#227: Facial Recognition

We’ve reached Issue #227, which means I get to write about, and you get to find out about, one of my favorite TV shows growing up, 227 (1985-90), starring Marla Gibbs and Jackée Harry. Here’s the theme song, “No Place Like Home,” in case you’re having a tough Thursday morning. You’re welcome.

Done listening? If so, get ready for some thought-provoking articles on the dangers of facial recognition software, the inequities of school funding, the effects of a powerful piece of writing, and the social benefits of knitting in public. If your time is limited this week, I’d recommend “Facial Recognition,” for its comprehensive look at yet another aspect of technology that may ruin our lives. Enjoy!

+ Let’s congratulate Gena, the winner of the Just Mercy Giveaway! Thank you for encouraging Bob to subscribe. For her hard work, Gena gets two free tickets to the movie. (Bob, did you know about this? Are you upset that you don’t get any tickets?)

Facial Recognition

There are plenty of things that I worry about (e.g., climate change, the next presidential election), but until I read this outstanding article, the impact of facial recognition software wasn’t one of them. My typical behavior was to skip articles like these and bury my head in the sand.

But putting together this newsletter pushes me to read past my comfort zone. I’m grateful that I found this set of short pieces from The California Sunday Magazine. They clearly explain the history of facial recognition, how computers recognize faces, how the technology is (mis)used in law enforcement, how its expansion threatens privacy, and how facial recognition is subjecting Black people to even more surveillance. (24 min)

+ Check out the flowcharts at the end, which offer tips on avoiding surveillance online, at work, at the airport, and in public.

No More School Districts

The root of educational equality, argues Kevin Carey, is that rich school districts want to hoard their resources, and nothing stops them. This article offers an outstanding history of how school districts developed into what they are now (answer: racism) and how the 14th Amendment has offered no recourse (San Antonio v. Rodriguez, Milliken v. Bradley), given that education is not a fundamental right. Unfortunately, Mr. Carey’s solutions won’t work, either. (27 min)

Four Hundred Years Of Harsh History Delivered In 8,000 Unflinching Words

Since the publication of The 1619 Project last August, Nikole Hannah-Jones has received praise and faced criticism for her work to reframe the founding of American history as the year 1619, not 1776. In this interview, Ms. Hannah-Jones reflects on the process of conceiving and writing her essay. We learn, for example, that structure is a challenge for her and that she skips outlining and starts with her gut. Her advice to writers? “If you want to do great, beautiful writing, you have to read great, beautiful writing.” (19 min)

+ Also by Ms. Hannah-Jones: “Choosing A School For My Daughter In A Segregated City (#46).

In Defense Of Public Knitting

Despite knitting’s history of activism, the practice remains mostly a private pursuit. But Aleesha Paz reminds us that “there’s power in the way we inhabit public space” and urges knitters to take their needles to the streets — not necessarily to protest, but rather to “turn sedentary spaces into places of creativity, productivity, and mindfulness.” As public spaces continue to disappear, Ms. Paz argues, we need to find ways to build community and exchange our ideas and passions. (14 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Gail connected with last week’s article, “Quit the News Cycle,” and shared this reflection:

One of the things I remember realizing after the last election cycle (especially the primary) is that I got so caught up in journalism about who was going to win (Clinton over Sanders) that I didn’t spend as much time thinking about who I wanted to win, or whether I might want to do something about it.

That’s perfectly stated, Gail. Thank you for your contribution. Loyal readers, if an article in today’s newsletter got you thinking, hit reply and let me know.

Unfortunately, that’s it for this week. Don’t be too sad. Did you find at least one article that engaged your interest? I hope so. Please vote using the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s four new subscribers: Raquel, Morgan, Peter, and Bob. I hope that you find this newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Share this issue with a friend and urge them to subscribe,

• Show your support by buying me a coffee, like Mama Cade,

• Become a fantastic and generous VIP member, like Angelina.

On the other hand, if the newsletter is not a great match for your inbox, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

#226: Against Empathy

Hi Loyal Readers! Part of why I publish this newsletter is to push our thinking, and today’s first two articles definitely pushed mine. If you’re sick and tired of managing other people’s emotions, this week’s lead article, on the dangers of empathy, will offer you a reprieve. If you want permission to stop following the news, the second article is there for you. Don’t want your views challenged today? Start with the pet photo and proceed from there; the last two pieces are more typical Highlighter fare.

+ Just Mercy Giveaway! You’re great (you know this), but I’d also like to grow our reading community, and the best way to reach more thoughtful, dedicated readers is to ask you to spread the word. If that sounds good to you, and if also want a chance to win two tickets to Just Mercy (it’s great, see below), encourage a friend to subscribe (and type your name in the form). (No, you can’t sign up for them.) I’ll announce the lucky winner next Thursday!

Against Empathy

We’re taught to value empathy — the ability to put ourselves into another person’s shoes, to experience the world as they do, to feel their pain. When we empathize with others, we’re more likely to help them and less likely to remain selfish. Altruism is good, right?

Not so much, argues Paul Bloom in this thought-provoking essay, in which he contends that empathy leads to exhaustion and burnout. Also, because our patriarchy considers empathy (more often) a feminine trait, the expectation of women to perform emotional labor leads to “pathological altruism” and higher rates of depression.

