The Morning: It’s June again

Summer returns, and with it all the fantasies and fears of the season.

View in browser|nytimes.com June 1, 2024 By Melissa Kirsch Good morning. Summer returns, and with it all the feelings and fantasies and fears we associate with the season. María Jesús Contreras Summer romance June! Again! I know! Where has the time gone? It's boring to even raise the issue — your subjective experience of the months and years passing so quickly, how it seems just yesterday you were doing something (making plans to see Barbenheimer, maybe? That was last summer!) and now here we are, doing this again. If summer is a play, June is its opening act. If summer is a feeling, based on my recent conversations, it's either hope or dread. For me, it's all hope, all anticipation. Let the longer days spread out before us. Let us spread ourselves out in them, lie down in the grass or on the beach or in the air-conditioned splendor of the living room, early afternoon, for a climate-controlled snooze. Last weekend, in the country, I had a run-in with a bunch of winged creatures — wasps, I decided, based on the scientific description I found on an exterminator's website: "Generally speaking, wasps are much scarier looking than bees." No nest in sight, but a bunch of them, thronging the porch. Perhaps because I spend most of my time in the city, with its predictable insect population, I had almost forgotten about wasps, about yellowjackets and hornets and the menace I've always associated with their presence. Fear of wasps is rooted in childhood, deep and reflexive. Don't move, don't look them in the eye, don't even acknowledge their presence, or else. As a child, one wasp in the house was reason enough to flee until an adult could dispense with it. Now, ostensibly an adult myself, I observed myself observing the swarm, feeling that fear surge and then subside. Here were emissaries of the season, summer's welcoming committee. I could sip a lemonade beside them and, if not exactly relax, then at least contemplate remediation. Where had the time gone? When did the fear of being stung become manageable? I looked at the wasps and thought, "Yes, you too." If I am going to throw open my arms to welcome the sunlight and barbecues and lake swims and the air that's the exact same temperature as my skin, then the wasps are invited as well. "I think the extra sunlight makes me manic," my friend Leigh texted me this week in what sounded like despair. Leigh's one of my seasonal adversaries, the people who greet June's arrival with dread. We engage in this back-and-forth every year, whenever the season changes, me twirling around in a sundress, her grimacing under a comically large-brimmed hat. I've heard her arguments against: the heat, the sweat, the perils of midday sun and the ordeal of sunscreen, the pressure to be always doing things. I want to tell Leigh about the wasps, about how expansive and openhearted I have become this year, but I don't want to gloat too much, and I'm aware I may sound slightly deranged. "THE DAY NEVER ENDS," she texts, as if that's a bad thing. "The day doesn't end, you just give up and go to bed when it's still light out." Maybe we both sound deranged. It's June again, whether you're apt to rejoice or just surrender. It's June and "The green will never / again be so green, so purely and lushly / new," as the poet Marge Piercy put it. That alone, the brand-newness of the month and the season, the brand-newness of who you or I might be this time around, might not be enough to make you love this time of year, but perhaps it's enough to make you curious, to consider how you might be different, to consider whom or what you might, this year, admit into your summer plans. For more They're breezy and adaptable: NYT Cooking has you covered with 100 summer recipes. You don't have to travel to avail yourself of the season's pleasures. It's going to be another hot summer in Europe. Last year, we discussed the entertaining practice of selecting a theme for the season. Mine was the "Enjoy Your Time" summer. ADVERTISEMENT THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Mikey Madison plays a sex worker in "Anora." Neon Which Cannes films might become Oscar contenders? Kyle Buchanan, our awards-season columnist, said one to watch was "Anora," a comedy about a Brooklyn stripper who marries into Russian wealth. It won the Palme d'Or. "Robot Dreams," a wordless animated film in which a dog and his robot friend explore 1980s New York, is one of 10 movies our critics are talking about this week. Ron Howard's new documentary about Jim Henson has a lot to teach creators, our critic writes. The showrunners of the Max comedy "Hacks" spoke with The Times about the final twist of Season 3. Music Jerry Garcia in 1979. Associated Press A new exhibit at Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum explores the surprisingly deep bluegrass roots of the Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. Bill Walton, the N.B.A. Hall of Famer who died this week at 71, was also a Grateful Dead superfan. He claimed to have seen the band live over 869 times. A guitar John Lennon played on multiple Beatles songs was sold at auction for almost $3 million. This week on "Popcast," the hosts discussed how artificial intelligence has changed music. Art Months of delay and allegations against a prominent artist threatened to tarnish Dak'Art, the biennale in Senegal. But local galleries put on their own showcase. The Cleveland Museum of Art agreed to give up its ownership of a rare 2,200-year-old sculpture that was stolen from Libya years before the museum acquired it. Other Big Stories A twist in the fight over Elvis Presley's estate, Graceland: An identity thief emailed our reporter and said his ring was behind the effort to force the sale of the landmark. Jaap van Zweden will soon wrap up his time as music director of the New York Philharmonic, which will likely be remembered for its brevity — the shortest tenure since the 1970s, interrupted by the pandemic. They were best friends as teenagers in Texas. Now, they're all Broadway stars — two in "Hamilton" and one in "The Lion King." THE LATEST