Noteworthy. A weekly letter to you shaped by recent wanderings, current learnings, and favourite discoveries, blending personal notes with a curated touch of culture for the week ahead. Free subscribers can read the weekly recommendations and a woman to know, paid subscribers have access to the whole newsletter.

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🛍️ Blame it on me being English, but flossing is just something I have always hated. (Mainly because I have always been scared that the floss would get stuck permanently between my teeth?!) So my dentist and I are both pleased to report that this device - the Flaus* - has changed my mind about the whole thing. Using this electric flosser makes it much easier each evening and helps ensure I get to those hard-to-reach spots. I can’t recommend it enough! Oh, and the battery also lasts about two months, so as long as you also get the travel case*, it can come with you on the road.

📚 A novel about a complicated archaeologist who will stop at nothing to pursue her ambition? That sounds exactly like a novel I would like to read, and in Lily Brooks-Dalton’s brilliant hands, Ruins* was a fantastic escape for a few days. I usually enjoy books set in academic settings, and this one was especially interesting because it focused on archaeologists and their world. There are quite a few twists and turns, and it gives you plenty to think about. This was my first book of hers, and I liked it so much that I immediately ordered Good Morning, Midnight*.

🎧 For my audiobooks, I use Libro.fm, which is a far better option than Audible. Purchases made on Libro.fm support independent bookshops (instead of Amazon), and you can choose which bookshop you would like to receive half of the profit. Plus, they have a huge selection of books, so you will always find something to listen to. I’m such a big fan of their model because, if we are going to purchase audiobooks, we also want to support local bookshops, and they make it so easy to do just that.

• Right now, they have loads of fantastic audiobooks on sale*, no membership required

• Or, you can get two free audiobooks when you set up a new monthly membership* (perfect for loading up books to listen to for your summer evening walks)

• My favourite is their annual plan*, which works out to about $14 for each audiobook and also gets you 30% off additional audiobooks

I have always enjoyed listening to audiobooks, especially memoirs, biographies, and lighter non-fiction. But thanks to Libro.fm, I have also been introduced to some really great fiction audiobooks this year. Some of my recent favourites include:

• Evil Genius by Claire Oshetsky* (currently on sale)

• A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing by Alice Evelyn Yang*

• Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy*

• Famesick: A Memoir by Lena Dunham*

• Joyride by Susan Orlean*

• Backtalker: An American Memoir by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw*

• A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides by Gisèle Pelicot*

Also, I am starting to build out my ShopMy account* with collections of secondhand items from The Real Real*, plenty of books*, picks from my favourite retailers*, non-alcoholic drinks*, and a “Friday Treats” section* which features items under $75 that make perfect gifts for yourself or a loved one. Some of the items contain affiliate links; others do not, but that doesn’t affect what I choose to include! (For example, The Real Real only pays out 0.8% for orders from existing customers, but I believe in buying secondhand, so I will continue to update plenty from the site even though I may only make about 80 cents from a $100 order.) This is a new area of content creation for me, so I appreciate any feedback!

One artist I’ve been learning about recently is Belkis Ayón (1967-1999), a Cuban printmaker whose work has completely drawn me in. Although she died at just 32, she left behind an extraordinary body of work that is just as fascinating now as it was back then. The first thing you’ll notice is her palette. Almost every print is composed entirely of black, white, and shades of grey. Without colour to guide your eye, you’re pulled into the textures, the patterns, and certainly the intensity of her figures.

Ayón specialised in a printmaking technique called collography, where different materials are layered onto a surface to create a printing plate. The result is an incredible range of textures that I think give her prints a lot of depth. Many of her works were also created on a monumental scale by joining together multiple printed sheets. From a technical standpoint, they are remarkable, but their symbolism is also a reason to keep looking.

For most of her career, Ayón explored the mythology of Abakuá, a secret Afro-Cuban brotherhood with roots in West Africa. This is interesting by itself, but then you learn that Abakuá is an all-male society, and women are excluded from its rituals. As a Black Cuban woman, Ayón chose to devote her artistic practice to this mythology, which made her work both unusual and rather bold.

She was particularly interested in the story of Sikán, the only major female figure in the Abakuá origin myth. Sikán discovers Tanze, a sacred fish whose voice carries immense spiritual power. After revealing its secret, she is condemned to death. It is a story about knowledge, power, silence, and who is allowed to possess the truth. Apparently, Ayón saw Sikán as a reflection of herself.

She often described herself as an observer, an intermediary, and someone who reveals what others cannot. In many of her prints, she even traced her own body to create Sikán’s silhouette. Through this figure, Ayón transformed an ancient myth into something that was truly personal while also speaking to the experiences of women who have been excluded, overlooked, or silenced.

The more I learn about Belkis Ayón, the more I admire how she used art to ask difficult questions. Her work is beautiful, but, more importantly, intellectually rich. Her work can now be found in the permanent collections of several museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, which acquired her painting Sin titulo [Mujer en posición fetal] (Untitled, Woman in fetal position).

For paid subscribers this week: My July TBR and how I plan out my reading for the month, spending the 4th of July weekend in Wisconsin and where else is on my travel wishlist in the state, and a little history and behind-the-scenes of the Lyric Opera in Chicago. Plus your weekly collection of interesting stories, links, and arts news.