The Worlds of Ashley Stangl

Now that July is behind us, I thought I'd do a bit of a wrap-up of the media I've consumed this month. There's something about July that makes fiction especially enjoyable for me. A book or show that would be enjoyable at any other time of year becomes an obsession if I discover it in July. There's just something about this time of year that makes me more likely to delve deeply into fictional worlds and characters, and I have a few new obsessions to share. White Collar   This USA show has been on my radar for a long time. I figured I would like it, because I love stories about art thieves.  But when I watched the pilot on Netflix, it was more than just enjoyable. It was EVERYTHING I LOVE and it SPOKE TO MY SOUL. Neil is a delight--the charming, clever and snappily-dressed criminal who breezes through life on one scheme after another. His dynamic with Peter, the cop who worked for years to catch him and now has to solve mysteries with him, is fantastic. Plus, the...

I had planned to write a book-related post, but then I stumbled across this tumblr post about Remember WENN, a half-hour AMC dramedy from 1996 that takes place in a 1930s radio station.  I love radio drama.  I'm currently loving anything that takes place in the 1930s.  I dove straight in, and I've discovered another favorite show. The titular radio station, WENN, is a Pittsburgh radio station that runs on a shoestring budget.  In the first episode, Betsy arrives as an intern, and her experience introduces us to the characters that populate the station.  Victor Comstock is the enthusiastic station manager who produces shows with enthusiastic artistic vision and little concern for the limitations of reality.  All of the station's programs--news shows, westerns, soap operas, comedies, etc.--are performed by a troupe of three actors.  Hilary Booth's the aging diva with a big ego and a sharp tongue, Jeff Singer's the handsome womanizer and Hilary's ...