AUDACIOUS BOOKCLUB HAPPENINGS
Our July selection is Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin. We will be in conversation with Gretchen on July 30th and registration is open. If you missed our conversation with Aimee, you can watch it online.
THE NEWSLETTER WEEK IN REVIEW
PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL NEWS
I wrote a Manifest(o) about loving and being loved, illustrated by the one and only Debbie Millman. You can view it online and download a poster to print out! This was a lot of fun to do because it gave me time to think about what has worked, thus far, in having a great marriage. No relationship is perfect but I do think you can find someone who makes it a pleasure to be imperfect with.
We’re having a writing contest. Only paid subscribers can enter and win! Prizes include $2,500, publication in the newsletter, and a mentoring session!
After four years and 96 columns (including the last one), I am saying goodbye to Work Friend, for now. Hopefully I will be back again. But to say goodbye, I wrote an essay about my working life, and what I hope for all of our working lives (spoiler: nothing but the best).
August 24-25, I will be in Sydney, Australia, speaking at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. I’ll also be at the Wheeler Center in Melbourne on August 27th!
My essay series, Roxane Gay Presents, with Everand has launched. First up: Julia Turshen with Built For This: The Quiet Strength of Powerlifting and in this video, you will learn about the queer powerlifting club she started. The second essay in this series is: You Are a Teen Mom: Instructions by Randa Jarrar. You can learn more about Randa in this video. The third essay in this series is My Year of Psychedelics: Lessons on Better Living by Gabrielle Bellot. The fourth essay in this series is Good Girls: Notes on Dog Rescue by Elaine Castillo. You can learn more about Elaine in this video. The final essay, by me, is called Stand Your Ground, and it will be out soon!
Megan Pillow and I wrote a little book about power called Do The Work: A Guide About Power and Creating Change. It is out NOW!
Low demand parenting seems like an interesting idea if only we didn’t share the world with other people.
I don’t know why but “Home Movies,” Alison Roman’s cooking show on YouTube is so pleasurable to watch.
Sleeper trains are making a comeback! It seems like an interesting idea. I enjoy train travel but I also feel like 6 hours would be enough for me.
A conversation with Emily Nussbaum in GQ. And another conversation with Nussbaum in The Dallas Morning News. A profile of Fitzcarraldo Editions.
Post-Roe, this is what healthcare for people with uteruses looks like.
RIP Kinky Friedman. RIP Martin Mull, a very funny man. RIP Bill Cobbs, who had such a lovely screen presence.
The Supreme Court has been busy being terrible and tyrannical. They overturned Chevron.
There was a presidential debate. It did not go well. The moderators did not moderate. There was a bizarre exchange about golf. There was a funny little line from Biden about Trump having the morals of an alley cat, which felt very 1950s. In a presidential debate!!! There are calls for Biden to drop out of the race that, bizarrely, completely overlook the actual vice-president as the person to take his place. His family is encouraging him to stay in the race. The Times editorial board said the president should step aside. The Philadelphia Inquirer said, rightly, that Trump should step aside. The next day, Joe was fiery.
In better news, Biden pardoned former military service members who were convicted when the military had a gay sex ban.
As I’ve mentioned before, Republicans are going after no-fault divorce sooooo, get your divorces in now, ladies.
A comic from Aubrey Hirsch about traveling to a red state while pregnant.
Basic income for everyone works, Exhibit 3717.
The best sneaker for professional hating. But, then an Australian swimmer was hating on Team USA (which, fine), but then didn’t make the Olympic squad for this year. Ouch.
Comedy Central and MTV basically deleted their archives from the internet. Art and journalism mean nothing to these people.
In L.A. the mayor, who has been so much of a disappointment, is considering mask bans. Of course, she also just got COVID. Hmmm.
NYC’s terrible mayor is walking back proposed library budget cuts.
A new HIV prevention drug is in late trials—only two shots a year.
Yet another day, yet another perv pastor.
The third season of The Bear is out.
Amber Ruffin, who is delightful, came out! I hope she got a nice, laminated membership card and starter pack.
Looks like Kanye is a bad employer but I think we already knew this.
A deep dive into what’s going on at The Washington Post.
The Shasta Indian Nation will get their land back. Excellent news!
Undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. for ten years or more, may receive legal status. I hope so. And also it shouldn’t take a decade. Enough with the means testing for citizenship in a country of such abundance.
IATSE and the studios have reached an agreement so there won’t be another strike.
Car rental companies are using remote representatives. The dystopia is now.
Tractor Supply decided to lean into bigotry and walk back any and all progress.
Lanvin has appointed a new artistic director. We can all breathe easy now.
Paris Hilton testified before Congress about dangerous child welfare programs.
Andrea Long Chu reviews Rachel Cusk.
How to write a good sex scene!
BipartisanSHIP. (LOLOLOL)
Timeless advice.
I love everything you've ever written, but it's a bummer when folks who haven't parented critique parenting. I don't use low demand parenting myself, but I have several friends with neurodivergent kids for whom it works, and it doesn't necessarily bother others around them (and in fact, when not used, others are much MORE bothered by the child's behavior). I wanted to offer that perspective to complement the article.
Flip the ticket. Harris-Biden. Not perfect, but seems way more reasonable and win-able.