Instead of empathy, Prof. Bloom suggests we practice compassion, “a more distanced love, a kindness and concern for others.” When your friend comes to you in distress, they don’t want you to mirror their anguish. They don’t want you to hurt as much as they do. They want you to listen, to care about them, and demonstrate your desire to help. (21 min)

+ This essay was published in 2014. Do you think its point no longer applies?

+ English teachers: This is a great essay to teach for structure. Just saying.

Quit The News Cycle

Since serving on my high school newspaper, I’ve believed in the news, that “democracy dies in darkness,” and that journalism seeks the truth, holds power to account, and helps people understand the world. But news as a cultural institution, according to this astute essay by Greg Jackson, focuses primarily on “pseudo-events” (e.g., the President’s tweets), offering equal parts trauma and therapy, alarm and comfort, to keep its audience captive, ready to tune into tomorrow’s show, or check their phone notifications, instead of spending time with their kids. (31 min)

+ Sure, go ahead and quit your news addiction, but make sure you keep reading this newsletter.

The Fight Over School Funding: “Kids Who Have Less Need More”

No fundamental right to education is written into the Constitution, which means states can fund schools how they like — in most cases, inequitably. This article follows 12-year-old Taheem Fennell, a sixth grader in Delaware whose sister was killed to gun violence, whose mom doesn’t want him to go outside, whose school has no Math teacher or librarian, and whose legislators don’t want to change the school funding formula, which was enacted 70 years ago, in the era of Jim Crow. (23 min)

Just Mercy

You’re recommending a movie in The Highlighter? Yes, for the first time ever, I am. Longtime subscribers know my feelings about Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. He’s one of my heroes. Now he’s on the big screen, played by Michael B. Jordan. The film isn’t perfect, for sure, but it’ll inspire you to (re)connect with your purpose to fight injustice, and it’ll remind you of the power of sustained, relentless compassion. Pro tip: Bring gobs of Kleenex. (137 min)

+ Want to borrow Mr. Stevenson’s book? I have two extra copies. Let me know! Or maybe it should be required reading for all of us? 🤔

+ Reader Annotations: Tons of loyal readers have been sending in comments, which is great. Hit reply and join the fun.

Loyal reader Ella had a strong reaction to last week’s article on deep sea mining, “The Race To The Bottom Of The Ocean.”

Wow. I cried, I laughed, I looked up terms I’d never heard of. I’m smarter and more terrified than before I read the article. Thank you so much for the kaleidoscope of information!

Emotions were also strong for loyal reader Brittany, who seethed after reading Niles Niemuth’s critique of the 1619 Project:

I tried to compose a thoughtful response about why this article was so frustrating to read, but I think I’m distracted by my own anger. I guess a takeaway thought is that this is representative of why it’s difficult to have conversations across difference. Not any difference, but specifically the kind of difference where we can’t agree on the same facts. If a person can’t recognize that race is ultimately at the heart of all of our politics, because people of color are living with the effects of racism daily, how can we communicate?

Last week’s piece on culinary authenticity prompted loyal reader Daniel to feel nostalgic for a restaurant in San Francisco he loved:

There used to be this barbecue place on Grove and Divisadero: Brother-In-Law’s Bar-B-Que. I loved it. It was small and cozy and a great place to stop on my way home from my late night shift at the downtown library. It seemed “authentic” in that it appeared to be run by a single family. It seemed like an extension of home. And, yes, it was Black. At that time, most of the customers were Black, and the surrounding neighborhood had a much greater population of Black people than are there now. Brother-In-Law’s Bar-B-Que went out of business. There is a slick, new barbecue place there now, with mobs and mobs and lines and lines of people — young, white, affluent — waiting patiently for their chance to enjoy the outdoor dining at long communal tables.

Thank you for those and all the reader annotations I received this past week. Please keep them coming! (Don’t like writing? Leave a quick voice message.)

And just like that, we’ve reached the end. Did you find at least one article that engaged your interest? I hope so. Please vote using the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s two new subscribers: Manuschka and Armiya. (Manuschka, in particular, is extremely excited!) I hope that you find this newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Enter the Just Mercy movie giveaway by urging a friend or family member to subscribe. (Don’t subscribe for them!)

• Keep me caffeinated, as loyal reader Trevor did so generously last week, by buying me a coffee (thank you, Trevor!),

• Become the 25th loyal reader to become a VIP member, which will bring you great joy (and HHH beverages) (and more joy).

On the other hand, if all this reading is not for you, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

#225: Lost In Summerland

We’d all be better off, I’m convinced, if we kept wishing people a happy new year, without limit, all the way through December. I mean, why not? Here goes: Happy New Year, everyone, and thank you for reading The Highlighter! (Also, I’m grateful to the 37 loyal readers who sent kind notes last week. If you missed your chance, there’s still time: Just hit reply.)

Today’s issue features four first-rate articles on a variety of topics, including psychics, the bottom of the ocean, historiography, and authentic cuisine. In particular, please trust me when I urge you to read this week’s lead article, a phenomenal piece of writing that I predict we may see again on end-of-year best-of lists. You’ll enjoy the other pieces as well (especially the second one), but if you have only 45 minutes this week to read, the lead article is your best bet.

+ Article Club has begun strong! This month, we’re discussing Jia Tolentino’s “The Tyranny of the Ideal Woman.” I’m happy to announce that Ms. Tolentino, bestselling author of Trick Mirror, will be answering our questions as part of an upcoming podcast episode! If you’re interested in discussing this article with other thoughtful readers, you have until this Sunday at 9:10 am to sign up. Go here and announce, “I’m in!” in the comments.

