Game Changers, Fresh Readings & Three London Events

I’ve just returned from London and, surprise-surprise, I didn’t visit anything. That is nothing new to me - sometimes, I would come to a hotspot and realise I had no capacity for anything other than the task at hand. Not for theatre, not for exhibitions, not even for shopping. I would sleep a lot, dine alone at my usual places and attend planned meetings.

This used to frustrate me, but recently I’ve been enduring trips like these with dignity, so to speak. Or rather, I’ve been hoping that no matter how bad I feel, all my efforts and overthinking will be worth it in the end. This caused me take a break away from writing, but, like I’ve said, it was worth it. After four months of running TJD, I’ve realised just how much joy it brings me - all my hesitation about its development has disappeared. However, the format and selection method could have some modification. Based partly on feedback, and partly on my own intuition, here are some changes you can look forward to:

Experience has proven that two shorter letters a week is a better arrangement for all of us. Shorter releases have a higher reading rate, and writing twice as many letters helps satiate my desire to share with you all.

Starting next week, Goings-Ons will be coming out on Tuesdays, with Editorial dispatches coming out on Fridays.

The selections are going to get more risky, including less proven hits and more experimental rising titles. In terms of geography, coverage will stay more or less the same: Around Europe, London, Germany, Paris and France + some special festival editions.

Art, fashion, cool purchases and rare finds, books, podcasts, watching and reading lists, conversations with friends, guest letters and many other topics we love to discuss over Saturday brunch. 

I am adding some new custom buttons, like Add to the Calendar and Purchase. Goings-On is going to be a separate page on the web-site, with a new tag system for easier browsing. I’ve also considered some design changes, but those might come later.

My Instagram page is going to be more active, providing more recommendations on a weekly basis. Keep track of what is hot right now, but also look forward to expansive tips on all the rare finds I come across on a daily basis.

As theaters begin rolling out their programmes for the upcoming 2024/25 season, I start preparing my selections for you. I’m also aware that many of my subscribers love to plan in advance. Therefore, I think I’m going to offer something special: quarterly Goings-On booklets across Europe (Sept-Dec / Jan-Apr / May-July & Festival Edition) and tailor-made programme requests. While I’m still thinking through the finer details, I’ll be happy to hear if any of these changes made you curious or felt like worthy additions.

Back In London, while I was walking home with my head full of worries, I passed by the Daunt Books on Marylebone street, and my feet took me inside. About three hours later I found myself surrounded by dozens of books. Here are my catches:

I’m dyslexic, and ever since books have started coming out in audio format, they have become so much more accessible to me - everything I’ve ever wanted to read (including the list above) can simply be downloaded via Audible, easily packing my reading list for the next couple of months. I listen to audiobooks during almost every daily activity - cooking, cleaning, walking, shopping, etc. During the times when I’m most emotionally withdrawn I finish a book in 2 to 3 days.

If you are in the same mood as me, this reading list is going to work for you as well. However, if you have more of a going-out spirit, enjoy these three awesome April events in London:

17-20 Apr / Ballet / From England with Love by Hofesh Shechter / Southbank Center

In Israel we have several national treasures, and Hofesh is definitely one of them.I’ve seen his work not quite often as Sharon Eyal’s or Ohad Naharin’s, but that’s merely an unfortunate coincidence. This is a premier show, and it will go on tour to Paris and some other major capitals soon - I will of course keep you updated. Fun fact: Shechter played himself in the french movie Rise (2022).

19-30 Apr / Opera / Lucia di Lammermoor by Katie Mitchell / Royal Opera House

In Mitchell’s staging, Lucia is a grown woman, tardy in finding love. When she does, the result is explosive. Batten down the hatches. Her lover Edgardo is her brother’s enemy. Tricks and deceit persuade her of his faithlessness. Too late she sees the truth and loses her grip, with tragic consequences.

Until 24 Apr / Exhibition / Capturing the Moment / Tate Modern

Tate says:

In an open-ended conversation between some of the greatest painters and photographers of the modern era, we explore how the brush and the lens have been used to capture moments in time.

And I add: 

An absolutely incredible collection from the YAGEO Foundation (Taiwan) that features masterpieces by Gerhard Richter, Andreas Gursky, Francis Bacon, Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas, Lucian Freud, Hiroshi Sugimoto, David Hockney (see below) and many, many more. This show has recently been extended, so you still have a chance to catch it..

While writing this letter I was preparing for my trip to the Milan Design Week and Venice Biennale. Obviously, this is going to be a lot to take in even for a trained eye, so hopefully by the end of next week I’m still going to be as passionately in love with art and culture as I am now. I’ve also finished watching The New Look, and I have to say, that day marked a break in my admiration for Coco Chanel. It’s a pity she was the main character and not Mr. Dior - I started liking the series only after the 4th episode, and none of it was due to fashion. By the way, American Fiction is also very good! 

We will talk more (much more) very soon!

Yours,

Miri