Dec 19, 2024
Ten Favorite Things
2024
A Few of My Favorite Things
This is not a curated list of the best things that debuted in 2024. Instead, this is a highly personal list of things that I experienced in 2024 and found particularly meaningful. Some of them came out this year. Many of them did not. But I find it to be a better way of organizing my wrap-ups.
Here are my Ten Favorite Things of 2024 presented in no particular order:
Best Novel:
What Makes Sammy Run?
Witty and angry. Both ahead of the times and timeless.
I really enjoyed this novel and feel like it should have a larger hold on our society than it does. It's a classic Machiavellian tale told from the perspective of his greatest frenemy. The prototypical story of Hollywood grime and sleaze. The narrator follows Sammy Glick's rise from newspaper copyboy to big-time film executive, crushing everyone in his path without remorse. But there's one difference between Sammy and the likes of Richard III: talent.
Sammy is all talk and no substance, yet still manages to stumble higher and higher up the chain. He's a master of social manipulation. He understands what Americans truly value. Style. Image. And he isn't afraid to twist a knife or shed some dead weight.
Today, most of our Sammys have flocked to the tech sector. They mine their underlings for ideas and present them as their own. And when that bubble pops, they've find a new industry to infect. A new batch of hopeful, wide-eyed creatives to bend to their will.
But showbusiness is still as shifty as ever.
Best Game:
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Intricate, Satisfying, and Pure Intellectual Fun
Ashlyn and I played this over the course of a week and a half, and we couldn't stop thinking about it. It sunk its hooks into us so deep that we would try and sneak an hour or two in before bed, even at the latest of hours. I even had a burst of inspiration while brushing my teeth, and we decided that we had to stay up late to beat it. And we now have a keepsake notebook filled with the ravings of two lunatics. Symbols. Codes. Nonsense to anyone but us.
A perfect blend of Myst and Alfred Hitchcock with a dash of House of Leaves. While the narrative itself is a little loose, it did a great job of making the puzzles challenging but not frustrating. Each puzzle had a "game," so to speak. Every time we found a new answer, we never felt cheated by it.
And the solutions contain a bit of a running theme with endless variations. Solutions are connected by a common narrative thread rather than an obtuse answer. It evokes the feeling of a well-constructed dream, as if everything in the world is a reflection of something else. And perhaps it is.
Best Graphic Novel:
Do a Powerbomb
A wild premise with a strong heart.
I bought this on a whim as research for a wrestling-related musical that I'm working on. While this is certainly more fantastical, it's still rooted in something very human. What could easily have become a whacky, monster-of-the-week-style episodic adventure instead became a touching story of family, loss, and passion. It's about persistence within the remains of the life you thought you would lead. And it had a remarkable final page that knocked me down for a 3 count.
And, by God, the art!
Best Nonfiction:
The Right to Be Lazy
Quick, clever, and bright.
A really enjoyable read. It's remarkable how much of Lafargue's viewpoints have still yet to be realized, over 140 years later. Four-hour workdays have been all but confirmed by science in terms of actual productivity. Automation and artificial intelligence seem to be wiping out the labor market at an increasingly faster clip, and yet our days feel longer and longer. Trapped in a cycle of producing and consuming.
This should be a recommended introductory text for those not willing to take a deeper dive into Marxist thought.
Best Film:
The Devils
Highly stylized, poignant, and a new personal favorite
A movie that gets more attention for being transgressive or shocking than for what it really deserves: being a highly stylized attack on power and the depths one will go to defend their positions. It’s also one of those rare films where each individual facet could be praised for one reason or another. The stark set design. Camera work. Blocking. All of it builds into something greater than just your average nun orgy flick.
But I was most shocked by how entertaining the movie was. It’s easy for historical period pieces to become stagnant or stuffy for the sake of realism, but Russell really lets this one fly. At times, he almost approaches it as a comedy. And maybe at times it is.
Was also not expecting Monty Python’s “Bring out your dead” line to come from this, of all things.
Best Debut:
Rap World
Hilarious and horrifying.
There's something about this movie that made me extremely anxious. It almost felt too real. Or maybe I saw a version of myself in here. There's a deep sadness lying underneath it all. Conner has a masterful ability to capture a specific something of our era. Something slightly sinister that's turning us into terrible humans. The modern world that's so rife with promise and luxury but continues to pump out pain and inadequacy.
But most of all, it's very funny. The chaotic editing is crucial to the humor. And under 60 minutes? Come on!
Best Show:
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Extremely effective and artistically daunting
Every once in a while, I see a show that reignites my passion for live theatre. It's hard to articulate what exactly is happening there. Duende, I guess. That feeling you get when you're totally engrossed in what's in front of you. Not just intellectually, but emotionally. I had that moment seeing Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 this year at Writer's Theatre.
Of course, I was already familiar with the show. I had listened to the albums, watched a few bootlegs, etc. But that doesn't really capture the essence of theatre. The immediacy of it all. The totally engrossing, attention-sucking, je ne sais quoi that keeps me coming back for more.
It was vibrant and clever and unconventional. The kind of funk you crave after tasting a slew of well-made musicals. The music itself is such a jumble of tastes. Traditional Russian folk, melodramatic "theatre" music, late 'aughts indie folk, eurodance club tracks. And somehow it all works! Though certain moments were clearly lacking its full immersive impact (most notably during "Balaga"), I found the show to be wildly entertaining and moving.
There's also just so much show. It's a reminder that I can unleash myself a little more. I don't have to be kind to actors. It's their job to figure it out.
Best New A Cappella Musical:
ei hytte (the cabin), an a cappella musical
It's not vain to put this here.
I will say that I'm including this not so much for the content of the show but for the experience of putting it together. It was a very rapid two weeks of rehearsals where we didn't have much time to second-guess ourselves. In fact, our first full run-through was the performance itself!
I also get to say that I had a work premiere at Steppenwolf. Sure, there's some asterisks involved with that, but not a lot of people even get to use those asterisks. Grateful to the whole team and I'm looking forward to more ei hytte in the future.
Best Album:
No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead
A profound entry in an already strong discography
Godspeed You! Black Emperor is an incredible live band. Hypnotic, really. I got to see them at The Salt Shed here in Chicago before some health issues disrupted their tour. Their performances have a bit of a mystical quality to them. Long, looping drones, building into a massive wave of sound, and a live projectionist manipulating film strips in tandem. It's wild to witness.
But this album in particular was a standout for me in a year of solid releases. Not just because it's one of the group's best releases. Not just because of my experience watching them live. But because of its uncompromising message.
As of writing this in late December, there are over 45,000 dead. 17,000 children. 11,000 missing. The track "BABYS IN A THUNDERCLOUD" succeeds where words fail. A bleak landscape slowly overtaken by a wave of emotion. Maybe it's grief. Maybe it's hope.
Best Personal Experience:
The Paris Catacombs
Life in the Empire of Death
"I visited the true temple of equality," wrote a visitor in 1809. Millions of Parisians preserved in ornate patterns. Walls of stacked tibias pocked with ornate configurations of skulls. All deep beneath the surface of Paris, the only entrance is a spiral staircase that seemingly stretches downward into oblivion.
It's truly a remarkable place. Not just for the quiet beauty of it all, but for the powerful symbol of it all. Robespierre, Danton, Madame du Barry – they're all down there, stacked among the peasants and plebs, as anonymous as any other.
But more than that, it now holds a profound personal significance. It's where Ashlyn and I proposed to each other on March 10th, 2024. Near a white cross and a large, ornate pillar composed of Paris' finest witnesses. The true temple of equality.