BONUS: A Few of My 2022 Favorite Things!
I want to reflect on 2022 before 2023 takes over!
You can’t have output without input!
My Top Three Books of 2022
Jimi by Janie Hendrix and John McDermott
If I could give out awards… Best Book Design of The Year… The embossed gold fold… The layout… Errythang about it! Chef’s kiss…
I haven’t read a book in one sitting since Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics.
Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm by fellow NYU Professor Dan Charnas
If you’re a music-head, this is a MUST READ! For the Prince-heads, yep, Dan talks about him, too! That should be more than enough inspiration to read the book! Even if you’re not a hip-hop head, still read the book! You’ll thank me later!
Minnie Riperton’s Come to My Garden (33 1/3 series) by Brittnay L. Proctor
I was elated when I discovered that Brittnay was writing this book. It needed to be written. Minnie Riperton was my first musical love, and her album Come To My Garden, produced by the incomparable Charles Stepney, is a masterpiece. Give it a listen while reading the book!
My Favorite Book Series
Stanford’s d.School has released a series of magnificent guides targeted to students. I haven’t been this excited about a student series since O’Reilly’s Head First programming books.
I’ve devoured four out of the eight, so far. However, Creative Hustle: Blaze Your Own Path and Make Work That Matters by Olatunde Sobomehin and sam seidel and Navigating Ambiguity: Creating Opportunity in a World of Unknowns by Andrea Small and Kelly Schmutte are my favorites so far.
My Favorite Song Cover of The Year
Van Hunt covering Prince. What more can you ask for?
My Favorite Radio Shows of The Year
My standing favorite bar none is still Simon Harrison’s Basic Soul Radio Show. There are so many favorite episodes from this year. So I’ll share what I’ve been listening to most recently, Best of 2022 Part 2.
However, my husband discovered Ayanna Heaven’s Across 110th Street radio show WKCR-FM NY, this year, and we’ve been listening to it non-stop. It’s a nice smooth, soothing counterpoint to Simon Harrison’s eclectic and upbeat fare. I highly recommend her show if you need some soul in your life. I know that I do!
Across 110th Street 8/6/22 is one of my favorites.
My Favorite Podcast Episode of The Year
Tim Ferriss continues to be my absolute favorite podcaster because he knows how to ask the right questions and he does deep research on his subjects prior to each interview.
I actually listen to the Tim Ferriss podcast, but for the sake of this newsletter I’m posting the videos.
“Master Investor Ed Thorp on How to Think for Yourself, Mental Models for the Second Half of Life, How to Be Inner-Directed, How Basic Numeracy Is a Superpower, and The Dangers of Investing Fads (#604)” | Show Notes
“Jim Collins — A Rare Interview with a Reclusive Polymath (#361)”
Technically, this is from 2019, but I only discovered it when Tim Ferriss reposted it in November 2022.
I also have to mention that I listened to Cal Newport’s podcast, Deep Questions, a lot, as well, particularly because he is an academic. This is an excerpt from one of my favorite episodes.
“Ep. 213: The Art Of Saying No,” Deep Questions with Cal Newport
The Two Lectures I Watched in 2022 That I Can’t Stop Thinking About
The Secret to Better Decisions: Stop Hoarding Chips by Seth Godin on LinkedIn Learning
The Master Key To Influence (How To Overcome Procrastination) by Myron Golden at TEDxWeston. Tedx took the lecture down?*&^%$#@ very recently! I don’t know why. Luckily, someone uploaded the entire talk to Facebook. Myron has a teaser on his YouTube channel of the talk, but you need to see the entire 15min talk, not a teaser.
Don’t take my word for it! Here’s someone who discusses why it’s so great! And he has some key clips interspersed throughout.
Best Movie Reissues of The Year
My Uncle Charles and I faithfully watched Kung Fu Gold every Saturday during my childhood. The “Five Venoms” were my favorite crew, and “Ten Tigers from Kwangtung” was my favorite film. Seeing these movies in this kind of pristine quality is a godsend! My eyes can’t believe what they’re seeing. MINT!
Thank you, Hassan, for hipping me to the Shaw Brothers volumes and Arrow Films for their stellar work in restoring these to glorious quality!
Now, if we can only get The Flying Guillotine in this kind of quality…
FINALLY! Eve’s Bayou gets the Criterion Collection treatment it rightfully deserves.
AND, also, Mississippi Masala! Criterion Collection still rocks!
My Favorite Movie of The Year
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
This is the first narrative film I’ve seen in the theaters since COVID. I saw it with my family which was even more special. Wakanda Forever!
My Favorite Documentaries of The Year
I watched a lot of documentaries last year and that didn’t change this year. It’s one of my favorite film genres.
