Phew, what a year, huh? I know it’s not technically over yet, but wow. What was all that about.
We hope you’re able to make it through the holiday season as emotionally unscathed as possible—we know that complicated feelings abound during this time. Let us know how you’re channeling winter softness in the comments.
Keep reading for the usual episode recaps and recommendations, and keep your eyes peeled for a tease of something exciting coming in January…
Hugs,
Gaby — and Hannah, Marcelle, Coach, and Zoe
To celebrate SWEET NOVEMBER (iykyk), we talked about LOAD-BEARING MAN Keanu Reeves! You’ll learn all about Marcelle’s admiration for this celebrity whose star image is colored by the public’s sense of his “goodness.” We talk feminism, masculinities, and Tanya Horeck’s brilliant essay, “‘Too Good for This World:’ Keanu Reeves, God of the Internet.”
Good news! The lovely
Leena Norms returned to talk all things Wicked: For Good with us! Leena, Hannah, and Marcelle discuss the question on all of our minds after seeing the sequel: how gay is it??
Another month of Material Concerns in the bag! Hannah, Marcelle, and Coach discuss Halloween costumes, High School Musical 2, and much, much more.
As always, get part two of all Material Concerns episodes on Patreon!
If you, like me (Gaby), got really into the The Pitt this year, we have some good news for you. No spoilers yet, but keep an eye on your podcast feed around the same time season 2 starts airing in January! (Noah Wyle will not be a guest on an episode, he keeps ignoring my calls).
My favourite book I read this year is going to be your favourite book you read next year: friend-of-the-pod Zena Sharman’s new memoir in essays Staying Power: On Queerness, Inheritances, and the Families We Choose. Are you, perhaps, struggling to live in a world saturated with grief and loss? Do you want to imagine different ways we can be in this hard world together that centre queerness and pleasure and interdependence and collective care? Do you need a grief witch to hold your hand and walk you through hell like a sexy psychopomp? This book is so beautiful and so healing and I truly want everyone to read it, so preorder it now!I feel like I say this every year but nevertheless: IT HAS BEEN A YEAR. I was reminded recently that Trump hasn’t yet been in office (again) for a full year and that literally feels impossible. In Alberta, where I live, the Premier has weaponized a rarely used clause to deny the basic civil liberties of trans and nonbinary kids. It’s sufficiently egregious that we will need to either organize ways to get kids medical care outside the province or move. ALL OF WHICH IS TO SAY: It’s gift-giving season but get it for yourself instead. See a nice book that would make a lovely gift? Get it for you. Fancy cookware that you could never? Get it for you. Something cute? Yours now. Does it make you smile? Good, because you’re getting it for yourself. Surround yourself with so much loveliness that your wishlist is blank. And remember folks, there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism but some businesses are shittier than others.I just got my Spotify wrapped and I am genuinely too embarrassed to share my top five artists. That said, here’s my Top Songs of 2025 Playlist should you care to know the inner workings of my brain. Be gentle in your judgment. <3This month I’ve been watching Tim Robinson’s new HBO show, The Chair Company! This show is about the absurdity of office culture, a masculinity so toxic a man takes it personally when his chair breaks, and a wild cast of characters that will leave you feeling a strange mixture of silly, queasy, and uncomfortable.I have the cooking rec this month, but right now the last thing I want to do is cook because I hosted Thanksgiving for my partner and our families last week! However, I’m going to cook anyway because today is me and my partner’s fifth anniversary and I love cooking for her. I’m making pear and mascarpone pasta for us tonight, which is a recipe based on vibes and the memory of one really delicious dish I had probably a decade ago at a beloved restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina. Here’s what you do: peel and dice 2-3 pears and toss them in a Dutch oven with a bunch of salted butter until they get a little brown but not burnt; boil pasta; add pasta to pears; add a scoop or two of mascarpone cheese (or ricotta); mix, and sprinkle with parm and pepper. If you are lactose intolerant I recommend taking a Lactaid pill beforehand, but it’s cozy and delicious! We’re going to enjoy that and watch While You Were Sleeping. Perfect evening if you ask me!
We love it when you do! Here are a couple recent chatty highlights from Patrons:
Have a topic you want us to tackle? Feel free to submit to this form!
Want to talk to us all the time? Join our $30 Patreon tier and find us on Slack, where we live.
Have a strongly worded comment about this newsletter? You can now reply right on Substack and we’ll be able to see it and even reply! Just be nice to us.
