Fall has always been my favourite season. The fog, the leaves, the sense of newness that comes with going back to school… Other people have New Year’s, but for me, the first day of school has always had so much potential. 2020 has ruined all good things, though, including my normal appreciation for this season (I’m still stuck in June! I’m not ready for fall and the coming winter).
So! As a big lover of art of all kinds, I compiled a list of pieces — songs, shows, movies, books — to remind me of the fall I love.
- Gilmore Girls.
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This show was a staple of my high school years. While the later seasons fall apart (Season 6 I’m looking at you), the early seasons are fun, heartfelt and comforting. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Gilmore Girls is about a mother-daughter duo tackling everyday life and all of its challenges. The daughter, Rory, is in high school when the series begins. She’s studious and anxious and far too relatable.
Recommended when… You need some study inspiration or a pick-me-up.
- “The Power of Love” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
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According to Wikipedia, a lot of people associate this song with Christmas. I disagree. The drama of the strings, the darkness of the singer’s voice, the lyrics… “I’ll protect you from the hooded claw, / Keep the vampires from your door.” Nobody can tell me this isn’t the ultimate Halloween love song.
Recommended when… It’s foggy or raining out, and you need something to brood to.
- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.
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Another holdover from my high school years. I don’t particularly like any of her other books, but this one gets me every time. I describe it as my “mac and cheese book.” Set during the main character’s first year of university, Fangirl deals with anxiety, writer’s block, first love and complex family dynamics. I read it every year before school begins to get back into the campus mood, although realizing that I wasn’t going to be on campus this year made my reread a little tragic.
Recommended when… You’re having a rough time with school or need a hug in the form of a book.
- Percy Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind.”
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“Ode to the West Wind” literally begins with “O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being,” so you can probably understand why I added it to this list. Romanticism isn’t for everyone, but this particular poem is a response to the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, so it has beautiful nature imagery and is a political call to action.
Recommended when… You feel like flinging yourself at a sofa and/or staring out at the storming sea.
- The Smiths.
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The ultimate band to brood to, especially “There is a Light That Never Goes Out” and “Asleep.” These songs feel like bussing on a day in late autumn when all of the leaves are gone and everything’s sort of quiet.
Recommended when… You’re staring out the bus window, thinking many thoughts, or lying on your bed, staring at your ceiling. Wallow responsibly!
- Edward Gorey
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If you haven’t seen Gorey’s work, you ought to look him up. An artist of the 20th century, Gorey’s Gothic drawings look like etchings, despite being done in pen. He influenced Tim Burton and is the direct inspiration behind A Series of Unfortunate Events. Some favourites of mine include his The Gashlycrumb Tinies, which features the ever iconic line “N is for Neville who died of ennui,” and his drawings for the PBS series Mystery! intro. He delights in the subtly (or not so subtly) strange, and the mystery that lurks in his work feels very appropriate for the skeletal trees and gloom of late fall.
Recommended when… You want something subtly disturbing.
- The Bronte Sisters.
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Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte are all brilliant novelists of the nineteenth century, but I’ll focus on their two better-known works. Jane Eyre follows the coming of age of the titular character as she attends school, becomes a governess, and falls in love. No spoilers for the second half, but her love interest, Mr. Rochester, has some skeletons in his closet that complicate the plot pretty drastically.
Wuthering Heights, on the other hand, is one of the stranger classics. If you’re looking for a love story, look somewhere else. Cathy may claim that her and Heathcliff’s souls are made of the same things, but that does not mean that they’re good together. As long as you keep that in mind, this book is a fascinating psychological exploration of an abused man’s revenge plot and obsession with his lost love. And of course, the wuthering moors that the story takes place on are perfect for the spooky fall spirit.
Recommended when… You want that fall atmosphere and have a rainy afternoon to spend reading.
- Kate Bush.
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I’m having a Kate Bush moment right now, and her song “Wuthering Heights” — based on the above novel — is a fall favourite. Told from the perspective of Cathy, the song features ghosts and a truly magnificent falsetto. Her other songs are brilliant too, including “Babooshka,” “Cloudbusting” and “Running Up That Hill.” These songs make me want to wear a white nightgown while wandering the endless corridors of my (very small) house.
Recommended when… You want to feel a little feral and a lot witchy.
- Anne of Green Gables
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“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” Well put, L.M. Montgomery. Anne’s great when you need a little hope, which I think we all do right now. Despite all of the scrapes and messes she gets into, despite all of the tears and crises, she always finds a way out. (An added bonus, of course, is Gilbert Blythe.)
Recommended when… You want to laugh and cry or need some childlike wonder in your life.
- The Addams Family
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Morticia and Gomez? Iconic. Wednesday? Iconic. Cousin Itt? Iconic. Truly, The Addams Family never lets me down. This film rewrites the classic American nuclear family dynamic and envisions something better. It’s Gothic and campy, satirical and heartwarming. Need I say more?
Recommended when… You feel anything, ever.
Really, though, watch this when you need a laugh or some wholesome family feels.
As the fall semester picks up, remember to take care of yourself and engage with media that isn’t just for school!