#237: Land-Grab Universities

Welcome to April, loyal readers, and thank you for opening this week’s issue of The Highlighter. I’m still processing yesterday’s announcement that public schools in California will remain closed until the Fall. It’s very strange. In addition to learning more about the best practices of distance learning, and collaborating with colleagues over Spring Break, I’ve had more time to read, and I’m confident you’re going to enjoy today’s selections.

This week’s lead article, “Land-Grab Universities,” which I highly recommend, does an outstanding job tracing how many of our most prestigious universities grew prominent as a result of the capture and redistribution of Native American lands. If that topic is not for you, check out a profile of La’Darius Marshall, a critique of the latest fat-shaming show, and a warning about imminent water shortages.

+ Tired of so many Zoom calls back to back? Take a break, read a few of today’s articles, hit reply, and say hi!

Land-Grab Universities

We know about the Trail of Tears, the brutal effects of Manifest Destiny, and the genocide of Native Americans by the United States government. But we might not know about how the federal seizure of Indigenous lands led directly to the ascent of the American higher education system.

Maybe you’ve heard of Cornell? Or MIT? Or UC Berkeley? Or any of these 49 other universities? All of them exist because of the Morrill Act of 1862, which cut up 11 million acres of tribal land and granted parcels to states for the construction and endowment of colleges.

“There would be no higher education as we know it in the United States without the original and ongoing colonization of Indigenous peoples and lands, just like there would be no United States,” said Sharon Stein, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia. (27 min)

+ I recommend this article especially to U.S. History teachers.

La’Darius Marshall: “When I’m Performing, You’re Going To See Me.”

By no means am I a TV connoisseur, but that didn’t stop me from seeing (and enjoying) Cheer when it aired earlier this year. In this profile of the show’s breakout star, La’Darius Marshall — his senior season canceled due to the coronavirus — opens up about how Cheer transformed him, contemplates what’s next, and shares his appreciation for his coach, his boyfriend, and Nicki Minaj. (12 min)

No Winners with “The Biggest Loser”

Once a huge hit, The Biggest Loser, which features fat people competing against each other to lose the most weight the fastest, fell on hard times a few years ago as the wellness craze rebelled against the show’s fat-shaming ways. (It didn’t help that contestants gained their weight back and that beloved trainer Bob Harper nearly died of a heart attack.) After being canceled in 2016, the show is back, taking a more holistic view of health, yet keeping the weekly weigh-ins and the belief that “light is right.” (18 min)

+ For more great articles on dieting and body positivity, check out this Highlighter Spotlight.

Where Water Used To Be

According to the United Nations, within five years, two thirds of the world’s population will experience “water stress,” meaning there won’t be enough, it’ll be dirty, or impossible to access. A resident of Cape Town, South Africa, Rosa Lyster knows about drought, and in this troubling article, she travels to Mexico City, explains why it’s sinking, connects water shortages with increased violence against women, and illustrates how climate change is making things worse. (13 min)

+ Here’s more about our global water crisis, a slightly more positive take from Issue #158.

Thank you for reading today’s issue! Let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s new subscriber Madison. I hope that you find this newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

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

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!

#236: Moms 4 Housing

As we shelter in place, loyal readers, I am reminded of the generosity of our reading community. Many of you have reached out to say hi, let me know that you appreciate the articles, and sent in poems and photos that are bringing you comfort. Thank you.

This week’s pieces explore a range of topics, including the housing crisis in the Bay Area, the role of race at colleges and universities, the rise of artificial intelligence in K-12 education, and the ability of humans to adapt and survive (especially when they’re on TV). If you have time for just one, I’d recommend the lead article, “The House on Magnolia Street,” even if you’re not from the Bay Area.

+ Our Article Club discussions of “The Crane Wife” went extremely well, thanks to author CJ Hauser, who joined Becky, Jennifer, Tony, Peter, Michele, Jessica, Dan, Kati, Sonya, Carina, Summer, Jim, Samantha, and Marni. If you might be interested in participating next month, you can sign up for Article Club here.

Moms 4 Housing: How Black Mothers Took On The Housing Crisis in Oakland

Last November, Dominique Walker and a group of homeless Black mothers, along with their children, took over a foreclosed and vacant house in West Oakland. Bringing awareness to gentrification and the housing crisis in Oakland, where more than 4,000 people are homeless and the median rent is $3,000 a month, Moms 4 Housing denounced Wedgewood and other real estate companies for buying up properties in Black communities and leaving them empty. There wouldn’t be a housing crisis, they argue, if vacant homes were made available to homeless people. (21 min)

Black Girl, White College

When Erianna Jiles applied to college, she wanted the movie experience: lush green lawns, old stately buildings, and friends playing Frisbee. But as one of the few Black students at North Dakota State, Erianna never felt comfortable. “It was the hardest year of my life,” she says. Erianna shares her frustrating experience in this podcast episode. (At least there’s a happy ending.) (29 min)

+ Teachers and counselors, looking for an assignment in this time of distance learning? Your students would enjoy listening to this podcast.

