I once met an old wise man that said to me: "It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between."

I have been living my life in between the new books, the new movies, and the new art. I still devour everything the contemporary timeline has to offer. But it is in this "in between" that I've found wisdom and beauty that stood the test of time. Wisdom that I don't think is going anywhere. Beauty that I think I will revisit for the rest of my life.

I know that there are many people who are interested in the classics but are not sure where to start. I also deeply relate to the feeling of trying to conjure up a list that feels more personal and less internet/ai.

So, Arcadia's List is my gift to you. In it, I will include 12 movies, 12 books, and 12 poems I think you should find delight in for the upcoming year.

It is deeply personal. It is not exhaustive. And it's certainly not authoritative. They're just the opinions of some guy that will one day be long gone — ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

I hope you will find it useful for the year 2025.