Looking Out, Looking In

Kieran Mabey

Writing words is to open words; Opening words is to open ourselves.

ESSAYS

Welcome to LOLI

Essays of social observation & personal rumination, both silly and serious.

  • The New TC: From Tom to Timothée

    Do we still make movie stars? Timothée Chalamet—with his on-screen physicality, vulnerability in roles, and canny decision making in navigating the industry while building relationships with auteur directors—has positioned himself as this new generation’s brightest star, and perhaps the first true movie star in over a generation.

  • My Year, Through Art: 2023

    This is an annotated list of my favourite art from the year: best album, song(s), TV show(s), episode, movie, and book(s). Such year-end lists, with their stark, horizontal numbering, attempt to confront us with the veneer of objectivity—Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai, with the Lord’s Top 10. But I will go in the opposite…

  • Dearly Departed Dustin

    A belated eulogy for my dear cousin.

  • Tennis: Character Unveiled

    Tennis, I believe, is the most compelling sport, physically, psychologically, professionally–even philosophically. The many characteristics that make it unique, even amongst other racket games (such as its absurd scoring system, exhausting duration, and different surfaces), also makes tennis especially suited as a vehicle for unveiling one’s character through sport.

  • Homage to Halloween

    Halloween, my favourite holiday, is unique in being performed outside the home, in our streets, and for other’s children. When it comes to trick-or-treat, the treat itself is the trick, by which we transform our neighbourhoods into havens of charity, replenishing our social trust one candy at a time.