By David Fortier
Come Sunday morning, the heat will have subsided with a dampening drizzle of storm, the first presidential debate will have come and gone, and Mary and I will have found a bit of a reprieve from the “new” everyday in the last episodes of “Bridgerton.”
Yes, “Bridgerton,” which I find to be more than an entertainment, although it is very entertaining. The Netflix series, based on the books by Julia Quinn, is overseen by Shonda Rhimes, of “Grey’s Anatomy” fame among other productions.
The Quinn books, historical romances–ones I have not read–follow the eight Bridgerton siblings as they search for love in early 1800 England and its high society. Each of the siblings gets a book of their own. The Netflix series is in its third season and four of the siblings have found their love mates and married.
The series takes many liberties, including presenting Queen Charlotte as all-powerful–a very nice touch–when the kingdom was ruled by her son. That said, there are many more liberties, but they fall by the wayside as they do in all good stories–as a new world is created and we fall victim to its charms.
Among these charms in “Bridgerton” are introducing characters from a multitude of backgrounds and mixing them up in ways that “bridge” those societies in ways that take us beyond many of what we might consider the biases of our own times.
Beyond that, for me, I find it hard to believe I have become so caught up in a series of romances. Romance is not among my favorite genres. But I have been won over.
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For listening, try the Hidden Brain podcast hosted by Shankar Vedantam with guest Ara Norenzayan, a psychologist, who authored “Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict” (2013). Click here.
Anyone watching the Supreme Court? A podcast to follow is Strict Scrutiny. The latest episode is “The Supreme Court Makes Its Biggest Power Grab in a Generation.” Click here.
For reading, Frantz Fanon’s “Black Faces, White Masks” is not an easy read, but it may be necessary reading for anyone who is open to an early, stunning and frank discussion on race from the perspective philosopher and psychoanalyst writing in the early 1950s from France.
Chapter 5, “The Lived Experience of the Black Man,” is particularly evocative, at least it was from me, especially for its inspired presentation, which melds autobiographical experiences, professional cases and poetry. For information about Fanon, click here.
Of course, there was the first presidential debate with commentary that always follows. I bounced back and forth between The Atlantic and The New York Times and a few articles caught my attention. In the Atlantic, there is “Calls for Biden’s Withdrawal Are a Sign of a Healthy Democratic Party. In the New York Times, there is “”Democrats: Stop Panicking.”
The former is written by Brian Klass, a contributing writer at The Atlantic and an associate professor of global politics at University College London, and the latter, by Stuart Stevens, a former Republican political consultant who is an adviser to the Lincoln Project.
And a reminder, for those interested in the library’s summer reading program, click here for information.
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The Fourth of July is around the corner and city hall is closed Thursday. Recycling and trash collection will be pushed ahead one day following the holiday.
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We have a new police chief in Mark Morello. Morello had been acting chief after former Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould retired in April. Gould was the honoree and guest speaker at this year’s Heroes Dinner presented by the Bristol Exchange Club on Thursday evening at Aqua Turf in Plantsville.
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City meetings this week include the following:
On Monday, July 1
- Police Memorial Committee, 5 p.m., Meeting Room 1-3, city hall. For virtual meeting, click here.
- Parking Authority, 6:30 p.m., Meeting room 1-1, city hall.
- Library Board of Directors, 6:30 p.m., Meeting Room 1, Bristol Public Library.
- Conservation Commission/Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Agency, 6:30 p.m., council chambers, city hall. For virtual meeting link, click here.
On Tuesday, July 2
- Police Awards Committee, 9 a.m., Chief’s Conference Room, 131 N. Main St.
- Ordinance Committee, 5 p.m., Meeting Room 1-1, city hall. For virtual meeting link, click here.
- Zoning Board of Appeals, 7 p.m., council chambers, city hall. For virtual meeting link, click here.
On Wednesday, July 3
- Cofe Enforcement Committee, 9 a.m., council chambers, city hall.
- Arts & Culture Commission, 6:30 p.m., Meeting Room 1-2, city hall–cancelled.
On Thursday, July 4 (Holiday–City offices are closed)
- No meeting scheduled.
On Friday, July 5
- No meeting scheduled.
TBE will do our best to update meeting times and locations, but it’s a good idea to check the agendas ahead of time for cancellations. Click here for specific meetings and times.
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It doesn’t take much imagination to see that local newspapers of any quality are few and far between. Here at TBE, working under our nonprofit Central Connecticut Online Journalism Project, aim to make Bristol a community with a vibrant and engaged local community newspaper.
You can help. Consider becoming a member by signing up for monthly recurring donations of $6, $12, or $24 or making a one-time donation of $60 or even better donating more. It might seem outrageous, but 5,000 members paying $6 a month would allow us to hire editors and reporters who would do a great job covering Bristol.
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We are seeking reporters to cover sports and city meetings, neighborhood news, people and entertainment–book reviewers and movie/tv streaming reviewers–take note. Contact editor@bristoledition.org to for next steps.
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Get ready for the fireworks!