bBorn in 1987 in Tel Aviv, Israel, Yael van der Woden is a writer and teacher who teaches creative writing and comparative literature in the Netherlands. His work has appeared in publications such as LitHub, Electric Literature, and Elle.com, and he has a David Attenborough-themed essay Dear David in the online literary magazine Longleaf Review. Her essay on Dutch identity and Judaism, On (Not) Reading Anne Frank, received a notable mention in the Best American Essays of 2018 collection. SecurityPublished by Viking earlier this year, it is van der Wouden's first novel and has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
1. Reserve
By James Idle Frankie Thomas
A friend gave it to me and said it “changed your genetic makeup.” You might think that a novel that promises a life-changing experience would disappoint. Willpower fair Disturb the mental balance of each reader? No chance. Will it send some of us into an existential spiral for about a week? Of course. The novel is a familiar and well-executed three-act bildungsroman and, at the same time, something I have never read before. I tell it to people this way: Imagine a teenage love triangle, except instead of love, the three axes are obsession, sexuality, and gender jealousy. A terrifying, rolling ride.
2. YouTube channel
Dashner design and restoration.
This summer vacation, my girlfriend looked over my shoulder in bed, saw me restocking a closet in 45 minutes, and mocked me cruelly. It's grandma's behavior, he said. Of course Grandma wouldn't restock the entire closet, I said. It is physically very demanding and requires years of study. I didn't convince her, but I tried. There's something about craftsmanship that makes me feel like if you do something really well and use that skill to undo entropy, people will know things and mistakes can be undone. Or maybe I just never get over the wonder of a good makeover.
3. Music
By Amare, the fountain child
The last few years have been fantastic for pop music, and my favorite genre is the weird and horny side of queer hyperpop. The incredible Chapelle Rhone is made with that water, but also consider Peach Brc, Ashnico, Cobra, Lil Marico and more. I've been obsessed with Amare's latest album for a while now, baby fountainEspecially Song Sociology Dance Queen. A poppy dance club hit, creepy and haunting, it features the Minogue-esque refrain “Touch Touch Touch!” With lyrics like “I buried all the bodies in the pool.” It's addictive and disturbing.
4. Interior design
ceramic fish
Two things came together: the fact that I was soon going to move house and the fact that the research in the former Zuiderzee (“South Sea”), which is now Lake IJssel, took me by surprise. The water sticks out like a big thumb in the middle of the Netherlands. I'm researching which species of fish survived the transition from saltwater to freshwater, how it affected marine life, and how it affected people's relationship with water. In other words, fish is on my mind these days. So when I started looking for things to put in my new home, I was drawn to fishing. Fish plates, fish art, fish shower curtains. Through the fog of the fish I could see that most of them are horrible, but I think this Italian ceramic fish collection is perfect in every way. Especially anchovies and sardines, cold blues and big eyes. They make me happy. I understand that this is not a universal concept. However, I bought six. I'll probably buy more.
5. Drink
Calvados Delfino Fino
I recently went on a writing trip to the most beautiful city in the Netherlands, “Srijvershuis” – Keythorne. Canals, bridges, thatched roofs. My hosts were a wonderful couple who took me sightseeing and boating and, most importantly, texted me every other day writing: Question mark wine glass emoji? I'll come down, there will be food, wine, laughter and, on my last night, a glass of Calvados Dauphin Fine. It came with a story: when they were young, an elderly couple let them try the drink and then they saved up for months to buy a bottle. Since then they have made sure to always have one on hand. I was hesitant, took a sip, and have been planning my own purchase ever since. Neither too sweet nor too dry. For those who like a life of oak, honey, baked apples and that kind of life where you have writers messy in your living room.
6. Museum
Museum of the South
This is one of the most impressive cultural heritage museums I have ever seen. Here's the story: Afsluitijk was completed in 1932, a dam that effectively closed the Zuidersee, turning it into a large, shallow, freshwater lake. As traditional marine life declined along the coasts and islands, the museum functioned as a living archive: abandoned houses were transported en masse to the museum grounds. Tables, beds, chairs, fishing nets, sheets, complete warehouses. The museum is a large village of original and reconstructed houses. You can go into these houses and touch things, and historians dressed in traditional costumes will tell you stories. It's both magical and tragic: the fact that you see traces of life also means that it has disappeared.
Web only:
7. Podcast
Death, sex and money
Anna Sale is one of my favorite interviewees. I listened to every episode of one of my first moderation shows. Death, sex and moneyTo see if his curious way with others might rub off on me. I want to laugh like her. One of my favorite recent episodes is about life at the Playboy Mansion, where Crystal Hefner talks about her life in the claustrophobic house and under Hefner's control: his tyrannical childhood ways. She talks about living there as a young woman, then growing into adulthood and eventually marrying Hefner, and how she sought and found agency in small, secret ways. A great interview.
