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August: Our Month In Favorites

August: Our Month In Favorites

Comic illustration of Neil Gaiman's Sandman he's wearing a black robe and holding up a handful of sand

Welcome to a new monthly column series! Each month we’ll be sharing a few of our favorite things and any recent obsessions ~


August has passed, which means we’re one month closer to October – arguably the best month of the year. Here are a few things we loved this past month…

The Sandman on Netflix

The Sandman, a comic series written by Neil Gaiman, has finally made its way to the screen after years of switching hands and being put on the backburner by more than one production team. So far, the show has not been a disappointment for first time viewers or long time fans of the comics. The characters are well cast, the visual effects bring the fantastical scenes from the pages of the comic to brilliant life, and honestly, it just feels magical to see such a brooding, magical, and beloved story in a fresh medium.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

This novel feels like an epic from page one. With a primary cast of mostly women, several queer storylines, beasts of fantasy, court politics, and themes of belonging, love, and honor, this is an engaging and exciting read. It is referred to by the author as a “feminist retelling of Saint George and the Dragon,” and a review referred to it impressively as “a feminist Lord of the Rings”. For those who love high fantasy outside the grip of patriarchal norms, this massive novel of over 800 pages is well worth a read.

Creative Pep Talk Podcast

This podcast, hosted by illustrator Andy J. Pizza, releases weekly episodes that tackle varying topics of creativity, including how to make a creative practice, pieces of creative advice from creatives at the top of their game in various industries, and how to stay on your individual and meaningful creative path. It’s a very upbeat, low-key way to pump a little bit of inspiration and creator camaraderie into your week.

Decadence: A Literary Anthology by Jon Crabb

For any Oscar Wilde fans out there, this anthology is a great way to learn more about his predecessors and contemporaries, and explore the Aesthetic/Decadent movement as a whole. Not only does this anthology contain the “big” names of the Aesthetic movement (Wilde, Beardsley, Huysmans), it also provides glimpses of some lesser known gems. It’s also beautifully illustrated and filled with an excellent author bios.

Some Awesome Publications To Check Out

If you’re looking for amazing creative content, check out these gorgeous publications:

And finally, we’ll leave you with this gorgeous poem to fill you with anticipation for the changing of the seasons…

Fall, leaves, fall by Emily Brontë

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.
I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night’s decay
Ushers in a drearier day.


Ariel
Terri