#247: Call It What It Is

Our reading community is quite a bit bigger and stronger this week, thanks to the good word of loyal readers Luke and Bora (and likely others). If you’re new here, welcome! I’m Mark, and every week for the past five years, I’ve shared great articles on race, education, and culture, offering them to you for reflection, conversation, and action.

This week’s articles center the ideas and lived experiences of kihana miraya ross, Michelle Alexander, Doreen Oliver, and Lauren Michele Jackson. All of them are great, but my personal favorite is the last piece, “What Is An Anti-Racism List For?” which helped interrogate my thinking on the purpose of reading.

+ I warmly invite you to join Article Club this month. We’re discussing “The Mountain,” by Andrew Marantz (#217), which follows a young woman named Samantha and her transformation from campaigning for President Obama to joining the alt-right.

+ Our gathering last Thursday evening was a big success. We met new people, talked about our world right now, and listened deeply to each other. Also, loyal readers Xuan-Vu, Salem, and Eunice won prizes! I’m thinking of doing this again soon. Hit reply and let me know if you’re interested.

Call It What It Is: Anti-Blackness

kihana miraya ross: “Mr. Floyd’s brutal killing is not an exception, but rather, it is the rule in a nation that literally made Black people into things. Black people were rendered as property, built this country, spilled literal blood, sweat, and tears into the soil from which we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. The thingification of Black people is a fundamental component of the identity of this nation.” (5 min)

America, This Is Your Chance

Michelle Alexander: “Too many citizens prefer to cling to brutal and unjust systems than to give up political power, the perceived benefits of white supremacy and an exploitative economic system. If we do not learn the lessons of history and choose a radically different path forward, we may lose our last chance at creating a truly inclusive, egalitarian democracy.” (12 min)

The Cold Of Winter

Doreen Oliver: “Taking medication because life was messed up was something I was raised to believe only white people did. Also in the ‘Things Only White People Do’ box was drunk dancing, yelling indignantly at police officers, kissing pets on the mouth, and that all-time white-woman favorite, crying at work. I mean, every now and again, for better or worse, we reveled in the status of doing things that once were deemed ‘white.’ But doing anything that appeared weak? Never.” (21 min)

What Is An Anti-Racism Reading List For?

Lauren Michele Jackson: “An anti-racist reading list means well. How could it not with some of the finest authors, scholars, poets, and critics of the twentieth century among its bullet points? Still, I am left to wonder: Who is this for? The syllabus, as these lists are sometimes called, seldom instructs or guides. It is no pedagogue. I suppose the anti-racism reading list is exactly for the person who asks for it. And yet the person who has to ask can hardly be trusted in a self-directed course of study.” (6 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Phillip bristled as he read “Kid Culture” (#244) because of its lazy, unspecific definition of the term “American,” which leads to centering affluent whiteness.

I think among liberal publications, “American” has become a placeholder for upper class, mostly white. The author expressed the difficulty of having a nanny only four hours a day. What a hard life! There is not one American way that kids are raised, and race and class are large determining factors in what families decide to provide for their kids. To end the article on a tirade against capitalist consumerism, while clearly being part of the problem, made her analysis seem more trendy than authentic, more of an act of what is believed to be the right line of thinking without any self-reflection. (That is probably the most “American” thing about the article! But then, I’m using the word in the same limited way.)

Thank you for your insightful thoughts, Phillip. If an article from today’s issue resonated with you, reach out and share your ideas!

It is unfortunate, I know, but you’ve reached the end of this week’s newsletter. Thank you for reading it. Let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below.

Also, let’s welcome our community’s 57 new subscribers, including Amy, Josh, Nora, Sam, Chris, Jessica, Elliot, Wes, Johan, Chevy, Nicci, Gordon, Ted, John, Tiff, Charlie, Chrisanne, Jen, Claire, Richard, Davin, Ken, Nate, Keeley, Max, Emily, Chris, Sabrina, Hudson, Kim, Louis, Wes, and 25 others. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid 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 this newsletter isn’t something you look forward to every week, or if you read it only once in a while, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#246: No One Is Coming To Save Us

Thank you very much, loyal readers, for opening today’s issue of the newsletter. This week, Bryan Stevenson said, “We have never honestly addressed all the damage that was done during the two and a half centuries that we enslaved black people. The great evil of American slavery wasn’t the involuntary servitude; it was the fiction that Black people aren’t as good as white people, and aren’t the equals of white people, and are less evolved, less human, less capable, less worthy, less deserving than white people. That ideology of white supremacy was necessary to justify enslavement, and it is the legacy of slavery that we haven’t acknowledged. This is why I have argued that slavery didn’t end in 1865, it evolved.”

This week’s articles center the ideas and lived experiences of Roxane Gay, Ibram X. Kendi, A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez, and Nikole Hannah-Jones. My hope is that you find the pieces valuable for possible reflection, conversation, and action.

