Tusiata Avia is a poet who keeps the darkness at bay.
A friend of mine told me he had a copy of my latest book. father’s birthbut she can’t bring herself to read it. still. She didn’t need to explain why. I know this because I have had the same experience. Of course, it’s not my book. It’s energy going out. This is something I’m expressing some difficulty with. Whether it’s a global event, national, local or personal event. Writing is my place to confront the demonic institutions of racism and colonization. and david seymour (See “Big Fat Brown Bitch” for Seymour’s poem), and have fun with me.
My father’s birth was a place for me to express and reflect on my grief over his death. It was my position to hold my family accountable and ultimately the deteriorating funeral culture in Samoa. Getting angry about how destructive they/it is.
It took me nine years to finish writing that book.
The book was great for me, but not for my friend. That is not the case at this time. It’s too painful for her. Maybe a little later it will get easier for her. I know there are loving and calming poems out there. And there are also poems that can help us express our anger and support our own anger.
Polhara Written by Michelle Rahluff was my favorite book of 2025. This book got under my skin and will live with me forever. It’s a great book, but it wasn’t easy for me to read. I had to stop and take a break many times. I can’t read books like I used to. You have to keep resting, and sometimes you have to take very long rests. Sometimes I just can’t handle being inside the head of a character who is suffering. About a cruel world. It all feels like getting too close to my own darkness, so I try to avoid it every day.
One thing I do to manage this is watch Schitt’s Creek.
As I write this, I have Schitt’s Creek turned on to play in the background. One of my favorite characters, Alexis (a cheerful, former socialite with a raspy voice), flops around with her hand dangling and weakly held out in front of her as if her wrist is broken. If you haven’t come across this posture, take a look at it in its entirety.
“Alexis’ face” morphed into my face, almost without my knowledge. Alexis’ face is what I call the expression she makes when she’s fake sad. She looks cute with her emoji sad kitten face. In my case it’s Goblin Face. I can’t seem to stop myself from making this devilish face at the slightest sadness. It’s probably not a great experience for my friend since most of it belongs to other people. At least Alexis lives only in my face. My wrist and hand remain mine.
This is my 43rd Schitt’s Creek watch. That calculation: 13 episodes per season x 6 seasons x 42 views + 40 episodes (out of 43 episodes)rd watch) = 3,400 episodes x 22 minutes per episode = 74,800 minutes or 1,246 hours. Those 1,246 hours don’t include the many one-off, out-of-order episodes I watched, or the hours I spent Googling information about Schitt’s Creek or Schitt’s Creek adjacencies.
I know a fair amount of dialogue and can parrot lines with the correct intonation for the actors. I scoured the wardrobe, hair and makeup, sets, props, and extras. The writing is wonderful, smart, funny, poignant, yet heartwarming. The sentence has even entered the language of pop culture. In my opinion, the two most famous quotes are:
- “I like the wine, not the label.” – a metaphor for the gender selection of sexual partners invented by Alexis’ queer, fashion-forward brother David.
- Alexis’ famous “Eew, David” is especially well utilized. here.
My only “off-putting” thing about this show (to quote Ted, the pun-prone vet) is that it has several (well, only two) actors of color in the cast. There are a relatively large number of people of color among the non-speaking extras. Is this an attempt to compensate for the whiteness of the cast? If so, oh David!
1,246 hours, which is the equivalent of 52 days spent watching Schitt’s Creek. Am I obsessed with wasting time? ○Did I find something useful for my life? I vote for the second option.
When I wake up in the morning and feel depressed and can’t get out of bed (which happens almost every morning), I watch “Schitt’s Creek.” When I can’t turn off the lights and go to sleep at night (which is almost every night), I watch Schitt’s Creek. While I’m making breakfast, lunch, and dinner (which I hate), I watch Schitt’s Creek. When I’m in the shower, I listen to Schitt’s Creek. Things that seem easy to most people are terrifying to me. Fear can freeze me up and prevent me from doing what I need to do. I watch Schitt’s Creek to help me overcome life’s challenges.
However, I was recently able to cut the dose of the antidepressant I was taking in half (under the guidance of my doctor, mind you). Is Schitt’s Creek to blame?
There is also research. consumer research journal I assure you.Returning to familiar stories relieves stress and calms the nervous system, restoring a sense of emotional balance. ”
Beloved stories offer solace, perhaps especially to people (like me) who struggle with anxiety, emotional sensitivity, and many difficult emotions. Oh, that feeling! Apparently, when people (like me) watch the stories they love over and over again, it’s not a repetition, it’s a renewal.
Further research: Written by Jay Derrick 2012 survey The Journal of Social Psychology and Personality Science believes that “…people have a finite amount of these valuable psychological resources.” While watching a familiar story… “You are not exerting the mental energy necessary for self-control and willpower. At the same time, you are enjoying the ‘interaction’ with the characters in the TV show, and this activity restores your energy.”
Schitt’s Creek, and comedy in general, has probably replaced books for me — for now, anyway. Schitt’s Creek is sure to lift your mood. Books come with risks. It’s hard to find books that make you feel good. It’s very hard to find books that make you feel good and are well written. The reader in me is not happy about this turn of events. I’ve always been a bookworm. Not reading books feels like a betrayal to the person who does read books.
I’m not a psychologist. All I have to go on is my own experience. Just from living in my own body, dealing with my own brain, and watching the people around me for the past 59 years, it seems like some people are better at self-control and controlling their emotions (and everything else) than others. Some people have access to these resources from an invisible place within themselves. And some of us may need a boost, or multiple boosts, to access them.
Schitt’s Creek is one of those things that gives me a boost. Even if I watched another show, I wouldn’t be able to do what Schitt’s Creek does. 1,246 hours later (and counting), the script and acting (and wardrobe) still help keep me grounded. It helps with motivation and self-control.
I hope I can go back to reading like I used to. I hope you are still reading books. Books that are different from my own life experiences and books that tell stories that relate to me. Books that will soothe you, shock you, anger you, or make you cry. But we all need a break to keep our heads above water. In the words of Patrick (David’s partner), “We’re doing what we’re supposed to do.”
Giving Birth to My Father by Tusiata Avia ($30, Te Herenga Waka University Press) Shortlisted for this year’s Ockham New Zealand Book Awardand is available Purchase from Unity Books.