What’s going on in here?
Hello! I’m not entirely sure! But I’m thrilled that you’re reading my brand new newsletter, Leave Me Alone! I’m in Here!
My name is Kate, and I need a place to put all the things I’m watching and listening to and obsessing over. Every couple of weeks I’ll share all the things that are filling up my room: movies, TV shows, music, little items, whatever. Come hang out for a while - I’ll clear off a chair for you!
What am I watching?
As 2025 wraps up, I’ve been catching up with all the recent great TV we’ve been getting, and finishing a rewatch project I started in the fall. This week I’m into:
I Love LA. They had a great finale! They resolved a few things and left the door open for a lot of opportunities in season two, which I am glad to hear they will be getting.
Heated Rivalry. I was a little reluctant to start this show, I admit it. I’m a great fan (and card-carrying member) of Gay, but I am not generally a romance person. It turns out that is not a requirement to enjoy this show. I have been deeply impressed every episode by just how well-constructed this show is, from the heartfelt performances to the cinematography to the top notch needle drops. I watched episode five at six am, and found myself nearly shrieking with glee by the end. Delightful, thrilling television. What an end of year gift!
Mad Men. I recently completed a rewatch of this classic, and I felt so satisfied, probably because I watched it on AMC+ and not the vomit hose 4K edition on HBO Max. For my money, Don Draper remains one of the best TV characters of all time, with Peggy Olson and Pete Campbell right up there with him.
What am I listening to?
I am a song repeater. Once I latch onto a song, it gets played over and over until I can safely move on. Lately, it’s been:
Hope to Die by Orville Peck
Bonzo Goes to Bitburg by the Ramones
Glass, Concrete & Stone by David Byrne
Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole by Martha Wainwright
Heaven Tonight by Hole
I’ve also been kind of obsessing over teenage death songs from the 50s and 60s, those cautionary tales about car crashes or forbidden romances like Last Kiss by Wayne Cochran or Dead Man’s Curve by Jan and Dean. They perfectly combine my obsessions with melodrama, weird and specific songs, and the unsettling sheen of midcentury pop culture.
What am I thinking about?
I’m reserving this section for all the things I’m just…pondering while I toodle about. This week, running through my mind, are:
Feelings! I love having them. I made myself cry in the car today because I decided to think about art that makes me cry. And it worked! There was a time when I rarely cried, and almost never because of a film or show. The older I get, the more the tears flow. Today, all it took was “No man is a failure who has friends” from It’s a Wonderful Life, Major Briggs’s vision from Twin Peaks, and This Year by the Mountain Goats. I recently got myself a charm with a little crying eye, because I am fully embracing my status as a crybaby.
Possibilities. It’s almost a new year, and I’m feeling all the fear and excitement and worry and anticipation. Everything is generally terrible, and it seems like it’s getting worse every day, like all the goodness in the world is just being chipped away. But there will be art and community and holidays and comfort, and I hope we all get those things and more in 2026.
What am I working on?
If you’re reading this and we’ve never met, chances are you’re here because of my work for MovieJawn. Hello and thank you!
Our Winter 2025 print issue just dropped. This issue’s theme is journalism, and not only is it filled with amazing articles by my colleagues, it’s absolutely gorgeous. I contributed a piece about one of my favorite movies, Spotlight. Click the image below or here to get your copy!
I have also had a few pieces run on MovieJawn.com. Viewers Like Us, my monthly column celebrating PBS ran today, and I participated in our MovieJawn Best of 2025 roundtables for both TV and movies. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ira Sachs, who directed my favorite movie of 2025, Peter Hujar’s Day. It’s one of the pieces I’m most proud of this year. Check them out!
Now get out of my room!
That’s it for this first edition of Leave Me Alone! I’m in Here!
If you’ve read any part of this, I am so grateful! I hope to see you back here again soon.