+ I’m hosting a small gathering tonight if you’re interested in connecting with other thoughtful members of our reading community. It’d be heartwarming to see you there. Reply if you’re in, and I’ll email you the Zoom link. Bring a beverage of your choice. We’ll begin at 5:30 pm PT and be in dialogue for an hour or so.

No One Is Coming To Save Us

Roxane Gay: “Eventually, doctors will find a coronavirus vaccine, but Black people will continue to wait, despite the futility of hope, for a cure for racism. We will live with the knowledge that a hashtag is not a vaccine for white supremacy. We live with the knowledge that, still, no one is coming to save us. The rest of the world yearns to get back to normal. For Black people, normal is the very thing from which we yearn to be free.” (6 min)

The American Nightmare

Ibram X. Kendi: “Their American dream—that this is a land of equal opportunity, committed to freedom and equality, where police officers protect and serve—is a lie. Their American dream—that they have more because they are more, that when black people have more, they were given more—is a lie. Their American dream—that they have the civil right to kill black Americans with impunity and that black Americans do not have the human right to live—is a lie.” (11 min)

The Unbearable Grief Of Black Mothers

A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez: “Growing up, when my family experienced anti-Black racism from the outside world, or disrespect from men within our orbit, I used to be upset that no woman in my family had modeled authentic hurt. But now that I have two children of my own, I understand. Unattended grief is heavy and slows one down. Black mothers don’t have time to spare. My mother chose to teach me what I needed to survive.” (9 min)

Grief That White Americans Can’t Share

Nikole Hannah-Jones (2016): “We’d been here again and again, but somehow, this felt depressingly the same yet also different. Even older Black people, typically stoics from weathering things my generation has not had to, found themselves, to their alarm, crying as well.” (6 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. If you like, please share with me your thoughts. Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s six new subscribers: Kally, Vicki, Cricket, Darryl, and two others. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid addition to your Thursday email inbox. (Thank you to loyal readers Lauren and Maria for being ambassadors.)

As always, if you’re not finding that this newsletter is valuable, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am.

#245: Sense Of Strength

The weather has turned warm in the Bay Area, loyal readers, which brings me great joy and most people great pain. I’m noticing that even my climate change activist friends are secretly wishing for central air conditioning. Look on the bright side: Summer is near! (Too bad shelter in place seems to have no definite end.)

Even if the air is stifling you, at least you can grab a tall glass of lemonade and enjoy a few outstanding articles, thanks to The Highlighter. If you want to read an uplifting story about young people and their principal, this week’s lead article is for you. If you’re a white person, I encourage the second piece, which offers context to the racist tragedies occurring over the past month. The last two articles — a reflection on cocoons and a biography of James Hemings — are worth your time, too. Please enjoy!

+ Join us at HHH #14 next Thursday, June 4! We’ll meet on Zoom, 5:30 - 6:30 pm PT. Bring a beverage of your choice and meet great people, win significant prizes, and participate in general merriment. All you need to do is hit reply and say, “I’m in!”

Sense Of Strength

Towana Pierre-Floyd grew up in New Orleans and now serves as principal of Frederick A. Douglass High School. She believes that the best way to prepare Black students to succeed in college is to remind them that they come from a long line of brilliant people, and because they’re standing on the shoulders of giants, they have to do great things in return.

To that end, Ms. Pierre-Floyd takes groups of students overseas every year to expand their perspectives and to engage in a “global legacy of excellence.” This article chronicles a trip she took to Belize with 25 students. Along the way, you meet 15-year-old Endiah Guyton, learn more about the challenges of New Orleans schools post-Katrina, and discover that the best way to fry fresh barracuda is with no cornmeal at all. (34 min)

The White Space

“Black people are required to navigate the white space as a condition of their existence,” professor Elijah Anderson writes in this academic article that explores how racism requires that Black people perform for white people’s provisional acceptance, a sort of “dance” in order to ”pass inspection,” a conditional allowance that can be rescinded at any time. Written in 2015, Prof. Anderson includes two anecdotes that mirror the events involving Ahmaud Arbery and Christian Cooper. (20 min)

The Truth About Cocoons

As a kid, I loved dinosaurs, but honestly, the whole caterpillar-to-butterfly metamorphosis thing never grabbed my interest. Good thing Sam Anderson gave me another chance many, many years later. This essay on cocoons (or chrysalises) accurately captures our current state living in this global pandemic. Maybe our lives are “cramped and dim” and “unpleasant and grim” right now, but Mr. Anderson assures us, “We are in the middle of creating whatever the new world will be. We did it, and we are doing it, every day.” (10 min)