Can Computers Replace Teachers?

With schools closed, stressed-out parents taking care of their kids while trying to work from home, and teachers cobbling together lesson plans appropriate for distance learning, the notion that artificial intelligence will soon replace conventional classroom instruction seems likes a farce. But the pandemic, which has forced 850 million children out of school, has led some technology evangelists to argue that maybe we don’t need teachers at all. (20 min)

Naked And Afraid

You won’t find me auditioning for Survivor or any other survivalist reality TV show, including Naked and Afraid, anytime soon. But this outstanding first-person account by adventurer Blair Braverman suggests that if you want something truly transformative to happen in your life, the best idea is to get naked, find a secluded place out in the middle of nowhere, and make sure you have no food. Are you up for this? (40 min)

+ As if surviving in the wilderness isn’t enough, Ms. Braverman also mushes dogs with her husband, Quince Mountain, and has competed in the Iditarod.

+ Reader Annotations: After reading last week’s standout article, “Just Desserts,” loyal reader Julie pointed out that the documentary Cheer, also set in Corsicana, Texas, referred to Collin Street Bakery, home of fruitcake fortune embezzler Sandy Jenkins. Maybe all things intriguing come from Texas?

Loyal reader Kati enjoyed “In Defense of Public Knitting” (#227) and has received backlash when she has participated in the practice:

I belong to our local Stitch ’n Bitch group in Fremont. We are sometimes met with disdain when we meet in public, but that’s generally (I think) because we only purchase one drink and then tie up the table for three hours. But the knitting definitely has something to do with it. People get more used to seeing knitting as time goes by, although the performance artist mentioned in the article — now, that was a bit much. And to anyone who belittles knitting, I’d love to see them try and knit. It’s hard! I’m not very good.

Thank you, Julie and Kati, for sharing your thoughts. Loyal readers, don’t be shy. Feel free to hit reply and contribute.

Thank you for reading today’s issue! Let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s four new subscribers: Cami, Jodie, Curt, and Savitha. I hope that you find this newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

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

  • Forward this newsletter to a friend and urge them to subscribe

  • Buy me a coffee or become the newsletter’s 28th VIP member

  • Host a Highlighter reading party via Zoom, where loyal readers sign on, say hi, then read the newsletter for an hour in silence

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!

#235: Kindness

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Dear Loyal Readers: I hope you, your family, and your friends are all safe and well. This week, I wondered whether I should highlight articles focusing on the global pandemic. Ultimately, I decided not to do so, for many reasons, not because I want to avoid or minimize our current situation, but mostly because we are currently inundated and overwhelmed with information, and we are experiencing a variety of emotions, including fear and anxiety. My hope is that today’s articles offer ways to reflect on what’s happening and to connect with one another in this reading community, for which I am extremely grateful.

+ All four pieces this week are solid, but if you want my recommendation, read “Just Desserts.” You won’t regret it. And then, if you can handle it, swing by “Kindness.”

+ This Saturday, author CJ Hauser will join Article Club to discuss “The Crane Wife,” one of last year’s best essays. Want to ask her a question and connect with other thoughtful readers? Sign up here. We’ll convene via Zoom at 4 pm PT.

Kindness

“Before you know what kindness really is, you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth.” So begins this poem, the first ever to appear in this newsletter, written in 1995 by Naomi Shihab Nye. I’m not typically someone who finds solace in poetry, but this piece kept speaking to me this week as I searched for an offering worthy of this reading community. My hope is that the poem resonates with you, too. (5 min)

+ Do you have an article or podcast episode that you’re finding helpful right now? Please share it.

Just Desserts

Sandy Jenkins dreamed of being rich and fancy. But in the real world, he worked as the accountant at Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, the world’s most renowned purveyor of fruitcakes. The job didn’t pay well, but it did give him ample access to the books. Over several years, Mr. Jenkins embezzled more than $16.7 million from the bakery, which afforded him and his wife a lavish lifestyle, acceptance in the Corsicana social scene, and plenty of jewelry and travel on private planes. (36 min)

+ They’re making this into a movie! Starring Will Ferrell and Laura Dern, it’s going to be called Fruitcake. Thank you to VIP member Jessica for the tip.

Is It OK To Have A Child?

