AUDACIOUS BOOKCLUB HAPPENINGS
Our February book club selection is Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. We will be in conversation with Kaveh on February 27th at 8 pm EST/5 pm PST. Registration is now open. I hope you can join us!
THE NEWSLETTER WEEK IN REVIEW
PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL NEWS
On February 13th, Debbie Millman and I will join Meg Wolitzer, Suzzy Roche, Lucy Wainright Roche, Evie Shockley, and Negin Farsad for an evening of “Everything But Dancing.” Think variety show! Tickets are still available!
A new Work Friend column with questions about how to answer DEI-related interview questions, how to stop people from adding you to their workflow, dealing with a bitter friend and former coworker, and wanting to support an overburdened former colleague who is being taken advantage of.
I’m looking for interesting questions for my Work Friend column. If you have a burning professional query, please do reach out to workfriend@nytimes.com.
READING MATERIAL
RIP Chita Rivera, an absolute legend. RIP Carl Weathers, aka Apollo Creed. RIP Lowitja O’Donoghue who dedicated her life to aboriginal liberation.
Kelvin Moore’s family wants to know what happened to his organs. And more.
More on the bad blood between Nicki Minaj and Megan THEE Stallion.
The Grammys happened. Annie Lennox was the only person who called for a ceasefire which was fitting because it came at the end of her tribute to Sinéad O’Connor. Tracy Chapman looks incredible and sounds incredible and performed “Fast Car,” with Luke Combs.
Taylor Swift, who used her Grammy acceptance speech to announce a new album (???), has made FOX News admit that global warming is real.
It’s aways lovely when women support women.
White people have discovered fades which…. no words.
S.A. Cosby featured on CBS This Morning.
AP did an investigation into prison (enslaved) labor. It’s absolutely terrible.
A different kind of amazing race.
A thoughtful review of Lucy Sante’s new memoir.
Issa Rae, profiled in Time.
On the things creative people have to do to make some kind of living and get their work into the world.
Emily Raboteau reviews new books by Elizabeth Rush and Camille Dungy, looking at a new canon of environmental literature.
Blah blah blah polyamory blah blah blah.
The American Museum of Natural History has a lot of dead bodies buuut they won’t say who those bodies are (were?). Creepy.
Megan Thee Stallion released a diss record and reminded everyone that she’s runnin’ shit.
There was a really weird sci-fi scandal at the Hugo awards. I still don’t fully understand it.
The Apple Vision Pro is out! I may or may not have one but anyway, some of the future shit we saw on The Jetsons is finally being invented.
Hijack, an excellent show on Apple, is getting a second season.
Chloé Sevigny, keeping it real real.
They should have let this woman smoke crack in peace.
LSU is hiring a director of creative writing. Feminist Press is hiring a senior editor.
New poem from Elisa Gabbert.
Nicholson Baker is tired of your UFO shit.
A profile of Victoria Monet.
Do you need bookshelves in NYC? Some recommendations.
Sometimes boycotts do work!
Hub City Press has a new BIPOC poetry series and they’re accepting submissions until mid-March.
New Reba McIntyre TV coming. Sign me up. Reba was such a great show.
Elmo asked people how they were doing. Emotional chaos ensued.
Another day, another terrible MTA idea.
Some Oregon legislators screwed themselves.
A memorial to children lost to stillbirth.
The journalism implosion continues. The Messenger has shuttered.
Ummm. Two gay bars in Seattle were raided because of accusations of “lewd” conduct. We are NOT bringing this nonsense back.
Poet’s House in Manhattan is reopening.
Alison Roman opened a grocery store!
Need a printer? This one comes highly recommended. There is a whole thing in my forthcoming book How to Be Heard about how you need a printer at home. GET ONE!
Maybe Ozempic is a good thing? Maybe! Down with moral panics!
The scam of all scams—helping kids prepare for Ivy League acceptances.
An excerpt from Crystal Wilkinson’s Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts.
I just live for this every Monday, honestly. The weekends are just hard right now and to have this to open up on Mondays is just a gift so thank you. Also thank you for posting the full Tracy Chapman performance! I’m not on “X” 🙄 and couldn’t find the whole clip anywhere this morning. Glorious.
Whew you packed this one FULL.
I was surprised in the article about IECs how *FEW* families from Harvard's class of 2027 said they worked with an IEC. 23% honestly seems low when you consider how much stress/money people have. I earned a certificate in College Counseling from UCLA a few years ago, and while the focus was on reducing barriers for all students (many of us are public high school counselors just trying to help our students), there were definitely people there who were planning to go straight for the families who have the money to throw at this perceived problem. The concept of hiring someone to make your kid "Ivy bait" is so late stage capitalism it hurts.