Lost In Summerland

After recovering from a traumatic brain injury when he was 22 years old, Andy Swanson started hearing things at home: creaky footsteps in the hallway, stray voices in the closet. When his dad showed up, concerned, Andy’s first words were, “There’s someone in the room with us.” The chandelier in the room flickered on its own.

This article, told from the point of view of his little brother, Barrett, explores Andy’s developing identity as a psychic and a medium. Most of all, though, this is a story of two brothers, their relationship, and their trip one summer to Lily Dale, New York, where every year, 20,000 Spiritualists gather to perform readings, conduct seances, and build community.

At the retreat, Barrett notices his brother’s rising confidence and sense of calm. But he’s also aware of his own uneasiness, acknowledges his history of depression, and recounts an incident from his past, when his big brother’s powers may have saved his life. (44 min)

+ If this article moves you, please hit reply and share your thoughts.

The Race To The Bottom Of The Ocean

OK, science teachers, and lovers of life, and worriers of climate change: This article will grab you. Mining companies want to dredge the bottom of the ocean to extract minerals crucial to the development of batteries, an alternative to fossil fuels, thereby stalling the end of the world. But doing so may destroy the habitats of thousands of species — purple octopuses, giant tube worms, and more — that we have never seen before. Then again, protecting the deep ocean may mean increased mining in the Arctic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where children inhale toxic dust while digging for the cobalt our iPhones need. What should be done? (31 min)

The 1619 Project: A Racialist Falsification of American History

The backlash to the 1619 Project is here. This Marxist critique argues that economics, not race, best explains the arc of American history. Class struggle, rather than “race hatred,” characterizes the causes of slavery, the effects of the Civil War, and the advances of the labor movement. A few historians agree, which prompted this response from the New York Times. As for me, I’ve long wondered why most American communists are white men who say everyone should be equal, but let’s not talk about race. (23 min)

+ For more dialogue on this controversy, read these pieces by Adam Serwer and Conor Friedersdorf.

What Does Authenticity In Food Mean, And Who Gets To Define It?

I’m not a foodie (except for cookies and pizza), but I know many of you are serious connoisseurs. You’ll enjoy this piece by Jaya Saxena, which explores how notions of “authenticity” have shifted from the expectations of the customer (i.e., white, influenced by Instagram, looking for a “hole in the wall”) to the culinary intentions of the chef. Dale Talde, for instance, says his menus “are not really Filipino,” but they’re authentic nonetheless — originating from “a kid born in Chicago to a Filipino family, wanting to represent the entirety of my background.” (16 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Last week’s article on the challenges of raising boys led loyal reader Tony to share these thoughts:

As a parent of a 16-year-old boy and someone who has worked with male students between the ages of 14 and 21 for years, this piece hits home.

As I read the article, I thought about how certain messages meant to mitigate toxic masculinity get co-opted by the larger social contexts and end up serving what they initially meant to undermine. When, as the article discusses, a young man says, “no homo,” it suggests only gay men express love and intimacy, and at the same time, reminds me that young men, as the article states, feel that “the only person with whom he had been able to drop his guard was his girlfriend, but that was no longer an option.”

This worries me about my own son, who seemed to share so much with his previous girlfriend but who now lacks someone in his life to do this with. I hope he can drop his guard with his group of friends, but most are “bros” and athletes, and while he seems to reject much of the culture that comes with that in my presence, I wonder how things are when he is engaging with them on social media and in the locker room.

Thank you very much for your thoughtful contribution, Tony. Loyal readers, if an article challenges you, or gets you thinking or feeling something, please hit reply and share your thoughts, if you feel comfortable. Our reading community will benefit from your voice.

Did you find at least one article that engaged your interest? I hope so. Please vote using the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s three new subscribers: Paul, Robin, and Blake. I hope that you find the newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• At coffee, when a friend confides in you, say, “Let me tell you what will help you.” And then make sure they subscribe.

• Show your gratitude by buying me a coffee, like Iris did.

• Lock in my eternal gratitude by becoming a VIP member.

On the other hand, if you are Marie Kondo-ing your inbox, and this newsletter no longer brings you joy, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

#224: Under The Weather ☀️

Happy New Year, loyal readers! I hope that 2020 brings you joy, peace, and reading. Before anything else, why not hit reply and wish me a happy 2020, too? I would like that.

Now that we’ve engaged in some mutual well-wishing, let’s get right to today’s issue. This week’s lead article, “Under the Weather,” explores the mental health issues emerging from climate change and the imminent destruction of the world. It’s outstanding. Then, if you’re emotionally spent, you might want to skip to the pet photo and the piece on Instagram face, to gather some energy, before doubling back to the articles focusing on how we don’t know how to raise boys properly or provide our Latinx students with teachers who look like them. I’m confident you’ll find this week’s pieces thought-provoking and sobering. Please enjoy!

+ Did you make a resolution to read more in the new year? If so, you’re in luck: Article Club begins this Sunday at 9:10 am. I can’t wait to reveal this month’s article. Sign up now!

Under The Weather

Climate change is creating a mental health crisis. For some, that means denial; for others, it’s paralysis. For Ash Sanders, knowing that the world is doomed has led to anxiety, depression, and grief. She’s not alone: Many people suffer from climate-related psychosis, and doctors are prescribing therapy and drugs to combat these ailments.