America’s First Connoisseur

The musical Hamilton taught us that Thomas Jefferson liked being fancy. But it didn’t say anything about James Hemings, the most accomplished American chef of the 1700s, who prepared the menu for “the room where it happened,” and who spent most of his life as Mr. Jefferson’s property, alongside his more-famous sister Sally. This is by no means an uplifting story, but particularly if you’re a foodie, you’ll appreciate references to Chef Hemings’s signature dishes (including capon stuffed with Virginia ham). (13 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Last week’s article, “We Cannot Return To Campus This Fall,” caused a stir. Here’s what loyal reader Hannah thought:

I agree with your thoughts on Harley Litzelman’s article. My main problem with it is that it assumes that Distance Learning is better than the reality that he is describing. While I agree with him, that his reality isn’t great, I’m not convinced that the alternatives are better. Having watched my students struggle through the last two months, I worry deeply about what will happen to them in the fall. I do appreciate his analysis of some of the problems with trying to social distance at schools, but I wish he acknowledged the strengths that the schools have with in-person learning, rather than only their deficits.

Thank you for sharing your perspective, Hannah. Loyal readers, I value your perspective. Please reach out and share your thoughts!

Did you find at least one good article? Hope so. Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. Let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s two new subscribers JoDee and Rae. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid 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 you’re not finding that this newsletter is valuable, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

#244: Shadowland

Happy Thursday, loyal readers, and thank you for opening today’s issue of The Highlighter. A couple weeks ago, as VIP Summer was sharing her wisdom in a podcast episode for Article Club, I was reminded of a simple and powerful fact: There’s a lot of trust you’re giving me when I choose articles and suggest that you read them. It’s all wonderful and generous, and if I haven’t said it lately, I’ll say it now: Thank you. I appreciate you, your readership, and the reading community we’re building.

Now let’s get to this week’s selections. Even if you’re not fascinated by conspiracy theorists, or wonder how regular people become radicalized to believe in the politics of the far right, I highly recommend this week’s lead article, especially if you care about the future of our country. I can’t stop thinking about it. The other three pieces are also strong. They focus on a range of topics, including the unacceptable rates of diabetic amputations in the South, the challenges of opening schools safely in the Fall, and the seemingly inevitable forces that drive parents insane. Enjoy!

+ Should we have HHH on Thursday, June 4? Yes, HHH is best in person, but we can’t do that, unfortunately. But if joining one more Zoom doesn’t sound excruciating, I’d love to see all of you, invite you to chat with other thoughtful readers, and give out prizes (of course). (If you’d prefer a collective silent reading hour, without all the banter, I like that idea, too.) Hit reply if you’re in!

QAnon Is More Important Than You Think

We can laugh at conspiracy theorists all we want. We can reject their politics, call them extremists, and deride their way of looking at the world. But this outstanding article by Adrienne LaFrance convincingly argues that QAnon has organized once-disparate conspiracy theories into a powerful force that is gaining power and threatening to spread mainstream.

Ms. LaFrance writes: “It is a movement united in mass rejection of reason, objectivity, and other Enlightenment values. And we are likely closer to the beginning of its story than the end. The group harnesses paranoia to fervent hope and a deep sense of belonging. The way it breathes life into an ancient preoccupation with end-times is also radically new. To look at QAnon is to see not just a conspiracy theory but the birth of a new religion.” (41 min)

+ Don’t be scared, but Republican voters in Oregon voted for Jo Rae Perkins to be their nominee for Senate in their primary this week.

The Black American Amputation Epidemic

In the Mississippi Delta, if you’re Black, have diabetes, and go to your doctor with poor circulation, chances are you might lose a limb, even though diabetic amputations are the most preventable surgery in the country. Dr. Foluso Fakorede, one of the few Black cardiologists in the state, is on a mission to serve his Black patients, fight against racist practices in the medical and health care fields, and disrupt longstanding beliefs that life outcomes for some Americans can’t be improved. (33 min)

+ This is Lizzie Presser’s fourth feature in The Highlighter. See also #80, #96, and #164.

We Cannot Return To Campus This Fall

No, I don’t agree with Oakland teacher Harley Litzelman when he says that we shouldn’t try to open schools in the Fall. But his writing is vibrant, and his vision of the challenges ahead are spot on. I’m not a fan of his smug, pugilistic tone and his suggestion that only teachers know enough about education to make decisions. Plus his proposed solution isn’t good for kids, especially those who are most vulnerable. But I’ll give Mr. Litzelman credit: This is a provocative article that got me thinking. (27 min)

+ Thank you to loyal readers Laura H, Geoff, and Trisha for this piece. Educators, hit reply and share your thoughts!

Why Are American Children Treated As A Different Species Than Adults?

