Monica Byrne
@monicabyrne13
Writer living on the road. AI-free. Buy THE ACTUAL STAR: Reps at CAA, DG&B, and Kaplan/Perrone. She/her. monicabyrne.substack.com
Tonight’s movie: Crazy Rich Asians (2018). I wanted to rewatch after just having finished the book. Man, what an all-timer. So fun to watch, and perfectly cast. It makes me want to go to Singapore, which I’m sure was the intention of the government of Singapore in lending all those locations 😅
Paid the customs fee, got decal delivered, and my car in Ireland is finally complete 😌 Thank you, @weratedogs.com!
It’s my one-year anniversary of living in Ireland. Hard to believe. I celebrated by finally going to see the Gleniff Horseshoe 😌
Finished: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (terrific read) Starting: The Book of Merlyn by T.H. White (which I forgot even existed!)
It’s my birthday. I celebrated, of course, with a cold water swim – this time on Gurteen Beach in Connemara. I’m 45 and so glad to be alive.
Knew these would start coming out and it didn’t even take 24 hours. Love it.
Said summit, from my place clinging to the rock. I am a very big fan of listening to one’s body when it says NOPE
Early birthday gift to self: The Complete Book of Wild Swimming in Ireland. I’ll be keeping this in the car, thank you.
Starting new series: Heated Rivalry. After the slog of Foundation, I wanted something I knew would be delicious. I suffered exquisitely through the first episode and look forward to suffering more.
I get bags of greens at the grocery store, then inevitably wait until just before they turn, and have to eat the whole bag at once from a soup tureen
Tonight’s movie: In the Name of the Father (1993). And now I am going to look up the Wikipedia entry because, though it shouldn’t surprise me, the pre-credits note that no UK police or detectives ever faced justice is so enraging.
Also, I spotted one Kiwi boat driver who I was 99% sure was the Mûmakil driver from Return of the King, and I was totally right (Shane Rangi).
Tonight’s movie: Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). Once again it was a crude story that served as scaffolding for the most spectacular visual effects known to human eyeballs, and I really do mean that as a compliment.
Life in Ireland just got a lot better. I asked for help last month, and you answered: within a week, through a combination of donations, merch purchases, and advance payments for commissions, consultations, and workshops, I was able to close my gap in savings and buy a used EV. Say hello to Poppy.
Just rewatched the scene. They’re even celebrating a bicentennial there, too.
Tonight’s movie: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). I never got around to watch it when I was actually in Wellington, but I’m glad I finally did now. What a warm, funny, wonderful film. And it made me miss Aotearoa.
Last night’s movie: The Forgiveness of Blood (2011). Oof. Really good. It’s about a traditional blood feud dissolving a rural Albanian family. There was an obvious and satisfying ending that they didn’t go for, and I respect the filmmakers for that.
I’m so thrilled that fellow @wellesley.edu alum Christiania M. Harkulich will be directing the U.S. premiere of my antifascist play OHIO!, especially since it was inspired by being on campus on Election Night in 2016 (😖). Go see it next year at Station Theatre!
That time I was on the cover of IndyWeek to promo my play What Every Girl Should Know. Shot by Justin Cook.
I’m really enjoying Big Lebowski Emperor in the third season of Foundation. It’s Lee Pace’s galaxy, we’re all just living in it.
Only just started this one, but I’m already in love. Such good writing. Such different observations of travel than I feel like I usually get in travel books.