Weekend Reading 08.08

The Skating Minister, plus the literary tourism trend, the urban design of Sesame Street, and more links for your weekend.

Hi friends. Lindsey, Morgan, and Madeline have been in Scotland(!) this week, and while there, they visited my beloved Skating Minister at the Scottish National Gallery, which surprised and thrilled me.

Longtime readers may remember my affection for this painting. I spied a print of it in another person’s home on Instagram, Googled around until I found it, and bought a print for my own home. I was completely taken with him from the beginning.

The painting has an interesting backstory. Here’s a 2-minute video about it, including its connection to Bruce Springsteen.

And something new I learned while writing this newsletter: there’s a 2022 historical fiction novel inspired by the painting. It’s on its way to me now, obviously.

Here’s what else I saved to share with you this week:

The colorful English cottage of a ballerina and an antiques dealer. The artwork! The wallpapers!

How Literary Tourism Became the Hottest Vacation Trend. “From reading retreats to author-led camping trips, travelers are looking to books for their next vacation.”

There’s a Social Network Part II in the works, with Aaron Sorkin writing and directing. This is exciting!

The Quintessential Urban Design of Sesame Street. “Embracing the grit, Sesame Street would become one of the most recognizable blocks in the world. More than 50 years old, “Sesame Street” has endured, in part, because it is both realistic and idealistic at once.”

I no longer have teenagers, but I think this bit of advice about relating to them might be helpful for other relationships as well.

I hope you have a good weekend!