But traditional medicine, with its focus on the individual, is failing to help people reconnect with the natural world. What’s needed, Ms. Sanders argues, is a greater understanding of ecopsychology and its efforts to build a lexicon that defines what’s happening to us. In this article, you’ll learn about solastagia, pre-traumatic stress disorder, and ennuipocalypse. Ms. Sanders writes, “All the advice I’d ever gotten had told me to lie and pretend. I wanted to be honest, because I wanted to believe that we might still be able to act meaningfully in the face of our own extinction.” (31 min)

The Brokenness Of Boyhood

“Today many parents are unsure of how to raise a boy, what sort of masculinity to encourage in their sons,” writes Peggy Orenstein, author of the forthcoming Boys & Sex. Meanwhile, boys are growing up largely on their own, learning to “man up,” rejecting their emotions, emasculating their friends, glorifying sexual violence, and finding misogyny “hilarious.” As 16-year-old Nate said, “If you hook up with a girl below your status, it’s an ‘L.’ ” And the point, of course, is to win. (34 min)

Latinx Students Rarely Are Taught By Teachers Who Look Like Them

We know that most public school teachers are white, most students are not, and students of all races prefer teachers of color. This article explains how the racial gap between teachers and students continues to widen. This is particularly true for Latinx students, especially in California, where many Latinx students never have a Latinx teacher. (15 min)

+ Also: Check out the interactive graphs to find out the teacher-student racial gaps in your district.

+ Also #2: Please avoid reading the comments.

The Age Of Instagram Face

If we keep loving Instagram as much as we currently do, beautiful women might all start looking the same, according to Jia Tolentino. That is to say: cyborgian, like a “sexy baby tiger,” with plump skin, high cheekbones, catlike eyes, lush lips, and a face that is “distinctly white but ambiguously ethnic.” If social media, in our neoliberal age, has taught us to build our personal brand to extract the greatest profit, why not do the same with our bodies? (6 min)

Congratulations, you made it through today’s newsletter. Did you like this week’s issue? I hope so. Please vote using the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s three new subscribers: Annie, Ella, and Bix. I hope that you find the newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Forward this issue to a friend and urge them to subscribe.

• Show your gratitude by buying me a coffee, like Rebecca, Leslie, and Michele.

• Go big and become a VIP member, like Clare and Irene.

On the other hand, if you don’t find value in receiving this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

#223: The Best Articles Of 2019

Thank you, Loyal Readers, for another great year! Our community of thoughtful readers continues to strengthen, and I am very grateful that you trust me to bring you outstanding articles week after week. Here’s 2019 by the numbers. Thank you!

• 51 issues, 208 articles, ~67 hours of reading

• 542 subscribers, 21 VIPs, 13 coffee connoisseurs

• 4 HHHs, 172 joyful attendees, 4 grand prizes

• 3 Pop-Up Article Clubs, 1 new Article Club

And now, it’s time to reveal the best articles of the year. Can you feel the excitement? Do we need a fancy award ceremony?

Before I announce the winners, here’s a bit about the selection process. From the 200+ articles, I chose 27 quarterfinalists (which I scanned again), then 11 semifinalists (which I read again). Then I consulted your favorite 10 articles of the year (a great list), just to make sure I wasn’t way off base. Finally, by brute force and sheer will, I landed on my favorite four articles of the year. I think they’re outstanding. My hope is that you’ll read them and enjoy them.

See you in the new year! I’m taking next week off.

America Wasn’t a Democracy Until Black Americans Made It One

In this brilliant essay, Nikole Hannah-Jones argues that 1619, not 1776, should mark the beginning of our nation’s history. Slavery, rather than the Declaration of Independence, more accurately explains the foundation of the United States. Despite their centuries-long subjugation, Black Americans have shaped our country’s experience, Ms. Hannah-Jones emphasizes. She writes, “Black Americans have been, and continue to be, foundational to the idea of American freedom. More than any other group in this country’s history, we have served, generation after generation, in an overlooked but vital role: It is we who have been the perfecters of this democracy.” (34 min)

Samantha, White Nationalist

Before Samantha joined the alt-right and became a white nationalist, she grew up in New Jersey and Florida, worked at Chipotle, and volunteered for the Obama campaign. Then Samantha met Richie, who cooked and danced and played the guitar. She fell in love. At first it didn’t matter that Richie quoted 4chan and made anti-Semitic remarks. But when he began arguing for racial purification and announced, “I’m a fascist,” that was too much. Samantha left Richie — that is, until she decided to look into some of his beliefs, to find out where he had gone wrong. Five days later, after watching YouTube videos and reading articles online, Samantha changed her mind: She wanted to become an advocate for the white race, too. (35 min)

Faith, Friendship, And Tragedy At A High School In Santa Fe, Texas

Ninth grader Jaelyn had straw-blond hair and turquoise eyes, believed in God, and was new to Santa Fe High School, located in a suburb of Houston. Long homeschooled, she had told her parents that God had “put it on her heart” to branch out and meet new people. Eleventh grader Sabika, who had black hair and mahogany eyes, believed in Allah, and also was new to Santa Fe. An exchange student from Pakistan, she had told her parents that she wanted be like Malala Yousafzai and have an impact on the world. This is the story of Jaelyn and Sabika’s friendship, the hope of young people, and the power of human connection across difference. You’ll cry at the end, no doubt, but please don’t let that deter you from reading this extraordinary article, so plainly and beautifully written. (44 min)

The Crane Wife

Ten days after calling off her wedding, author CJ Hauser travels to the gulf coast of Texas to study whooping cranes for an upcoming novel. On the trip, Ms. Hauser reflects on her failed relationship, realizes painful personal truths, and begins the healing process. Ms. Hauser writes, “It’s easy to say that I left my fiancé because he cheated on me. It’s harder to explain the truth.” This is a beautiful, raw, heart-wrenching essay. (16 min)

Were my favorite articles your favorite ones, too? Or would you like to stage a protest? Please vote using the thumbs below. Or hit reply and tell me your thoughts. Also, please welcome our reading community’s two new subscribers, including Rebecca. I hope that you find the newsletter a welcome addition to your email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Forward this issue to a friend and urge them to subscribe,

• Show your gratitude by buying me a coffee (thanks to the two anonymous folks who did so last week),

• Go big and become a VIP member (thank you, Dina!).

