Grace: An Unfinished Draft, A Fire
“In Texas—Georgia—in Alabama—all over this vast canvas of fear that we call America, women will die. They won’t have time to run away. They will be great-Aunts only in name, and in death. And their deaths will disappear into a language made and remade by men to cover their shitty sins.”
On the Mat We’re Briefly Perfect: On Netflix’s ‘Cheer’
Junior college is two years, but Daytona is forever. Lovely art criticism from Arielle Zibrak: “In all aspects of the sport, self sacrifice is the chief tenet — and the best way, in fact, of extending one’s life beyond the limits of time.”
Dancing at Lizzo’s Wedding
“[N]o matter how wildly inventive and unconventional I know the people involved to be, there’s always some degree of this absurd clichédness to the ceremony and the beginning of the party when they make all of the speeches, and dance like everyone’s watching (because they are), and throw bouquets and underthings. It’s about tradition, after all. But then—there’s the dance party.”
Animal Attraction: The Ridiculous Realism of Bachelor in Paradise
To the ever-growing list of “reality TV tropes,” we can now add “confessing feelings to disinterested animals who happen to wander on-camera.”
On Being Smaller
Colin Gillis finds both joy and an unexpected sadness after losing one-third of his body weight.
Survivor Syndrome; or, Snacking While Jewish
“Milk was served proudly, whenever we could have it, as a way to celebrate life. Someone had been so close to death and seen so much of it and then survived.”
My Thoughts Are Murder
Still looking for some post-election inspiration? Try watching Heathers, and/or standing in front of a classroom. Pete Coviello pens an essay on “loving your students, hating your enemies, and Winona.”