Opinions is now on sale and would make a wonderful holiday gift.
Our December book club selection is Hot Springs Drive by Lindsay Hunter. We will be in conversation with Lindsay on December 20th, and registration is open. You can watch our conversation with Ayana on YouTube.
An interview I did with PEN America.
The ceasefire in Gaza has, unfortunately ended. Bombings have resumed and now Israel is attacking the places they told Palestinians to evacuate to. None of this makes any sense. The violence is incoherent. People are trying to make Hamas seem like they are good people. Hostages are still being held with no end in sight. There are no functioning hospitals in Gaza. Doctors are reporting the most horrific things, doctors who have to now, seen almost everything. Three young Palestinian men were shot in Vermont and one is paralyzed from the waist down. Antisemitism is rampant, everywhere. I assume you are all keeping up on the news so I don’t have specific links. This is just… me recognizing that while we are comfortable in our lives, millions of people are not.
The Weeknd has donated $2.5 million to buy meals for Palestinians.
Susan Sarandon apologized for some antisemitic remarks she made.
Julianna Margulies, who was one of my favorite actors, was on some absolute bullshit this past week. She was racist AF. She weirdly called herself a lesbian because she plays a lesbian on a TV show. Then she apologized if people were offended, basically. And though this is petty, the photo editor of this piece really outdid themselves.
And then, why is Felicity Huffman bringing Black folks into her bad decisions? I think white actors should not talk about Black people at all for a long time.
Apple tried to censor Robert DeNiro during a speech at the Gotham Awards? What? He was undeterred because he had his phone.
The Sustainable Arts Foundation will be spending down the foundation’s assets and distributing them to indigenous groups.
Looks like self-checkouts aren’t working out for retailers. Heh. Who could have predicted?
Sometimes, a man fucks around and finds out.
Really, people misbehave in such terrible ways on airplanes.
In other really random airline news, Alaska Airlines is buying Hawaiian Airlines.
The original Christopher Plummer vocals for “Edelweiss.”
George Santos was expelled from Congress for ethics violations. It’s ridiculous that it took this long. And now, he might be in conversation with Ziwe?
Jussie Smollett lost his appeal and will be going to jail for a few months. This was such a sad, strange story.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance movie topped the box office which, of course it did. AMC theaters had to release special guidelines for moviegoers.
Macauley Culkin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Also, his son looks just like him.
For some reason, Ron “I love puddin” DeSantis and Gavin Newsom had a debate and Newsom really did humiliate the fella from Florida.
RIP to the immensely talented, kind, and generous Gabe Hudson. And RIP to Rosalynn Carter. All the living first ladies attended her funeral.
Henry Kissinger died. I do not wish him peace. He leaves behind a legacy of death and destruction and landmines that continue to maim the people of Laos and Cambodia. Few tears will be shed on his behalf. Anyway, evil lingers, sometimes for one hundred years. And then gets to die peacefully at home despite the devastation they created.
An interview with Meg Ryan.
More on the guy who stabbed Derek Chauvin and looks like Santa.
When a poor state university is gutted.
People at Disney/Marvel keep trying to talk their way out of bad executive decisions and an over-reliance on superhero franchises and taking their audience for granted and they are trying to pin the so-called box office failure of The Marvels on the very talented Nia DaCosta. It’s gross.
Drew Magary on Elon Musk.
Someone bought Jezebel.
Pickleball weirdos are overwhelming local governments.
Sports Illustrated published some AI articles.
KIDS!
KIDS!
And sometimes, people tell on themselves.
A roundtable on writing women of a certain age.
Vox is hiring three future perfect fellows.
Rumaan Alam on visiting the set of the film adaptation of his novel Leave the World Behind.
“I think white actors should not talk about Black people at all for a long time.”
This, goddamnit.
This is an excellent roundup, Roxane.