Don’t read this article if you have a child, are currently pregnant, or definitely want to have kids. But if you’re debating whether to bring another human into the world, this outstanding article, though challenging to read, makes a strong case that our planet, even before this pandemic, will survive climate change only if we significantly decrease our carbon footprint. The best way to do that is not by eating a plant-based diet or taking public transit. Only having fewer (or no) kids will do. (41 min)

Welcome To The Agrihood

If not having kids is too extreme, you could escape the hubbub and seek a stronger connection with nature by moving to an agrihood, a newish kind of exurb, planned around a small farm, that promises a food-to-table lifestyle. Tilling the field is optional! This article profiles Arden, Florida, one of 90 agrihoods in the country, and explains how residents want a simpler, healthier, and more sustainable way of life. (They don’t mind the lavish clubhouse with terraced pools and resort-like waterfalls.) (13 min)

+ Reader Annotations: “Miranda’s Rebellion” (#233) continues to evoke strong reactions. Here are loyal reader Shelley’s thoughts, responding to loyal readers Gena and Kati:

I totally agree with what you are saying about white people needing to take a stand against racism. I would add, however, that while white women are not being murdered in the streets, every day three women in the US are killed by an intimate partner. (That includes women of color and white women.) It is difficult to not get frustrated and angry with us white women for our complicity with white supremacy, but we might want to point out to our sisters that the same system of power and control that maintains racism also maintains patriarchy, which is killing us. We need to have the courage to work for justice for everyone and we also need to work in our own best interest.

Thank you very much for adding to this conversation, Shelley. Loyal readers, please hit reply to share your views on this week’s articles.

That’s it for this week! Congratulate yourself for getting some good reading done in these challenging times. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below.

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

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!

#234: The Concussion Diaries

Loyal readers, thank you for opening today’s issue of The Highlighter! Like usual, this week’s articles come from a variety of publications and cover a range of topics, including the tragic effects of concussions, the dangers of believing in the Internet, the sexual desires of a woman with physical disabilities, and the proliferation of fake honey. If you have time to read just one article this week, I’d recommend “The Concussion Diaries,” the tragic story of a young man with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

+ HHH was a big success! We had a strong turnout, welcomed six new great people to the community (Ariel, Camille, Mahogney, Keyur, Katherine, and Thai), played some trivia, gave out some prizes, and chatted about the articles. Mark your calendars: HHH #14 is Thursday, June 4, 5:30 pm.

The Concussion Diaries

Zac Easter loved hunting, his dad, his girlfriend, and most of all, football. Fearless and confident, Zac was a star linebacker on his high school team, and made sure to hit hard. His dad said, “Zac was a thumper. Of all the boys, he was one who wouldn’t show pain. He’d throw his head into anything.” A few years after high school, Zac began experiencing symptoms of CTE. Then he took his own life, leaving a diary to let the world know what football had done to him. (39 min)

“I Brainwashed Myself With The Internet.” A Freebirth Without Doctors

When she became pregnant, Judith began thinking about how she wanted to give birth. She got hooked on the Free Birth Podcast and joined the Free Birth Society’s Facebook page, whose members decried doctors and warned against hospitals. Given the rise in maternal mortality rates, they had a point, Judith thought, and chose to have her baby at home alongside her husband and a close friend. Even when she reached 44 weeks, Judith remained steadfast and followed the lead of her mentor. “Babies come out,” she said. “Babies always come out.” (20 min)

On Disability And Desire

Living with cerebral palsy all her life has made poet Molly McCully Brown the subject of men’s confident conclusions about her body. “My body was a country of error and pain. It was a doctor’s best attempt, a thing to manage and make up for. It was a place to leave if I was hunting goodness, happiness or release.” In this personal essay, Ms. Brown reveals that her body is much more, full of various desires, sexual and otherwise, as she looks to the future, wanting children and intimacy, not necessarily together. (15 min)

Your Fancy Honey Is Not Honey

Bees are dying, honey prices are dropping, and it’s all the fault of fancy honey, which has flooded the market and lured consumers with “raw” and “local” and “organic” on their labels. It turns out that the majority of honeys are a total fraud, adulterated with added sugars and blended with small amounts of true honey. What to do? You can’t trust True Source Honey; its certification has been debunked. And you can’t follow the class action lawsuits; there are too many. Even Whole Foods honey is a no-go. Only taking your honey to a lab will do. (30 min)

+ Related: Fruit smoothies are bad for you.

+ Reader Annotations: Last week’s lead article, “Miranda’s Rebellion,” sparked strong opinions. Loyal reader Gena expressed little sympathy for Miranda’s struggle.

As a white woman, I am deeply disappointed in my fellow white women and their complicity in white supremacy. In my opinion, the woman profiled in this article is no different. The time is past to feel bad about racism and not speak up. It is only us white people that have the power to change our own families and communities, and we have to have the courage to do so. We are not literally being murdered in the streets like people of color. So what are we so afraid of? I have little compassion or understanding of this woman who knows what she sees and hears is wrong, and yet sits silently. Until white people have an ounce of courage to feel slightly uncomfortable, then nothing will fundamentally change.

