The Reading List: November 22, 2020
Moira
I write to you this week from quar! As of press time, my husband has tested positive for COVID-19, and I am awaiting my second test (first was negative). We are ok! But I want to remind you to take care of yourselves and others, and to wear your masks. A gentle reminder to us all that our COVID bubbles are larger than we think.
On a much lighter note, you bet your ass I’m buying Drake’s scented candles.
As many of us have taken to outdoor running during COVID and the weather gets colder, The Strategist has you covered (literally) with the best winter running gear.
The Marshall Project at it again with some of the best reporting out there, on the origin of the term Superpredator, and the demonization of a generation of Black youth. On this topic, I urge everyone to watch Trial 4 on Netflix, about how the corrupt Boston PD of the early ‘90s falsely imprisoned Sean Ellis for 22 years.
Elizabeth
If you haven’t watched Rachel Maddow’s absolutely gut-wrenching segment about her partner Susan having COVID, I implore you to do so.
I am intrigued by this: to feel better this year, stop reading new books. I’ve (safely) decamped to Alabama for the duration of the holidays, and I have access to about 40 years of parental library acquisitions, so I may try this out this month — hope y’all are ready to see some 90s-era John Grisham reviews!
My corporate overlords are having us remain working from home until April (I realize I am in such a position of privilege to be able to continue to work and to have a safe space to do so), but if you’re having to deal with the same exhaustion at this that I am, here are some good tips on how to fight the work-from-home burn out.
I already have a hard copy of Barack’s latest book at home, but I also just bought it from Libro.fm on audio so that I can listen to him read to me — it sounds like such a balm right now.
The death of the $15 salad. #pizzaforever
For me, Kornacki >> King, but I still loved this oral history of CNN’s election week broadcasting. If you really want to get in the weeds, I’d recommend this look at election night with President-Elect Biden’s data guru.
And finally, I can’t get this pie out of my head.
Shannon
An oral history of The Family Stone. I love this movie (such a good cast!) and this deep dive is great.
A 2020 maid of honor speech. (Why are people still having big weddings?)
A great read on The Crown from Vulture. I flew through season 4 this past week and there were several moments when Diana’s happiness made me tear up, just because we all know how her story ends. (I love “The Crown” as a TV show, but irl, the idea of royal families are completely f***ed up to me.)
