It finally feels like fall; the days are getting cooler, the nights are getting longer and pumpkin-flavored everything is everywhere. Fall is my favorite season for many reasons, but mostly, it reminds me of growing up in the Shenandoah Valley. There is nothing like seeing the leaves change color on the Blue Ridge Mountains or visiting Showalter’s Orchard for the best apple cider you’ll ever taste. For my four favorites this week, I reminisced on the 19 falls I spent in the valley and the media that takes me back, even when I can’t physically be there.
Here are my Four (Fall) Favorites:
Blues Run the Game – Jackson C. Frank
I didn’t come across this song until my freshman year of college, but from the first time I heard it, it has always reminded me of fall, especially falls in the valley.
There is just something about Jackson C. Frank’s voice and the lyrics that take me back to walking home from school, crunching fallen leaves under my feet, as the day already began to fade into night.
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As an avid reader all my life, I remember reading the book, Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl when I was about 7 years old. Ever since then, the story has stuck with me, increasingly so after I saw the movie directed by Wes Anderson.
This film honors the whimsy of the source material, capturing the fall aesthetic perfectly.
When I rewatch this film, I am taken back to my elementary school library and the way that this story and so many others on the shelves stay with me to this day.
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We’re Going to Be Friends – The White Stripes
I have very distinct memories of sitting in my high school auditorium during study hall, trying to block out the sound of all the other students around me by playing my music a little too loudly in my headphones.
This was one of my favorites at the time and still to this day, hearing the opening strumming of the guitar makes me want to just curl up with a cup of tea and block out the world for a while.
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This favorite is special because not only is this artist from the Shenandoah Valley, but she is also a friend of mine!
Watching her blow up on TikTok and now going on tour with Noah Cyrus has been surreal.
Gabrielle Hope has one of the most unique sounds and nothing quite reminds me of fall where I grew up more than hearing a friend sing folk music while playing her banjo in the mountains.
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I hope you enjoyed this edition of Four Favorites. Keep up with what I’m watching on Letterboxd, what I’m listening to on Spotify, and what I’m reading on Goodreads.