Pumpkin Space Aesthetics
What I'm Vibing with this Fall Season
Hi folks, and welcome newcomers to the Lagoon! This is a variety space, a newsletter of many things, and though I say “I refuse to niche” I write often about books, modern life, cultural moods, psychedelics, and my own novels, and I also share short stories and poems.
Today, I want to share with you what I’ve been vibing with this fall season from haptic popstars to Unhinged reads.
But first, some quick news:
As you know if you’ve been here for a while, I have my new novel, Acid Christmas coming out on November 15th! Yay! And gosh, that is next week. You can read more about it on Goodreads.
I will be hosting a virtual book launch and holiday poetry party in December to celebrate the novel, with special guests, a raffle, and a rapper (TBC). Stay tuned for details! It will most likely be December 14th at 8 pm and this will be free and open to all.
Tomorrow, paid subscribers will receive a separate email with instructions on how to claim your Teddy’s Bag of Books & Goodies (the name will make sense when you read the novel) with my special holiday swag and a signed copy of the novel, Acid Christmas. So folks, last chance to upgrade your subscription to get in on the holiday book fun!
Here is an animated version of my new book’s cover. What does it make you think of? I asked my X followers what kind of book they thought Acid Christmas looked like, judging by its cover, and you can read their answers here.
Now, onto the FALL VIBES
Here are a few things I encountered this fall and enjoyed.
Quote:
The meaning of life is to give life meaning. — Viktor Frankl,
via Enchantment - "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious" by
Loic Le Meur
“I am not at Death’s door. I am merely in Death’s gazebo, an attractive structure on the lawn, quite far from the main entrance, where one lounges at ease, protected by mosquito netting (this being Canada), while sipping cool drinks such as water and undergoing medical tests. — Margaret Atwood on X.
“I just want everyone to be a lot kinder as things fall apart.” Author Jem Bendell in conversation with Daniel Pinchbeck.
Photo
The dome my father built, where I grew up until I turned 18, all nestled in the trees. The leaves are an uphill battle, but I love it this time of year. I wish I was there now!
Essay:
The Fantasy of the Alternate Universe Coffee Bar by Alexandra Lange
On the Ol’ Reddit:
Psychedelics are a necessity for anyone with an autistic spectrum disorder
Wild Story if it’s true:
Free Short Films:
Felonious Bolus— He’s stuck in this prison forever:
Pumpkin Spice White Woman Season (cause it is that season):
This land is mine — (and this sums it up.)
Youth is a concept:
Music:
The Liminal Aesthetics of Doja Cat is also something I’ve been thinking about this week. In her live performances and videos, she deploys a mishmash of nostalgia, 90s-2000s pop, and horror movie imagery. People are criticizing her for being demonic, but to me, it’s like Stranger Things—an homage to movies we know and love. The mashups give her videos an unsettling appeal because of the unsettling films they remind us of. It’s the same uncomfortable feeling caused by a liminal underground parking deck but delivered in a cluttered aesthetic. It’s SO INTERNET + cult cinema + new and haptic as hell. The mix of decades is elaborate. This one is probably my favorite:
TV:
We watched Down for Love and loved it. It humanizes people with Down syndrome and their families in a beautiful way. It also made me really want to visit New Zealand where it was filmed!
Books:
Dreck. Short and fast, trippy as hell. Will appeal to people who like Black Mirror and late-stage Phillip K. Dick. I’m still pondering one of its thought experiments: what would the world actually be like if humans could see in the dark? The author,
Jones Jr. also has a cool Substack.
Under the Dome. Speaking of Domes. Stephen King has me LITERARLYY GASPING and JUMPING with this 30-hour audiobook of his. I’m halfway in and GRIPPED. On the surface, it’s about a mysterious, impervious dome that suddenly appears and covers a small town in Maine, trapping all the townspeople inside and killing several, but on a deeper level, it explores police corruption, abuse of power, and police brutality.
Unhinged, by Vera Valentine. My writer friend Rue Sparks, who is also an amazing artist for the Lost Boys Press, discovered and shared this weird novel with our writer’s group last night and we all died laughing. It’s about a woman who makes love to doors. Yes, to doors. It’s gone viral you know where. And I could make so many jokes about slamming and peep holes. The content warning and sample are hilarious. It’s written partly in the POV of the door.
Obsessions:
“Death in the enemy, not each other.” — Bryan Johnson
In my ongoing quest for better sleep, I’ve become really obsessed with the transformation and big ideas of tech tycoon Bryan Johnson. I’ve consumed his content like he eats his veggies, but I’ll write more on this later. He deserves his own essay.
Art:
Adam and Hewan
(This is just STUNNING)
That’s all!
Now You
What are you vibing with this fall? Read any cool books?
Thanks for the mention! I love your little review here. What you've said is exactly what I was going for.
Doors???? I may have to read this book.