Reading List: After This Morning’s Ruling Is Released, Please Be Kind To Each Other
Well poppets, today is going to suck. And if the SCOTUS decision impacting Roe is as expected, may I suggest having grace for those in your life (like me!) who will be devastated and/or in a state of shock. I’m so serious: if you’ve got a snippy email to send a colleague, a passive aggressive note for a neighbor, or feel like today is the day to start an emotional argument with a loved one, maybe… don’t?
And here’s some stuff to distract you.
TO THE LONGREADS!
NYT Coverage of the Westminster Dog Show - Today, self care is drowning yourself in hilarious commentary on cute dogs from this week’s parade of perfect pups.
Kiersten White, Hide - If you’re into the horror book I shared last week, here’s another one! That’s right, since the rest of the world is hurtling towards a state only our worst fears could have imagined, I’m on a horror novel kick right now. This one is pretty great so far - atmospheric, spooky, scary.
Stephanie Wood, ‘Scared into silence’: former workers allege abuse, safety issues at B.C. environmental organization (The Narwhal) - Nonprofits are tricky, potentially dangerous places. Mission-based organizations can become toxic workplaces, whatever the cause, and especially if born out of one person (or couple)’s altruistic idea. And while the low pay for early career staff is well-known, what’s less discussed is cultivation of the idea that people are “lucky” to work there, and should be grateful for whatever opportunity is thrown their way, even if it means enduring abuse and mismanagement from leaders. I witnessed this at a non-profit theater company, and I cannot imagine how scary it must have been for every brave person quoted in this article whose job involved navigating the ocean, operating machinery, and being stuck out in the wilderness with colleagues. Kudos to each of them for speaking out.
Sarah Pulliam Bailey, How Franklin Graham pushed a domestic abuse victim to return to her husband (The Washington Post) - So glad that these anti-women evangelical hypocrites will soon have taken full dominion over our bodies, weeeeeeeeeeeee.
Kalley Huang, The Rise of the 0.5 Selfie (The New York Times) - In general, we mock selfies (especially those by young women), questioning the need for anyone to document themselves from every angle. When I was younger, we made fun of duck lips. We cringe at selfie sticks in national parks and scorn those who use places of historical horror as backdrop. But it’s not like humans all of a sudden decided to start documenting themselves, we’ve wanted to capture “we were here” since we were able to scratch pictures onto cave walls. So I find this piece on the distorted selfies of Gen Z fascinating, especially considering I’m firmly in the “perfectly curated life via instagram” generation. While us elder millennials turned to airbrush filters and carefully chosen lighting, Huang describes how young people are using ultra-wide selfies as jokes, conversation starters, as less-serious ways of documenting that yes, they are here.
George Saunders, Escape from Spiderhead (The New Yorker) - Yup, I am reading this short story before I watch the Netflix movie.
That’s it, that’s all! Take care of yourself, drink some water, have a great weekend, be kind to each other.
Xoxo Amy