On the other hand, if you don’t find value in receiving this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you in two weeks — on Thursday, January 9, at 9:10 am!

#222: Status Update

Hi Loyal Readers! Let me start off by saying sorry for sending you the extra post on Monday, intended for the newsletter’s VIP members. I made a mistake and sent it to everyone! I’m embarrassed, of course, but I guess mistakes happen sometimes. I apologize for the confusion. If you ended up reading Monday’s post, or listening to my audio letter, now you have my reflections on how to make HHH even better. (Next one is March 5!)

OK, now back to regular programming. This week’s issue includes outstanding articles and podcast episodes on citizenship status, the politics of language, the examination of masculinity, and sassy mom merchandise. Please enjoy!

+ Starting next month, I’m launching Article Club, which you should join if you’re interested in reading more closely and connecting with other thoughtful readers. Check out my ideas for the club and let me know your own!

Status Update: Living With Uncertainty, Facing The Specter Of Deportation

As the Supreme Court considers this term whether to end DACA, nearly 9 million people in the United States live in families whose members have different citizenship statuses. This poignant Code Switch episode follows three high-achieving siblings living in Los Angeles: Miriam, who is a DACA recipient; Abigail, who is undocumented, and Joseventura, who is a U.S. citizen. You’ll hear the love they have for each other and their determination to stick together no matter what. Even if you’re not a podcast fan, you’ll appreciate this episode. (26 min)

A Language For All: Teens In Argentina Fight To Eliminate Gender In Language

While many Americans trip over using they-them pronouns, young people in Argentina are challenging rules of the Spanish language to include non-binary identities. Los chicos y las chicas is becoming les chiques. Friends are amigues and cousins are primes. Activist Natalia Mira says that language “is a product of a hegemonic, patriarchal, and sexist power,” and changing the plural -os to -es “generates a little crisis in your mind. It makes you stop and think about how we communicate.” (13 min)

Examining Masculinity Inside a Group Where Men Confront Their Feelings

Four issues ago, I featured an article that criticized Evryman and other men’s groups seeking to discover “a new masculinity” through “manhood-confirming adventures.” In this piece, writer Benjy Hansen-Bundy has a different experience sitting with other men and sharing his “unspeakables.” The process helps him challenge his homohysteria and reframe his sexual identity. It’s like CrossFit for your emotions, he says. (26 min)

The Quiet Protests of Sassy Mom Merch

Mom merch is getting sassy, says bestselling author Jia Tolentino. Her latest favorite is the saying, “This mom runs on coffee, wine, and Amazon Prime,” emblazoned on T-shirts and mugs in bridesmaid font. In a society that encourages an impossible and unhealthy ideal of womanhood, mommy influencers have struck back, reminding us that all this perfection is performative and inauthentic — or at least aided by two-day delivery. (6 min)

+ Ms. Tolentino can write about anything. Here’s her take on vaping, religion, affirmative action, and weighted blankets.

What a shame, you’ve reached the end of today’s newsletter. Did you like this week’s issue? I hope so. Please vote using the thumbs below. Also, please welcome our reading community’s three new members: Viva, Donna, and Chrysanthius. I hope that you find the newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Forward this issue to a friend and urge them to subscribe,

• Give your thanks by buying me a coffee (like Michele),

• Become a VIP member and support the newsletter’s growth.

On the other hand, if your New Year’s resolution is to jettison all email, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

#221: In The Garden of Good And Evil

Hi there, Mark here. Thank you for opening today’s edition of The Highlighter. Before anything else, why don’t you hit reply and say hi? You’ll feel great, plus I’ll write you back something kind.

This week’s issue includes yet another outstanding video from a loyal reader. (Keep them coming!) Also you’ll read great articles on good and evil (and naiveté), higher education, Black women journalists, and calculator market monopolies. Please enjoy!

+ HHH is tonight! It would be great to see you. Please swing by. If you do, you’ll meet other great people, chat about the articles, build your empathy, and have a chance to win two crowd-pleasing grand prizes. We’re meeting at Room 389 beginning at 5:30 pm.

+ Looking to read more (and more closely) in the new year? Article Club is for you. A dedicated group of readers will focus on one article per month. If you want to have a deeper Highlighter experience, and to connect with other thoughtful readers, please sign up. (It’s free.) We’ll start up in January.

A Bike Ride Through the Garden of Good and Evil

“Evil is a make-believe concept,” 28-year-old Jay Austin wrote in his blog, on the 273rd day of an around-the-world bike ride with his girlfriend, Lauren Geoghegan, after a stranger saved their lives in the icy, blizzardy mountains of southern Spain. “By and large, humans are kind. Generous and wonderful and kind.” Three months later, the couple was murdered by terrorists in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan.

