The Audacious Round Up
Keep up with the Joel Gay Creative Fellows, Jet Toomer, Jesus Rodriguez, and Elspeth Michaels.
The November selection for the Audacious Book Club is Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer. Our conversation with Andrew takes place on November 17th at 8pm EST/5 pm PST and registration is open. If you missed this week’s conversation with Lola Ogunyemi, you can watch it on YouTube.
I am reading submissions to The Audacity’s Emerging Writer Series. Read the guidelines and submit your best writing. Submissions will be open until I have 24 essays.
Don’t Forget: Why Design Matters by Debbie Millman.
Debbie also has a new project, The Remarkable Life Deck, if you want to think through what the next decade of your life could look like. The cards are really beautiful and this is such a valuable exercise for looking ahead and taking stock of where you are. I don’t say that lightly. Normally, this isn’t my kind of thing but The Remarkable Life Deck is excellent.
If you’re looking for a nice notebook, check out my new Draft Writing Journal from Baron Fig. It’s pretty swank if I do say so myself AND back in stock.
The Winter 2022 issue of Gagosian Quarterly is out now and you can read it online. I got to curate a special section of Black women writing about Black women. I write an essay about how to collect art and how surprisingly complicated it can be. I also interviewed Calida Garcia Rawles and Jordan Casteel about their craft and managing success and creating space to make their work. Randa Jarrar wrote about painter Kezia Harrell. Brooke Obie profiled textile artist Gio Swaby. Amber J. Phillips explores how she experiences art and the works of Firelei Baez and Tschabalala Self. Critic and curator Ladi’Sasha Jones examines Black women who work in collage and much more. And finally, Chicago-based abstract artist Kellie Romany shares a visual essay featuring her brilliant work (I have two of her pieces in my collection.) I am thrilled with how this feature turned out and hope you can take some time to dive in, in the coming days and weeks.
Wesleyan has a great one-year residency that pays $150,000 plus a $30,000 housing stipend. Apply!
How health influences Black women’s decisions about retirement.
Drake released some songs and for whatever reason, decided to talk out the side of his mouth about Serena and Megan Thee Stallion. He needs a hobby. This man, who used to follow Serena on tour, had the audacity, THE AUDACITY to call Serena’s uxorious and charming husband a groupie. And you know what? Who wouldn’t want to be the GOAT’s groupie? That is not the insult you think it is, Aubrey. I’ve always been ambivalent about his music but I knew everything I needed to know about him when I learned that he has a room full of Birkin bags for his future spouse. It’s creepy. Anyway, with Aubrey’s words for Megan Thee Stallion he joins a legion of assholes who seem to think a woman being shot by a partner is funny. It’s also interesting that Aubrey has little to say to the men who have something to say about him.
Anyway, here’s a profile of Alexis Ohanian.
Powerball this weekend is up to $1.6 billion. I may have bought a ticket or twenty.
RIP Aaron Carter who was only 34. A real shame.
Rather than support their highest-rated weekend anchor, MSNBC has fired Tiffany Cross. I look forward to seeing where she takes her talents next.
The Biden administration continues to be not great about migration.
A conversation with Ramy Youssef.
A look into the catastrophic flooding Pakistan has been dealing with.
It’s always a good time to appreciate Colman Domingo.
Twitter is in a bizarre, chaotic freefall as Apartheid Clyde demonstrates who he is. Mastodon is where many users are flocking. I find it way too complicated but if you have the capacity to learn something new right now, it’s there! In the meantime, Musk has fired half of the Twitter workforce. Imminently, you will have to pay $8 for a blue checkmark on Twitter which is precisely $8 more than it is worth because verification served a purpose but a meaningless blue checkmark does not do anything but put a blue checkmark next to one’s name. Not so fun fact: Musk hates the color yellow which has contributed to a dangerous work environment at Tesla.
Diep Tran on how women are interpreting MacBeth for the stage.
Kari Lake, the far-right gubernatorial candidate in AZ used to be different, her friends say. Curious.
Here are eleven books on writing you might find useful. Once I finish How to Be Heard, there will be 12 (plus many others).
If you’re paying attention to this burning planet, you know that water is going to be a very big problem, sooner than later. And the Colorado River is the canary in that particular coal mine.
On the tragedy in Itaewon and how young Koreans were failed.
HBO has canceled Westworld.
India’s hair industry is going through some challenges.
Gay history is great.
Speaking of, Miss Argentina and Miss Puerto Rico have gotten married. PLOT TWIST!
When it takes fifteen years to make it down the marriage aisle, you might get dunked on a little bit.
A look at what’s keeping young voters engaged heading into the midterms.
Did you know J.D. Vance is married to a woman of color? Fascinating stuff.
U.S. officials have met with Brittney Griner who is, in their words, doing as well as can be expected given the circumstances.
Not sure what’s going on in Columbus but looks like they could use some driver’s ed.
Critics are not loving the Almost Famous musical.
Massively successful comedian Whitney Cummings has joined Only Fans to tell jokes that I guess she doesn’t think she can tell anywhere else. It’s interesting how the only person really censoring comedians is themselves as they tilt at the windmills of what they say they can’t do but actually do do.
The Hollywood Reporter comedy star of the year is the one and only Quinta Brunson.
A conversation with Tyler James Williams.
An interesting, well-curated feature on indigenous parenting.
Sometimes, the media shares a story that is supposed to be heart-warming but mostly it’s just kind of sad. Still, I appreciated this story of a woman who bought the house her mother used to clean.
RIP to Julie Powell who died so very young at 49. She was a pioneer for food blogging and I loved her memoir Julie & Julia.
A profile of Jennifer Lawrence and what she’s up to these days.
Lindsey Graham is going to have to testify, after all.
Penguin Random House has been barred from merging with Simon & Schuster and that is, ultimately, good for publishing.
An excerpt of E.M. Tran’s Daughters of the New Year.
Starbucks has busted out their holiday cups. You know what that means!
That love letter "Roger Loves Chaz" is everything.
Always love The Audacious Round Up~
Thank you.
THE REMARKABLE LIFE DECK: A great concept. I'm actually afraid to find out what the next decade might look like for me. So much dark energy today. Hmm! Still thinkin'!
For example, they need to let BG come home from that Russian prison. It bothers me a lot.
Great issue, Roxane!!