HELLO and welcome to the 302nd installment of Things I Read That I Love, wherein I share with you some of the longer-form journalism/essays I’ve read recently so that you can know more about housing discrimination!!! This “column” is less feminist/queer focused than the rest of the site because when something is feminist/queer focused, I put it on the rest of the site. Here is where the other things are.
The title of this feature is inspired by the title of Emily Gould’s tumblr, Things I Ate That I Love.
The New Trend In Feminism Is Feeling Nothing, by Emmeline Clein for Buzzfeed, November 2019
I found her read of Girls vs Fleabag particularly interesting, but I mean, there’s a lot here for many of us to associate… I’m not sure what feminism has to do with any of it besides that women are involved, but that’s fine, I liked the essay anyhow. also you could spend an entire day just following the hyperlinks in this? Like now I know about Jade Sharma, for example.
The Grocery Store Where Produce Meets Politics, by Alexandra Schwartz for The New Yorker, by Alexandra Schwartz for The New Yorker, November 2019
The Park Slope Food Co-op, which you may recognize from the parody of it on Broad City, in all its glory and shiny apples.
Long Island Divided, by Ann Choi, Keith Herbert, Olivia Winslow and project editor Arthur Brown for Newsday, November 2019
This was a three-year project of deep, extensive investigative journalism that determined people of color received disparate treatment by real estate agents —19% of the time against Asian people, 39% of the time against Hispanic people and a whopping 49% against Black people. There’s a lot of reporting around this piece to dig into so set some TIME aside.
Suzy Batiz’s Empire of Odor, by Carina Chocano for The New Yorker, October 2019
On the life and times of the creator of Poo-Pourri, who now sees herself as embracing a form of capitalism that is also somehow spiritual. She failed so many times before she finally succeeded.
Jack Conte, Patreon, and the Plight of the Creative Class, by Jonah Weiner for Wired, September 2019
Conte was a musician looking for a way to get paid when he came up with this smashingly successful idea. The section on what types of artists can succeed on Patreon (those who TRULY love their fans) is particularly compelling.
Raw Material, by Jillian Steinhauer for The New Republic, October 2019
On how feminist performance art pushed forward the conversation about sexual violence, from the 70s through the modern era.
Inside TurboTax’s 20-Year Fight to Stop Americans From Filing Their Taxes for Free, by Justin Elliot and Paul Kiel for Pro Publica, October 2019
Why is it so damn hard to file your taxes? This is why!
The Serial Killer as Marketing Genius, by Tom Zoellner for The Los Angeles Review of Books, May 2018
He told me the Zodiac Killer was still living, and not in squalor or obscurity, but at the levels of beau monde San Francisco society. He was a wealthy sports-car dealer, a horse-breeder, and a philanthropist who slept in a Presidio Heights mansion, but from December 1968 until October 1969, he had lived a murderous double life, stalking lovers’ lanes around the Bay Area and killing at least five people.
The Writer as Influencer, by Allegra Hobbs for Patreon, October 2019
If you aren’t already (internet-)famous, the lack of idealization, or the appearance thereof, could hurt you in the eyes of your peers or bosses. This is not a concern for the writer-influencer. On social media they joke about not writing, about their elaborate procrastination techniques, about getting high, about angsting to their therapists who don’t understand the internet. Like descendants of Carrie Bradshaw in her apartment with its designer shoe-filled oven, they are performatively, romantically messy.
I can very happily say that the Flatbush Food Co-op is not far from the Park Slope Food Co-op, and their slogan is “All Are Welcome.” You don’t need to work any shifts to shop there – and if you do make a $200 refundable deposit to get a membership card, you get access to some special member deals, but other than that there isn’t a tiered system. All the produce is organic and they have a very good variety in their bulk section for such a small footprint. VERY happy to support the Flatbush Food Co-op instead!!
I was astonished doing my ex’s US taxes how un-user-friendly they were, and well that link certainly exposed reasons why. And, as usual, those most disadvantaged are the ones who are most likely to be paying more…
The co-op article was fascinating and stressful (!!) but I loved the little scene at the end about the fresh dates: “a familiar thing has been seen in a secret state of being.” ✨
That Emmeline Clein piece sure was a ride. I enjoyed it, even if I agree that feminism was used a bit lightly.