On the other hand, loyal reader Marna felt the lead article and “The Bible That Oozed Oil,” when read as a pair, offered her a window into her brother’s world.

Read both articles, thank you! They were both insightful and amazing. My older brother is a southern Baptist minister and a Republican. Both articles spoke to me about him and the demographic he represents.

Loyal reader Kati also read both articles, found the oil-oozing Bible piece intriguing, but agreed with Gena about Miranda:

I’m a white woman, but seriously, when people who have a lot of advantages in their life complain, it gets a bit irksome. I hope more women realize they have the luxury and privilege to make the decisions that Miranda and Liz have made. We have a long way to go with rights, but I truly believe white women need to do their part to include those with less advantages in their “feminism” crusade. We have a lot of work to do!

Want to weigh in about Miranda or any of the articles from today’s issue? All you have to do is hit reply.

There you have it! Congratulate yourself for getting some good reading done. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s three new subscribers, including Katherine and Sehreen. I hope that you find this newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox. A big thank-you to loyal reader Crystal for getting the word out!

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

  • Forward this newsletter to a friend and urge them to subscribe

  • Buy me a coffee and your contribution will go to the first-ever Highlighter Hoodie (thanks to loyal reader Joel)

  • Get really serious and become the 28th VIP member

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!

#233: Miranda’s Rebellion

Happy Thursday, loyal readers, and thank you for opening today’s issue of The Highlighter. This week’s lead article tells the story of a white Southern woman who questions her conservative beliefs. The second piece, “The Bible That Oozed Oil,” explores the power of those ideas. Read them as a pair and let me know what you think! If religion isn’t for you, skip past the fold, where you’ll find two more outstanding articles: a funny-serious essay about corporate language and a serious-serious essay about remembering a loved one. Enjoy!

+ Join March’s Article Club! I’m happy to announce that we’re reading and discussing “The Crane Wife,” by CJ Hauser, voted one of last year’s best articles. Ms. Hauser is going to join our discussion and answer our questions! Get more info and sign up here.

+ If you’ve been waffling on whether to attend tonight’s Highlighter Happy Hour, waffle the right way and please join us!

Miranda’s Rebellion

The perfect Southern belle, Miranda Murphey grew up outside Augusta, Georgia, in a wealthy, religious, and conservative military family. She married her college sweetheart, who called her “Bombshell,” and has voted Republican all her life. But since the last election, Miranda has found herself making new friends, including Liz, who brandishes an RBG sticker on her cellphone. “Are you changing?” her friends and husband ask. Miranda doesn’t like making people feel uncomfortable, and she loves her husband, but she feels at odds with a world she once knew. At a dinner out, Miranda has a fight with Liz, and when she gets home, she sees her husband’s truck outside, and says, “I struggle with this.” It’s not clear which struggle she’s talking about. (22 min)

+ Article Clubbers: Does this article remind you of “The Crane Wife?” at all?

The Bible That Oozed Oil

A few days after Trump’s inauguration, Jerry Pearce went to pray with his Bible and noticed a spot of oil on Psalm 39. When the Bible kept producing oil, gallons on gallons, Jerry’s neighbors in Dalton, Georgia, went gaga, claiming that the oil miraculously healed arthritis, dissolved tumors, and cured the coronavirus. That’s when religion reporter Ruth Graham got curious and arrived unannounced at Jerry’s door. (22 min)

The Way We Talk At Work Is Garbage

Did you shoot someone an email today? Loop someone in? Take a deep dive? Resolve a pain point? If you did, you’re not alone. In this smart essay, Molly Young explains why we can’t escape the “garbage language” of corporations. You’ll love Ms. Young’s descriptions of mind-numbing meetings and maple syrup marketing copy. “Once you hear a word,” she writes, “it has penetrated your ears and entered your brain, from which it can’t be selectively moved.” (19 min)

+ What’s your favorite example of garbage language?

How It Ends

Longtime loyal readers know that I often include articles about death in the newsletter. I’m drawn to them because they remind me of the beauty of life. In this touching essay, written in the second person, Louis Blum tells the story of a close friend who dies of breast cancer. She writes, “You’re already tired. So, so tired. It’s been eight years. You do not think: It’s been a good run. You think: It’s been hell. All you want to do is stop. You tell your friends you’re not afraid of death. You’re afraid of dying.” (28 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Beth let me know she loved “Going The Distance To Catch Marathon Cheaters” (#231) and agrees it’s like Parasite, though she hasn’t seen the film yet.

Loyal reader Kati enjoyed “Quit The News Cycle” (#226) and reminds us there’s plenty of news out there; we don’t need more.

