Pop Culture Diaries: Amy Lewis

Amy’s Week in Pop Culture: From Toni Morrison to Classic Films, TikTok, Northern Soul, and beyond!

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This week: From Amanda Seyfried on a dulcimer to a Great Gatsby bumper sticker — Amy's week heads toward that green light with great pop culture. (I seriously have saved so many of the books, podcasts, and films shes references to check out myself!)

Name: Amy Lewis

Occupation: Librarian at a community college

From: San Antonio, TX

Week Covered: March 2 - March 8

Sunday:

I live alone with three cats- a regal calico, a cuddly tuxedo boy, and a weird grey and white girl. Sundays are pretty chill, just hanging around the house. In the morning I listen to the end of Sula on audiobook while eating breakfast and doing chores. I like a project and this year I’m reading as much Toni Morrison as I can. Last year I read all of NK Jeminson and the year before all of Octavia Butler. I reward myself with cat cuddles and print book reading time, finishing up Good Girl by Aria Aber. Then I read the Drawn Together with Wendy Mac email and do the weekly drawing assignment. I learned to paint during the height of the pandemic and now I'm on my drawing journey. It’s very fun but I'm not technically good and that's okay.

New month means new collections on Criterion and I’m excited to watch some new to me Douglas Sirk films. I treat myself to a double feature of Shockproof and Thunder on the Hill. The latter has intrigue and Claudette Colbert as a nun and I enjoy it very much. Then I meal prep burrito bowls for the week’s lunch while listening to Operation Columba on audiobook.

I skip the Oscars and instead read some of The Grieving Brain, then watch Paging Mr. Morrow and Magic Journeys on YouTube before jumping on TikTok. I’m currently on Northern Soul Tok and I enjoy watching those British kids dance .

Monday:

Monday starts with therapy and iced coffee before heading into work listening to Greatest Generation. At my desk I check Libby for new books, read about last night’s Oscar winners and do the day’s Learned League.

I’m an information literacy librarian at a community college which means it’s my job to instruct students how to do research- everything from using databases to selecting good sources. Next week is Spring Break so there are several classes coming into the library this week. Monday is to be my prep day for that. When not working on that or answering students’ research questions, I read some newsletters (Garbage Day, Bitches Gotta Eat) and dip into Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley. I read Old Soul by Susan Barker while I eat lunch. I am obsessed with it- people die after a mysterious woman takes a photograph of them and a man is on her trail.

In the evening I commute home (my car has a Great Gatsby bumper sticker on it so everyone on the road knows I’m cool) listening to MBMBAM and later eat dinner in front of White Lotus before reading and Tik Toking.

Tuesday:

I’m an autistic INTJ and I love a routine so you’ll see a lot of familiar beats this week. Today I listen to Who Weekly while getting ready and You Must Remember this in the car. I like celebrity gossip both modern and vintage.

Work is busier today- I’m giving a class and a workshop and I have two meetings. In between I do some collection development, finish up Deep Cuts, and read The Maris Review (she has impeccable taste with books and I've never regretted reading something she recommended) and Today in Tabs. On the ride home I listen to You’re Dead to Me.

Because I’ve been cursed by a wizard to watch all Sherlock adaptations I turn on the latest episode of Watson during dinner. Afterwards I finally finish the Grieving Brain and hop on TikTok (fyp was bleak).

Wednesday:

Morning podcasts are Culture Study and Off Menu. I give two presentations on research to classes in the library and answer student questions (mostly panicked people trying to finish a paper before Spring Break). Today’s newsletters are Landline, Culture Study, and Episodes. The list of authors coming to our local book festival is released and I spend time looking through it and adding some of their books to my tbr. I listen to You Are Good en route to the public library and on the way home. During dinner I watch Daredevil before ending my night with TikTok (I am addicted, unfortunately. But Amanda Seyfried playing the dulcimer is charming)

Thursday:

I start the morning with If Books Could Kill and commute to Screen Drafts. Just one class today so the afternoon is mostly admin and research questions. I begin The Dream Hotel (incredible) as my new break book and look at newsletters as per usual- Healing is My Special Interest, Tamar Adler’s The Kitchen Shrink, and Edith Zimmerman’s Drawing Links. Driving home I listen to Reading Glasses which I always look forward to. I read well over 200 books a year and I get a lot of recs from this podcast. Later it's Abbott Elementary during dinner and of course some pre-bed TikTok doomscrolling.

Friday:

Who Weekly is my morning listen, and it’s Podcast the Ride for both legs of the commute on Fridays. I enjoy a lot of theme park content but weirdly have no desire to go to them. I’ve only been to Disney once when I was three and apparently I cried almost the entire time except when hugging the lady mouse from Cinderella. I just like the minutia and lore of it all.

Everyone is eager to get Spring Break started and the day is uneventful until the afternoon which is taken up by a long all school meeting. I read Men Yell at Me, Gentle Foods by Christina Chaey, and Scaachi Koul’s Hater Nation along with my break book.

In the evening I watch Yellowjackets and School Spirits (I have Paramount for Star Trek reasons but I end up watching a lot of their shows). TikTok isn’t hitting tonight but I’m invested in Garbanzo the cat’s story.

Saturday:

Today’s big event is going to see Blue Velvet on the big screen but first in the morning I listen to more of Operation Columba on audiobook while I do some tidying and start a cross stitch project. I watch Smartypants on Dropout (one of my favorites of their very good shows). At the theatre I get a pretzel with queso and have a great time. Also I get to debut my new red glasses. I run some errands and end my day with Matlock and TikTok (A relatable TikTok). All in all a typical week but I’m ready to hang out with friends and relax over Spring Break.

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Call Me! (or not!)

I’d love to hear from you! Drop your thoughts in the comments to share with the Landline community, or reply to this email to contact me. You can also find me on Instagram, or email me. I don’t have a dedicated phone line yet (just like in my youth), but maybe someday I’ll achieve Claudia status and get a Landline.

Thanks for reading!

This is a free post for subscribers of Landline. Consider subscribing to the paid plan to get my weekly email of recommendations and links, a podcast episode, and more! You can also help me spread the word by sharing it with a friend who would love it. Thank you for being a friend!

Note: All books referenced in Landline can be found in my bookshop.org storefront from which I earn a small percentage of all books purchased.