Intro
The leaves are falling, the temperature is cooling, and the pumpkin spice-flavored foods and drinks are returning. This can only mean one thing: fall is here! From Halloween, to Thanksgiving, to the general comfy and cozy vibes, fall has something for everyone. Whether you enjoy walking through the crisp autumn air, cheering on your favorite football team, curling up with a good book and a warm drink, or watching scary movies into the night, this time of year is always full of fun and exciting activities that many of us look forward to all year. The unique aesthetics and inviting atmosphere of fall has been a source of inspiration for many great works of art, including movies, music, and books. Below are some recommendations that we hope will have you feeling the fall vibes and feeling inspired to create something of your own.
Movies
Is there anything better than curling up on the couch, grabbing a tasty snack, and watching a great movie? Of course, there is—watching a fall movie! Although I’m not a horror fan, I love Halloween movies. Some non-horror Halloween must-watch flicks for me include the iconic The Nightmare Before Christmas, the childhood-nightmare-inducing Coraline, the nostalgic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the hilarious Beetlejuice, and the ever amazing Hocus Pocus. If Halloween is not your style, some general fall movies are the beautiful Fantastic Mr. Fox (or any other Wes Anderson movie, really), the heart-warming Juno, the thought-provoking Good Will Hunting, and the Thanksgiving comedy classic Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Also, to commemorate the life of Sir Michael Gambon’s, it seems another watch-through of the Harry Potter series is needed in his honor. And of course, no fall is complete without a viewing of the cult-classic animated miniseries (and possibly my favorite work of art ever created) Over the Garden Wall.
Music
Fall seems to be the time of year that is most synonymous with a certain music genre in everyone’s mind. For some, it’s folk. For others, it’s a subgenre of emo. For me, it’s both. In terms of folk, many of us may be familiar with the bigger names who run this time of year: Hozier, Bon Iver, Lord Huron, and Noah Kahan—all of whom deserve their recognition and my recommendation. In addition to these autumn folk heavy-hitters, I also suggest The Head and the Heart, The National Parks, and The Oh Hellos. For those who find this time of year conducive to more emo-leaning music, I tend to gravitate toward bands like Modern Baseball, The Front Bottoms, and American Football during the fall season. Fans who want a mix of both folk and emo should check out Apes of the State, a folk punk band with a unique fall sound. And I’ll give a final fall music shoutout to Nat King Cole, Chet Baker, and Ella Fitzgerald, all of whom have golden jazz voices that go perfect with a cool and quiet fall evening.
Books
For me, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of fall is reading a good book next to an open window while drinking a warm mug of something pumpkin-spiced. Fall and books go hand-in-hand to form the academia autumn vibe that so many of us enjoy. Some of my favorite books that exude autumn energy include The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Dead Poets Society by Nancy H. Kleinbaum, and Looking for Alaska by John Green. Fans of spooky books should check out The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw, or anything by Edgar Allan Poe.
Conclusion
The theme of the Fall 2023 issue of Short Vine Literary Journal is “Cycles.” One of the most prominent cycles we experience every year is the cycle of the seasons. The life, death, and rebirth of the world is a continuous cycle that shapes our lives and guides us year after year. Fall is especially a momentous period of time in the cycle of the seasons because it serves as a transition period from life in the summer to death in the winter. Despite how macabre this may sound, many, including myself, find beauty in this transition and are inspired by this time of year. We here at Short Vine hope some of these recommendations on fall movies, music, books help you experience the same inspiration from this transitional stop in the cycle of the seasons.