The Wisdom of Witches, Wizards, and Women
The Postcard #5
Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.
—You’ve Got Mail (Nora Ephron)
Dear friend,
It’s a very rainy and windy day with the approach of Storm Amy. Exactly the kind of day that October was made for: curling up inside with tea, chocolate biscuits, candles, a blanket and a pile cosy books and movies - preferably slightly spooky ones.
In my tiny Copenhagen flat, I am spending the day doing precisely that. So I thought I would give you a few curated recommendations, in case you need inspiration and the wisdom of witches, wizards, and women.
Books:
Ever since the beginning of the lockdowns a few years ago, I have been thinking of the deep wisdom of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. I reread all of them back then, to find the courage and resilience I needed to get through that darkness. I will begin rereading them again now to get through another period of darkness. If you like, I would love to share with you some of the lessons these books teach us that are useful now more than ever. Just let me know in the comments if that would be useful to you.
I have always loved reading uncanny stories by the great writers, and some of them I have read many times. Perfect for autumn is any book by Daphne du Maurier. My favourites are Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel, and Don’t Look Now.
As you can see in the photo, I have also taken Joyce Carol Oates’s Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque off the shelf to dive into as we approach Halloween in a few weeks.
Movies:
Every autumn I make a ritual date with myself (or a friend) to watch You’ve Got Mail. in the late afternoon during the dimming of the day. Is there anything cosier than New York in the fall, bookshops, bouquets of sharpened pencils, and witty dialogue?
If you are more of the witches type, I highly recommend Practical Magic with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock.
TV series:
Finally, one of my favourite spooky tv series: Penny Dreadful. It mixes a lot of new characters together with classic literary characters, such as Mary Shelley’s Victor Frankenstein and his (very nuanced) creature, Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray, and the father of Minna Harker from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A delightful and unforgettable series, with the always stellar Eva Green as the main character, Vanessa Ives.
Do you know any of these works? Please let me know what you think in the comments below.
With love from Copenhagen,
Annette 🕯️🍂 ☕️🖊️ 📜 🤎
The Postcard 💌
The Postcard is a cozy, personal note from my favourite corners of the world: cafés or parks or bookshops or benches in London, Copenhagen, Paris, Nice, Dublin or Edinburgh. It will arrive in your inbox every month, even if you are on the free plan.
Over a cup of tea or coffee, I will share with you my adventures in the places I travel to, or things that matter to me at the moment: books I am reading, restaurants I love, thoughts I am having, or the simple joys of life.
I hope The Postcard will give you an insight into my life and work and a moment of inspiration and reflection.
Angående den danske version:
Jeg har ikke fået nogen tilbagemeldinger om, at jeg har haft tilføjet en dansk version af mine Letters og Postcards. Hvis du finder dem nyttige, vil du så lade mig det vide nedenfor, så jeg ved, om jeg skal bruge den ekstra tid på at skrive dem?