This is the story of two young Americans who quit their jobs and got on their bikes to see the world. They wanted to reduce their carbon footprint, seek adventure, and trust the universe. Their mission statement made things clear: “[We want] to be given hope, confirmation that the oft-maligned batch of humans that occupy this planet are largely good and kind.” (23 min)

+ This article reminded me of “The American Missionary And The Uncontacted Tribe,” (#207), which I highly recommend.

California Higher Education Reforms Are Tackling The Biggest Challenges

Here’s an uplifting article about the state of higher education in California! Who knew that could be true? It turns out that the Golden State has raised four-year graduation rates (19% to 28%), increased community college transfers, eliminated remedial classes (saving $1.3 billion a year), hired more advisers, built food pantries, and moved textbooks online. How? It’s simple: California is one of just four states that has increased its higher education budget since 2008. (17 min)

The Heroines of America’s Black Press

Esteemed journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, who led The 1619 Project (#205) at The New York Times, credits the work of Ida B. Wells as instrumental in shaping the arc of her career. This article emphasizes that Ms. Wells did not act alone and profiles six lesser-known Black women journalists whose search for truth — amid the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the height of Jim Crow, and the terror of lynching — paved the way for advances in racial justice, gender equality, and political reform. (23 min)

Big Calculator: How Texas Instruments Monopolized Math Class

Most advanced Math classes and the AP Calculus exam require the use of graphing calculators, which run $100-plus a pop, and which present equity challenges for teachers who work in low-income schools. This article explains how Texas Instruments hoards huge profits (each calculator costs $15 to produce) and has maintained a monopoly on the market. One way is by preventing Desmos, a free online alternative, from gaining traction. (14 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Matt appreciated last week’s lead article but disagreed with the author’s interpretation of Catholicism’s conception of happiness.

One line stood out to me and made me want to do some further research. The author states, “When the word ‘happy’ first entered the English lexicon, around the mid-14th century, it meant something closer to ‘lucky,’ since one’s status, health and happiness were wrapped up in the arbitrary decisions of the Catholic God.” That didn’t settle well with me, as I doubted that it was a true Catholic teaching on the nature of happiness. It seemed inaccurate to assert that the “Catholic God” made arbitrary decisions about who gets to be happy and who doesn’t. So I turned to Thomas Aquinas and the Catechism of the Catholic Church to see what was mentioned about happiness. The way I understand them, happiness is directly correlated to the pursuit of the divine (such as through faith, virtue, beatitudes, etc.), as opposed to something that is “arbitrarily decided” by the divine. Maybe I am misinterpreting what the author was aiming to say, but it felt like he was suggesting that a Catholic teaching is that God chooses some people to make happy and others not. If so, I would argue that to be incorrect.

Thank you, Matt, for sharing your thoughts and doing additional reading. You’re a good candidate for Article Club!

That’s it for this week! I hope you’re not (too) angry that today’s edition has ended. Did you like this week’s issue? Please vote using the thumbs below. Also, please welcome our reading community’s six new members: Zaretta, Jamilah, Luis, Newsletters Squad, Emily, and Shay. I hope that you find the newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Forward this issue to a friend and urge them to subscribe,

• Give your thanks by buying me a coffee — thank you, Elise, Lsgyc, and “Someone,” for your tasty coffees last week,

• Support the newsletter long-term by becoming a VIP member.

On the other hand, if you thought this was going to be a newsletter about highlighters, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

#220: Happiness Makes Us Miserable

Happy Thanksgiving, loyal readers, and thank you for taking a break from the cornucopia (aka “horn of plenty”) and opening this week’s abbreviated issue of The Highlighter.

Today the newsletter features two great articles and two exciting announcements. You might think the start of the holiday season would spur me to include more joyous, uplifting articles. Not yet! Instead, you get pieces on the ruse of happiness and the rise of homelessness. They might not be cheery, but they’re worth your reading time (especially the second one).

Good thing I have two pieces of good news:

+ You’re invited to Highlighter Happy Hour #12 on Thursday, Dec. 5, beginning at 5:30 pm, at Room 389 in Oakland. So far, 23 loyal readers have secured their tickets. Get yours now!

+ I’m launching The Highlighter Article Club! If you want to read more in 2020, and you want to read more closely, and push your thinking and build your empathy, and connect with other thoughtful readers who want to do the same, you should join! We’ll focus on one article a month beginning in January. Here’s more information if you’re interested.

Happiness Makes Us Miserable

Being happy is in, and being anything else is out. In our era of positive psychology, if you’re not happy, that just means you’re not working hard enough to pursue peak experiences and curate your Instagram feed. This article explains how the definition of happiness has changed over the years, leading us to feel anxious and depressed for experiencing the normal range of human emotions. Sadness, after all, is only negative if we think it is. (13 min)

3 kids. 2 paychecks. No home.

Candido and Brenda live with their three children in a van parked outside the Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, California, an abundant agricultural area 100 miles south of San Francisco. Though they work full time, Candido and Brenda can’t find affordable housing in a town where rents have skyrocketed 60% over the past five years. Salinas Valley, where Cesar Chavez organized farm workers, is now more expensive than Chicago or Miami, and 8,000 children are homeless, more than San Francisco and San Jose combined. (23 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Genna appreciated “Spaces Without White People” and shared the following:

The lead article about people of color needing their own spaces and why was the first article, in a while, that I immediately opened and started reading. I feel the work I’m doing in the UNtraining really helps me understand the writer more. Your collection of articles is incredibly thought provoking and heart opening. Thank you for sharing with the world!