All parents want the best for their children. But only in the United States has this natural desire led parents to insanity. As Sarah Menkedick argues, there’s no need to invest in a “kid culture” that separates family from community life. Kids don’t need trampoline parks and summer camps all the time. But because we conceptualize parenthood as a project, and non-parents prefer that children stay home, and capitalism sucks every minute out of an otherwise healthy childhood, it’s not easy for parents to resist the hamster wheel. (18 min)

+ Interested in more? Ms. Mendekick’s new book, Ordinary Insanity, is receiving rave reviews.

Did you find any good articles? Hope so. Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. Let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s five new subscribers, including Claire, Katie, Nathalie, and Mara. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid addition to your Thursday email inbox. (Thank you, loyal reader Phillip, for the referral.)

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 you opened today’s issue by mistake and actually want the newsletter to disappear, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am!

#243: Only A Mile And A Big World Separated Us

We’ve reached the middle of May, loyal readers! I’m happy to announce that I’m noticing more high-quality, non-pandemic articles lately, and today’s issue of The Highlighter includes four selections worthy of your time and attention.

Leading this week’s issue is “Only A Mile And A Big World Separated Us,” a big, well-written piece that I recommend highly. The second article, about an anti-gay woman and her gay son, is also excellent. Then take time for Tuba, in his first appearance since Issue #198, before diving into a pair of articles about Ahmaud Arbery and the differences in running when you’re Black vs. when you’re white. I hope you find the articles valuable and illuminating.

+ The Highlighter Hoodie is coming, at long last! What color should it be? Hit reply and vote your conscience.

Only A Mile And A Big World Separated Us

“This is an All-American story about two kids from the east side of Baltimore.” So begins this riveting, profound essay by D. Watkins, who came of age as a Black man in the same working-class neighborhood as Daniel Hersl, a white man. Even though they grew up just one mile apart, their lives diverged in disturbingly predictable ways according to the racist inequities of our society. Mr. Watkins sold crack before he got out of the game and got into college; Mr. Hersl became a police officer and terrorized Black men before he got convicted of stealing from drug dealers.

In clear and convincing prose, Mr. Watkins argues that law enforcement policies like broken windows, zero tolerance, and stop-and-frisk, which led inexorably to mass incarceration, also vilified Black men as superpredators while their white counterparts were honored as superheroes.

Mr. Watkins writes, “America didn’t give me any tools to change, and it didn’t give Daniel Hersl any reason to change. But instead of addressing these problems, it treats us both as exceptions, rewarding me and locking him away, so that it can forget about these particular East Baltimore boys and let the game go on.” (41 min)

An Anti-Gay Crusader And Her Gay Son Were Making It Work. Then Came Trump.

When Matthew Mason came out to his family, his pro-life, pro-gun, anti-gay mother Mylinda kicked him out of the “Patriotic Cottage,” also known as the house. But like many conservative families, which separate their public hate from their private love, Matthew and Mylinda did not let the separation detract from their connection. But then, President Trump got elected, and Mylinda organized a straight rights rally in Modesto, California, which changed everything. (27 min)

The Killing Of Ahmaud Arbery

Of all the articles I’ve read on the horrific killing of Ahmaud Arbery, this one by Charles Blow stands out for its direct language and simple truth. He writes, “Slavery was legal. The Black Codes were legal. Sundown towns were legal. Sharecropping was legal. Jim Crow was legal. Racial covenants were legal. Mass incarceration is legal. Chasing a black man or boy with your gun because you suspect him a criminal is legal. Using lethal force as an act of self-defense in a physical dispute that you provoke and could easily have avoided is, often, legal.” (5 min)

This Trail Is Not Your Trail

Jonathan Severy is a white man who likes to run on trails in the Rocky Mountains that don’t belong to him. When his neighbors remind him that he’s trespassing on private property, Dr. Severy appeals to their humanity, which results in mild skirmishes, threats of lawsuits, and the brandishing of iPads (for photographic evidence). He’s indignant. “Americans’ idea of community is becoming less cohesive, while our focus contracts inward. We become more suspicious of others, more concerned with ourselves. We feel victimized.” (11 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Daniel liked last week’s lead article, “Full-Timing Families” and shared these thoughts:

I was particularly taken with the idea of “roadschooling.” But even so, I feel like the article presents a false binary: Either you are full-time on the road, or you are living in our usual “rat race.” I grew up in a family that valued home and time together more than those things were valued by most other families I know. And because my father was a teacher and had summers away from work, we took several multi-month cross-country road trips — all without leaving the permanence of home, school, and job. Being on the road for two months is much more than most people ever get. So I think that, rather than “either-or,” it may be possible to have “both-and.”

Thank you, Daniel, for reading the piece and reaching out with your connections. Loyal readers, if an article this week resonated with you, please hit reply and start a dialogue.

You did it again! Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. Let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s five new subscribers Amy, Scriber, Lux, Alison, and Adam. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid addition to your Thursday email inbox. (Thank you, loyal reader George, for the referral.)

