Credit: Reid Murray | Design Editor
Before this semester’s writing assignments come flooding in, The Lantern’s Arts & Life desk is bringing Ohio State students a different kind of REPORT. As seen on Instagram, TikTok and various other social media platforms, this format tells readers what to read, eat, play, obsess over, recommend and treat yourself to this week.
Read
Lovers of surreal horror will feel comfortably uncomfortable cracking open a Mona Awad book. The Canadian author who famed poet and novelist Margaret Atwood once identified as her “literary heir apparent” is not known for pulling punches.
Awad’s most recent novel, titled “Rouge,” was published in September 2023. The plot follows a woman named Belle, who feverishly practices skin care to escape aging’s ever-tightening embrace.
When her mother dies, Belle becomes burdened with emotional and financial debts. In the dizzying aftermath, she is drawn to a cultish spa her mom favored when she was alive.
Merging classic fairy tales with modern-day skin care culture, “Rouge” offers a distinctly dreamlike reading experience. Or maybe it’s just a nightmare all dressed up.
Eat
North Market Downtown — located at 59 Spruce St. — is home to over 30 food and drink merchants. Some notable vendors include Satori Ramen Bar, Stauf’s Coffee Roasters, Black Radish Creamery, Hot Chicken Takeover and Nida’s Sushi.
On Sunday, the vibrant marketplace will host a trivia event centered around the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans of superhero movies and high-quality cuisine are equally welcome.
Play
Released in theaters Nov. 17, 2023, “Saltburn” started streaming on Amazon Prime Video Dec. 22, making waves all the while.
Conversations surrounding the comedic thriller — starring Barry Keoghan (“The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” “Eternals”), Jacob Elordi (“Priscilla,” “Euphoria”) and Rosamund Pike (“Gone Girl,” “Pride and Prejudice”) — have proven to be discordant. Some spectators consider “Saltburn” a campy delight, while others think it’s excessively provocative and devoid of deeper meaning.
One of the film’s shining aspects is its soundtrack, which oscillates between playful and dramatic at a startling frequency. Every track, from “Time to Pretend” by MGMT to “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, transports listeners into a moody soundscape perfect for walking across campus. Composer Anthony Willis also delivers with wistful instrumentals, particularly “Felix Amica.”
Obsess
Last year was an excellent one for book-to-screen adaptations, with Suzanne Collins’ “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” Bonnie Garmus’ “Lessons in Chemistry,” Edith Wharton’s “The Buccaneers,” Alasdair Gray’s “Poor Things” and Rick Riordan’s “The Lightning Thief” all receiving film or TV treatment.
For those in search of a brain-stimulating activity, comparing and contrasting new adaptations with their source material is always an option.
“The Color Purple,” which was theatrically released Dec. 18, 2023, is technically an adaptation of an adaptation. Consume all three iterations — Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, the 2005 Broadway musical and the 2023 musical period drama — to achieve a satisfying story analysis. Steven Spielberg’s 1985 movie adaptation is likewise worth checking out.
Recommend
In today’s collegiate landscape, stress seems to be the inevitable burden of university students. In fact, according to the American Institute of Stress, 8 in 10 college students encounter “frequent bouts of stress” and 61% pursue counseling for “anxiety, depression, academic performance, family issues, and relationship problems.”
Perhaps an even more emotionally taxing experience is watching one’s friends, roommates and peers grapple with a declining mental health, and feeling helpless in their struggle. Though it does not claim to magically absolve users of their stress, Calm Strips is a business dedicated to helping students — and teachers, for that matter — manage their anxiety via reusable sensory strips and stickers, according to its website.
The strips come in a variety of colorful designs and textures, with some even featuring catchy mantras reminding its users to simply breathe. From laptops to notebooks to keychains, Calm Strips can be placed on practically any surface to comfort students anywhere they go.
Treat
Nothing brightens up a dreary day quite like a warm, flaky pastry.
Boasting more than 1,650 locations across the world, TOUS les JOURS aims to share French and South Korean flavors with the world, its website states. Stop by the Columbus storefront, located at 2851 Olentangy River Road, for a guava danish or honey lavender matcha latte.
