As physical media continues its cultural comeback, The National rounds up the best releases this month across film, music, art and more.
Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker (September 3)
The author of Godshot and Heartbroke, American Chelsea Bieker is a dab hand at penning dark but relatable contemporary fiction, often focusing on feminism and motherhood. Her latest release, Madwoman, looks set to follow in a similar vein, as a “gripping story of motherhood and motherloss and the brutal, mighty things women do to keep themselves and each other alive,” according to the publisher.
As I have historically read Bieker’s work on my Kindle or online, on The Cut and The Paris Review among other publications, I made sure to order a copy of the hardback edition of Madwoman before its September 5 release.
With semi-autobiographical themes of domestic violence and the significance of a mother-daughter relationship, there are timely parallels that can be drawn to Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us. But in the case of Madwoman, I am hoping for a book that I cannot put down, which wasn’t the case with Hoover’s 2016 release, despite its enthusiastic reception online.
Farah Andrews, head of features
Dizzy Gillespie’s Big 4 (September 6)
Fifty years ago, four of the biggest names in jazz came together in a recording studio in Los Angeles to make one of bebop’s most spirited albums. These included bassist Ray Brown, drummer Mickey Roker, guitarist Joe Pass, as well as, of course, Dizzy Gillespie.
Bebop had already been well established by then, with most seminal albums in the sub-genre having been released in 1950s and 1960s. Gillespie was a vanguard of the movement, which came as a reaction against the big-bad swing music that dominated the time, and instead favoured quick tempos and complex harmonic arrangements.
Bebop is where the virtuosity of jazz bloomed. Gillespie was in his late fifties when he came to record Dizzy Gillespie’s Big 4 but the trumpeter was still in first-class shape. The album features several classics composed by Gillespie, such as Be-Bop, that were supercharged by an all-star rhythm section.
The record also included novel compositions, such as Frelimo. The album seamlessly moves from pensive melodies to frolicking arrangements, which give each member of the quartet a chance to exhibit their talents. Dizzy Gillespie’s Big 4 is being rereleased on vinyl on September 6.
Razmig Bedirian, arts and culture writer
Happiness (September 24)
Happiness, the notorious third feature by director Todd Solondz, doesn't feel like the kind of film that would get the lavish treatment by Criterion, a home video distribution company that has effectively become the institution that crowns world cinema's true arthouse masterpieces.
Despite a top-tier performance from the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, it's too dark, too disturbing – the kind of film that, since it was first released in the '90s, has been passed around from friend to friend by a pirated video file or through a questionably legal YouTube link, with one party waiting for the other to watch it and react to the shocking tale unfolding before them. The blackest of black comedies, the ensemble film skips between slice-of-life storylines.
Unlike other cult films that generate such reactions, this is not full of over-the-top violence or graphic imagery. Rather, it's a film that effectively makes you empathise with seemingly normal folk that are much more troubled – some even evil – than they first appear. You'll laugh, and you'll care, and you'll prefer not to think about it after. Instead, you'll feel compelled to pass it to someone else, and let them sort through it.
William Mullally, arts and culture editor
Mac DeMarco Salad Days - 10th Anniversary Edition Holographic Black 2LP (September 13)
Salad Days was the 2014 follow-up to perennially laidback Edmonton, Alberta-raised Mac DeMarco's lauded first full-length album, 2. His music being “as wobbly and welcoming as a backyard hammock”, according to a glowing review at the time in Pitchfork, DeMarco had already earned cult slacker status by the time Salad Days came out. The album is a diary of sorts, chronicling his rise from a slightly known Brooklyn transplant to darling of the global indie scene.
I’m pretty sure I came across DeMarco on a Spotify playlist, which makes this glorious physical 2LP package – replete with poster, 12-page booklet, original rider, unpublished photos and liner notes – even more special a decade on.
Nasri Atallah, Luxury editor
Chess Players: From Charlie Chaplin to Wu-Tang Clan (September 17)
Chess was invented during India’s Gupta Empire in the sixth century. And while its history before that is a little murky, its hold on contemporary culture has always been profound.
Whether you’re a novice or a serious chess enthusiast, this photobook is the perfect edition to your library, compiling images of people engaging with the game over the past 130 years.
In stunning shots of various styles, from documentary to more stylised, we see how chess has very much featured in many aspects of contemporary life over the years.
There are photos of players on a steamship crossing the Atlantic in 1888 and astronauts playing a game in space. Legendary Hollywood stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen also feature in stunning shots, engaged in the game both on and off the screen.
With an introduction by Dylan Loeb McClain, former chess columnist for The New York Times, the photographs in Chess Players: From Charlie Chaplin to Wu-Tang Clan depict the enduring attraction of the game, and act as an archive and celebration of how chess has touched the lives of people across times and sects of society.
Maan Jalal, arts and culture writer
Steve Beresford and Anne Marie Beretta - Dancing the Line (September 6)
While British musician Steve Beresford was a key member of the experimental music scene in the 1970s, collaborating with the likes of Brian Eno and Gavin Bryars, the '80s found him setting up shop in France, where he did some of his most interesting work with the famed French producer Jean Rochard.
Rochard introduced Beresford to the French fashion designer, Anne Marie Beretta, who designed Max Mara's perennially popular 101801 coat, in addition to running her own successful ready-to-wear line. Along with lyricist Andrew Brenner, the two spent days together writing songs themed around the designer's works, inspired by fashion ideas, fabrics, colours and the emotions her designs evoked.
A cult favourite of DJs, the album has now been reissued for the first time in its history by the boutique record label Wewantsounds.
William Mullally, arts and culture editor
A League of Their Own (September 3)
Tom Hanks is often described as "America's dad" for his emotional and warm roles. From films such as Forrest Gump and Saving Private Ryan to his voice as Woody in the Toy Story films, he has always delivered performances that imbue parental security and care.
One of his more unsung films is A League of Their Own, in which he plays a baseball coach assigned to train a group of female players during the Second World War, when the men's league was paused as most of their players went off to fight. The film is funny, emotional and very cosy, with a cast that includes Madonna, Geena Davis and Rosie O'Donnell.
Having been made in 1992, the film is ripe for a remaster, which arrived this month on 4K, allowing fans to enjoy it in the highest fidelity possible, as well as giving first-time watchers a chance to enjoy a lovely film that will definitely stay with them.
Faisal Salah, gaming and social media writer
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
UAE SQUAD
UAE team
1. Chris Jones-Griffiths 2. Gio Fourie 3. Craig Nutt 4. Daniel Perry 5. Isaac Porter 6. Matt Mills 7. Hamish Anderson 8. Jaen Botes 9. Barry Dwyer 10. Luke Stevenson (captain) 11. Sean Carey 12. Andrew Powell 13. Saki Naisau 14. Thinus Steyn 15. Matt Richards
Replacements
16. Lukas Waddington 17. Murray Reason 18. Ahmed Moosa 19. Stephen Ferguson 20. Sean Stevens 21. Ed Armitage 22. Kini Natuna 23. Majid Al Balooshi
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
