lives and the BLM movement. No more spoilers though – see it before it ends next week!"
Delia Wagner, Assistant Publisher
"Last Chance U is the unexpectedly heartwarming story of young college students, talented enough to become professional athletes, but whose circumstances have meant they are on the verge of losing out on their dream. Across the US small community colleges and their sports coaches have taken it upon themselves to give these students another chance at being drafted into Division I universities and changing their lives. It's a bittersweet picture of teaching young kids the values of hard work and discipline in a system that is designed to keep them down."
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