I got some pretty bad acid/ulcer situation right around the time of the inauguration. (I was also super stressed at work.) I thought it was a heart thing! It was then and there that I decided to stop constantly following NPR and NYT and only go there periodically for updates. My Instagram and Fb is full of flowers, puppies, old movies, and fashion. We don’t need to watch the news as often as we all do in this age of information.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! If there’s an article this week that spoke to you, hit reply and let me know.

There you have it! Now that you’ve finished reading today’s issue, you can feel better about yourself. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s four new subscribers, including Kara, Jennifer, and Kate. I hope that you find this newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox. My thanks go to loyal readers Telannia and Marisa for getting the word out!

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

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!

#232: White Men’s Roads Through Black Men’s Homes

Loyal readers, I’m proud of today’s issue, and I hope you find at least one article that resonates with you or pushes your thinking. Like last week, pieces are paired and talk to each other. The first pairing explains how racial segregation became cemented in the 1950s and ’60s through the construction of physical barriers to separate Black people from white people. After an interstitial GIF, the second pairing explores how our inequitable economy has led to a rise in hustle culture and the seemingly intractable housing crisis. (Now that I think of it, it’s possible to say that all four articles talk to one another and share a common theme. If you end up reading them all, by all means weigh in.) Please enjoy!

+ Highlighter Happy Hour #13 is coming up soon, and the world will be a better place if you are there. We’re gathering at Room 389 in Oakland on Thursday, March 5, beginning at 5:30 pm. Please get your free ticket so you can win the grand prize.

+ Question of the Week: What’s the last Highlighter article that you recommended to a friend? Hit reply and let me know!

White Men’s Roads Through Black Men’s Homes

By the 1950s, and especially after Brown v. Board, the national government could not legally segregate people by race. But the Interstate Highway Act did that very same thing. It displaced thousands of Black people across the country, destroyed thriving Black communities, erected permanent physical barriers that entrenched segregation, and protected white suburban spaces. In this comprehensive law journal article, Prof. Deborah N. Archer not only explains the racist impact of transportation policy but also suggests ways that we can advance racial equity through highway reconstruction. (~60 min)

+ Don’t feel like you need to read all 74 pages of this report. The introduction will be powerful enough.

The Peyton Wall: A Lesson in Barriers

In 1962, the mayor of Atlanta approved the construction of a concrete and steel barrier that separated the mostly white affluent neighborhood of Peyton Forest from the rest of Atlanta, in an effort to discourage Black people from purchasing homes there. In this braided essay, white Math teacher Jay Wamsted, who serves mostly Black students at Mays High School in Atlanta, explores this history and reflects on his role in supporting a former student. He writes, “We wrestle ghosts in southwest Atlanta, ghosts of slavery and Jim Crow that haunt our streets in ways both obvious and subtle.” (12 min)

Black Americans Have To Hustle More

Late stage capitalism forces all of us to hustle to make ends meet. But if hustling is “for surviving a rigged game,” as sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom writes, then our system requires Black people, especially women, to hustle harder, just to maintain their class status. Prof. Cottom argues that the 1970s offered a path for more economic equity, but since then, the trend toward private investment has hindered Black people’s access to social mobility. (12 min)

+ Last year I read Thick and recommend it highly.

Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build

California’s housing crisis is a disgrace, resulting in exorbitant rents, long commutes, increasing homelessness, and dire encampments. Most agree the answer is to build more housing — except not in their backyards. Suburban homeowners want to preserve their views; urban renters want to prevent gentrification. This article, about a Bay Area city manager who changes his mind about development, offers some hope for the future. (15 min)

+ Here’s more about Bay Area NIMBYs and why it’s so expensive to build in San Francisco.

Which article did you appreciate the most? Let me know by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s seven new subscribers, including Carol, Kate, Aly, Marisa, Janice, and David. I hope that you find this newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox. My thanks go to loyal readers Marni and Rita for getting the word out!

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

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!

#231: They Sold Human Beings Here

Good morning, loyal readers! This week’s issue is two parts history, two parts hobbies. The backlash against The 1619 Project continues unabated, and this week’s lead article, a photo essay documenting slave auction sites, serves as a reminder of its importance. History buffs will also want to read the second piece, which rebuts the common explanation of mass incarceration over the past 50 years.

If you don’t like history, or you’re looking for a new hobby, head past the fold, where you’ll find potential pastimes, like becoming a busybody and climbing high peaks. Please enjoy!

+ It was an honor to interview Paul Tough, author of The Years That Matter Most, as part of this month’s Article Club. In this podcast episode, Mr. Tough answered our questions about how he wrote and reported “Getting an A,” the heartwarming story of a first-semester college student, her professor, and introductory calculus.

