Sunday Smörgåsbord #061
When Hitchock met Truffaut, a Tom Hanksathon, and Sicilian stories. Plus I return to some London favourites.
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Hi friends,
I can’t believe that already we are going into the last week of November! Or rather, I couldn’t, until a few days in London reminded me just how close to winter we already are. Those were some baltic temperatures.
I am going into week 4 of my sabbatical tomorrow. I’ve not written about it at all yet, except for the odd mention here and there. I think part of me didn’t really believe it was happening until I was a few weeks in, and God knows it crept up on me.
I thought, too, that I’d spend so much time here on Substack during this free time, writing new Friday essays and whiling away lazy mornings in bed reading all the great writing that exists here. As it happens, I’ve spent *less* time here than usual (sorry, to all those lovely writers who I usually read so regularly!) That’s been a surprise. Truly.
But the positive is I’m using this time , (she says cautiously, only three weeks in), exactly as I envisioned. To create. And not just to create, but to *commit* to creating. Writing first drafts. Reading others’. I suspect, for me, that’s half the battle.
What are you creating right now? I’d love to know.
Have a great week.
Emma x
🍳 Recent servings, in case you missed them…
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📰 Features & Podcasts
‘‘Actors are cattle’: when Hitchcock met Truffaut’, The Guardian. After a morning spent watching The Man Who Knew Too Much (see: Sunday Smörg #060), I went down a Hitchcock rabbit hole and found this intriguing article. I’d never known the two directors had met, nor would have thought that it was owing to Truffaut’s hero worship of Alfred. It’s fascinating to see that, back then, part of Truffaut’s motivations were for Hitchcock to be recognised as a true artist over ‘light entertainer’, whereas nowadays he’s probably seen as artist over entertainer. Even stranger, two days after reading, this exact conversation was brought up in my writing class (the article quoted is over nine years old!)
‘Forget winter chills … I have a secret daily hot bath habit’, The Times [PW]. Not just me then!
‘This is my last Spinal Column. Writing it helped me survive’, The Times [PW]. Every so often comes along a column which, even if you don’t read it every week, serves as some sort of strange backdrop to your life. This is one of them. Written by Melanie Reid, who was paralysed in a horse riding accident in 2010, this column was probably one of, if not the first, regular broadsheet depictions of living with disability. Despite thinking she’d run out of material after a month, Melanie has written about recovery, hard days, small pleasures and so much more over the last fifteen years. Just scrolling the comments is life-affirming. Thanks, Melanie, you taught me a lot.
‘The climate crisis and all the evil in the world drives me to despair’, The Guardian. Yes, it’s a small salve in the face of so much shit, but, as usual, Philippa Perry has soothing and pragmatic advice. “The world will continue to be absurd, but you, with all your passion, your intellect, and your sorrow, can still make your corner of it more bearable.” Let’s do our best to make our own corner something to be proud of.
🎨 Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Letizia Battaglia: Life, Love and Death in Sicily, The Photographers’ Gallery, London W1. Until 23 February 2025. This exhibition is the perfect size for a lunchtime mooch. It’s small, but packs a punch; a little shot of grappa to wake you up after a heavy meal. And that’s not to say the content is light touch, quite the opposite. During her time as photojournalist at Palermo daily L’ora, Letizia Battaglia documented mafia murders, corrupted courtrooms and daily life in her native Sicily. I had never heard of her before this show, but wow, how I loved her work. Battaglia worked almost entirely in black and white, elevating everyday scenes into mini movie scenes. A look here, a touch there, a head thrown back cackling. I had too many favourites, but up there was ‘Silvia sunbathing while Franco hoes’, a bucolic shot of Sylvia sat naked, sunbathing, in a wheelbarrow, her amore behind her. The good life, indeed.
We are on a bit of a Tom Hanks binge at the moment. Last weekend we watched A Man Called Otto (dir. Forster, 2023), and all cried buckets. Buckets. This week I veto’d Castaway, so we settled on Catch Me If You Can, (dir. Spielberg, 2003), which I can’t believe is now over twenty years old. Leo actually looks younger than the women he now dates, even though he was already twenty-eight at the time. I’m somewhat torn on the film. It’s a great romp, especially the first half where we see the young Frank Abagnale Jr learn the ropes from his con-artist father. And the cast is befitting of a Spielberg, featuring Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen and Amy Adams, amongst many others. It does go on a bit though, I think it has the classic biopic issue of trying to cram in too much.
📺 What have you seen lately that’s worth a read, watch or listen? Let me know in the comments.
🍹 Lifestyle
Another week dashing between London and Valencia called for dates at a few favourites. I took Andy to Donia on Thursday, a Filipino restaurant in Kingly Court off Carnaby Street which I’d been to with friends before (see Sunday Smörg #35). The fluffy, sweet-and-salty pandesal there is still worth a visit alone. But I also love the lechon, served swimming in a rich liver sauce. The crab and pork dumplings were also a stand-out, even second time around.
Andy had to catch an early flight Friday so I took myself for a solo lunch at Rita’s on Lexington Street (also W1), and it was heavenly. A window seat, a glass of cava and the lunchtime special (porchetta with salsa verde), were the perfect accompaniments to people-watching the streets of Soho. I also took the time to continue on with my 2024 resolution (War & Peace! Still going strong!) and the opening chapters of the new novel by a writing colleague (exciting!) I was only there for about ninety minutes, but I felt like I’d been at a spa all day afterwards. I floated all the way to Stansted airport.
That’s it for this week. I hope you find something in this list that sparks joy or curiosity.
If you’ve got any recommendations on articles, podcasts, Substacks or shows for me to dive into, please drop them in the comments. Until next time!
❤️ Thank you for reading Scrambled Eggs. If you liked this post don’t forget to hit the heart to let me know and help others find my writing.
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“But the positive is I’m using this time , (she says cautiously, only three weeks in), exactly as I envisioned. To create. And not just to create, but to *commit* to creating. Writing first drafts. Reading others’. I suspect, for me, that’s half the battle.”