Weekly roundup of things that are 🔥🔥🔥
From faerie smut to French fashion to the splendor of being fifty
ACT: If you’re mad about the fact that Americans can’t go anywhere or do anything without the threat of being shot, you have to use your voice and vote for gun safety. And that means refusing to vote for anyone — eg, Republicans — who continue to block gun safety laws. After shooting tragedies, white women tend to think they can change right-wing lawmakers’ minds, but the data shows the only consequences actually moves the needle, including lawmakers losing their jobs — I wrote about this phenomenon here. Text ACT to 644-44. 💔
What I learned as a white woman in the gun safety movement
This week I read an article in the Washington Post about a “lifelong Republican” gun owner and parent of a Covenant School shooting survivor who went to the Tennessee statehouse to “plead with GOP lawmakers for change.” The article quoted her as saying, “A mass shooting hit one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Nashville and a very Conservative Chri…
READ: If you’re not following
you should be! Check out her recent post “Ending the ‘Manel,’” which explores internalized patriarchy and society’s deep-seated preference for men as experts and leaders (even among women). Loehnen’s research found that highly-rated, male-run podcasts rarely feature women as experts. Her audit found, “Of Sam Harris’s 376 episodes spanning across a decade, he hosted fewer than 60 women. Tim Ferriss platformed fewer than 100 women across nearly 700 episodes; Dr. Peter Attia found only 28 women across nearly 300 episodes worth interviewing. And in two years as a weekly podcast host, Andrew Huberman interviewed only a dozen women total.” 📚
LISTEN: So much new music, so much time this weekend to listen. Loving “What Now’ by Brittany Howard; “The Past is Still Alive” by Hooray for the Riff Raff; “Weird Faith” by Madi Diaz; “Coming Home” by Usher. 🎵
And the world of podcasts, in addition to Elise Loehnen’s podcast Pulling the Thread referenced above, I’d recommend “The Dark Side of the internet’s Obsession with Anxiety” by Derek Thompson and “Brooke Baldwin, Telling My Truth” on The Hoffman Podcast. Also, I recently had dinner with a friend who told me she doesn’t leave her house anymore because she’s obsessed with a book series about faeries having sex; I was confused, but then this podcast popped up in my feed.🎙️
TRY: If you’re in the market for a new vibrator, the options are pretty much limitless. Women’s Health just came out with a piece featuring editor-tested, sex therapist-approved rundown of the best vibrators of all time. According to medical professionals, orgasms can boost your mood, improve your quality of sleep, and even improve immune function. One way to spend your weekend!
THINK: This thoughtful, poignant and wide-ranging opinion piece by Brené Brown hit the mark: “[These] are my beliefs and thoughts on the Israel-Hamas war. They don’t fit on an Instagram square, and many of you may find them naïve or conflicting or not enough. That’s OK. These ideas are based on my experiences, my faith, and my values. And, please don’t conflate supporting non-violence with neutrality. It often takes more courage to wage peace than to wage war – that’s why it’s so rare.”
LOOK: Incorporate some beauty and art into your weekend: Go to a museum or browse some galleries or buy some affordable amateur art. If you’re in NYC, check out “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys,” open now at the Brooklyn Museum. “Giants” draws on the extensive art collection of the married musical superstars Keys and Beatz (Kasseem Dean), showcasing 98 works by 37 artists from America, Europe and Africa. 🖼️
WEAR: I’m obsessed with the brand Sézane, stylish and affordable clothing with a commitment to philanthropy. It’s a popular brand among Parisians, but only has a few “apartments” (aka, storefronts) in Paris, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Lille, London, San Francisco and New York. This yellow sweater I bought for Spring is giving me life. Maybe I’ll buy the purse, too… 👗
FEEL: I have always loved poetry, especially poetry by women, so it was a huge honor to get to interview renown poet Sandra Cisneros for my podcast and upcoming book. I implore you to check out all of her works, including “The House on Mango Street” and “Woman Without Shame,” her first book of poetry in 28 years. Cisneros is known for her insightful and blunt meditations on desire, memory, and how she has learned to love her aging body. 🧓
WATCH: Started with the tragedy at the Super Bowl, ending with a feel good video about how everything is more fun when you include girls and women. ♥️
Love me some faerie smut!!! 😍