And thank you, Genna! I’m happy you liked last week’s lead article. Loyal readers, if you have something to say, say it! I’d love to hear from you. Hit reply or record your voice.

OK, that’s enough reading for now. It’s time to get back to eating. Did you like today’s issue? Vote your conscience using the thumbs below. Also, please welcome this week’s 4 new subscribers: Aparna, Brad, Sub, and Chelsea. I hope that you find the newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Interrupt your Thanksgiving meal and tell your friends and family they can’t have any stuffing until they subscribe,

• Use this email template to urge your colleagues to sign up,

• Give your thanks by buying me a coffee — thank you, Michele, for your tasty coffee last week,

• Become a VIP and enjoy my undying gratitude, plus bask in the glory that you’re the reason the mugs are so great.

On the other hand, if you no longer enjoy reading this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

#219: Spaces Without White People

Happy Thursday, Loyal Readers! Today’s issue is two parts race, two parts economics. This week’s lead article, which I highly recommend, focuses on why people of color need and deserve their own spaces, separate from white people. The second piece discusses why some white people become radicalized into far-right ideologies and what can be done to change their beliefs.

If those two articles don’t interest you, and if you’re thinking of buying a home, especially in the Bay Area, check out the last two articles, which will confirm that it’s pretty much impossible, and how maybe it shouldn’t be a goal in the first place, particularly if you’re a millennial. Please enjoy!

+ It’s time: Highlighter Happy Hour #12 is coming soon! Join me and ~50+ fellow loyal readers at Room 389 on Thursday, December 5, beginning at 5:30 pm. It would be great to see you there! Please lock in the date and secure your free ticket now. (Prize if you do.)

Spaces Without White People

In mixed-race spaces, according to Ijeoma Oluo, white people cause harm by centering their voices, controlling the discourse, and protecting their comfort. That’s why people of color need spaces distinct from white people. In this outstanding essay, Kelsey Blackwell explains the healing that comes from meeting in racial affinity. She writes:

We need places in which we can gather and be free from the mainstream stereotypes and marginalization that permeate every other societal space we occupy. We need spaces where we can be our authentic selves without white people’s judgment and insecurity muzzling that expression. We need spaces where we can simply be—where we can get off the treadmill of making white people comfortable and finally realize just how tired we are.

Later in the piece, Ms. Blackwell challenges the argument that affinity spaces prevent opportunities for inclusion. She cautions white people from assuming that integration is the ultimate goal. Even at their best, mixed-race spaces are “engineered” — awkward, fake, and harmful. (20 min)

+ Want to read this article later? Save it to Pocket. It won’t get lost that way!

No Longer A Nazi: Making Amends For A Life Of Far-Right Radicalism

From the time she was 15 to the time she turned 20, Shannon Foley Martinez was a skinhead. She attended Klan rallies, dated neo-Nazis, and prepared herself for race war. Then a teacher helped her out of her hate. Since then, Ms. Martinez has worked to deradicalize white nationalists and members of hate groups. Along the way, she’s found that most radicals suffer from longstanding, unhealed trauma, and that the only pathway to transformation is through emotion, not ideology. (16 min)

Charli, who belongs to loyal reader Eva, reads The Highlighter on Sunday mornings with her favorite warm beverage. Want your pet to appear in The Highlighter? hltr.co/pets

Gimme Shelter: Living In The Bay Area

In 2016, the year of the Ghost Ship fire, investigative reporter Wes Enzinna lived in a 32-square-foot shack in West Oakland. A 33-year-old transplant from New York, Mr. Enzinna clearly describes the challenges of living in the Bay Area and the intractable gaps between the rich and the poor. But in his discussion of gentrification, he doesn’t mention his race, focusing instead on his working-class background. Given the length of this otherwise excellent piece, it’s a curious omission. (37 min)

+ If you read last week’s lead article, also from Harper’s Magazine, open this one in a new browser to avoid the paywall. Or subscribe!

American Dream, American Nightmare: The Obsession With Homeownership

Now that I (partly) own a home, I have opinions about homeownership. For instance: I like it. But for many millennials, buying a home is untenable, undesirable, and no longer associated with the American dream. If you’re paralyzed with debt, not planning on having kids, and worried about climate change, you may find homeownership “boring” and “mundane.” You might connect with 35-year-old Erik, who said, “I like that my life isn’t following a set pattern.” (20 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Last week’s lead article, “Men At Work,” caused a stir. VIP Michele wrote, “Holy moly! It’s incredible the lengths people will go to to avoid doing the real work of self- reflection and connecting themselves to a larger picture toward systemic change.” Loyal reader Lisa wrote, “Ooof, the Evryman piece was hard to read. And so hilarious in places. And sad.”

On “The Porch Pirate of Potrero Hill,” loyal reader Sophie wrote, “I used to live on Potrero Hill right around the time of the events surrounding Ms. Fairley. My roommates and I had NextDoor accounts and we had a lot of thoughts and feelings about how our neighbors characterized other residents and described the goings-on in the neighborhood. I think the article did an excellent job capturing the tone of the hill at that very moment in time.”

