January
We all know that a new year is fully upon us but, like... what this newsletter presupposes is... maybe it isn't??
From the jump, the PBB newsletter has been a vehicle for me to sorta play with / circle around Time. I mean, it comes with the territory, obviously… monthly updates and all. But this reoccurring theme is not merely a function of the events-calendar format, nor my tendency to let deadlines slip. Not entirely.
Time is the angel we all have to tangle with. (At least, according to my guy PKD.)
Because of this, I’m more-or-less constantly engaging in a sort of mental jiu-jitzu and the newsletter can serve as the mat where I try to resolve the accumulated tension. Eh, who knows? Maybe 2026 is the year I take up physical jiu-jitzu, too.
Time is also, like… it’s not so much the cosmic soup itself that material beings are tossed into, but more the stirring of the soup. And so here we find ourselves: churning, tossed about in the resulting current until our bodies melt away like seasoning salt and even then, the soup keeps swirling.
Q: What does memory amount to? How to you hold a child’s drawing in your hands? What is this? How do you submit to being crushed into fine powder by an overwhelming force? Do you want to have Neuf Lamen for lunch?
R: I don’t really know / You must be reverent, you must let even the smallest scrap of paper destroy you. You will thereby be filled with such immense gratitude that it brings you to tears. You let it transform you. / I don’t really know / You must be reverent, you must let even the smallest scrap of paper destroy you. You will thereby be filled with such immense gratitude that it brings you to tears. You let it transform you. / Yes, of course.
(I love soup.)
Well, uh, yup. I guess that’s the intro! It’s January 2026, people, so get ready to mark those planners! It all STARTS:
TODAY! Tues, January 6th
10:30-19:00 - Peanut Butter Books is back, baby! We had a fantastic little vacation down on the ol’ Méditerranée with the crew, I can tell you about that later. Point is, SHOP’S OPEN, come buy some books or a calendar or whatever. Say hi.
Wed, January 14th
15:30-16:30 - Breathwork for kids
Here’s the word from Coach Anna: “Come with your little ones for a short hour to learn fun, simple & effective breathing practices, perfect for kids. I’ll also be introducing some EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) that is amazing for calming the nervous system and to help process emotions.
Ideally, this session is for children between the ages of 4-10, though breathing is for any age and we can adapt for younger or older kids 😉
If we can teach our kids to utilize the breath starting from a young age, imagine them being able to reduce stress, improve focus, regulate their emotions, improve sleep, and build lifelong healthy habits!”
Sounds good to us! Come through, let your kids give it a try!
SIGN UP on Anna’s website: 🔗HERE.
Thurs, January 15th
19:00 - INTERNATIONS Apero!
Our friends at Internations are hosting a New Year’s get-together, featuring snacks, drinks, cool folks, fun games and lots of laughs.
More information can be found via their website - just click here for the link
Sat, January 17th
14:00-16:30 ✨✎📖 Write On! 📖🖊️✨ Grenoble’s premier English-language WRITERS WORKSHOP is back at it, come hang!
Tues, January 20th
19:00 - QUEER POETRY NIGHT #8 - NATURE
From Ari: “Queer poetry night!! A night for queers and allies to come share in poetry. Bring a poem or two to read, or just come along to listen. We have books here you can read from, too! The theme this month is nature, to celebrate the beauty of the natural world and the complexities of human nature. Ari is your host, he will be here from 18h30 for signup, and he’ll start at 19h. Drinks and treats for sale, bring your own food if needed!”
Wed, January 21st
19:00-21:00ish - 🍻✍️ Drink & Draw! ✍️🍻
This month’s theme will be “DEMOLITION”
Fri, January 23rd
19:00 - VERNISSAGE
10-day expo in partnership with the MAUDIT film Festival
peep da link: LE MAUDIT FILM FEST
Tues, January 27th
19:00 - 📚✨ TBC ✨📚 - Grenoble’s #1 English-language book club!
This month’s selectsh was deemed to be The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Copies remain available in the shop. HOWEVER - if you haven’t had the chance to read it, don’t let that keep you from coming by, as this meeting will be the one when we pick the next 3 months’ books, so it’s the ideal time to crash a sess and just see what TBC is all about.
Thurs, January 29th - Nocturne PBB open until 20:00
Pop-up Dinner chez la voisine, Les Rutilantes @ 19:00
MENU COMING SOON on les reseaux 👀
Sat, January 31st
14:00-16:30 - ✨✎📖 Write On! 📖🖊️✨
In case you’re not too hot with the pattern recognition, this club meets every-other Saturday. I continue to make these announcements because U R INVITED 2 JOIN
(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
Pretty short list of events this month, but just keep your eyes on the PBB Instagram for updates, there’ll be some other stuff coming down the pipe for sure. Hmm. what else what else...
General Housekeeping / other stuff:
It is 2026, and while I am one of those annoying “it makes no sense to have the new year in the middle of Winter” people, I will take any excuse to start fresh. So… I think it’s about time to slap a fresh coat onto the PBB Palimpsest upstairs - if anyone wants to help me lay down a thin layer of lissage, I think I’ll do that this weekend.
I did not send out the December addendum with music recs. I’m sorry. Here’s what me and the fam have been loving lately:
Majid Soula - Chant Amazigh (Habibi Funk 017)
Raph put this on during one of our game nights during our lil getaway down in Sete and it was perfect! Fantastic vibes. Thanks for the rec man!
Diles que no me maten - Manos de Piedra (Revisitada)
My bff growing up had a roommate in college who went on to (among other things) run a super dope indie record label called Bayonet Records. Check them out! She posted some of her fave’s of 2025 on her Insta recently, and I trust everything Katie likes is worth checking out. These guys rule!
Starcleaner Reunion - Café Life
Another rec from Katie G, I dig it.
Together Pangea - Eat Myself
Officially, this album hasn’t fully been released yet, but of the 5 tracks they’ve “pre-released,” I think 3 of them are really good.
Home Front - Watch It Die.
Canadian dark-wave meets Oi, a great combination if you ask me! (even if they do get a tad corny with the lyrics here and there.) But this track For The Children (F*ck All) is great!!
What else? Oh! I said I’d tell you about our vacation. Emilie’s mom invited us to stay in her house down in Sete, and it was SIIIICK. Sunshine, baby! I love watching a sunset on a big, salty body of water - there’s nothing like it! And while I do miss San Diego (all the time), we’ve got some pretty killer scenery here, too, so I was very grateful for this little three-day getaway. Also: Sydney is so good and skateboarding, I’m soooo proud.
Speaking of Syd, I’m teaching at her elementary school now, for a little while anyway, and it RULES. However, it does take up a lot of my time, so my PBB duties have been suffering a bit - sorry. So I gotta cut this thing here and send it out so we can have lunch. Uh….See you around! Stay warm and cozy ya’ll!
PEACE & LOVE ✌︎ ㋡ ✌︎︎
-Ryan