Sunday Paper PLUS Recommends—Week of September 22, 2024

At The Sunday Paper, we often discover books, podcasts, films, and other works that move the needle and spark inspiring change. This week, we are thrilled to hand the mic again to our Sunday Paper PLUS readers! Our thanks to Carol, Lisa, and Jackie for their recommendations. We hope what they suggest below opens your heart and mind.

What Carol Wright Is Watching

To watch Hacks, the Emmy-award-winning comedy series starring Jean Smart, is to belly-laugh a million times, but it's also to witness a riveting show defy old Hollywood ideals and put a 70-plus woman front and center—which we love!  In the series, Smart plays the amazing Deborah Vance, a legendary comedian in Las Vegas who is working to save her residency. Every line and plot turn is brilliant, making this show binge-able. We applaud its co-creator, Paul W. Downs, who is vocal about advocating for more light to be shed on characters over 60. Our thanks to Carol for recommending this fantastic show! (And if you're a big Jean Smart fan like us, be sure to catch her as the host of the premiere episode of the new season of SNL!)

What Lisa Waschka Is Reading

Luis A. Miranda Jr. has long been one of New York's most revered political figures. In his biography Relentless, Miranda offers readers an intimate look at his incredible life, from his upbringing and early start as a passionate Puerto Rican activist to his long career as a sought-after political strategist, philanthropist, and advocacy consultant. He shares highs and lows, including the excitement of seeing his son, Lin-Manuel Miranda, create Hamilton and the devastation and suffering in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria destroyed communities. During National Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond, this is a riveting account of a tenacious man. Thanks for the rec, Lisa!

What Jackie Levin Is Listening to

The sensation of listening to "Eating and Drinking and Being in Love," the new album from Theo Kandel, is one of everything-is-going-to-be-okay. Kandel's talent for turning notes and lyrics into songs that increase dopamine and reduce stress (not clinically proven, but it feels like it!) is something like a blue sky: you feel a sense of hope. The album has range, with more gentle songs like "Honeydew Moon" and "Lunch" and pieces with more energetic punch like "One More Night (With my Friends in the City)." This is an album that will make your Sunday afternoon better. Thanks for putting Theo's album on our radar, Jackie!