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!

#242: Full-Timing Families 🚐

It’s Thursday, loyal readers, which means it’s time for another installment of great articles on race, education, and culture. Thank you for being an important part of our reading community!

Today’s issue explores two trends emerging from the pandemic. The first is the growing desire to escape our cooped-up conditions and to branch out into the wider world. The second is the increasing reliance on technology and its questionable impact on identity and humanity. If you want more lighthearted, go with the first pair of articles; if you want more serious, go with the second pair. As for my favorite this week, I can’t decide between “The Rise of Full-Timing Families” or “What Happens After You Get Rich Quick?” They will elicit various emotions. Please enjoy!

+ Congratulations to Nikole Hannah-Jones for winning her first Pulitzer Prize for commentary. Her winning essay was the lead article in Issue #205 last August. Ms. Hannah-Jones is, in my mind, the best writer right now on race and education.

+ I’d like to see more of you try out Article Club this month. Go ahead, take the leap! We’re discussing “Lost in Summerland,” by Barrett Swanson, a powerful story about two brothers, mental illness, psychic powers, summer camp, and painful secrets. You can learn more here and sign up for this month’s discussion.

The Rise Of Full-Timing Families

Are you tired of shelter in place? Maybe it’s time to buy a van or trailer (like two of my friends did this past weekend), hit the road, and explore the great outdoors! Better yet, you may opt for a more permanent solution, like #vanlife. If you’re really advanced, becoming a full-time traveling family might be right for you.

More than 1 million Americans now live in their RVs. For Robyn and Victor Robledo and their five children, the decision was simple. Feeling empty, like something was missing, they chose to “focus on what’s truly important,” to go “against the grain.” After all, full-timing families say, the true American dream is to seek freedom and adventure, not to accumulate property.

But if you join the movement, be sure to get a blog, jump on Facebook, establish your YouTube channel, and have a plan to monetize. Also, remember that your RV chugs gas and that it’s better to be financially independent (and a white evangelical) before you head off. (14 min)

What Happens After You Get Rich Quick? The World Of The Retired Dropshipper

If you really want to get away, maybe dropshipping in Bali is the best way to go. Mike Vestil can help you buy junk on Alibaba, sell it to Europeans over Instagram, learn about “sexual transmutation,” and spend the bulk of your time shirtless by the pool with the ladies. (The remainder of your time goes to YouTube.) But if you’re like most dropshippers and go bankrupt, you can leave your villa in Canggu and settle on Bukabuka, like Thomas Despin, and have the island’s 20 residents build you a bathroom with electricity and running water. It’s all about being a man and reinventing yourself, right? (17 min)

Queer Visibility At The Self-Checkout Line

Alyse Burnside likes to take selfies with her partner in the Target self-checkout line. She’s done it with every partner she’s had. It’s irresistible, she says. It’s her act of resistance, a way of being seen as a queer person in this digital, capitalist world. As queer people become more mainstream, and marriage is legal, Ms. Burnside feels more invisible — that belonging means giving something away. Taking selfies and posting them online “feels in some small way like taking back my own image, to reframe surveillance as something other than an attempt to monitor consumers, to create collective experience by sharing it online.” (14 min)

Test Anxiety: When Someone Watches You While You Take Your Final Exam Online

No matter your feelings on the topic, online learning is here to stay. This means plenty more Zoom, Google Classroom, and challenges to the humanity of teaching and learning. One creepy trend is the rise of online test proctoring, where a representative from Examity or Proctorio watches you (and you alone) while you take your exam online. “We closely watch the face of the student to see if there is something suspicious, or if the student is trying to mumble something to somebody else outside the room.” Students aren’t pleased, calling the experience “creepy” and “invasive.” (15 min)

How do you do it? Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. 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 Camille, Leigh Ann, Charlotte, and Samella. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid addition to your Thursday email inbox. (Thank you, loyal reader Jeannette, for the referral.)

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!

#241: The Kitchen Is Closed

Thank you for opening today’s issue, loyal readers, and I hope that all of you are holding up. Is this your first issue? Welcome. Is this your gazillionth issue? Welcome back. I’m happy you’re here.

This week’s lead article, a chef’s account of the closing of her restaurant, is the first piece I’m highlighting that is related to the novel coronavirus. I highly recommend it. You won’t see The Highlighter transitioning to all-COVID, all-the-time, but if an article offers perspective and is written well, you’ll find it here.

If you subscribe to this newsletter to escape current events, rest assured, the other selections will please you. You can learn about an Alaska Native teacher’s efforts to decolonize her classroom. Or you can worry about the state of marriage. Or you can decide, once and for all, whether Marie Kondo sparks joy. Read one or all of these articles, and hit reply to share your thoughts. Please enjoy!

