Friday Five: March 13

Every Friday in 2026 has been spooky.

Welcome back to the Friday Five, your weekly round-up of joyful, cathartic content from across the corners of the digital universe. Joy feels in short supply for me in this moment, so this newsletter might be a bit more cathartic than our usual.

New Music: James Blake is one of my favorite artists, and watching his continued evolution since leaving his label and striking out on his own has been something to behold. His latest album, Trying Times, is out today, and the lead single is solemn and beautiful.

The corresponding visuals really struck a chord with me: twelve spinning plates dropping one by one, shattering around him. “I’m an eyesore / You’re a sight for sore eyes” is my favorite line. There’s also a stunning acoustic version worth savoring.

A Letter to Live By: Someone I love sent me this letter from Henry James to his dear friend Grace Norton. He wrote it after a death in her family, when she was struggling with depression. It begins, unbelievably, with: “I hardly know what to say to you,” and then unfolds into some of the most beautiful advice I’ve ever read.

Recipe: I’m breaking my fast with dates and one of these nights I plan to make gheysavah for Iftar. Gheysavah is a sweet date omelet, a somewhat niche Iranian dish that’s unexpectedly delicious. My recipe for it is in Epicurious here (and in my cookbook!).

Springtime Tradition: For the first time ever, I’m growing sabzeh for Iranian New Year. In past years I always shrugged it off as complicated or messy. This year, though, I’m trying it as a way to feel closer to my parents — and also in the wake of immense grief for innocent lives lost in Iran.

Sabzeh symbolizes rebirth, regrowth, and renewal. And it’s surprisingly simple: all you need are lentils, a bowl, and water. If you start today, you’ll have short greens. Here’s one simple tutorial, if video tutorials are more your speed, Naz Deravian has a great series:

Joyful / Cathartic Internet Content:

This beautiful Jamaican-British boy is celebrating Ramadan and his mom’s Iftar videos of him are absolutely adorable:

Loved this video, partly for its beauty and creativity, but also for the voiceover talking about appropriation vs. appreciation in recipe naming.

What a poem:

The acknowledgement of Emo Muslims on Friday the 13th is so important:

Don’t melt too much into the universe,

Roya