My Playlist

About the DJ: I’m a college sophomore writing you all the way from the frigid wastes of upstate New York and counting the days until I can come home. I’m a double major—English (Creative Writing) and Social Sciences — and I love all things involving the arts: theater, dance, film, fine, or otherwise.

1. Romeo and Juliet, 2013
I just finally managed to get my hands on the latest iteration of the love story to end all love stories, and it’s fantastic. It was actually filmed in real, gorgeous castles Italy. The all-star cast lineup includes Douglas Booth as Romeo, Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet (of Ender’s Game fame), Damian Lewis (Homeland), Tomas Arana (Gladiator), Stellan Skarsgard (Thor), Tom Wisdom (300), and Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl). The costumes are to die for, and if you’ve never listened to a movie soundtrack before, this is the one to start with. Everything about this movie is well done. It’s beautiful, sad, and adventurous. Although the purists will complain that it’s not the Bard’s original script, it’s worth it.

2. Zoe Keating
Zoe Keating is a cellist. I know, this does not sound interesting. However, Zoe Keating also wrote the introductory music to the TV show Elementary, and if you can be patient enough to listen to pure instrumental music, she will make you feel every emotion — and then make those emotions OK. Every sound made in her songs comes from one of her cellos; she taps, whacks, electrifies, improvises, and also, coincidentally, has awesome hair.

3. The Good Wife
I have being waiting for The Good Wife to return for the rest of season 5 for a long time. Two months, to be exact. I am an addict, and the withdrawals have been tough. This is the smartest, sexiest legal drama I have ever seen on TV, and as someone who thought she wanted to be a lawyer, I’ve checked out a fair few. The writers (a husband and wife duo) see each episode all the way through production, making the tight and clever script pop with carefully directed acting. Episodes are inspired by current events, but you’ll never see the plot twists coming, and the characterization is, frankly, incredible. You will know all of the characters. You will love them, and hate them, and scream at them through your TV.

4. "Q Train Connection" by Jessie Komitor on YouTube
If this short daydream dance doesn’t make your day, I don’t know what will. It’s sweet, the music is perfect, the couple is cute, and it involves tap-dancing bookworms falling in love on public transit. You may feel the sudden desire to learn some moves or buy clicky shoes — I certainly did.

5. The Kingkiller Chronicle series by Patrick Rothfuss
Warning: the last book in this trilogy is not yet out; the first took nine years, and the second took four more. Prepare for a long wait, if you should choose to begin reading now. It will be beyond worth it if you do. I have loved fantasy since I learned to read at the age of four, and the question “What’s your favorite book?” has been the gut-wrenching killer of many conversations for me. Not anymore. This is it. Intelligent, believable, meaningful, beautiful, adventurous, romantic, consuming — this trilogy is everything.