The Audacious Round Up
For the week of February 14th
Hello, Valentines. I hope you celebrated love in ways that fulfilled you this week (and every week, for that matter.)
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 on 2/22/22, four months after its original publishing date (damn supply chain). Only two days til the book drops! I could not be prouder. Debbie worked so hard on this book and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The February selection for The Audacious Book Club is To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara. We will be in conversation with Hanya on Sunday, February 27th at 2 pm EST/11 am PST. Register now. And there is a review of our March selection, How High We Go in the Dark.
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. We hope to see you there! It will be fun and more.
Roxane Gay Books is closed to unagented submissions until 6/15/2022. I’ve found, I think, my first few books! I am open to agented submissions so please send me great books! I am also open, again, for 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.
On The Roxane Gay Agenda, I kiki with Nicole Byer who I must tell you is hilarious and warm and generous and smart. I want to be her friend, very much.
If you’re in the Santa Barbara area, come see me on Friday, February 25th. Meanwhile, here is an interview with me in the Santa Barbara Independent.
A new graphic essay from Aubrey Hirsch about pre-existing conditions.
For New York I profiled one of my favorite visual artists, Jordan Casteel.
Eater L.A. looks at the price Jordan Kahn’s staff have had to pay to support his creative vision, a price that is far, far too high.
Michael Tubbs has started a new initiative to end poverty in California, or EPIC!
Tesla seems like a nightmare of a workplace; can’t say I am surprised.
A conversation between Tavi Gevinson and Stevie Nicks.
How a book is made from Word doc to physical object. And here is how Marlon James, fine as he wants to be, spends his Sundays. His new novel, Moon Witch, Spider King, is now out.
James Baldwin’s sartorial energy lives on.
The Baltimore Sun apologizes for decades of racist journalism and business practices.
Kamila Valieva, accused of doping, finished fourth in the women’s ice skating competition. But there’s a lot to be said about all the adults who put a child in an impossible position and then subjected her to the world’s scrutiny.
What’s that? Joe Rogan was paid $200 million, not the previously reported $100 million? Of course.
Faith Ringgold, 91, getting the respect she richly deserves.
A memoir from Eliot Page in 2023. It’s called Pageboy.
A Latino TikTok house. Still seems nightmarish, that sort of chaotic group living on tape, but with POC.
Francis Ford Coppola’s betting on himself.
Kid’s parents won’t let him get vaccinated so he goes to the library, learns his rights, and gets vaccinated. Yay libraries!
Telfar at NYFW.
An interview with Anna Sorokin aka Anna Delvey. I watched Inventing Anna on Netflix. It’s definitely watchable, but focusing on the journalist was… a strange angle to take. Anna Chlumsky did a great job portraying the most aggravating character in the world.
Tressie McMillan Cottom profiles Venus and Serena Williams.
A brief history of black bookstores.
Antwaun Sargent on trying to capture the breadth of Virgil Abloh’s legacy.
Four critics on sex scenes and eroticism and and and….
Remington settles with the Sandy Hook families; the first settlement of its kind, I believe.
That convoy protest in Ottowa continues.
The leading ladies of Euphoria.
Mickey Guyton sang the anthem at the Superbowl and she did one hell of a job. Great to see her getting a grand moment. May there be many more.
An excerpt from a biography about AOC.
RG - these "Round Up's" are great. I read every link with joy/interest/sorrow/laughter. The Twitter feeds, (& other social media), you attach at the end are always hilarious. My loudest laugh today was....."y'all can just bury me loose."
I missed most of today's zoom. What I saw was terrific. Is there a place it is repeated? Also where can I watch Roxane's past book conversations.