Floor Time
/flôr tīm/
noun
the 15-60 minute time period spent laying on the floor in the middle of the work day, typically as a relief from the soul-sucking reality of corporate America.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: We are currently living through the Hanaissance (aka our Jenny Han era). The way in which I am a 29-year-old who has been counting down the days until the release of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” season 2 can only be attributed to this woman’s utter genius and deep understanding of what the people want. In this thesis, I will—
“To All The Boys I Loved Before” premiered in 2018, on the weekend of a huge corporate conference I had to attend / help run. That did not stop from me watching it thrice that opening weekend. And let the record show it!!! I’m a pure sucker for fake dating tropes.
I don’t know about you, but coming-of-age films are my favorite genre. I feel like we’re constantly “coming-of-age” in that if you’re adulting right, you’re consistently changing, growing, and learning how to navigate the world. That doesn’t end when you turn 18, or even 25 (when your brain allegedly finishes developing). And I think Jenny Han gets this. TIME Magazine recently did a spotlight on her where she delves into this further and I highly recommend you read it (in it, she’s dubbed “Gen Z’s Nancy Meyers,” and they offer a sneak peek into some upcoming projects she has in the works with Amazon Studios).
Fangirling about Jenny Han aside, I think my respect for what she’s doing (writing, adapting, producing, and showrunning A+ content for teens and beyond) stems from my yearning for simple yet intentional stories. During the throes of the pandemic, I exclusively consumed coming-of-age (or fantasy) films because they helped lighten the weight of our collective reality. And now, I am entering a new season of life, where I will inevitably experience many growing pains, have more questions than answers, be forced to confront problems, then work through the discomfort to find resolutions.1 In these times of instability are when I most lean on things like Jenny Han’s work. These fictional stories offer a mirror to our reality—reminding us that overall, our experiences are quite universal, and therefore things have resolved / will resolve, and there will always be an end. That’s comforting content.
So happy TSITP release date!! Nothing better than watching silly little teens live their carefree lives and fall in love for the first time.
Something Pretty
I mean literally every lewk from the Barbie premieres / press junket. And looks like this will be the last we really see of them because of SAG-AFTRA going on strike and joining the writers—110% support this effort.
Something To Laugh About
A few gems for you this week:
I genuinely am a martini gworlie but this made me cackle. Also did ya’ll read this because it’s delightful.
Raise your hand if you’re also rewatching “Suits.” This is basically copyright infringement of the show.
This is my brand of dog intros.
Ok bye I’m running not walking to watch the first three eps of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” See you on the other siiiiiiide.
Til’ next time, lovers. Your friend,
Clarice
By the way…I’m reading this.
So, so close to being done with The Idiot by Elif Batuman. I plan to have a palette cleanser after this and read some YA from my roommate’s collection. I haven’t picked it yet so for now I’ll just say if you want a trilogy you can literally read in a day, check out the below ;) (I read 2.5/3 of these on my flight from NYC to SF years ago—truly you can fly through them, no pun intended).
Upon proofreading this I realize this bit sounds cryptic—and it is! I will share updates when I myself have a clearer idea about what the butt is going on.