The Audacious Roundup

For the week of January 9th

Jan 16

The January selection for the Audacious Book Club is Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor. We will be in conversation with Deepti on January 25th at 5 pm EST/2pm PST. Registration is now open! If you missed our conversation with Ava Homa, you can watch it now.

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 new Draft Writing Journal from Baron Fig. It’s pretty swank if I do say so myself AND back in stock.

And if you’re looking for some writing instruction, you might want to check out my Masterclass.

Fine dining restaurant Noma is closing at the end of 2024 and its chef and other fine dining chefs say that the industry is at a breaking point—the amount of labor it requires for not enough compensation is unsustainable. Having recently seen The Menu, this news is… interesting for lack of a better word.

I am fascinated by the NYPL menu archive! And clearly, I am not the only one. And here’s the Warner Brother’s lot lunch menu from 1941.

In Indiana, a white woman stabbed an Asian woman on a public bus, because racism. I hope the victim is surrounded by love and support. And that the perpetrator is held accountable.

Also, because of racism, Kansas City police ignored reports of missing Black women. Thankfully, Black newspapers still exist.

There’s always a new fitness guru.

A man in Utah killed his entire family and then himself and his community responded by complimenting him as a good Christian.

Keenan Anderson, 31, was murdered by LAPD after flagging them down for help at an accident scene.

RIP Lisa Marie Presley. She was only 54. Also, RIP Jeff Beck, a very talented guitarist.

Sometimes stories take quite a turn.

The people who create visual effects in Hollywood often work under really difficult conditions and impossible deadlines. Now, there is talk of unionizing.

More on the romance writer who faked her own death. People are wild.

Lit Hub’s most anticipated books of 2023 and also some great crime fiction forthcoming. And The Millions has shared their anticipated book list for the first half of the year, give or take.

Congratulations to Toni Ann Johnson whose collection Light Skin Gone to Waste, (that I edited) has been nominated for a NAACP Image Award. Definitely add the book to your to-read list. It is well worth your time.

Andrew Tate, exactly as bad as you think he is.

After a year’s hiatus, the Golden Globes aired. It was not a very fun ceremony though I enjoyed Jerrod Carmichael’s hosting. Abbott Elementary did really well, for which I was glad. There were other winners, too. And Regina Hall remains a delight.

Harold’s book is selling very, very well. And I am, indeed, reading it. Very juicy, I must say.

Tennis player Naomi Osaka is having a baby!

A review of Matthew Salesses’ great new novel Sense of Wonder. And a difficult, moving essay about finding the will to live in the wake of his wife’s death.

Pamela Anderson, whose memoir is forthcoming, does not need redemption.

A review of Ohio State Murders starring Audra McDonald. I had the pleasure of seeing one of the last three shows. It was difficult, intense, excellent. McDonald’s performance was transcendent. I’m sorry more people won’t be able to see this version of the show. It’s also awesome that Adrienne Kennedy had her Broadway debut at 90, though it should have happened much sooner.

The incarcerated population is getting older and the justice system is going to have to figure out how to deal with that.

The NY GOP told George Santos to resign but he’s basically laughing and being useless and refusing. In other political news, Katie Porter is running for California senate.

Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital and is on the mend.

An interview with Gwen Stefani who…. hasn’t evolved as much as you might think (hope?).

A profile of Bela Bajaria who oversees Netflix’s global television efforts.

In N Out goes East.

Dara Mathis on growing up in a Black commune.