Here’s what’s making us happy this week.

This week, we prepared for year’s end with some golden oldies and nurturing fare. Some of us, like resident home chef James Folta, made miso soup to keep the rain away. All of us stayed inside, bringing the best of the culture to us.

Drew Broussard spent the week imagining other worlds. He recently got into Foundation, a sci-fi series based on a run of Isaac Asimov shorts—the very same shorts you also may have read in high-school, while listening to U2’s Zooropa on repeat.

Despite some first season flaws, our podcasts editor assures us that the televised Foundation scratches a serious itch for space opera. And Lee Pace, we all agree, is pretty easy on the eyes.

Speaking of Mr. Pace’s square jaw, James Folta recommends a fantastical film from 2006: Tarsem Singh’s The Fall. “A gorgeous movie and one worth seeing on the big screen if you ever get the chance.” (It tends to circle back, every so often!)

In other old media news, Molly Odintz is thrilled that the New York Herald Tribune shirts popularized by Jean Seberg in Breathless (and more recently by Richard Linklater, in general and via his recent homage) are back in stock at Austin Film Society.

If you happen to be a Texas local—or in the Lone Star State for the holidays—it’s worth treating yourself to a trip to this mecca. And if you’re in the neighborhood, Molly also recommends the Italian joint next door: Artipasti. A place where nobody knows your name, but in a great way.

Jonny Diamond stumbled across some perfect poetry this week. He got to hear the unmatched Mark Wunderlich read from his forthcoming collection and it was apparently “delightful. Profane and erudite and charming.”

I, Brittany Allen, started to sink into a holiday spirit thanks to—drumroll, please—the glut of end-of-year recommendation lists. I know, I know. On the one hand, there’s something frantic at best and craven at worst about the year end round-up, which always misses something. (Ours excepted, natch.)

But on the other? Nothing gets me in the resolution-setting mood faster than classifying my favorite cultural experiences.

To me, a year end list rides and dies on idiosyncrasy. Give me an off-kilter recommendation, defended well. I don’t have to agree with my king Richard Brody on everything, but I love the logic behind his favorite films of 2025 list.

I also love a weird sorting principle. The Broadway baby in me adores Lauren Theisen’s list for Defector, which intricately categorizes her favorite theatre experiences of 2025—from “Best Conceit” to “Best Chaos.”

Granta‘s “Year in Reading” series drew my attention for being author-led, and unmoored to era.

And on the if-it-ain’t-broke front, arguing with friends about Pitchfork’s “Top 50 Albums of the Year” is a hobby that brings me back to the same spiritual basement where baby Drew is still mainlining Zooropa. In one timeline, anyway.

Wishing you and yours a week of peace, profanity, charm, and delight.