NEWS Israel-Hamas War President Biden in the White House yesterday. Cheriss May for The New York Times President Biden endorsed a new Israeli cease-fire proposal that included the possibility of an enduring end to the fighting, saying that Hamas was no longer capable of launching an Oct. 7-style attack. "It's time for this war to end," Biden said. In response, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, said that the war would not end until all hostages were returned and Hamas was eliminated. Hamas reacted positively to the proposal. Israeli forces advanced into central Rafah, pushing deeper into the southern Gaza city. U.S. congressional leaders invited Netanyahu to address Congress but set no date. Other Big Stories "The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed," Biden said of Donald Trump's criminal conviction. He called attacks on the verdict "reckless." Trump criticized prosecutors and the judge in a speech filled with falsehoods. His campaign said it had raised nearly $53 million online after the verdict. Senator Joe Manchin left the Democratic Party to become an independent. The move won't alter Democrats' control of the Senate, but it could allow Manchin — who previously said he would retire — to run again. Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama's mother who helped raise the Obama daughters at the White House, died at 86. Readers of The Morning: For a limited time, enjoy 7 free days. Discover all of The Times, from expert coverage to games to cooking, sports and more, free for one week, then $1/week for your first six months. Try The Times now. CULTURE CALENDAR By Desiree Ibekwe 🎧 "brat" by Charli XCX (Friday): The latest project by the British singer Charli XCX is a sonic homecoming of sorts: a club album. "When I first started making music, I was playing at illegal warehouse raves in Hackney in London," she told Vogue Singapore. "That's home to me." Singles from the album, like "Club Classics," are almost overwhelmingly frenetic. Some of the songs also bear the hallmarks of hyperpop, a subgenre of which Charli is a star. She came to hyperpop through her collaborations with the producer SOPHIE, who died in 2021 and to whom she pays tribute on the album in the song "So I." ADVERTISEMENT RECIPE OF THE WEEK David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. By Mia Leimkuhler Raspberry-Almond Clafoutis There's a lot to love about this new raspberry-almond clafoutis from David Tanis — those sweet-tart raspberries, of course, but also a plush, puddinglike batter that swaps in almond flour for the usual all-purpose variety. (This swap makes it a great dessert for gluten avoiders.) REAL ESTATE Pam Hoffman chose between three homes in Peoria, Ill. Michelle Litvin for The New York Times The Hunt: A 66-year-old first-time buyer tested her $220,000 in Illinois. Which house did she choose? Play our game. What you get for $4 million: A 1766 Dutch farmhouse in Claverack, N.Y.; a two-bedroom condo in Boston; or a 1912 Colonial Revival house in Philadelphia. Most popular: The most clicked story in The Morning last month was a calculator to tell you if you should rent or buy. Check it out. LIVING Animations by Gaia Alari Mango and Walnut: Pets teach us about life, love and death. That last one is especially important, Sam Anderson writes in this animated feature. Rebuilding: A Brooklyn suit maker offers free formal wear to newly exonerated men and women. Financial signs: People who develop dementia often fall behind on paying bills long before they are diagnosed, new research shows. Italy: Visit a wind-whipped island that's close to Sicily, but without the crowds. Secret weapon: Whom do Kate Moss and Paris Hilton call for a major party look? Annie Doble. Girlhood: Children from marginalized groups tend to start their periods at younger ages. No one knows why. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER The best kind of Father's Day gift If you're anything like me and know a dad who insists he doesn't need anything, here's my advice: Try something unexpected that connects your family. Last Father's Day, my sisters and I splurged on one of Wirecutter's favorite smart bird feeders — a cheery, yellow house with a built-in camera that captures high-res footage of its visitors. A year later, our family group chat is still popping off with snapshots of first-time feeders and old regulars alike. If you'd prefer a less avian route, why not encourage summer hangs with a portable hammock or family dinners with a pizza stone? Whatever shape your new tradition takes on, start looking with our expert's Father's Day gift ideas. — Brittney Ho GAMES OF THE WEEK Citlaly Gutierrez of Texas. Bryan Terry/USA Today Network Women's College World Series: The Red River Rivalry is alive and well in N.C.A.A. softball. Texas and Oklahoma are top-seeded teams in this year's World Series, and for the first time in four years, it's not Oklahoma in the No. 1 spot. That went to Texas, which led the country in batting average this year. Oklahoma, winner of the past three national championships, had the second-best team average. The teams met four times this season and split those games, with each winning twice. Six teams remain in the World Series; they'll play a double-elimination tournament this weekend on ESPN networks. The championship series begins Wednesday. More on sports A newly constructed stadium on Long Island will host Cricket World Cup matches, including perhaps the world's biggest rivalry, India vs. Pakistan. Then, it will be dismantled. EA Sports' College Football 25, due out in July, is the first new college-football video game in a decade. The Athletic played a preview. Female climbers are increasingly reporting sexual abuse in the sport, with two accusing the renowned climber Nirmal Purja of harassment. (Purja denies the allegations.) Biden hosted the Kansas City Chiefs, winner of this year's Super Bowl, at the White House. (Taylor Swift did not make an appearance.) NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were vibrato and vibrator. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. 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