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

Happy Friday, readers. Your friendly neighborhood Lit Hub staff are getting our kicks this week from simple things. Like good gags, surprise fruit, and easily navigated research databases.

Molly Odintz recently discovered a handy-dandy resource where a reader can track translations by author. The elegantly structured, absolutely “great” Digital Library of Korean Literature can help you find the international footprints of faves like Han Kang.

James Folta is getting joy from a “very dumb” (complimentary) project: Ted Travelstead’s Vlog. “The less I say about this series before you watch it the better,” says our staffer. “[B]ut writer and actor Ted Travelstead made something that is so perfectly silly and simple.” Please take 15 seconds out of your day to judge for yourself.

Both Drew Broussard and Jonny Diamond have apples on the brain and in the basket. This week our podcasts editor discovered two big old apple trees on his property. Which majesties have decided to fruit this year “after at least five years of NOT fruiting.” Autumn sweaters, assemble.

And our editor is living in a cider house—and it does, in fact, rule. “A friend of mine gave me a small cider press and then all of a sudden our apple tree exploded in big red apples,” says Jonny. “I guess we’re making cider in October.”

I, Brittany Allen, have been bracing for a stacked fall concert season. This weekend, I kicked off a full dance card in Jersey City, where I got to see some of Hudson County’s finest musicians recreate The Last Waltz at the extremely lovely (if scarily named) White Eagle Hall.

For twelve years, it seems a small army of gifted fans have been coming together to play The Band’s 1976 farewell concert in its entirety, and almost to a set list tee. Most homages—including appearances from “Bob Dylan,” “Van the Man,” and “Joni Mitchell”—were delightfully faithful. But the dissonant bits were fascinating, too. This Muddy was much paler, for one thing. And Jersey City’s spin on Robbie Robertson would also have been at home in a Van Halen tribute act.

Anyway—time is a flat circle, and nostalgia is a helluva drug. And what surreal fun to trance back into an experience I missed the first time, because I was not yet born! 

Wishing you a weekend of autumn pleasures, eased weights, and apples. So many apples.