as someone who prefers snappy, shorter books, the name of the rose was a real tome. i worked through it for more than half a year, and i'm so glad i did—the last few chapters culminate into an incredible rush of upheaval and meditations on the loss of history. the story follows a holmes-like medieval monk and the murder mystery that plagues the abbey he visits; except, it's told from the perspective of his benedictine novice; except, it's a translation of a translation of the now-lost original manuscript. (and i'm reading an english translation of the original italian text.) like the abbey library, this is a labyrinthine book of framing devices within framing devices within framing devices.

big night is my idea of a perfect movie. two brothers try to save their struggling restaurant by throwing the biggest, most delectable dinner party—betrayals and italian cuisine ensue. all the bits of storytelling i love are baked into this film: a plot that unfolds over the course of a single day, workplace infighting, cooking as an art…this movie is perfect. chef's kiss.

also culinary-related, the game venba is a touching amuse-bouche of the immigrant dream and generational differences. the cooking gameplay is enhanced by an incredible vocal soundtrack and the (i'm assuming) real sounds of ghee sizzling and snapping over a hot surface.

i participated in the single choice jam, where the interactive fiction entries were limited to only one choice. i've been playing through these games very slowly, and a unique aspect of this jam is that the limitation creates a sense of anticipation—what's the choice going to be? when will it come up? many cool entries to poke through.

read this review of the DSM-5. a strikingly unique piece of literary criticism.