The Audacious Round Up

For the week of October 11th

Oct 18

LIBRA SEASON IS UPON US!

I wrote about Dave Chappelle’s The Closer and the rhetorical moves he makes.

For artnet, I wrote about “High Tide, Heavy Armor,” a painting by Calida Garcia Rawles.

Why Design Matters by Debbie Millman is available for pre-order. Yes, this link will be available in this newsletter until it goes on sale on at some point, hopefully in January 2022 (damn supply chain).

On November 2, Debbie and I will be in conversation at the University of Albany.

Our next book selection is The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang. We will have our conversation with Helen on October 25th. Instead of a live Q & A, please e-mail me your questions for Helen by October 24th! Register now for that conversation.

Tressie, Debbie Millman and I are hosting a writing workshop retreat in July 2022. You can also register for this if you want to spend a weekend with us.

Roxane Gay Books is closed to unagented submissions until 6/15/2022. I’ve found, I think, my first few books!

A conversation with Edie Falco who is looking for some great roles. Write her some great roles!

Also, a look at Laurie Colwin and her work.

Questlove’s passion is spreading the gospel of Black music. This profile gets at the heart of his mission.

Tananarive Due’s The Between is being re-released.

Crazy Days and Nights has gone a bit… off the Q rails.

On epidemics influencing home design.

An excerpt from Tarana Burke’s new book Unbound.

Succession is back, and here is an interview with fav Gerri! And another one!

Saeed Jones wrote powerfully about the negative impact of The Closer.

Hannah Gadsby has some words for Ted Sarandos over at Netflix. And Netflix employees raised concerns before the special aired. There’s a walkout planned.

A incredibly well-written review of Jay Kaspian Kang’s The Loneliest Americans.

Are private social networks possible? The case of Raya.

An interview with Nicole Holofcener. She is as interesting as ever.

The way television has depicted abortion (mostly from male TV writers), has wrongly shaped cultural depictions of abortion.

An elegy for NYC park benches.

Bezos’s pre-space company is apparently a pretty toxic bro place. Shocking!

Will there be a gender reckoning in theater to accompany the racial reckoning? Do both! Let there be many reckonings!

The unnecessary second reboot of Ghostbusters is not so good.

Temple Bar is reopening.

Another profile of Kumail Nanijani.

What’s going on with The L Word and butch representation?

An examination of the short story in the middle of the Bad Art Friend mishegas.

Jon Gruden resigned after sending some racist, sexist, and homophobic emails a long time ago. But the NFL says he’s the only person in the whole NFL who ever did such a thing so everything’s fine now. LOLOLOL.

An interview with Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly.

Some trump messiness involving gifts.

Adele is everywhere! I like her new single, “Easy on Me.”

Eric Clapton has a lot of…. bullshit going on.

Making sure people know black lives matter…. is a lot harder than it should be.