19 Things to Look Forward to in May 2019

You and April have had your fun.

Now it's time to say hello to May.

"Hi there, May."

(That was you.)

Anyway, here are 19 things to look forward to next month, involving, amongst other stuff: horses, tequila, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, the Wu-Tang Clan and golf.

March 3rd

Non-Fiction
A literary, Woody Allen-esque dramedy from acclaimed French director, Olivier Assayas, during which a down-and-out author begins a sordid love affair with his editor's TV-star wife, played by Juliette Binoche—and then writes about it in his novel.

Father of the Bride
It's the first new album in six years from the eclectic, Ezra Koenig-led rock band, Vampire Weekend—but also the first the group has made without multi-instrumentalist, Rostam Batmanglij. Not to worry: Koenig has recruited a series of all-star collaborators, including the prodigious Steve Lacy (of The Internet), Danielle Haim (of Haim) and Jenny Lewis (of...Jenny Lewis). Watch the strangely pleasant music video for the album's first single above.

May 4th

The 145th running of the Kentucky Derby
Dress accordingly.

May 5th

Cinco de Mayo
Drink accordingly?

May 6th

The Met Gala
The fanciest party of the year, hosted by longtime Vogue editrix Anna Wintour, has quite the theme this time around: Camp. Popularized by Susan Sontag in her classic essay, "Notes on Camp," the concept has always been a slippery one, and often misused. In contemporary lingo, we might sum it up as "Extra." But that's not quite it, either. Regardless: it should make for some very interesting and outré ballgowns and suits. (For a quick primer on camp, head over to GQ.)

May 7th

Exhalation: Stories
A new book of short stories from philosophical sci-fi writer Ted Chiang (whose previous work served as the basis for the movie Arrival). One of them was featured in a special print-only edition of The New York Times last week.

The Farm
In this debut novel from Joanne Ramos, women are handsomely paid to stay at an isolated luxury retreat in Hudson Valley—provided they produce the "perfect baby." So it's kind of like The Handmaid's Tale, sponsored by Goop.

May 10th

The Hustle
A decidedly 2019-appropriate, female inversion of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels starring Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway.

Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men
Showtime acquired the rights to this four-part docu-series on the famous '90s rap group—which premiered at Sundance earlier this year—strung together with interviews of its surviving members and never-before-seen archival footage.

Here Comes the Cowboy
This is the latest album from lovable goof and alt-rock crooner, Mac DeMarco. (Check out the, er, disconcerting music video for "Nobody" here.)

Legacy! Legacy!
Jamila Woods's first full-length album, HEAVN, was one of our favorites of the year in 2016. Judging by her forthcoming album's single, "ZORA," the airy soul-pop singer is leaning into more rock-heavy riffs and instrumentation—to great effect.

May 13th

The Bachelorette
The iconic (can we call it that?) reality show returns for another season of tears, hot tubs, sloppy make-outs and sloppy hot tub make outs—this time with bubbly and woefully unprepared 23-year-old Southern belle, Hannah B., in the titular role.

May 16th

The PGA Championship begins at Bethpage Black
The PGA Championship has customarily been the fourth and final major championship of the year. But in an effort to boost its relevance (read: ratings), it will now take place in May—between the Masters and the U.S. Open. All eyes will be on Tiger Woods, who, coming off his historic win at Augusta last month, will look to capitalize on a course where he previously won the U.S. Open (in 2002).

May 17th

John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum
Wick-heads unite, for the third installment of the increasingly cult-ish Keanu Reeves action franchise.

Catch-22
George Clooney exec-produces, directs and stars in the latest adaptation of Joseph Heller's bitingly satirical novel about the absurdities of war. The miniseries is easily Hulu's biggest swing since The Handmaid's Tale.

Fleabag, season 2
Since premiering on Amazon in 2016, the creator/star of Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, has become one of the culture's most exciting talents—not least because of her behind-the-scenes work on the tonal high-wire act that was the first season of the hit AMC series, Killing Eve. Waller-Bridge has a knack for balancing the hilarious and the obscene; her Fleabag—as the series' protagonist is called—is acerbic, sardonic, crass and shameless, an unhinged sex-addict with a mean streak and a soft heart. She's like no one else on television. You should tune in.

May 21st

Talking to Strangers: Selected Essays, Prefaces and Other Writings
A new collection of writing from the meta-fictional master, Paul Auster, compiles his literary criticism, political essays and thoughts on everything from the films of Jim Jarmusch to disgraced New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani.

May 24th