+ I’m excited to announce that Article Club will be reading and discussing “Lost in Summerland,” by Barrett Swanson, starting this Sunday. This is easily one of my favorite articles so far this year. Also, Mr. Swanson will be participating in one of our discussions on May 24. Join us!

My Restaurant Was My Life For 20 Years. Does The World Need It Anymore?

The pandemic forced chef Gabrielle Hunter to shutter Prune, the bistro she opened in the East Village in 1999. In this well-written essay, Ms. Hunter eulogizes her restaurant, gets real about the challenges of the industry, and waxes sentimental, then existential, on whether any of our pursuits in life deserve to exist after they’re gone. Toward the end, Ms. Hunter’s emotions mount, with anger and sadness and nostalgia all mixed together, as she laments not only the end of Prune, but also the neighborhood she loved. (26 min)

+ Thanks to loyal reader Rosa for recommending this article. You can also listen to the piece here.

The Alaska Native Teacher Upending The Legacy Of Colonial Education

Growing up in the 1970s, Alaska Native Josephine Tatauq Bourdon attended a colonial school designed to erase her Inupiaq values and accelerate assimilation into Western culture. But ever since she became a teacher, Ms. Bourdon has resisted capitalist constructs of education, building classrooms and curricula rooted in collective and environmental responsibility, with an emphasis on stewardship of the land. “The land is our life. The land is our livelihood. It feeds our bodies, minds, spirit, and soul.” (16 min)

+ One of my favorite articles on education is about how the Inupiat people rebuilt their curriculum.

Marriage Is Dead, Sure. But Don’t Worry. Pair-Bonding Is Alive And Here To Stay.

Around the world, marriage is plummeting, striking fear into proponents of the conservative nuclear family. But according to Manvir Singh, marriage’s decline is nothing to fret over. People are still coupling up, cohabitating, and rearing children. With women gaining power, and states extending rights to domestic partnerships, cohabitation is “like a subscription,” whereas the institution of marriage is reserved “for love.” (18 min)

+ Maybe the nuclear family was a big mistake in the first place, argues David Brooks in Issue #230.

Marie Kondo Cleaned House. Now She Wants To Fix Your Whole Life

Longtime subscribers, did you think that I’d forgotten about Marie Kondo? Not a chance. The “millennial doyenne of decluttering” sparks such joy (and opposing emotions), I’d be remiss if I didn’t keep you posted about Ms. Kondo’s new plans to tidy up office spaces (and small towns), expand to executive coaching, and sell you items to promote her minimalist lifestyle, like this $75 tuning fork, meant to restore balance, on her website. (15 min)

+ More Marie Kondo? Sure: #51, #65, #175.

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Katherine read last week’s lead article, “Childhood In An Anxious Age,” with great interest:

As someone relatively new to parenting, and someone who is a bit anxious (example: I hate when my sleeves are too far down on my wrists and I’m far too willing to accommodate when my 1-year-old is upset that her sleeve is slightly wrong…I know how crazy this is), I was really interested. The statistics at the beginning were terrifying and upsetting, but the article got more upbeat as it went on, suggesting totally normal solutions. I think it boils down to what I’ve always thought: We need a more family-friendly society. Happy adults, happier kids. If only America could take some lessons from Scandinavians in this area (and others).

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your thoughts! Loyal readers, don’t be shy. Hit reply.

You did it again! Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. Let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s six new subscribers Leslie, Ramsey, Listory, Shreya, Rebecca, and Bill. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid addition to your Thursday email inbox. (Thank you, loyal reader Joycelin, for the referrals!)

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!

#240: Childhood In An Anxious Age

Happy Thursday, loyal readers, and thank you for opening today’s issue, whether this is your first or your 240th. This week’s issue features articles on how best to parent anxious children, why so many streets are named after Confederate generals, what makes the U.S. Postal Service so special, and how swimming is the most transformative type of exercise. (I still like running better.) If you’re a parent or a teacher, definitely read the lead article; if you like history, go with the second one; if you’re feeling sentimental, start with the photo of Miki, then read the whole second half. Enjoy!

+ I have a question for you: You’re sheltering in place, working from home, homeschooling your kids, worrying about your family and friends, and maybe navigating your partner. When and how are you finding the time and space to read? Please hit reply to tell me your secrets, or if you prefer, get your voice out there. I’ll share some tips and tricks next week.

Childhood In An Anxious Age

Not every kid who is scared of the dark or who demands chicken tenders every night is going to experience mental health problems as an adult. But anxiety among children is real, is growing, and needs to be addressed.

The problem, according to Kate Julian, is not that we ignore our children’s anxiety but that we coddle and accommodate them too much. About 95 percent of parents, experiencing high levels of stress themselves, choose to avoid conflict with their children, steering them away from potential harm before tantrums emerge. But “short-term pain leads to long-term gain,” psychologists say, and the best way to teach children to cope with their anxious emotions is to treat the parents. (43 min)

+ Want to see some of my highlights of the print article? Here they are!

