April digest
TAJ/ IRC_2026-03: read, written, watched, listened and loved this month
April felt like a fever dream. It was probably the quickest month to end for me in 2026, but I was still able to read some books, watch one film every week and discover some amazing articles, especially here on Substack. In this post, you’ll find all the links to my articles and media I’ve collected during the fourth month of the year.
<finding aid>
This section is a guide to all the posts I published this month.
5.04 - Some thoughts I had about life and survival after watching a weird insect documentary:
12.04 - A reflection on dreams inspired by one that I had recently had:
19.04 - Some ideas to archive your life through different note taking practices:
<library>
All the books I’ve read this month.
The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton
A tormented love story taking place in New York during the late 19th century. Personal feelings and ideas crush with society’s expectations, the individual is sacrificed to mantain the facade of the class, which it belongs to. I loved how the social commentary blends in with a compelling plot in this one.
Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf
Woolf’s lyrical prose narrates a day in London, through the eyes of various characters, like Mrs. Dalloway, who’s busy preparing a party. Thoughts and daydreams mix with the material reality of the city, conveying the impression of being constantly drawn inside the characters’ mind and out of them again, like struggling to stay afloat in a rough sea.
Cosima, Grazia Deledda
A coming of age story, inspired by the real life of the italian writer. The evocative island of Sardinia sets up the perfect background for the experiences of a girl, trapped in a close-minded, rural environment, who dreams of becoming a writer.
<clippings>
In this section are collected the articles I’ve read this month and the videos I’ve watched.
4.04 What writing consistently for 8 months will do to you (The Stories Club): The author notices that writing consistently makes her more aware and careful about what happens in her life and improves her skills.
7.04 art of creativity: personal curriculum vlog (MindBodyMel): how to build a personal creative curriculum (her videos might have inspired me to start “The artist’s way”)
12.04 Learning that learning takes time: why consistency beats intensity (Sarah Kathleen Francis): notes on taking your time to learn and managing perfectionism in academic settings
13.04 Become a Better Writer in 4 Minutes a Day (Thought Culture): how to keep an observation notebook to improve your writing
19.04 the workification of hobbies (Maddie): an essay on the problem of turning fun activities into productive side-hustles
23.04 creative intentions and systems - how I work (mickey galvin): how to structure a creative process
<film>
This section is dedicated to the films I’ve watched this month.
Agatha and the limitless readings (Marguerite Duras): a very slow film about two siblings who say goodbye to each other and reminisce about the story of their "affair". I've interpreted as an attempt of a woman to build herself another life (physically and mentally) after experiencing abuse at a young age.
The Exterminating Angel (Luis Buñuel): after going to the theatre, a group of upper class people go to a party but, once the dinner is over, they find themselves stuck in the house. Read as a representation of class conflicted, it could also, in my opinion, be seen as a critique towards justifying the actions of certain people through their social role, power or beliefs.
Mirror (Andreij Tarkovskij):a stream of consciousness that goes back and forth in the protagonist's life, connecting his present with his past. I really liked this one, I felt like it was very dense (and I'll probably have to rewatch it at some point) and strange, but really clear at the same time.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson): my first comedy film this year. I really enjoyed it both because of its lightness and cleverness. I also really appreciated the shot composition throughout the whole film.
<sound>
This is a collection of albums, music tracks and podcasts I’ve listened to this month.
I haven’t listened to a lot of new music this month, but I had to listen to Olivia Rodrigo’s new single. It didn’t resonate with me as much as some of her other songs (like “Vampire” and “Driver’s licence”), so I didn’t find myself wanting to listen to it on repeat, but it might grow on me.
That is all for today’s post. I’ll be back next week with a new series!
Thanks for reading,
𝒢. 𝒢.
Hello! I’m 𝒢. 𝒢., a 20-something year old master student in Italy and aspiring archivist. Here I archive my life through writing about the mundane and collecting pieces of media. This post falls under my “Intermediate Records” series, which includes media collections, writing guides and learning resources.
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