Summertime Requisites
- yisarah
- Jul 22
- 4 min read
Just over a month has passed since the summer solstice, the day when the year peaks, days are stretched out, and everything has ripened, softened to the point of almost rotting, but the smell of it is so sweet, you’re instantly salivating for a glass of ice-cold water. The months that have gone by have built up to this moment of abundance, and though I relish the daylight even after supper has been served, there is a gothic tension in my bones that what blooms and blossoms will soon fade away, and though I sweat beyond means of enjoyment, I am wistful that even this sweltering heat will soon pass us by. Everything feels so full now, and the summer is the only time I ever dare to listen to Zach Bryan, but still, I struggle to dwell inside this contradiction, to live in this bounty while also beginning to let go of the summer.
Learning to live seasonally is something I try to sharpen with each year I endure. Summer is extraversion, staying up past my bedtime and waking with the sun. It’s about the expansion of self, the sun, a seemingly productive conduit for discovering new hobbies and making new friends. It’s about gorging yourself on stone fruit, the first bite into the soft flesh already leaving you with trails of sticky juice down your fingers and palms, but it’s summer, so no one pays attention as you lick the syrupy nectar to not waste a single drop. But at the same time, summer is delirious and a little lonely. It stinks of rot and sweat, and overstimulation is inevitable. The mugginess on most days can feel suffocating, but still, on most days, the heat is a kind reminder to slow down, to remain soft, to live inside the season. Summer, the most anticipated time of year, also seems to be the most fleeting.
This year, I have felt fulfilled in the way I live inside summer, with all that I have consumed, both physically and emotionally. The books, movies, media, scents, foods, and music I have indulged in this summer have helped me feel grounded, and not in a curated, for aesthetic purposes manner. Intentional or not, most of my summer requisites have allowed me to fully revel in the season while still accepting the fruit flies and sunburns that come along with it.
I’ve been reading…
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green: A collection of essays written by the infamous John Green reflecting on different facets of the human-centered planet and connecting them back to the human experience. From Dr Pepper to Halley’s Comet to the QWERTY keyboard, each essay is complex and rich in thought-provoking insights.
The Lying Lives of Adults by Elena Ferrante: One off-hand comment from her father sends the protagonist, Giovanna, on a frenzied search for her aunt Vittoria on the other side of Naples to discover the true nature of the family's fallout.
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler: Twenty-two-year-old Tess lands a job as a backwaiter at one of Manhattan’s most prestigious restaurants. Soon, her appetite is woken from slumber, for food and wine, but also for knowledge, experience, and belonging.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong: Currently reading, in this cyclical tale of history and time, we follow the narrator through his journey of l; love, labor, and loneliness from the bedrock of American life.
The Cut: It Must Be Nice to Be a West Village Girl in New York Magazine: A thinkpiece of how the new generation has transformed the West Village neighborhood.
Intelligencer: Israel's Undeniable War Crimes in Gaza in New York Magazine: Incredibly current and undeniably harrowing. How Israel, with the help of the U.S., broke not only Gaza but the foundations of humanitarian law.
I’ve been watching…
Moya Mawhinney: heat waves and summer reads
Bones and All dir. Luca Gudagnino
I’ve been listening…
If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) by 1975
light by 2hollis
No One Noticed by The Marias
Stupid (can’t run from the urge) by underscores
Spring Into Summer by Lizzy McAlpine
I’ve been eating…
Graham crackers with chocolate chips: a makeshift s’more to reimagine summer nights camping in the comfort of my air-conditioned apartment.
Cherries: specifically the ones that are harder to the touch. Sweet and ripe with just the perfect touch of tartness to refresh yourself on a hot day.
Prosciutto and Genoa salami: preferably with some Simple Mills crackers or a pita chip topped with brie. Also pairs well with fried eggs.
Tuna bowls: rice, cucumbers, one can of tuna, finished with a drizzle of Japanese BBQ sauce and a dash of Kewpie mayo. Serve with seaweed, and if you want to go the extra mile, add some edamame and sesame seeds—light but filling, perfect for a summer night supper.
Comments