To watch and watch for: Week of Sept. 22

I hope everyone's weeks are going well although midterms are coming sooner than we’d all imagined they would. The best thing about taking exams is that feeling after when you know you actually have time to breath. This is the ideal time to watch what we want to watch, read what we want to read and listen to what we want to listen to.

If you have the energy for festivals, though, this is your week because all three of our listed live events are multiple-day events. The biggest by far is the Polyaspora Festival hosted by the Peabody Institute, with multiple performances by new, contemporary composers right in the heart of Mount Vernon. The latter half of performances will take place at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, so it’s a perfect excuse to go on an excursion to D.C.

If you’re more literary-minded, the Baltimore Book Festival is coming back to the Waverly neighborhood! Just take a quick ten-minute walk east from Homewood campus, and you’ll emerge in a festival all about books: writing, selling and publishing. The annual Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) Weekend is also coming this weekend, which will include intriguing exhibitions and thrilling receptions all weekend long! 

As for the listed releases, my personal picks for this week are the animated film The Wild Robot, the novel Intermezzo by Sally Rooney and Coyote, the debut, full-length LP by up-and-coming R&B sensation Tommy Richman. I hope you have a great week and that you have time to check out these amazing new releases and events!

To watch...

Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola — Sept. 27

Megalopolis is an epic science fiction film written, directed and produced by Coppola, director of The Godfather trilogy. Set in a speculated modern American society where the corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) and visionary architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) clash on how to rebuild New Rome (modeled after New York), this film heavily references the Catilinarian conspiracy of 63 BCE Rome, including such figures as Cataline, Cicero and Julius Caesar

The Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders — Sept. 27

Starring Pedro Pascal and Mark Hamill, this science-fiction, animated film was written and directed by Chris Sanders and based on the book series of the same name by Peter Brown. The film follows a stranded ROZZUM utilitarian robot, “Roz,” as she nurtures and becomes friends with the local wildlife on an uninhabited island.

Mr.McMahon, directed by Chris Smith — Sept. 25

This Netflix-produced documentary television miniseries covers the long and storied history of Vince McMahon’s reign as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, hosted by McMahon himself with guest appearances by John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

To read...

Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney — Sept. 24

Author of the film-adapted Normal People, Rooney returns with another novel set in Dublin, Ireland. The story follows two brothers: Peter, a stuck-up Dublin lawyer in his thirties, and Ivan, a socially awkward twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. After their father’s death, both struggle with an intense grief that strains their love life but also welcomes the possibility of emotional vulnerability. 

The Empusium, by Olga Tokarczuk (English Translation) — Sept. 24

Nobel prize-winning Polish author Tokarczuk’s latest work is set in a sanitarium right before World War I, where Mieczysław, a student suffering from tuberculosis, meets the idiosyncratic residents, who discuss politics over hallucinogenic liquor. Pretty soon, disturbing stories reach them from the countryside, and Mieczysław has to grapple with the horrific and historic consequences. 

Playground, by Richard Powers — Sept. 24

The Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times best-selling author of The Overstory and Bewilderment returns with a panoramic novel covering the lives of four very different kids from Montreal, Chicago and naval bases across the Pacific. All four meet on the island of Makatea in French Polynesia where they are chosen for a new project: sending floating, autonomous cities out into the sea.

To listen...

Coyote, Tommy Richman — Sept. 27

Singer and rapper Richman of “Million Dollar Baby” and “Devil is a Lie” will release his highly-anticipated, full-length, R&B LP Coyote this Friday. After “Million Dollar Baby” went viral as a sound on TikTok in early June, Tommy Richman spoke out against the image which was simultaneously constructed, the image of a sellout pop artist who caters to 30-second sound bites, posting to X (formerly Twitter): “I’m not no fukkin tik tok artist.” This is a turning point in his career, and the critical response to this project could define his artistic image for years to come.

Songs From a Thousand Frames of Mind, by Kate Bollinger — Sept. 27

American folk singer-songwriter Bollinger’s full-length debut album will feature classic pop sounds with scrappy punk instincts, ranging from comfy folk tunes to laid-back psychedelic rock. Paired with Bollinger’s soft, jazzy singing style, this kaleidoscope tracklist will be sure to make an impression.

Dance, No One’s Watching, by Ezra Collective — Sept. 27

Dance, No One’s Watching will be the third studio album by the London jazz quintet. The album’s first single, “Ajala,” was named after Nigerian writer Olabisi Ajala. The word ajala is also a Nigerian slang term for someone who can’t stand still, which, paired with demand of the title, tells us all we need to know about the energy this LP will bring. 

Live events...

Polyaspora Festival — Sept 23–27

The Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute is hosting a five-day music festival, with concerts split between the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. and the Mount Vernon campus in Baltimore, with the support of a grant from the Nexus Awards. The programs include COMPOSING WHILE BLACK: Afrodiasporic New Music Today, ANTROPOFAGIA: Brazilian Perspectives and THE FUTURE IS NOW I AND II. There will be plenty of newly-composed music for both solo and group performances. Individual registration is required for each program and admission is free for all performances

The 2024 Baltimore Book Festival — Sept. 28–29

Organized by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts, the 2024 Baltimore Book Festival will be held in and around Waverly Main Street, just a short walk from Homewood campus! This will be the festival’s 25th anniversary, and it will serve as a platform for many local authors and poets, booksellers, and businesses. Check out the website for a schedule of events.

MICA Weekend 2024  — Sept. 27–28

MICA weekend is a cherished tradition where alumni, parents, family and friends come together to enjoy exhibitions, workshops, and the sale of some inspiring art. This year’s headliner is Nate Diana “ND” Stevenson, an American cartoonist and animation producer, from the Class of 2013. To register and RSVP for specific events, please visit the linked site. Registration varies depending on affiliation and event access.