All the Culture W Editors Are Consuming Over Thanksgiving Weekend

Despite being out of office this weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s good to stay stimulated — and maybe even a little distracted from what’s happening on the home front. Those of us staying in New York have a visit to the Met Breuer on our list to see the work of Kerry James Marshall and Diane Arbus (and just before her retrospective closes). Others around the country will be tuning in to streaming shows like “Westworld” on HBO, or having a #tbt moment with “The West Wing” on Netflix. Fashion fans will be headed to the movies to see Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals. And for those who want to get fully off the grid, tackling a good book is a must. As for the travel weary, podcasts are there if you just want to close your eyes and listen. Below, all the movies, television shows, books, art shows, and podcasts we recommend this weekend.

“I’ll be with my family in suburban Long Island, which is a lovely place to grow up and a cultural wasteland. Per tradition, I make all the sides for Thanksgiving dinner — my Chinese mom, for whom I’m very thankful, has little feel for Western foodways — so I end up spending the majority of the day in the kitchen. This tireless work comes with two rewards: the potatoes have an excessive (the correct) amount of butter, and I get to assume control over the music. Being home, I like to bump the nostalgic comforts I grew up on — Cam’ron, The Strokes— but this year I’ll make room for our Thanksgiving table playlist. Of course, the high point is and always will be the lull before dinner is served, which is when I go on a run of the greatest hits by Mariah Carey. She went to my high school, after all.” — Fan Zhong, Digital Culture Editor

“I’ll be re-watching ‘The West Wing’ on Netflix. Even before the election of He Who Must Not be Named, I was taking comfort in the swelling score, the walk-and-talk Aaron Sorkinese, and the sincere pontificating of one Josiah ‘Jed’ Bartlet in The West Wing. What a relief, and pleasure, to ignore all the sturm und drang of the daily political coverage and cable news noise and suspend your disbelief for just one quick second. Just think, a working government could really be like this. I have a feeling I’ll be slowly portioning out all seven seasons to last me for the next four years.” — Erik Maza, Digital Features Director

“On my reading list is Maria Semple’s new book Today Will Be Different. I was a huge fan of her last novel, Where’d You Go Bernadette, and I’m hoping this lives up to expectations! Also, on my nightstand: Modern Lovers by Emma Straub. As for what I’m watching, I plan to start binge-watching ‘The Crown,’ ‘Peaky Blinders‘, or ‘Mr. Robot‘ — three shows I am ashamed to admit I haven’t watched. I will catch up with Westworld (just one episode behind…) and, if I’m feeling too tense about politics, I will follow our features director Erik Maza’s lead and re-watch old episodes of ‘The West Wing.'” — Sarah Leon, Digital Editorial Director

“I try to go to the V&A in London every time I’m in town. They always have fascinating exhibits (this holiday season, there’s ‘Records and Rebels 1966-1970’ and ‘Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear’), but the museum’s true gem is its exquisite jewelry collection. With over 3,000 awe-inspiring pieces from ancient Egypt through present day, it is one of the most important, exhaustive, and stunning collections in the entire world. You can absolutely get lost there. Who doesn’t love rubies, sapphires, emeralds and a history lesson?” — Caroline Grosso, Digital Fashion Editor

“I’ll be watching an episode or two more of the Danish drama ‘Borgen.’ We watched an episode back in October, but a recent trip to Copenhagen has reignited my desire to keep watching. It’s really good.” — Jane Larkworthy, Beauty Director

“Hoping to make it to the theaters to cry for Manchester by the Sea and/or Nocturnal Animals, read at least a few of the New Yorker articles I’ve sent myself over the last few weeks, and maybe even finally figure out what the deal with ‘Westworld’ is.” — Stephanie Eckardt, Assistant Digital Editor

“When I can finally walk again after eating the entire table at Thanksgiving, all I want to do is escape to the Met Breuer to see Kerry James Marshall’s ‘Mastry.’ As a former painter, I’ve always been a huge fan of his work and can’t wait to be get inspired.” — Beau Sam, Director of Video

“Thanksgiving is a great time to catch up on all the movies I missed earlier in the year all with the assistance of my Mom’s Comcast OnDemand bill. Other People is high on my list because I’m a sucker for anything Molly Shannon.” — Kyle Munzenrieder, News Editor

I took a brief hiatus from ‘Black Mirror’ following the election, because who needs a fictional dystopia when we’re living a real-life one? Now, I’m thinking a dark satire might be just the antidote I need to get through the holidays. Plus, I need something to distract me till the next episode of ‘Westworld.’ The film We Are the Best! has been in my queue forever, and not least because I’m fairly obsessed with Scandinavian musicians and girls in the punk scene. As for books, Jesmyn Ward’s memoir Men We Reaped is one of the most devastating reads I’ve ever encountered. I’m looking forward to finally digging into The Fire This Time, a collection of essays she curated that, as the title would indicate, uses James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time as its point of departure.” — Katherine Cusumano, Assistant Digital Editor

“I have a date with ‘Gilmore Girls,’ a good bottle of wine and hopefully some Thanksgiving leftovers. Enough said. On the other end of the spectrum, I’m pretty excited to see Tom Ford’s new flick, Nocturnal Animals.” — Kristin Tice Studeman, Contributing Editor

“I will be finishing Astragal. In 1972, Patti Smith stumbled upon the book in Saint Marks Place, and the main character was a huge inspiration for her for the rest of her life. Hoping to have similar inspo!” — Gillian Sagansky, Contributing Writer

“I’ll be catching up on ‘Westworld.’ I’m also going to Boston with my mom to visit the Isabella Stewart Garner Museum.” — Jacqueline Sir, Video Producer

“Boy, am I a bit burnt out on politics. Just anticipating the conversations that are going to go down over the family dinner table already has me exhausted! So, I think this Thanksgiving I’m going to return to some classics. I am embarrassed to admit that I started but did not finish The Sun Also Rises a couple of years ago. So, maybe I’ll pick it up again. There’s also a copy of Slaughterhouse Five next to my bed… Going to try to squeeze in a look at Diane Arbus’s photos at the Met Breuer before the show ends. Looking at physical photographs always re-energizes me. Seeing the grain and imperfections of film photos is like witnessing magic (except better).” — Alex Hodor-Lee, Photo Assistant

“I’m so behind on my podcasts that it’s stressing me out. ‘Two Dope Queens’ puts me in a good mood, always. ‘This American Life,’ of course, but specifically episode no. 584, ‘For Your Reconsideration,’ about how to change people’s minds. (Taking notes for family gatherings…) And then while I don’t really want to be thinking about journalism, I’ll perhaps take a moment to step back with ‘On the Media’ and ‘Longform.’ — Emilia Petrarca, Associate Digital Features Editor