headspace #1
on nick ut's vietnam war photograph controversy, the grand budapest hotel, blank street in edinburgh, introducing this new segment, and more.
Hi friends,
It’s great to be typing away on my keyboard again. I know every single subscriber to this newsletter personally, so consider yourselves my favorite people.
I thought it would be cool to start a new newsletter segment where I share links I’ve been clicking on, things I’ve been consuming (think music, articles, videos, etc.), side quests I’ve been up to, and other things that happen to be on my mind. The goal is to keep this new segment, which I call headspace, short and sweet.
Welcome to the prime example of my mixed-bag lists. We’ll see how this brain dump goes!
Enjoy!
LINKS
Nick Ut's Napalm Girl 'The Terror of War' - New Questions on Authorship
I wrote my high school senior thesis on this photograph, an iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph that shaped public perceptions of the Vietnam War. I also had the opportunity to meet him in 2022, where I asked him questions about his process of taking this photo. After reflecting on this for a while, especially regarding how he articulated his experience, the circumstances surrounding the events leading to the photograph, and the emotional process of developing the film roll, I believe that only the photographer himself could explain this in such detail. Perhaps it’s because I got to meet him or because this new documentary that premiered at Sundance hasn't secured any distributors, preventing me from watching it. Still, the allegations it presents are exceedingly grave. To me, I am not bothered by questions of authorship. Rather, I’m more affected by the controversy staining this image's legacy and representational essence. Because it entered the public consciousness decades ago, today, the question of authorship and its’ legacy will be up to the court of public opinion. It does not do us good if we can’t watch the documentary in the first place.
meeting nick ut! Joan Didion and Martha Stewart relating (and the lack thereof) to each other - Jia Tolentino for the New Yorker
I never considered comparing the two or exploring the differences between these women, especially how their identities and images have been packaged in such distinct ways. Yet, both appeal to us, the consumers. More on my mind: a posthumous Joan Didion book is set to be published this April. Taken from her diary entries after seeing her psychologist addressed to her husband John, the manuscript was recently discovered and is to be printed for distribution. I am unhappy about this because she did not intend to publish her deeply intimate writing in her personal capacity. The ethics are all muddied here…kind of similar to the new Mac Miller album, the second to be released after his death in 2018. Yes, there is demand for more from a person well known for their craft, but after their death, public demand for more shouldn’t supersede their memory and already-published work just to be left in peace.
Kendrick Lamar’s NFL Super Bowl 2025 Halftime Show
I stayed up until 2 am just to watch the show; it was so worth it. Did I pay attention to the football part of the Super Bowl? No. But I’m glad the Eagles won. Also, Not Like Us was on repeat for the past two weeks and won a full sweep of Grammys right before the game, which really solidified the hype. I enjoyed listening to this podcast episode detailing the legal battle between Drake and Universal Music Group over this diss track.
Jom Magazine is like a breath of fresh air for Singapore’s media landscape
I love their weekly segments commenting on local politics and headlines. It’s set to be an election year for the country, and the Prime Minister just announced a new budget ahead of the nation’s 60th anniversary. I appreciated their legal/constitutional explanation of the recent fines imposed on the opposition party (Worker’s Party) chief for lying to Parliament, as it helped contextualize the current political landscape before the nation goes to vote.
THINGS
The ever-so-popular Blank Street opened two new coffee shops in Edinburgh, making their way north from London. I got their blueberry matcha with my friends Lola and Helise on opening day - we were all kind of shocked that they would even decide to set up shop here, of all places. As for my review of the matcha, it has quite a mild and sugary-not-blueberry taste. Do I recommend it? Nope. However, will I buy it again? Yes.
I text my best friend about every single plane-related headline.
My childhood bestie Sydney is a private pilot and is currently studying to get her commercial license at university. So naturally, I send her every single flight number and plane model I’m on, and I get her takes on flight-related incidents. Who needs a doctor in the family when you can have a pilot consultant?
Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel finally got checked off my ‘to-watch’ list.
I did not expect the plot line to be so soul-crushing at the end and did not know that many of the scenes were miniature sets. I get the Wes Anderson film aesthetic hype; I really do. Hence, that’s why I’m curious to watch Fantastic Mr. Fox this weekend.
New pair of jeans alert!
I go through phases of shopping hyper-fixations. Last semester, it was finding the right brown lip liner pencil shade that could last me the whole day without looking extremely unnatural. Spoiler alert: it’s ‘buff’ from Glossier. This month, I’ve been on an internet rabbit hole quest to find low-rise baggy jeans that don’t look too baggy and aren’t too tight on my hips. I narrowed my search down to two recommendations from my friends:
Lola loves the Levi's Superlow Jeans so much she bought two in different colors
Rebeca stands by the Motel Rocks Low Rise Parallel Jeans and loyally wears them almost daily
Sorry Lola, but I went with the Motel jeans and I think my life has changed. These jeans are so comfortable, I’ll sleep in them tonight.
Currently listening to Tate McRae’s new album, Beeson’s music, and Jack Harlow’s new singles
Tate McRae’s new album favorites: Greenlight, Dear god, I know love (ft. The Kid Laroi), and Sports Car
Beeson’s music favorites: Best Case Girl, Keeping Score, Gap Teeth, and Ritual
Jack Harlow’s new singles: Hello Miss Johnson, Set you free, and Tranquility
I interviewed the former Irish Ambassador to the US, UK, Germany, and Malaysia for Edinburgh Political Union’s Backbench Podcast
Dan Mulhall was posted to DC at the same time as the first Trump administration, and was Ireland’s ambassador to the UK at the same time as the Brexit referendum. It’s my first time doing a live interview, so I tried to challenge him on his commentary on both topics and a few notable headlines. This interview occurred just a few days after DOGE began to go after USAID and Donald Trump suggested a US takeover of Gaza.
The full team has been hard at work kickstarting our episodes for the semester. This was recored live, so fear not, my interview with the former ambassador and should be out in the next few weeks or so.
In the meantime, if you’re itching to listen to a podcast, our first episode: A Year of Elections, is out tomorrow on Substack and Spotify.
This episode boasts an insanely well-researched regional coverage by a 6-person strong research team and presented by myself and my friends Josh and Seb. We detail how 2024 was an historic year of elections across the world.
+ you want to get to know our mission, our trailer is linked here:)
I’m a proud member of a feminist book club!
My friend Grace hosted and cooked an incredible feast for nine incredible and inspiring women last night. I love meeting new people and hearing their insights, especially on this topic. Our first read was a short book translated from French titled ‘I Hate Men/Moi les hommes, je les déteste’ by Pauline Harmange ~ which was a text that went viral in France, partly due to the attempted censorship by a government official after publication.
looking ahead
Here’s a super short preview of life in the next week: essays. I have a few deadlines creeping up on me, so I will be locked in the library with my millionth cup of coffee of the semester by my side. Wish me luck.
Spring is so close, but until April, Edinburgh is still chilly. But the sun is out more lately! I aim to get all my friends together for an ultimate frisbee tournament at our local park when it gets warmer.
My next post will detail (in full!) some of my recent adventures after spending last week in France. Let’s say they include bowling, birds, and butter….Until next time!
this was really cute, i really enjoyed reading it! i did immediately text chrisllynn afterwards to tell her i want to try blank street's overhyped matcha when i come to visit in a couple weeks.