They Sold Human Beings Here

More than 1.2 million men, women, and children were bought and sold in the United States between 1760 and 1860. So common were slave auctions that some people were sold six times in their lives, sometimes split from their families. While 1,800 monuments still exist to extol the Confederacy, most slave auction sites remain unmarked and forgotten. This piece, an addendum to The 1619 Project, aims to prevent history from disappearing. (16 min)

+ Proponents of 1776 should read the part about what happened after Thomas Jefferson died.

Not The New Jim Crow: The Economic Origins Of Mass Incarceration

I’m a fan of Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, which argues that mass incarceration emerged as a racist strategy to maintain a caste system in the United States. But in this well-researched essay, John Clegg offers a different perspective, asserting that the post-World War II baby boom and the rise of suburbanization left cities lacking in jobs and education, which resulted in a rise in violent crime. Instead of investing in social programs, liberals and conservatives agreed on prisons instead. (44 min)

Going The Distance (And Beyond) To Catch Marathon Cheaters

We all have our hobbies. Derek Murphy spends his time exposing marathon cheaters. He has a website and a podcast, where he posts charts, photos, and screenshots to nab course cutters who otherwise would hoodwink their way to the Boston Marathon. It’s all for the integrity of the sport, Derek says. But after his righteous reporting disqualified 70-year-old runner Frank Meza, everything changed. (26 min)

Love And Lhotse

While some people like to expose marathon cheaters, others prefer climbing the face of Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world, then skiing down. After suffering significant loss, Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison found answers to the meaning of life as they entered the Death Zone, the netherworld above 8,000 meters where the body breaks down. “To a large degree, the mountains saved my life,” Jim says. “They created a space for me to thrive and find happiness and feel alive.” (23 min)

Did you like today’s issue? Please let me know by clicking on the thumbs-up or -down below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s two new subscribers, Linda and MJ. I hope that you find this newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

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

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!

#230: Is Cannabis The Answer To Everything?

Happy Thursday and good morning, loyal readers! — that is, unless you live on the East Coast, or in Europe, or you’re Anne in Japan. If it’s not 9:10 am in your neck of the woods, hit reply and demand a correction. After all, this newsletter is growing, you deserve the best, and facts are facts.

Today’s lead article, which charts the rise of the cannabis wellness industry, and the second piece, which details the plight of the nuclear family, talk to each other in an intriguing way. They’re both about the stress and isolation of modern society, and both offer possible remedies to ameliorate the pain. If you have time to read both, it’ll be worth it. If you do, let me know what you thought!

If you’re looking for something more awe-inspiring, head directly to the bottom for an uplifting dose of grizzly bears. Then end your reading session with the absurd, a story of two middle-aged white men fighting over a few feet of a river shore. Enjoy!

+ Article Club keeps getting better and better! This month, we’re reading and discussing Paul Tough’s “Getting an A,” and Mr. Tough generously answered our questions this week, which I’ll publish as a podcast episode this Sunday. If you’re interested in what Article Club is all about, there’s still time to join. To find out more, go here, here, or sign up for our in-person or online discussions on Feb. 23.

Is Cannabis the Answer to Everything?

Now that weed is legal in many states, and the stigma of its use has declined, the wellness industry has swooped in, promising health-conscious women with disposable income a trendy new way to practice self-care, decrease anxiety, and juggle the pressures of late-stage capitalism — while making sure to look good at the same time. Author Lauren McKeon offers this well-written perspective from Canada, asserting that while cannabis may not solve all our problems, at least it’s better than kale. (22 min)

+ Which do you prefer: Flow, Ease, Calm, or Lift?

The Nuclear Family Was A Mistake

The mid-20th century American model of the nuclear family was a “freakish historical moment” that didn’t exist beforehand, wasn’t equitable at the time, and no longer exists now, argues David Brooks in this well-researched essay. A better structure is the extended family, which emphasizes connection, offers a safety net in times of need, helps raise children, and supports the elderly. The question is whether we can rebuild that ideal, or whether it’s too late. (41 min)

+ Get ready for some startling statistics about how our society has changed. Hit reply and let me know which one you found most surprising.

A Line In The Sand Over River Rights

You hate the rat race of the city, and you love the outdoors, and your dream is to buy a cottage on the bank of the woodsy Russian River in Northern California, so you can finally achieve some peace. But then you find out that your backyard is actually public land, so any dolt can dock his canoe on your shore and drink Buds with his homies. What happens next? Read this and find out. (20 min)

+ Are you Team John or Team Mark?

www.outsideonline.com

Bear Dreaming: Of Wonder In Winter

Grizzly bears really know how to relax. After spending their summers gobbling enough salmon to reach their recommended 30,000 calories a day, grizzlies prep their dens for the winter and get ready to enter a state of torpor (not hibernation!), where over the next five months, they barely breathe, don’t eat or pee or poop, and lose 30 pounds, while they also manage to give birth, nurse their cubs, and maintain their muscle mass. (9 min)

+ Here’s 47 minutes of grizzly goodness.