Confederacy In The Hood

Born and raised in Harlem, Benjamin Israel moved to Hollywood, Florida, liked the weather and stayed, but began to wonder why many of the streets in the Black neighborhood were named after Confederate generals, including Nathan Bedford Forrest, the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. So Mr. Israel started making speeches at the city council meetings, excoriated the absurdity of Shelby Foote and the Lost Cause, demanded the streets be renamed, and didn’t stop until he prevailed. (18 min)

+ This piece by Deirdre Mask is an excerpt from her new book, The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power.

An Ode To The Post Office

Sure, we have email and Slack, Google Docs and PDFs, and digital subscriptions to periodicals. But there’s no substitute to receiving a real letter or having a care package arrive on your stoop. In this classic essay, Jesse Lichtenstein argues that while the U.S. Postal Service may never make money, it’s a miracle nonetheless, delivering 160 billion pieces of mail a year, thanks to its 227,000 postal carriers, 32,000 post offices, and 2,000-member police force. “It’s what binds us together as a country.” (44 min)

+ This article is dedicated to loyal reader Beth, a longtime ardent supporter of the USPS.

Why Do We Swim?

People tell me I should give up running “before it’s too late” and take up swimming instead. Not a huge fan of being wet or cold, I typically demur, but reading this romantic, sentimental piece encouraged me to give water another try once the pandemic passes. Bonnie Tsui writes, “Swimming is a way for us to remember how to play,” and suggests that being in the water improves our breathing, our relationship with our bodies, and our connection to the vastness of the sea. (6 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Last week’s “Baking Bread In Lyon” struck a chord. Not able to contain his excitement, loyal reader Tyler said the article “was sooooo good.” Loyal reader Phoebe wrote, “It was such a nice balm for these times.” And loyal reader Marna took things to the next level:

I woke this morning and saw that I had enough overripe bananas to make bread. As I read the baking piece, the aroma of the bread filled my kitchen. Thank you for making my morning more beautiful.

Also popular last week was “Hiking In The Woods With My Curmudgeonly Big Brother.” Loyal reader Martha, who encourages you to check out her YouTube channel, where she hosts live readings of The Highlighter (also in Spanish), liked the article because “I’ve been in a sappy mood and miss my family” and felt like the piece “read like a love letter.” Sharing a similar mood, loyal reader Hannah wrote that the piece brought her to tears:

I loved the article about the brothers. It totally made me cry (which seems to be happening more frequently than it used to), and was a wonderful reminder of the strength of sibling relationships and the beauty of loving people for who they are.

I love hearing from you, learning that the articles resonate with you, and building this reading community together. Go ahead, hit reply, and share your thoughts.

You did it again! Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter. 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, including Nêy, Jac, Cat, and Lindsay. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid 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:

  • Convince a friend or family member to subscribe

  • Share the newsletter on FB or IG or Twitter (bonus: TikTok)

  • Make The Highlighter Hoodie a reality by buying me a coffee

  • Become a VIP member and bask in fancy surprise perks

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!

#239: On Anger, Autism, and Blackness

On-Anger-Autism-and-Blackness-3.jpg

Happy Thursday, loyal readers! I wish you health, safety, and plenty of reading in these strange and scary times. This week’s quest for well-written articles (not relating to the pandemic) resulted in many hours of scouring 70-plus publications for hidden gems, and I have to say, I was pleased with my luck. This week’s lead article, “On Anger, Autism, and Blackness” explores the interaction between racism and developmental disorders that may broaden your thinking. The other pieces — focusing on homeownership, French bakeries, and hiking with your curmudgeonly big brother — are worth your time, too. But if you can manage to read just one article this week, my vote, by far, is for “Baking Bread in Lyon.” Enjoy!

+ Have you been meaning to tell me about that one article you read a couple weeks ago that you loved? What are you waiting for? There’s no need to delay. Hit reply and share your thoughts.

On Anger, Autism, And Blackness

“I have dreams about my sister killing me,” Kat Lewis writes, “because my sister makes me fear for my own safety.” So begins this raw personal account about growing up with an autistic sibling who suffers from violent fits of rage. Her sister Remi’s mental illness is magnified by racist trolls on YouTube and Confederate flags along the highway. “She understands racism and sexism and how prejudice influences others’ perceptions of her,” Kat writes. “What she doesn’t understand is how to process and cope with her own Blackness.” Eventually, Remi’s pent-up anger erupts, causing Kat to question her relationship with her sister, pushing her to fight or flee, rather than to engage. (13 min)