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes
jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy
The Last Movie Stars
Milestone Generations
My Favorite Reality TV Shows Of The Year
Fresh, Fried & Crispy
Whoever shot and edited this show is brilliant!
We Bought A Funeral Home
Mama Heather Blumberg designed the heck out of this funeral home!
Favorite TV Series of The Year
Because I can’t bear to watch the final season Peaky Binders, I watched these two related shows, instead.
Gangs of London
Joe Cole, the brother who died on Peaky Blinders, is technically the lead in this ensemble cast, but, for me, Sope Dirisu as Elliott steals the show.
This series is extremely violent, but I grew up watching kung fu, John Woo films, and other Hong Kong action cinema so it doesn’t bother me.
Rogue Heroes, which is Steven Knight’s follow-up to Peaky Blinders
We’re breaking the regularly scheduled list… I couldn’t help myself!
Random Acts of Flyness
This was a trip to watch, but there’s so much to unpack here. Terence Nance is a genius!
Jungle
If you love the music genre jungle, you’ll love this film. It’s unique and packs a punch in the end! #ThisIsNotJustAStory
Reasonable Doubt
The finale was a little out there, but I watched this every week to hear the title sequence alone. I kid you not! I hadn’t done that since Mad Men.
Of course, Imaginary Forces was the firm that created it. They’re the best at what they do. I love the visual sequence, but I live for the juxtaposition of the music, “It's All Us,” sung by Nayanna Holley and produced by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. They’re also the best.
I also wasn’t happy with the finale because they removed the original title sequence for that episode alone.
2022 Songs I Listened To The Most in 2022
“Warm Heart (Mantra 4) by Khari Cabral & Jiva
It’s just too short, Khari! Make it longer, pretty, pretty, pretty please!
“The Fool” by Cory Henry
I. Could. Not. Stop. Playing. This! Even better is hearing it live paired with my other favorite song from Operation Funk. I wished these two songs were sequenced like this on the album.
”The Line” & “The Fool” Live in Jersey City 3/18/2022 by Cory Henry. If you didn’t know Cory Henry was a DEEP Prince fan, you do now.
“Cardassian Neck Back” by Wipe The Needle! I doubt he’ll ever see this, but I always think of OP! whenever I hear this.
My Favorite Albums of The Year
Khari Cabral & Jiva’s 5
Cory Henry’s Operation Funk
My Daily Soundtrack for 2022
I am a seventies baby!
Daryl Hall & John Oates AKA The Silver Album (1975)
Body, Mind & Spirit’s Black Renaissance (1976)
Khruangbin’s NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
Even though they’re not, they could be… This is definitely sixties and seventies adjacent even though it’s from 2018.
My Favorite TwitterThreads of The Year
Prince’s Auerswald Model C guitar is my absolute favorite!
My Favorite Tweet of The Year
Atlanta will be sorely missed, but I’ll miss Darius most of all. He was my favorite character from day one. Mad Thanks to Donald Glover for a wild ride!
My Favorite Prince Tweets of The Year
My Favorite Quotes of The Year
Andrea Swensson’s daughter has my favorite quote of the year for the second year in a row. Andrea shared, “Aili stumbled and fell while walking tonight, then got right back up and kept walking. ‘Butterflies don’t cry,’ she said.”
"The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do." —Sarah Ban Breathnach
My Favorite Conversation Between Two of My Alumni
My Favorite Prince Opinions of The Year
I do, too!
My Favorite Social Media Moments
A girl after my own heart! In another lifetime, this is probably who I would have been, and every so often this little girl does comes out! I should let her come out more often…
Can’t Come Up With A Title For This One!
My grandmother definitely would NOT have approved, but she did this! I can’t imagine what it was like witnessing this in person. I love folks who commit, put in all their chips, and just go for it!
One of The Best Acceptance Speeches Ever, Evah, Eva!
It’s about time! THIS is how you accept an award! CONGRATULATIONS, Sherly Lee Ralph!🖤
The Quote of The Year
“Legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something in people. Live & create your legacy daily!” ~Terence Blanchard
Having an Artist React To Others Playing Their Music Is Priceless!
I’m super late to drum reaction videos. However, this one is special! Larnell Lewis is the freakin' drummer from Snarky Puppy! I found out about them when Cory Henry was playing with them. I saw them live once in the ATL.
The kid Elnoe is the one (the second drummer in the video :)
I wish Prince would have done this. I KNOW there would have been a LOT of side-eye!😂
If you made it this far, thank you so very much for taking time out of your day to read about what inspired me or made me laugh in 2022! Please let me know what inspired you or made you laugh in the comments.