Just Good Shit: 10.20.19

Hi, friends! Here’s what I’ve got for you this week…

Reading

One Night at Mount Sinai, The Cut.
This is harrowing.

A Young Man Nearly Lost His Life to Vaping, The New York Times.

Peloton is Spinning, The Cut.

Why Are All The Men In My Life So Angry About My Short Hair?, Refinery29.

A Former Justin Bieber Stan on Why She Finally Quit Him, Man Repeller.

How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch, Vox.

Yelp's Horniest (and Best) Reviewer Is a Jacked Foot Worshipper Named Fox E, VICE.

Autocorrect Is For Cowards, VICE.

Also, I was recently made aware of cheese board influencers; @thatcheeseplate is making my brain light up. (Look at this fall one!!!)

Have a great Sunday! 👻

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Just Good Shit: 10.13.19

Fall is officially upon us and I couldn’t be happier! Every time the temperature drops another 5 degrees, I get a little closer to my full powers. When I wasn’t trying on every sweater I own and aggressively researching boots and coats, here’s what else I had going on…

Reading

This week, I read Know My Name by Chanel Miller, which I highly, highly recommend. Miller is an excellent writer, and this book is an incredible meditation on trauma (and the tedium that often goes with it). I highlighted so many passages and cried fairly often, but I also cackled out loud on multiple occasions. Know My Name is, as far as I’m concerned, canon, and pretty much everyone should read it.

Also:

The Irrepressibly Political Survivorship of Chanel Miller, The New Yorker.

Ronan Farrow Depicts a Chilling Cover-up at NBC, The Cut.

It’s time to ban cars from Manhattan, Curbed.

What Are Californians Supposed to Do?, Slate.

On Coming Out, Slow and Not Always Steady: 6 Stories, Vogue.

Can a $1,300 baby bed make me a better mom?, Curbed.

How We Came to Live in “Cursed” Times, The New Yorker.

Discussing Blackness on Reddit? Photograph Your Forearm First, The New York Times.

Succession uses Shiv Roy’s hair and clothes to tell the story of her quest for power, Vox.

A good comment and another in an Ask a Manager thread about making a habit of using “they/them” pronouns.

At the Russian Baths With the Big Boys of Brawn, NY Mag.

AAFU: I begrudge my ex her success, The Outline.

Basic Bitches, Collective Delusion, and The Long American History of Being Defensive About Pumpkins, Summer Block.

A Publisher Attempts to Brainstorm Books for Women, McSweeney’s.

Eating

It’s fall, so taco soup is officially back in the rotation! Also, my girlfriend made Alison Roman’s creamy cauliflower pasta this week, which was delicious. And we went to Gertie for breakfast and loved it; it’s so cute and chill and the food was great.

Have a great Sunday! 🦇

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Just Good Shit: 10.06.19

Happy October! This week was a bit of a whirlwind — I started at VICE and then headed to a friend’s wedding this weekend. Here’s what else I’ve got…

Reading

Inside the Cutthroat World of Royal Gossips, Marie Claire.
This is fascinating.

Inside TheMaven's Plan To Turn Sports Illustrated Into A Rickety Content Mill, Deadspin.

Growing Up In The Forever 21 Generation, Refinery29.
“As the brand scaled, it continued to place all its eggs in one basket, its only appeal: It was so cheap and so on-trend that you could afford to ignore the rest.”

How the Pineapple Became the Icon of I.V.F., The New York Times.

The Cheating Scandal Rocking the Poker World, The Ringer.

In a professional wrestling ring, a transgender woman faces a roaring crowd, The Washington Post.

Pop Culture History 101, The Ringer.

Your Joke's Not Funny Anymore, Lifehacker.

Have a great Sunday! 🍂

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Just Good Shit: 09.29.19

Friends, I have some good news to share: I have a new job and I start tomorrow! I’m joining the team at VICE as Deputy Editor, Life. I got the news, like, minutes after I got the first draft of my manuscript back with edits, and right after lining up a ton of freelance work for September, which is why I’ve been quiet lately — a lot has been happening! I’m very excited about VICE, and only a tiny bit nervous about going back into an office after eight months away. (I feel…feral, and have been wearing a bra in increasing increments every day this week to prepare.)

Even more good news: my girlfriend also just accepted a new job! The amount of work/prep she did to get to this point has been truly incredible and very impressive to watch, and the job is so good/exactly what she wanted/extremely well-deserved. I am so, so thrilled for her!

