Oh, December. A month of contrasts. The cold outdoors, the warmth indoors. December’s color palette is both stark—blues, whites, grays—and rich—jewel-toned reds and greens. We’ll be finishing up the semester, all of us looking forward to some hard-won and well-deserved R&R. Whether you need a pick-me-up during finals week or finally have some free time once the semester has come to a close, put on your biggest, warmest sweater and let’s explore this month’s favorites.
Songs
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Running by Nicotine’s Famous Honey — An Open Letter
Atmospheric, stream-of-consciousness R&B, this song and the entire EP are great choices for a study playlist (if you have one). The lyrics are smart and sassy, but not in an overpowering way. Several of the songs on this EP are spoken-word poetry with a very minimal musical background—an interesting combination that I’ve been loving lately.
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Lost Ones by Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
The combination of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s late 90’s sound and clever no-fucks-given lyrics makes her music both fun and empowering. Although written in response to an ex-lover, the overall message of the song is relatable on many levels.
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Brain by Banks — Goddess
Banks’ dark, sultry synth pop thinly veils a simmering rage, especially on this track. In Brain, Banks laments the difficulties of being a smart girl in a man’s world. Written and released in 2014, Brain is anti-mansplaining before mansplaining even became a term.
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20 Something by SZA — Ctrl
SZA is one of the best breakout artists of the year. Her album Ctrl was released in June, and there’s not a bad song on it. 20 Something is a bittersweet ode to youth that hits me hard but comforts me at the same time.
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She Moves In Her Own Way by The Kooks — The Kooks
Just a feel-good jam about being unique and feeling good in that uniqueness.
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Mother & Father by Broods — Evergreen
We’re returning back to our respective hometowns and our families for an extended period, and this is a bittersweetly nostalgic song about familial love and appreciating one’s roots.
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Talkin’ Bout a Revolution by Tracy Chapman — Tracy Chapman
Although this was written and released in response to the Reagan era, Tracy Chapman’s anger over social injustice is (unfortunately) still highly applicable in today’s political climate.
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Intro by Kehlani — SweetSexySavage
More spoken word poetry — I found this piece to be especially empowering.
Gifts
There’s something special about a Christmas gift that *doesn’t* come from Amazon. Supporting local businesses is a plus.
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Art/weed socks from Alley Cat
Located on Center Street right next to the movie theater, the Alley Cat is very easily recognized—just listen for the music and look for the strings of colorful prayer flags. Chock-full of hidden treasures, one of my favorite things to find at the Alley Cat are the socks with iconic artwork knitted into them, and of course, the socks with pot leaves.
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Incense, prayer flags from Touch of Grayce
Located right on Main Street by Crickets, Touch of Grayce has a broad range of unique gifts, from incense to books.
Books/reading
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Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Written from the perspective of two young Nigerians, Americanah is a novel which examines what it means to be an African in America and how that identity both intersects with and is different from an African American identity. Smart, creative, and little bit romantic, this novel is the perfect winter break read —it’s a gripping read that’ll keep your mind sharp.
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Just Kids by Patti Smith
December 1st was World AIDS Day, and this book by Patti Smith is a gorgeously written tribute to her first love and best friend Robert Mapplethorpe, who unfortunately succumbed to the AIDS epidemic. If you can’t bring yourself to spend $12 for the paperback edition, definitely check out some of Robert Mapplethorpe’s photography.
Youtube
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Drexel Commencement – Khalid Latif
If you didn’t get the chance to see Imam Khalid Latif when he visited our campus in November, watch his commencement speech for Drexel. Imam Latif is a gifted orator with an inspiring message of brotherhood.
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Why Everyone should be a feminist – Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Also the author of Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche speaks in this now-famous TEDtalk. If you’re a Beyoncé fan (who isn’t), you’ll recognize some of this speech from ***Flawless (!!!).
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What To Do If Your Boyfriend Proposes on Christmas – Chris Fleming
I cried-laughed over this video one night at 1 am, and I hope you’ll do the same.
Blogs/Instagrams
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Ella Grace Denton @ellagracedenton
An advocate for sustainable fashion and veganism, Ella Grace Denton’s instagram feed is beautiful and uplifting — and has that sense of community which is so hard to find on social media.
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Joanna Thangiah @joannathangiah
If you love feminist art, this insta is for you. One of my favorite things to see on this feed is the shirt pictured below. Hilarious.
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