AUDACIOUS BOOKCLUB HAPPENINGS
Book club news! We’re partnering with the lovely people at Allstora for the Audacious Book Club. Now, you can sign up to have the monthly selections delivered to your doorstep each month!
Our September selections are Moderation by Elaine Castillo and Resting Bitch Face by Taylor Byas. We will have a live book club discussion with Taylor Byas on September 23rd at 8pm ET/5 pm PT. We will be in conversation with Elaine Castillo on September 24th at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. Registration is open! I hope to see many of you there. I’ve put together an Audacious Book Club storefront if you want to buy current or forthcoming book club titles. There is a bookclub FAQ if you have questions about how it all works.
THE NEWSLETTER WEEK IN REVIEW
PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL NEWS
On September 30th, I will be at Occidental College, in conversation with my lovely friend Alexandra Grant. It’s free and open to the public; you can get tickets here. I’ll join fellow Omahan Amber Ruffin on stage in Hartford, CT on October 8th. On October 18th, from 11 am to noon, I will be appearing at the Chicago Humanities Festival, talking about a decade of Bad Feminist. On October 22nd, I will be in Amsterdam, at the DeBalie festival. On October 25th, I will be at the Counterpublic “Circus of Life” convening. Come through!
Thanks to you guys and other readers, The Portable Feminist Reader is a NYT bestseller! So thank you! And if you haven’t gotten a copy yet, there’s still time! (And there will always be time, it’s a book.) And check out Love Letter to a Garden, by Debbie Millman.
Book and project buying links: Books I’ve Written, RGB Imprint Titles, Rebind: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.
READING MATERIAL
Loyalty Books in Washington, D.C., is dealing with a significant loss of business since the recent National Guard deployment began in the city. If you have any book buying needs this week, please consider buying your books from them. They are a wonderful store, run and owned by wonderful people.
Karen Attiah was fired from The Washington Post, for sharing Charlie Kirk’s own words. A Texas Tech student was expelled for exercising her right to free speech. J.D. Vance achieved his final form—podcaster. Trump spoke at Kirk’s funeral, held in a stadium in Arizona.
Australia, Britain, and Canada are all formally recognizing the Palestinian state. Israel, meanwhile, launched a new ground assault on Gaza.
Trump went to the U.K. and was pretty embarrassing. Also, activists kept their foot on his neck about his cozy relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Pentagon hopes journalists won’t trouble themselves over a little document called the Constitution. The only information journalists can share is that which has been approved by the DoD. I mean… the DoW. Like… what? Please.
Tom Homan was caught taking a $50,000 bribe but Trump’s DOJ doesn’t care about his crimes. Meanwhile, Trump is Big Mad that his DOJ can’t find any crimes to prosecute among his political enemies.
Jimmy Kimmel made a fairly anodyne set of comments about Charlie Kirk’s recent death. ABC suspended his show “indefinitely.” And now, people are cancelling their Disney+/Hulu memberships. As they should. Fuck this shit. Dutch TV has been very funny about this ridiculous, embarrassing affair. It’s notable that Michael Eisner has openly criticized Disney for this decision. Damon Lindelof won’t work with the Mouse until they get their shit together.
I will never in LIFE agree with Ted Cruz but he seems to recognize that the administration using the FCC to strong arm networks is wrong. The decision must have polled so badly for Cruz to say something reasonable(ish).
Jerry Greenfield left Ben & Jerry's/Unilever, because he stands on business, as the youth would say.
Ta-Nehisi Coates addresses Charlie Kirk’s death, and what his supporters will look away from if they’re willing to look away from Kirk’s well-documented beliefs.
At the Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth Catlett’s work is featured in a career-spanning exhibition.
In Mississippi, a young Black man was found hanging from a tree at Delta State University. The police, of course, say there is no evidence of foul play but… it all feels foul.
A white woman disapproved of a Black man’s posture (?!?!?!?!) on a train in Connecticut and he’s the one who ended up in handcuffs.
Sometimes, an H visa is more of a trap than an opportunity.
RIP Robert Redford, a devastatingly handsome, charming actor who was unproblematic, an advocate for the greater good, and one of many stars of the best movie ever, Sneakers. RIP Marian Burros. RIP Marilyn Hagerty.
Here is a beautiful little film about Luis Benz, a sign painter in South America. It’s called La Felicdad Se Consigue Con Cosas Muy Simples which is, indeed, true.
It is kind of amazing, how much of journalism is about supposed trends. Anyway, I guess perpetual stews are “in.”
A children’s author is grappling with losing his stories as he contends with dementia.
An excerpt from Reality Winner’s new memoir. New short fiction from Matt Bell.
The Emmys happened. I was thrilled that The Pitt won. It’s such a wonderful show. Bring back longer seasons!
As if online dating wasn’t rough enough, AI is making it worse because some people can’t even be bothered to write their own profiles without AI. COME ON PEOPLE!
Garth Greenwell considers Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room.
In honor of Dorothy Allison, LitQuake is hosting a marathon reading of Bastard Out of Carolina on October 12th.
Samin Nosrat, who has a new cookbook out, writes about the weekly dinners she shares with loved ones.
There are some new Apple products out now! I like to say Liquid Glass the way one might say Blue Steel.
The WNBA Rookie of the Year this year is Paige Bueckers. And having seen her play, in person, this is absolutely deserved. She, and everyone else in the WNBA, can really ball.
A different way of looking at Google reviews.
Patricia Lockwood writes about the search for the perfect pussy, sort of.
My friend Lisa Mecham hosts a writer’s retreat out in the desert. Applications for 2026 are open until October 15th.