It’s been a big few weeks, and I’m feeling very excited and optimistic about October! Here’s what else I have for you today…

On the blog

Elsewhere

This week, I wrote two posts for Girls’ Night In: A Modest Proposal: Make a Q4 Resolution – You Won't Regret It and Go Small or Go Home: How to Adjust Plans So You Actually Keep Them. I also guest-edited this week’s GNI newsletter.

I was also interviewed for a series of articles for Shine Text: How to Own the Awkward and Make New Friends, How To Treat Yourself Like A Friend—Especially When You Feel Lonely, and How to Lean Into and Deepen Your Friendships.

Reading

The “Cancel Culture” Con, The New Republic.

The Internet Is Overrun With Images of Child Sexual Abuse. What Went Wrong?, The New York Times.
Head’s up that this is a fairly graphic article.

'I Will Survive' Saves Marginalized People A Spot On The Dance Floor, NPR.

‘Close Friends,’ for a Monthly Fee, The Atlantic.

Hustlers is a recession-era period piece. Here’s how the costume designer created it., The Goods / Vox.

Deep Throat’s identity was a mystery for decades because no one believed this woman, Washington Post.
(lol at the fact that “this woman” is Nora Ephron)

Mattel, Maker of Barbie, Debuts Gender-Neutral Dolls, The New York Times.

How to say “it's not okay” at work, Ask a Manager.

‘Our Love Is Built to Last’, The New York Times.
This wedding is incredible.

Watching

The Savage X Fenty fashion show on Amazon Prime.

Wearing

I’ve mentioned these Los Angeles Apparel sweatpants ($40) before, but I just wanted to share them again because my gf recently bought them in the Maple and they are such a pretty color for fall. (They are the color of pumpkin pie!)

Have a great Sunday! 👩🏽‍💻

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I’m currently very into Tessa clogs

White jeans, cream socks, and dark blue Tessa clogs photographed in front of city skyline/waters edge

Earlier this summer, I spent a not-small amount of time looking for the perfect clogs. I still like/wear the pair of Hasbeens I bought on sale last summer, but I was on the hunt for a slip-on clog with a slightly lower heel and minimal hardware in a neutral color that was not black. My girlfriend also wanted a pair of clogs (she had slightly different — but no less fussy — requirements), and, well, the next thing I knew, I was 75 tabs deep in clog round-ups/options!

I like clogs for a lot of reasons. Similar to a jumpsuit, clogs make you look put-together while also being very easy/comfortable. I bought my Hasbeens because I wanted a comfortable closed-toe summer shoe, but I also appreciate that you can add socks and wear them in colder months. I’ve also been slowly phasing out my skinny jeans, and clogs are a good shoe for straighter/wider leg pants. And if you, like me, prefer to be this person instead of tying/untying your shoes, well…clogs are great in that regard, too!

Dark blue clogs, cream socks, white jeans, in front of rocks at water’s edge

During my search, I looked at No. 06, Bryr, Rachel Comey (which is the brand Aidy Bryant wore on Shrill), Charlotte Stone, Beklina, Hasbeens, Sandgrens, Lotta from Stockholm, and Madewell. While I found some good contenders, nothing was quite it. I loved the No. 06 in clover green for fall and the Bryr in Pacific gray and natural, but I really balked at the price.

Then, deep in my twentieth Strategist article, I came across a single link to Tessa Clogs. The Tessa website is A Lot, but the plain traditional heel ($84.95 + ~$15 shipping) is a good place to start — that’s actually what my girlfriend and I both ended up buying. I went with the denim blue, which reads as sort of a soft black/grayish navy in person, and she got the black, which is classic and lovely IRL.

Dark blue clogs, cream socks, white jeans shown outside in city park

Even though I wish Tessa had the color offering of No. 06 or Bryr, I love that the plain low heel clogs are super customizable (and are considerably less expensive than the other brands). You can choose from three sole colors and order them with or without a strap/snap, and with or without an edge band. (For reference, these clogs have a raw edge; mine don’t — they have an edge band.)

The website isn’t the easiest to navigate, but they have very good/responsive customer service. I emailed them to ask a bunch of questions, and they were great. They mailed me a (clog-shaped!!) swatch so I could be 100% sure on the color before I ordered, which was super helpful. My girlfriend’s clogs turned out to be a little too roomy across the top of her foot (i.e., they fit length-wise, but they weren’t snug enough to stay on her foot) and they let her ship them back so they could adjust the fit.