Making A Home That’s Affordable

In rapidly gentrifying Houston, Regina Daniels wanted to buy a house in a nice neighborhood without breaking the bank. She succeeded by partnering with the Houston Community Land Trust, purchasing a three-bedroom home for just $725 a month. The catch? Ms. Daniels doesn’t own the land. Serving as an alternative to traditional housing assistance programs, nonprofit community land trusts provide permanent housing solutions to lower-income first-time homebuyers. But does this model offer an equitable path to wealth? (20 min)

Baking Bread In Lyon

I have this joke that I’m going to quit my job to open up a scone store, but otherwise, I’m no baker, nor do I have dreams of moving to France to apprentice at a boulangerie. Good thing Bill Buford did, because in this beautiful story, we get to meet Bob the baker from Lyon, learn his secrets to making delicious baguettes (answer: the flour), and realize that the meaning of life may come down to food, family, le goût et les valeurs. (33 min)

+ These times are either making me sentimental, or this is one of my favorite articles so far this year.

Hiking In The Woods With My Curmudgeonly Big Brother

Speaking of sentimentality, I’m a sucker for sappy stories involving big brothers and little brothers. This one, in which Steve Friedman invites his big brother Don to bond on a long hike in the Cascades, is funny, endearing, and reminds me of A Man Called Ove. Sure, Don might say curmudgeonly things like, “I just need to get used to the idea that I’m closer to death and the world is meaningless,” but stick with him a bit and you’ll see why Steve loves him so much. (15 min)

+ Want to read another outstanding brotherly story? Revisit “Lost in Summerland,” one of my favorites.

Look at you, finishing another issue! Thank you and let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Also, let’s welcome our community’s 4 new subscribers, including Susan, Kibos, and Janie. 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!

#238: Body of Lies


Happy Thursday, loyal readers! This week’s newsletter is The Highlighter through and through: big, well-written articles from a variety of publications about a variety of topics, offering you respite from anxiety-ridden clickbait you might find on your phone. Today’s pieces include a vulnerable personal reflection on body image, an inspiring effort to save Indigenous languages, a caper about cannabis in California, and a torturous trek through the jungle. Go ahead, take the plunge: Set aside three hours and read them all!

+ I’m excited to announce that Peggy Orenstein’s “The Miseducation of the American Boy” is this month’s selection at Article Club. Come join the conversation, especially if you teach or parent young men.

Body of Lies

“About two years ago,” writes Deenie Hartzog-Mislock, “I stopped feeling beautiful.” Once a college dancer, with men fawning over her size-0 body — more so when she ate less food or purged her meals — Ms. Hartzog-Mislock is nearing 40, fully aware, as a feminist, how the patriarchy and the wellness industry have conspired to demean women’s worth when their bodies do not match some slim ideal.

But no matter how much she accepts her “less taut, less petite, less lean everywhere” figure, Ms. Hartzog-Mislock cannot escape that she desires men’s attention, most importantly from her husband, whose depression has prevented them from having sex in a long time. “I feel sexy when he thinks I’m sexy,” she writes. “I’ve believed, all this time, that I’m only as beautiful as he thinks I am.” (15 min)

Save The Words: The Fight To Revive And Revitalize Indigenous Languages

The 2,000 Indigenous languages that once thrived in North America have dwindled to 256, the result of colonization, forced assimilation, and a boarding school program designed to “kill the Indian, save the man.” But this article features the hard, inspiring work of Native American programs to revitalize dormant languages, from the Menominee Language and Culture Commission in Wisconsin to the Indigenous Language Digital Archive in Ohio. Even extinct languages, which have no living speakers and no speech recordings, can be resurrected. (26 min)

The Rise and Fall of Pot’s Superman

If this week you’re in the mood for an epic history of cannabis in Oakland, you’ve come to the right place. This is the saga of Dan Rush, a burly Irish-Catholic Hells Angel motorcyclist, who called himself Superman, and who dreamed of legalizing cannabis and building an industry that would produce thousands of middle-class union jobs. Be ready for intrigue, informants, corruption, kickbacks, Gavin Newsom, and the FBI. (84 min)

+ Also by Jason Fagone: “Jerry And Marge Go Large,” one of my favorite articles of 2018.

When Can We Really Rest?

Sandra’s from Cameroon, fleeing state-run terror and sexual violence and seeking her fiancé in Texas. Waseem’s from Pakistan, escaping the dangers of the Taliban and wanting a better life. On their way to the United States, Sandra, Waseem, and other migrants meet up for the first time before crossing the Darién Gap, one of the most dangerous regions in the world, 10,000 square miles of rainforest and marshland straddling the border of Panamá and Colombia. The trek is grueling and harrowing. “How many more days?” Sandra asks, to no one in particular. (32 min)

+ Warning: The photos are arresting and disturbing.

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: Mahogney, Patricia, Mauro, and Maria. 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!