The Reading List: November 2, 2019

Elizabeth

I saw Hamilton at the Kennedy Center last year, and I remember thinking that there was no way I would actually get through the interminable Ladies Room line during the short intermission. Luckily, I did, and I know that this is a deep cut, but I thought this was a fascinating look at how people make sure that happens. Also, “all I need you to do is trust me and trust your sisters” is advice applicable almost anywhere.

I loved this insight into the female presidential campaign staffers and their circle of sisterhood (yes, I’m feeling very rah rah girl power this week). Maybe it’s because I watched too much West Wing at an early age, but I have always romanticized the notion of being a campaign staffer, so this article is just great on multiple levels for me.

Alexandra Petri is an absolute treasure, and I found myself laughing out loud at her retelling of “The Social Network” to look like the actual founding of Facebook.

In my life, I have been lucky enough to do a fair amount of traveling, both for work and for pleasure, and so I do have a fascination for travel hacking. I’m a huge fan of Mobile Passport (thanks to a tight connection and a bonkers line at customs in Atlanta years ago), and so I loved this headline: The Mobile Passport Co-Creator Wants to Get Rid of All Airport Lines. Can you imagine how great that would be?

In a similar vein, I loved this insider look into being a passenger on the world’s first 20 hour flight (from NY to Sydney!) I have done ATL -> JNB a number of times, and 16 hours on a plane felt interminable. I cannot imagine going even longer, but it appears Qantas is trying to make it as pleasant as possible. The science they are putting into it is also so cool.

And to end on a not-totally-untimely note, I loved this breakdown at FiveThirtyEight of college football fanbases. I’m an Alabama fan (roll tide), and my Crimson Tide fans seem to be more widespread than Shannon’s Bulldogs. #justsaying

Shannon

(I’d rather be an actual Georgia fan than a bandwagon Alabama fan, just saying)

This New York Magazine piece about Conde Nast is a long read, but it’s a good one if you’re interested in the history of magazines, and the future of the publishing industry. The piece takes a look at some of the challenges Conde Nast has had embracing technology, but I had to chuckle with they pointed out that The New Yorker’s website often forces people to log in multiple times—I have that same complaint with New York Magazine’s website!

On a related note: Vanity Fair Editor in Chief Radhika Jones did a Top Shelf with Into the Gloss this week. (I love her pink couch!) (Another highlight is the Tom Ford lipstick photographed in a martini glass.)

If you’re like us, you have books all over your apartment or house. My friend JoAnn shared this from Architectural Digest, featuring five tips to make decorating with books easier. Personally, I have little stacks of books all over my apartment.

Who doesn’t love breaking skin care down into the moral alignment categories? God bless Into the Gloss for putting this helpful guide together. It should surprise none of you to learn I’m a Lawful Good: “There’s no drink strong enough, no work day long enough, and no comforter comforting enough to get you to skip cleansing. You’d wash your face if your apartment building had a late night fire drill. You’d probably still wash it if there was a fire.” (Which one are you?) (Please no Chaotic Evils…)

I have somehow found myself working in the hair industry, and one of the things we talk about often is how transformative and emotional a haircut can be. Which is why I loved this piece from Man Repeller featuring 3 women getting the haircut they never thought they’d get. The Afters are incredible.

“How Steak Became Manly and Salads Became Feminine” was a fascinating look at he history of gendering food in America. Spoiler alert: it began when women started working outside the home; magazines and newspapers began identifying certain foods as “female." And of course, they were the “dainty” foods. I particularly enjoyed the 1872 cookbook title, “How to Keep a Husband of Culinary Tactics.” (Also, I had steak for lunch just saying.)

Lastly, I found this Vulture piece in which they spoke to 10 authors about how and why they decide to write outside of their identities fascinating. I think it’s important to read books with protagonists who don’t look like me, or experience life the way I do—it’s even more important to read the work of authors who don’t look like me or experience life the way I do. So I appreciated New York Magazine asking writers their POV and the authors’ reflections about mistakes they’ve made in the past, and how they are still learning.

Moira

There are few purer joys to me than walking through a suburban Target. This is a very specific to suburban Targets, as there is no hell like a Manhattan Target, let us be very clear on that. Brooklyn ones are…slightly better than Manhattan, but the true joy is piling toilet paper, makeup, clothes, cat litter, etc. into a cart and then taking it right to the trunk of your car. This article from Into the Gloss will tell you about the best beauty bargains at Target.

Are you a skin picker? I absolutely am. I actually have scars on my body from obsessive picking, and so I should probably make an effort to stop. Will this help? We’ll see.

Thanks to the Girls Night In newsletter, and a reminder from Elizabeth, we’re going to talk about periods. We should all be thinking about the tampon tax, a regressive tax that negatively impacts the poorest among us. Also, please harness your PMS and get angry that you can use your FSA for condoms, lubricant, and Viagra, but not tampons.

I’m all for demystifying and destigmatizing menstruation, especially because I personally have so much shame around it myself—even though intellectually I know it’s not remotely shameful. I feel like I have more to write about this, so maybe stay tuned in weeks coming, but also remember this important reminder from McSweeneys.

Even though technically the peak of spooky season is over, I wanted to remind you to check out this year’s Jezebel scary stories.