Anyway, if you’re in the market for clogs, Tessa clogs are very good! I like mine a lot and will probably buy another pair at some point soon.

Further clog-related reading:

The Life-Changing Magic of Clogs, The New Yorker.
In Praise of an Aggressively Unfashionable Shoe, The New York Times.
The New Mom Uniform of Park Slope, The New York Times.
Also, while working on this post, I fell down an ABBA rabbit hole because I was trying to find something to back up the claim that ABBA popularized clogs in the US in the ‘70s. I couldn’t find that, but I did find an article that says that ABBA’s costumes were designed to help them avoid paying taxes!
Why is No. 06 stepping on my neck like this??? ✨

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Tiny life tip: Name your group texts on iPhone

Here’s a tiny life tip that is both fun and also efficient: name your iMessage group texts!

I always liked this as a general concept, but what I didn’t realize until recently is that you can name a thread between a group of people, but you don’t have to exclusively use the labeled thread with that group. So you can have one text thread named, say, “Saugatuck plans 🌊” with three people...but also just have a regular, not-named, not-plans-related thread with those same three people, essentially keeping the conversations separate so you can easily find the one dedicated to the trip later.

Here’s how to name a text thread on an iPhone:

Tap into a text message/thread.
Tap the > under the name circles at the top of the thread. Then tap “info.”
Tap “enter a group name.” Enter a group name and/or any emojis you’d like to include.

That’s it! It’s just a small thing that makes my life a little more organized and a little more delightful.

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Just Good Shit: 09.22.19

Happy Sunday! Today was a long (fun!) day of Doing Stuff — first the Brooklyn Book Festival, and then Printed Matter’s Art Fair at MoMA PS1. Here’s what else I was up to this week…

Writing

How to Cancel Plans Without Losing Friends and Feeling Like a Jerk, SELF.

Reading

Jonathan Van Ness of ‘Queer Eye’ Comes Out, The New York Times.

How Reese Witherspoon became the new high priestess of book clubs, The Goods / Vox.

Everyone Who's Upset About This Black Girl's Hair Is Telling On Themselves, Jezebel.

Maybe the Best Way to Find Love Is … Not on an App?, The New York Times.

Stalking Janet Jackson, and Other Stories Behind the Hustlers Soundtrack, Vulture.

The Hustle Behind Hustlers, Vulture.

Why Some Sex Workers Aren’t Happy About ‘Hustlers’, Rolling Stone.

The 5 Best Things We Learned About the Costumes of 'Hustlers', Shondaland.

Is Succession a Comedy?, Vulture.

Let’s Talk About the Clothes on ‘Succession’, The New Yorker.

How Succession Created an Even Weirder Rich Family Than the Roys, Vulture.

We Get It, Everlane, Your Clothes Are Flattering, The Cut.

Listening to

You’re Wrong About, which my friend Alanna recommended. I started with the Tonya Harding episode and it’s great — one of the co-hosts is Sarah Marshall, who wrote a 2014 Baffler piece on Tonya Harding that’s so, so good. (I’ve read it, like, multiple times.)

The Daily: “Keeping Harvey Weinstein’s Secrets, Part 1: Lisa Bloom” and “Keeping Harvey Weinstein’s Secrets, Part 2: Gloria Allred.”

Loving

The new Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew — it’s so good! And this video, which I’ve watched like 20 times.

Have a great Sunday! 📚

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Just Good Shit: 09.15.19

Hi, friends! It’s another light one today because I’ve been head-down on a bunch of big and fairly exciting things (including the first round of edits for my manuscript) for the past two weeks, and haven’t had much time to come up for air. I think September is just going to be like that — which is fine! When I emerge in two weeks looking exactly like this, it will be October and I feel like everything will be completely different.

Anyway, here’s what I got up to this week…

Reading

The Heir, The Atlantic.

How I Learned to (Try to) Stop Asking Female Candidates About Sexism, The Cut.

Instagram Versus Reality at Failed Interior-Design Start-up Homepolish, NY Mag.

'Soulful Vanilla Child': When Pink Was Black, Jezebel.

How a shoe that looks like a sock became the working woman’s obsession, The Goods / Vox.

What’s the Difference Between Anxiety and Ambition?, The Cut.

It’s Okay To Set Boundaries With Your Anxious Friends, Nylon.

My Tiny Gold Hoop Earrings Are $20 and Meant for Newborn Babies, The Strategist.

Admit It, You’re Humming Succession’s Theme Song Right Now, Vulture.