+ Reader Annotations: After reading last week’s lead article, “How To End Traffic,” loyal reader Erik, a proud Honda Fit owner, did not appreciate that I’m thinking of limiting the time I spend in my car. He wrote, “I love my Fit! It is so reliable! But I’m concerned that the tire indicator is always on.” You and me both, Erik.

Did you like today’s issue? Please let me know by clicking on the thumbs-up or -down below. Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s six new subscribers: Jessica, Edison, Mark, Andrew, Cammie, and Jess. I hope that you find this newsletter a welcome addition to your Thursday email inbox.

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

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!

#229: How To End Traffic

I spend way more time in my Honda Fit than I care to admit. Given where I live, and where I work, and my access to public transit, I could easily modify my behavior and reduce my harm to the environment. But it’s easier to stay warm in the mornings, listen to podcasts on my commute, and spend time worrying about climate change. Is this you, too? If so, let me know if today’s lead article makes you change your habits.

Also this week, enjoy articles about how technology can make education worse, how technology can make music better, and how Las Vegas is more than just slot machines and Sting.

+ If you want to deepen your reading and connect with other thoughtful people, join February’s Article Club. This month, we’re discussing Paul Tough’s “Getting an A,” from his outstanding book The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes Or Breaks Us. If you’re a teacher or a parent, or you care about social equity, or you like outstanding writing, go here to learn more and to sign up.

How To End Traffic

Cars kill people, contribute to global warming, and cause us to avoid our fellow humans, thereby preventing opportunities to build community. This article, which suggests that we follow Europe’s example, offers five ways we can aggressively reduce traffic in urban areas. My favorite: Eliminate street parking. Though I’m a total hypocrite, I agree with the writer’s premise that “places without cars are simply more pleasant places to be.” (Something tells me that Lyft and Uber aren’t the answer.) (17 min)

+ Can we do this here? Hit reply and let me know.

Technology Doesn’t Solve Racism: Surveillance Apps In The Classroom

ClassDojo, a wildly popular app among teachers, seems like a good idea: Give parents real-time data about how their kids are doing in the classroom. But in addition to privacy concerns, ClassDojo is yet another tech tool that may exacerbate racist patterns in classroom management. “Apps do not address the root cause of inequity,” says Prof. Shanara Reid-Brinkley. “These sorts of mechanisms allow teachers to be blind to their own bias.” (8 min)

The People Of Las Vegas

More than half of all Americans have visited Las Vegas, but don’t say you live there unless you’re ready for scorn. “I have often wondered whether the general ignorance about Las Vegas is born of laziness, snobbery, or an altogether more insidious impulse,” writes Amanda Fortini, in this steadfast, unapologetic ode to her city. “As a writer, as a human, no place has ever captured my attention, my imagination, and my concern as this city has.” Even if you don’t care one bit about Las Vegas, read this piece for Ms. Fortini’s writing. (22 min)

A Decade Of DJing: How Technology Changed The Art Form

If you guessed that this is the first article about DJing ever to appear in The Highlighter, you’re right. That’s why I liked this article, because reading is about learning new things, right? Sure, I knew about beatmatching and how technology has made DJing more accessible and democratic (despite its detractors). But the nuances of the sync button and the slip function? New knowledge. (Vaporwave and lo-fi house, too.) (10 min)

+ Did you learn something new, too? Let me know.

+ Reader Annotations: An anonymous loyal reader loved “Becoming A Man” and shared these thoughts:

The article is beautifully written and does a good job of describing the writer’s experience moving from an oppressed group to that of the oppressor (and how he enjoyed aspects of this). I think about my own kid and her (current pronoun) experience being seen differently according to her outward appearance. I think she associates power and freedom to being a boy. But once in that power, she doesn’t feel right, like it’s not earned and so doesn’t make use of it. This piece speaks to that navigation of moving through the world with those societal expectations weighing heavy on our hearts and bodies.

Loyal reader Samantha wondered whether the trend described in “Death-Positive Millennials Are Planning Their Funerals Early” could be explained by one journalist’s reporting, rather than a general pattern:

I’m curious as to how many of the millennials the writer got their information from experienced death of others, especially at a younger age or unexpectedly. Two people they spoke about had recently lost someone themselves. One lost a grandparent, and though they did not say the grandparent’s age, it did seem unexpected. Another, at the end, had just lost three people in a short period of time. I’m not sure if it’s millennials thinking more about death (it could be though because I do think we want to make things less taboo) or if it’s just people who have experienced a certain type of loss because it becomes more a part of your reality.

