A Busy Week! / 'What Remains of Edith Finch'
Whatever your reason for being here in this moment – thank you!
Despite having worked under the Pomonok banner for the past six years, this week is the first where I'm actively treating my company like a company. I haven't always had the bandwidth, time, or resources to do that, but I'm doing it now, and it feels good!
No matter what's going on in my life, Pomonok offers an outlet for my creative self. I'm so grateful for that.
I'm grateful for all of you who care enough to be subscribed to the free Team Pomonok newsletter or to one of our paid subscriptions, and I'm grateful to those of you who are just stopping by because you're curious!
Maybe you came across Finding Felicity and want to check out what else we've got going on. Maybe you know my work from The Mary Sue, and you want to get to know my fictional storytelling. Whatever your reason for being here in this moment – thank you!
Check out what's been keeping me so busy below! And at the bottom, you'll see our weekly Pomonok Approved recommendation. Last week, we gave a podcast recommendation. This week, it's about a video game I immediately fell in love with!
Love you all,
Teresa
POMONOK PODCASTS: FF ENCORE is here!
Pomonok's first podcast, Finding Felicity, is back! Releasing for the next few weeks under the name Finding Felicity ENCORE (FF ENCORE), we're doing a soft re-launch of the original S1 and S2 episodes from now until SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 when we'll be releasing our first ALL-NEW EPISODE in six years!
Teresa's been waiting a long time to continue watching Felicity. You'll be happy to know, she's remained "spoiler-free since 2003."
Here are the FF ENCORE episodes that have released so far:
FF ENCORE: Ep. 0 – ‘Felicity Porter and Holden Caulfield’ (mini-ep)
What does The Catcher in the Rye have to do with Felicity or this podcast? Host Teresa Jusino will tell you as she explains what inspired Finding Felicity and what you can expect from episodes to come. (7/15/2024)
FF ENCORE: Ep. 1 – ‘Pilot’ (Or, '5:38')
This episode is subtitled 5:38, because that’s exactly how long it took for the Felicity pilot to become too real for our fearless host. Joining Teresa for the first full-length episode of the podcast is rock star, musical theater scribe, and pop culture encyclopedia, Dayna Webber. (7/17/2024)
The next FF ENCORE drops TOMORROW, July 19. Make sure you check out Ep. 2 - 'The Last Stand' (Or, 'Mommy Issues'), with guest Jen Levin!
POMONOK PUBLISHING: Our new fiction project, SEVENTY-NINE, has arrived!
Pomonok Publishing has launched its new short fiction project, SEVENTY-NINE, featuring short fiction by Teresa Jusino inspired by the work of photographer, Cindy Sherman.
You can read all about the project, as well as an excerpt of Jusino's JULY story, "32 Inches of Liminal Space," by CLICKING HERE.
If you'd like to read the complete story, consider upgrading to a paid subscription to our newsletter under the Pomonok Publishing tier! For only $2/month, you'll have access to all 29 stories in this collection as they're released every month, as well as exclusive access and updates to any future prose projects.
POMONOK APPROVED: VIDEO GAMES
Normally, we like to "approve" recommendations that are substantially created by, spearheaded by, or otherwise center creatives and/or characters from historically marginalized communities. The world of professional video games, whether Triple-A or indie, tends to be male-dominated and white-dominated.
Ultimately, we needed to shout out 2017's What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow/Annapurna Interactive) because it's a beautiful game that centers a young, female character not only as she navigates the memory of her relationships with her complicated family members (particularly her mother and great-grandmother), but as she deals with so many things that are specific to the feminine experience in compelling and nuanced ways. In addition, we want to shout-out the involvement Executive Producer Megan Ellison (founder of Annapurna) and producer Alvin Nelson.
Trailer courtesy of Annapurna Interactive
From Giant Sparrow's website for the game:
As Edith, you’ll explore the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she's the last one in her family left alive. Each story you find lets you experience the life of a new family member on the day of their death, with stories ranging from the distant past to the present day.
The game is basically a first-person walking simulator where you're walking around as Edith as she goes back to the Finch family home that was left to her after the death of her great-grandmother. Brandon Martynowicz's art is gorgeous, and the way it's incorporated into the storytelling is sometimes whimsical, sometimes deeply poignant, and always fascinating.
The narrative (conceived by creative director, Ian Dallas) you receive from Edith's voiceover appears on the screen in her handwriting, only for the letters to be brushed away by your steps or actions you take. The story of each family member is told in an art style appropriate for their age, personality, and interests. For example, Edith's grandfather's story is told through a camera lens shooting 1970s photography, while her great-aunt Barbara's story is told in the style of a 1950s pulp comic.
And oh, Gregory. We won't spoil you on that one, but make sure you have tissues handy.
If you love narrative-based games that make you feel deep feelings, you'll love this one. What Remains of Edith Finch carries you into the depths of family tragedy only to lift you up again and remind you how beautiful and magical life can be.
Available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and more!
Have a question or a comment for us? Reply to this email, or email us directly at teampomonok@gmail.com! See you next week!