Buying

I’m in a “I’d like to buy an entirely new fall/winter wardrobe” mood right now, but so far, I’ve only bought a (third) pair of J. Crew’s Point Sur cropped pants in natural because they are on sale, and they are so goddamn comfortable.

Have a great Sunday! ☕️

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Just Good Shit: 09.08.19

This was an unexpectedly busy week for me, which is why it was a bit quiet around these parts! Here’s some of what I got up to…

Writing

I wrote about dealing with work burnout and establishing work-life balance for The Highlight by Vox.

Reading

Amazon’s Next-Day Delivery Has Brought Chaos And Carnage To America’s Streets, BuzzFeed News.

On the Job, 24 Hours a Day, 27 Days a Month, The New York Times.

Ten Years of Taylor Swift: How the Pop Star Went From Sweetheart to Snake (and Back Again?), The Ringer.

Are Online Beauty Product Reviews Just One Big Scam?, Allure.

This Football League Was Built For Girls Who Love To Hit, Deadspin.

Toward a Universal Theory of ‘Mom Jeans’, The Atlantic.

I Thought My Writing Career Was Over. A DIY Furniture Project Saved It., Bustle.

‘Friends’ Is Turning 25. Here’s Why We Can’t Stop Watching it., The New York Times.

#1223: Feminist Wedding Etiquette Help, Captain Awkward.

We Belong Here: Transforming Your Home Into a Place of Healing, Apartment Therapy.

‘I’m Sick of Seeing My Face,’ Says the Internet’s Kombucha Connoisseur, The New York Times.

The Great American History of the Boob Light, MEL Magazine.

How to Skip All of a Person's Instagram Stories in One Swoop, Lifehacker.

The 'Dusty Stick' Is the Best Slack Emoji That Nobody Uses, VICE.

How to Solve a Rubik's Cube, Step by Step, Wired.

Cooking

The marinated tomato BLTs I mentioned last week turned out to be incredible — highly, highly recommend!

Have a great Sunday! 🌻

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Just Good Shit: 09.01.19

Heyoh! I’m back from vacation just in time for September, my least favorite month of the year. Here’s what I’ve got for you…

On the blog

Elsewhere

You can catch me on two episodes of NPR’s Life Kit: “Accept The Awkwardness: How To Make Friends (And Keep Them)” and “When Friendships Change, How To Cope.” I was also interviewed for this article: Want Stronger Friendships? Pull Out Your Notepad.

Reading

I read a bunch of books while on vacation: Red, White & Royal Blue, which I fucking loved and highly recommend; Heartburn, which was very funny/different but definitely didn’t age well; and The Blue Bistro (not my fave Elin novel, but I know most people love it). I also started Silver Girl.

Also:

No distractions: An NFL veteran opens up on his sexuality, ESPN.
This is so moving; if you read one thing this week, make it this.

The Ruling In This 'Friends' Lawsuit Set Back The #MeToo Movement By Years — Now The Woman At The Center Of It Speaks Out, Bustle.

Fix the Electoral College — Or Scrap It, The New York Times.

Vote for the Woman Because She’s a Woman, Time.

The Adults In The Room, Deadspin.

“The journalists at Deadspin and its sister sites, like most journalists I know, are eager to do work that makes money; we are even willing to compromise for it, knowing that our jobs and futures rest on it. An ever-growing number of media owners, meanwhile, are so exceedingly unwilling to reckon with the particulars of their own business that they refuse to accept our eagerness to help them make money. … The tragedy of digital media isn’t that it’s run by ruthless, profiteering guys in ill-fitting suits; it’s that the people posing as the experts know less about how to make money than their employees, to whom they won’t listen.”

Why Celebrities From Reality Stars to A-Listers Fake Their Marriages, Vice.

How MTV’s ‘Are You The One?’ Is Changing Dating Shows, Rolling Stone.

How Queer People Brought Some Actual Reality to Dating-Reality TV, The New York Times.

How on Earth Did ‘Are You The One’ Get Queer Love So Right?, ELLE.

Battle Hymn of the #Boymom, Jezebel.

I Came Out As A Lesbian While I Was Married To A Man., Raff Out Loud.

How I Learned to Look Like Myself, The Cut.
God, there is so much in this essay about eyebrows that perfectly maps to my own experiences.

The Morning Show: In First Full Trailer, Jennifer Aniston Disses Steve Carell, Worries About Reese Witherspoon, TV Line.

A Guide to Drawing Fat People, Stine Greve on Instagram.