Thank you very much for these contributions. Loyal readers, keep your thoughts coming. I welcome your ideas and respond to every email I receive. All you need to do is hit reply!

Did you like today’s issue? Please let me know by clicking on the thumbs-up or -down below. Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s new subscriber Rita. 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:

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!

#228: Messages Across The Divide

Welcome to The Highlighter, loyal readers! — whether this is your first issue, your 228th, or you’re somewhere in between. Thank you for opening this week’s issue. Yesterday I spoke with a new subscriber, who asked me why I publish this newsletter. I love this question. There are many answers. Mostly, though, the main reason is simple: I’m persuaded that there’s power when a group of thoughtful people are reading in community. I am grateful to be reading great articles with you week after week.

Today’s issue includes four pieces from a variety of perspectives and publications. I highly recommend the lead article, “Messages Across The Divide,” especially if you’re an educator or a parent. The others — exploring masculinity, death, and gentrification — are also worth your time. My hope is that you’ll carve out at least 30 minutes this week to take in an article or two. Please enjoy!

+ The inaugural month of Article Club was a huge success! We read and annotated Jia Tolentino’s “The Tyranny of the Ideal Woman,” shared our thoughts online, listened to Ms. Tolentino’s answers to our questions, and participated in discussions, both in-person and online. Want to join February’s club? Sign up here and then check your email this Sunday at 9:10 am, when I’ll reveal what we’re reading next. I’m excited, and I hope you are, too.

Messages Across The Divide

Author Zach Wyner is a writing coach in the Bay Area, and one night in a library in North Berkeley, a 14-year-old boy asks him why we should care about homeless people. Isn’t their plight an effect of their poor choices? Before Mr. Wyner can answer, his phone buzzes with desperate texts from a young man he mentors, four years out of juvenile hall, still at risk for homelessness, asking for diapers and food for his infant son. What to do? In our divided times of increasing inequality, many educators find themselves stuck in the middle. Mr. Wyner writes, “We watch people living out their lives on opposite sides of a chasm. Occasionally, the chasm winks, reminding us of our responsibility to keep delivering messages to the other side.” What happens next is a brilliant move of teaching. (12 min)

+ Would you have done the same thing? Hit reply and share your thoughts.

+ Thank you to loyal reader Sele for submitting this outstanding essay.

Becoming a Man

What does it mean to be a man? In this poignant, moving article, P. Carl offers his perspective, sharing what he’s learned about masculinity from his father, his father-in-law, and his own transition. The writing is raw and at times disturbing. “I see the flaws of men,” Mr. Carl writes, “all the ways their fragility makes them dangerous and powerful and dismissive and sure that they know it all, and I love being a man.” (21 min)

Death-Positive Millennials Are Planning Their Funerals Early

Only one in three American adults have an advance directive, and only one in five have spoken with their loved ones about their wishes after they die. But Millennials are making their plans early, seeking cheaper and more sustainable alternatives to burial and cremation, using apps like WeCroak to remind themselves that life is fleeting, and joining communities that promote death positivity. (Maybe what they’re really doing is deciding who should inherit their debt.) (12 min)

Welcome To New York. Now Go Home.

I get that gentrification is bad. But I can’t sympathize with Jeremiah Moss, author of Vanishing New York, who laments that the East Village has changed since he arrived in the neighborhood in the 1990s as a young, queer, transsexual poet. Twenty-plus years later, Mr. Moss is a self-employed psychoanalyst, solidly middle class, but he still feels lonely, clutching to nostalgia, remembering how things used to be, complaining about the new people, wishing he could make the East Village great again. (30 min)

+ Why am I recommending this piece if I don’t like the author? Because it’s beautifully written. Plus I want you to tell me if I’m lacking compassion.

+ Reader Annotations: Plenty of you appreciated my nod to the TV show 227. Loyal reader Rebecca wrote, “I have to share that when I was getting my phone number, I picked the one I have because it ends with 227! Bless that show and Jackée, the first queen of my life.” Good choice on the phone number, Rebecca!

Loyal reader Martha (watch her read The Highlighter here) found “Against Empathy” (#226) thought provoking and had this to say:

I fully believe in kindness and compassion. However, the article made me think of how crippling empathy can be. It made me think of teacher burnout. I’m curious to do some more research on empathy and vicarious traumatization and if they’re in conflict. Maybe too much empathy can be traumatizing?

Thank you for reaching out, Rebecca and Martha! Loyal readers, my inbox is just an R away. Share what’s on your mind.

Which article did you like the most this week? Please let me know, and give this issue a thumbs-up or -down below. Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s four new subscribers: Sandra, Manuel, Carrie, and Adam. 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:

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!