The May selection for the Audacious Book Club is Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwami Adjei-Brenyah. We will be in conversation with Nana on May 30th at 8 pm EST/5pm PST. Registration is now open.
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 created 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 Draft Writing Journal from Baron Fig. It’s pretty swank if I do say so myself. To accompany my Draft Writing Journal, there is now a pen! It’s beautiful and satisfying to hold. And if you’re looking for some writing instruction, you might want to check out my Masterclass.
There are four new bookstores in LA (and many long-standing, excellent bookstores) you may want to check out.
Starbucks is getting new ice! Nugget ice! Which is, obviously, the best ice.
I’ve always wondered what happens when a contestant gets a deal on Shark Tank. As you might expect, it’s not all charming success stories.
Fast & Furious X is out this past weekend and I am just thrilled. These movies get more and more absurd with each passing installment and I am excited for whatever ridiculousness comes next.
I can’t wait for the movie version of The Color Purple musical. The trailer looks awesome.
New Republican goal—ending no fault divorce so they can force women to stay with them!
Haitian konpa is some of the best music in the world but it hasn’t found global popularity the way other music genres have.
The Los Angeles Dodgers uninvited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from their annual pride game because they bowed to pressure from Republican politicians WHO DON’T EVEN GO HERE. And then, the public let the Dodgers know what a bullshit decision they made so they re-invited the Sisters. At some point, we have to stop letting the vocal minority hold so much power. It’s ridiculous.
A follow up on a heartwarming story.
Author Martin Amis has died.
The Nib is shuttering. So many great publications are closing. It’s a damn shame.
A profile of Aubrey Plaza. And a conversation with Janelle Monaé.
This was a strange story of two women who became friends and started a DEI business together and now are no longer speaking. I have… thoughts but I will probably keep them to myself.
An in depth look at what happened to one woman who could not get an abortion in Mississippi after Dobbs.
A look at what various potential futures in NYC could cost the people who want to live those lives.
A review of Brandon Taylor’s The Late Americans which is out Tuesday May 23rd.
These conservatives who are always talking about grooming are inevitably pedos who should not participate in public life.
Wesleyan will pay for abortions and emergency contraception for its students and all universities should do this.
I wish David Zaslav would stop talking. He makes terrible decisions all the time. And he admits that they’re just going to reinvent cable by bundling streamers which I predicted years ago.
Whatever happened to Joe Francis?
Hey. Daniel Penny was thinking about going to Africa so, like, he can’t possibly be racist and guilty of murdering Jordan Neely.
Jamie Raskin is cancer free.
Jonathan Majors is reportedly dating Meagan Good and, man… I hope someone rescues her.
Behind the scenes of Black Lady Sketch Show with the incredibly smart, funny and interesting Robin Thede.
Tim Scott, a Black Republican, is going to run for president and, well, good luck with that, Tim.
Advice for aspiring TV writers during the WGA strike. And SAG/AFTRA is currently voting on a strike authorization. I voted yes and yes, I am in both unions.
Artist Mark Bradford (a favorite of mine) is finally ready to get personal with his work.
The animals are fed up.
Coming soon on Netflix, The Perfect Find, directed by Numa Perrier.
Dementia seems like a devastating thing to deal with. This story of a family torn apart by a mother’s dementia is… haunting.
The answer to so many women’s problems is DIVORCE.
Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules has ended and the finale was… a doozy. Here’s a conversation with Ariana Madix. And apparently Tom and Raquel have broken up. Shocking.
Dianne Feinstein has returned to Washington but… she doesn’t look like she’s doing too well and it’s criminal that she isn’t resigning, that the people around her are enabling this, that this gerontocracy is what’s running our democracy.
Barefoot boy summer? I think we can do better.
Beyoncé and her husband have bought a new home and it only cost $200 million.
Disney is pulling content from its streaming platform. Which reminds me that I don’t even have a copy of the TV episode I wrote because the show isn’t available for sale on any of the usual platforms. It’s so stupid that these corporations can treat creative work so callously.
Sarah Wildman on the passing of her daughter Orli. There are no words but it is so beautiful.
A profile of Casey DeSantis, a real gem. And because of her husband’s antics, Disney is no longer building a $1 billion campus in Florida. They are saying it’s for “business reasons,” but that’s just code for asshole governor.
Here’s an interesting scholar in residence opportunity at the Library of Congress.
My God do supposedly cancelled people love to celebrate themselves and talk about their non-cancellations and romanticize being unique and counter culture even though there is nothing original about them at all.
Some drama involving Horses, a popular L.A. restaurant.
Prine Harry and Meghan Markle were chased by paparazzi through the streets of NYC.
Penguin Random House is suing a FL school district over book banning, and good for them. It’s time we started pushing back on this desperate urge to embrace ignorance and deny history.
Coffee House Press is dealing with several resignations. And New Leaf Literary dropped a bunch of clients unceremoniously.
Drunk driving is no laughing matter but….. this is a little funny. (And no one was harmed.)
More on Tucker Carlson being forced out at Fox News.
Martha Stewart, 81, is adding swimsuit cover model to her extensive resumé. I don’t really have many thoughts about it. I just don’t care about bathing suits.
Can Ozempic cure addiction? Like, maybe, but I’m curious about what long term data will show about the drug.
A profile of designer Philipp Plein.
Who among us hasn’t been there?
An excellent Reddit thread.
A nice example of fucking around and finding out.
It was always Peeta. As a sidebar, I met Suzanne Collins a couple weeks ago. She knew who I was. And she was incredibly kind. I fan-womaned a lot but it was very sincere. I also met Judy Blume and same.
Home Alone. (2023).
Cats do cat around.
A sweet lil peanut.
Racists can be so silly.
I just read the story about the two women who met during the Starbucks incident and I wish you’d share your thoughts!
Dr. Gay, thank you for the as-always enlightening roundup. A few things especially: Thanks for the tip RE Konpa. Do you have any Spotify playlists etc that you can recommend to a newcomer (or indeed a Spotify profile--I would follow you in a heartbeat)? Also not surprised RE divorce law and freaking Texas -- of COURSE it got brought forward by a guy whose wife left him. Lastly -- Raskin will always be "Professor Raskin" to me. The man is a truly wonderful person who has had the trials of Job foisted upon him by life and yet he is still showing up, all day every day, to try to do the Right Thing in the face of immense odds. Also very sorry to hear about the Nib; it's a daily read for me.