The Audacious Round Up
For the Week of January 25th
This has been quite a week. We have a new president who is actually interested in doing the job of the president. Kamala Harris is our vice-president. Biden has hit the ground running, issuing several executive orders to begin undoing the damage of the Trump administration. Dr. Fauci is positively gleeful because he is no longer working for a moron. After four years of dreading the news every single day, I feel like I can relax my shoulders a bit. There is so much work to be done but this is better. This is so much better.
Anyway, let’s talk about what really matters. Michelle Obama looked incredible at the inauguration. Plum suit. Hair laid RIGHT. Coat, flawless. The entire lewk, FLAWLESS. She stunted on ‘em. Her date looked nice too.
I will give credit where credit is due. This man did some stunting too. I cannot get enough of the memes. It’s one of those rare memes that seems to work in absolutely every context.
Our first book club chat is on Tuesday, January 26th at 8 pm EST/5 pm PST. We will be sharing the link on Monday. There will be ASL interpreters during the live chat with the editors of Black Futures, and all our book club live chats.
As you’ve seen, there are discussion threads where some really thoughtful, interesting conversations are happening. I’ll be posting one or two threads a day for the next several days. I hope you can join us in conversation about Black Futures, the questions the book asks, and the possibilities for blackness, for liberation, for the culture.
I always look forward to The Millions Most Anticipated Books’ list. It never disappoints and my goodness, there are a lot of amazing books being released this year.
Though it was published a few weeks ago, I am still thinking about this essay about the things we’re missing, from Damon Young.
Beloved restaurants are closing, too.
Jericho Brown wrote an inaugural poem that you must read.
Kaitlyn Greenridge wrote some really thoughtful things about next month’s book club read, Detransition, Baby.
SMH.
Here’s an article about how lesbian bars are disappearing, and their importance to the queer and especially the lesbian community. I was interviewed for part of it!
Some tweets:
It’s the weekend but since the pandemic began, weekends have stopped feeling like weekends. They have stopped having the significance they used to and I wonder if we will ever get that back. For most of us now, our weekend plans are exactly the same as our weekday plans—soft pants and staying home. Whatever you end up doing this weekend, I hope you have a grand time.
Ah so much goodness... don’t forget Amanda Gorman crushed the inaugural poem. I am hopeful we are going to be just fine.
Wow the article from Elle was wild from start to finish. I feel so bad for that woman, but also how did she fall in to that trap?