Greetings,
I’m going to keep this one short and sweet because I am tired and so are you, so therefore I’m doing us both a big favor. Breaking with the usual format, I’m starting a new segment called “At Least 3 Pieces of Not Terrible News.”
Lil Nas X (who Rachroobear def Recommends) just released his debut album, Montero, and it’s full of delightful sounds. And, as per usual with Lil Nas X, the rollout for the album has been lots of fun to watch, with an aesthetic I would describe as Lisa Frank meets Gianni Versace.
Gavin Newsom, California’s infamous slick-backed governor, was not cancelled this week by a swarm of Kevins (or Larry or Caitlin et al.).
California legislature passes an anti-stealthing bill which would outlaw the morally reprehensible act of nonconsensual condom removal. This comes from Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, informed by a study by Alexandra Brodsky. Gavin Newsom has until October 10th to sign it into law.
That’s all she wrote! If you have any other not terrible news to share, feel free to leave it in the comments.
--RJZ
Watching: Impeachment: American Crime Story
Reading: God is Trending (?) | Foreplay for Season 3 of Succession | A moving personal essay set on a gay cruise | “The Surprising Politics of Antiques Roadshow” | Torture in America, 20 years after 9/11
Headline of the Week: “Disney Store Dead at 34”
Recommended Summer Reading: Part III of III as summer approaches its end. These four are all novels, but fear not, nonfiction, short story, and other recommendations are to come in future newsletters.
* Note: My recommendations are mine alone, but if you do purchase the via the links below, I make a small commission via bookshop.org. Even better, buy them from your local independent bookstore. *
The Other’s Gold by Elizabeth Ames: Think Prep meets A Little Life meets The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, if you can.
Trust Exercise by Susan Choi: The one in which horny teenage theater kids grow up and question everything about their high school years.
More Miracle Than Bird by Alice Miller: Historical fiction studded with poetry and the occult. What could be better?
Writers & Lovers by Lily King: An enchanting look at the lives (and love lives) of an interesting group of young writers.
Eating: Cooking my way through Heidi Swanson’s latest cookbook, Super Natural Simple
One final international treasure before I go:
See you back here in a few weeks.