On “Dolly Parton’s America,” loyal reader Daniel wrote: “Being a life-long devotee of mid-20th-century country music, I was pleased to have my attention directed to the podcast regarding Dolly Parton. I would encourage you to reevaluate the label “abusive” as a descriptor of Porter Wagoner in the context of his work with Dolly Parton. It is easy, and perhaps satisfying, to view the on-stage/on-camera dynamic between Wagoner and Parton through a 21st century lens (as the contemporary journalist quoted on the podcast seems to have done). Indeed, hiring a female singer to be a “pretty little gal” on a TV show seems awkward (to say the least) by today’s standards, especially here in urban California. Viewed now, Wagoner certainly seems patronizing, and he appears to play into gender roles which were then much more mainstream. Regarding Parton’s departure from the Porter Wagoner Show, as Parton herself explains, it was understandable that Wagoner would be frustrated to lose his top protégé. Parton also concedes that the show belonged to Wagoner — it was his show and she was, in fact, hired to be something which, ultimately, she did not want to be. In the podcast, Wagoner seems to be depicted as something akin to the folkloric Rumpelstiltskin; Parton herself seems much more aware and magnanimous.”

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Michele, Lisa, Sophie, and Daniel. I invite all of you to hit reply and tell me what you think! It pushes me and improves our reading community.

Must yet another issue of The Highlighter come to an end? It must. But there will be another one soon. In the meantime, use the thumbs below to tell me what you thought. Also, let’s please welcome this week’s 3 new subscribers, including Wade and Jeannette. I hope that you find the newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Forward this issue to a friend and urge them to subscribe,

• Show your appreciation by buying me a coffee — thank you, Jamie and Erin, for your coffees last week,

• Become the 21st esteemed VIP member, support the newsletter’s growth, and collect gobs of my undying support.

On the other hand, if receiving this newsletter adds to your guilt that you’re not reading enough, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday, for a truncated Thanksgiving issue, at 9:10 am.

#218: Men At Work

Sorry, Loyal Readers: Today’s issue unfortunately does not highlight the early-’80s Australian rock band that brought us the megahits “Down Under” and “Who Can It Be Now?” But this week’s lead article, which focuses on one (disturbing) approach to mitigate toxic masculinity, is outstanding, and I highly encourage you to carve out 41 minutes of your week to give the article your attention.

If you’ve had enough of men, feel free to enjoy pieces on gentrification and surveillance, bubble tea and identity, and Dolly Parton and magnificence.

And one more thing (in case I haven’t made this abundantly clear): Thank you very much for reading my newsletter. I appreciate that we’re building a strong community that believes in reading, reflecting, and connecting.

+ Question of the Week: When’s your favorite time of the week to read The Highlighter? Hit reply and let me know!

Men at Work

If you identify as a man, and you’re feeling despondent or purposeless, or you’re exhibiting signs of toxic masculinity, maybe it’s time for a retreat in the woods, away from your friends and family, where you and 50 (white) strangers can participate in “manhood-confirming adventures,” including holotropic breathwork and anger ceremonies.

No, I’m not a proponent of this behavior. But we know that men are hurting. They make up 79% of suicides and 80% of violent crime, and their life expectancy continues to decline.

That’s why Evryman and other men-centered self-help organizations have become increasingly popular. They promise a “new masculinity” by supporting men to connect with their feelings and build emotional intelligence. But Barrett Swanson wonders whether this approach does anything to ameliorate the structural causes of men’s malaise. (41 min)

+ Want to save this article to read later? Click here and save it to Pocket, which lets you read on any device, anytime. (I use Pocket to make this newsletter.) Let me know if you try it out!

+ Read more about toxic masculinity in Issues #111, #157, and #192.

The Porch Pirate of Potrero Hill

At first glance, this is a story of a woman who steals Amazon packages from stoops in San Francisco. But add in racism, gentrification, white liberals, economic inequity, and private surveillance, and you get a complex, multilayered case study that reveals our frayed social bonds and our inability to move past villain-victim, either-or thinking and toward resolution and reconciliation. (38 min)

+ Big thanks to loyal reader Christine for sending me this piece! Want to nominate an article?

How Bubble Tea Became a Complicated Symbol of Asian American Identity

No, I’m not (currently) a diehard aficionado of bubble tea, but my goddaughter Athena is, and so is everyone else. You are, too, right? Just when I thought this article was going to stick to explaining the history and popularity of boba, it hit overdrive and took off — exploring issues of nostalgia, Asian American identity, and the commodification of culture. The writing is out there at times, but overall, I appreciated gaining insight on boba’s impact. (Maybe now I’ll become a connoisseur.) (22 min)

Dolly Parton’s America: “I Will Always Leave You”

Looking for some badassery this week? Here’s some Dolly Parton for you. This inspiring podcast episode about Ms. Parton’s rise to fame is worth your listen, even if you’re not a country music fan. You’ll learn how Ms. Parton left abusive Porter Wagoner to become a megastar, plus how she wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” the same night. If that’s not enough, there’s the back story of Whitney Houston’s version of the song, too. (55 min)

Where did today’s newsletter go? 😢 Don’t be devastated: Another one is coming soon. In the meantime, use the thumbs below to tell me what you thought. Also, let’s please welcome this week’s four new subscribers, including Meranda, Tom, and Tiffany. I hope that you find the newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow and get better. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

• Kindly invite a friend or colleague to consider subscribing,

• Show your appreciation by buying me a coffee — thank you, Anonymous Person, for your anonymous coffee last week,

• Support the newsletter’s growth by becoming a VIP member.

On the other hand, if you’ve tried to find time in your life to read, but it’s just not happening anytime soon, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!