HELLO and welcome to the 76th 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 read them too and we can all know more about Freedomland! 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.
Growing Up Gay (April 2002), by Rory Evans for New York Magazine – A delightful relic from 11 years ago about gay & lesbian teenagers who grew up in New York City and how they negotiate their identities and coming out during a time when “coming out” was shifting from being an adult process to an adolescent process. Also there are special quotes like this: “Christina says that if you’re a lesbian — and “you’re not a man hater” — then you’re “an awesome, cool, tough, or totally femme girl and you strut your stuff and have sexual power.””
Hold On To What You Got (May 2013), by Lindsay King-Miller for The Rumpus – “I wish I could tell you how to live through a loss like this. I wish I could tell you how to pull yourself up off the floor and wipe your nose and brush your hair and keep going. I wish I could tell you how to not cry when “Living on a Prayer” comes on the radio, because that was one of her favorite songs, and they played it at her funeral, and “we’ve got each other and that’s a lot” is suddenly incredibly fucking poignant songwriting. I wish I could tell you, but honest to God, I have no idea. All I can tell you is that it really, really hurts.”
Makeup Breakup (July 2002), by Ariel Levy for New York Magazine – “Celebrity stylist Kevyn Aucoin was adored by just about everyone he touched. Actresses, models, lovers, and former lovers — all became part of his eccentric extended family, but none was able to stop the downward spiral of drugs he took to deal with chronic pain. A story of love, death, and makeup.”
Extraordinary Injustice (February 2012), by Douglas Gillison for The Investigative Fund – About Khmer Rouge commanders in Cambodia responsible for the genocide of hundreds of thousands of people who will not be tried in court for their crimes despite UN attempts to do so. It’s also about what happened during the Khmer Rouge regime in general, which is obviously horrifying.
In Which You’re In Her Talons And She’s Never Letting Go (September 2008), by Alex Carnevale for This Recording – The ballad of Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan. Also did you know that Lindsay Lohan used to share an apartment with Raven-Symoné? “Lesbian relationships are better than heterosexual relationships. They are the most life-affirming, jealously inspiring, vagina-focused relationships two people can have. Sometimes it’s just fun to peek out the closet door.”
The Missionary Movement to ‘Save’ Black Babies (May 2013), by Akiba Solomon for Colorlines – “Fueled by a race-baiting, national marketing campaign and the missionary-like evangelism of its affiliates, Care Net has turned the complex reality behind black abortion rates into a single, fictional story. In that story, poor black women who have abortions are the unwitting victims of feminists and morally deficient reproductive healthcare providers, embodied in sadists such as Gosnell. Crisis pregnancy centers, in this fable, are the best place those women can go to be saved.” Includes shocking moments like, “we’re both exhausted, but I ask Griffin to apply his philosophy of ownership to incest and rape. He retorts, “Did God breathe life into this being? That’s what it comes down to.” As I gather my coat Griffin cracks a rare smile. “Did I convert you yet?”
Average Joe (November 2005), by Stephen Rodrick for New York Magazine – I found this so interesting when I first read it because I really didn’t like Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. I mean I liked their iced coffee, but not their regular coffee.
No Man’s Land: Fear, Racism, and the Historically Troubling Attitude of American Pioneers (February 2008), by Eula Biss for The Believer – About Little House on the Prairie, and gentrification, and Rogers Park in Chicago, and Native Americans and our culture of fear. It’s mostly about fear, and how white people are implored to fear black people, and how that fear permeates everything in this country.
“I found this so interesting when I first read it because I really didn’t like Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. I mean I liked their iced coffee, but not their regular coffee.”
Living in Boston (aka the Dunkin’ Donuts Capital of the Universe) I have the same thoughts about their coffee! I love it iced, but cannot deal with it warm. Blecch.
Anyway, literally everything on this list looks interesting to me, so I’ll have a lot to read when I get finished with my article today!
I’ve lived in Massachusetts my whole life… so many people have told me I’m a traitor because I prefer Starbucks. DUNKS ISN’T THAT GOOD, PEOPLE.
I read that article by Akiba last week – so good! I always feel an immense sense of accomplishment when you put up an article I’ve already read.
I really liked the abortion article. I watched 12 & Delaware with a friend and come from a very pro choice home. I always sort of related that fact to how important it is as a woman of color to have my shit together before reproducing. I unfortunately know a lot of people who believe the lies told by the pregnancy care center set,and only really see the value in their targeting lower income people if they intend to offer real solutions and also real facts.
Pretty sure Riese owes me money to pay for the amount of whiskey I am now going to drink to get over that Lindsay King-Miller piece. Damn.
We don’t really have Dunkin Donuts here but I feel like Tim Hortons is kind of, the equivalent, although maybe with more brand loyalty? Cheap, fast, coffee has a reputation for tasting like crap but people don’t mind because its traditional, canadian working class coffee.
I have extensive experience with Tim Horton’s and Dunkin’ as someone who grew up in Michigan (which has lots of TH due to its proximity to Canada) and now lives in Massachusetts (as mentioned before, Dunkin’ Donuts Home Turf). So I can say with total authority that Tim Horton’s >>>>> Dunkin’ Donuts. Like, it’s not even a contest.
I cannot stand Dunkin Donuts or Tim Hortons. I like my coffee strong and dark, and I also enjoy when cute barista’s smile at me so Starbucks will always win, even if it is a bit more expensive.
“Growing Up Gay” was a lot of things, including highly relatable and lyrical and eye-opening. It made me realize yet again how lucky I was and have been in coming out. And it made me wonder where the people who were mentioned in the story are now.
And the piece about Dunkin Donuts was awesome. I don’t like Starbucks coffee. I much prefer McDonalds’ coffee (especially if it’s iced), but Dunkin Donuts is a close second.
I used to like Dunkin Donuts until they took away my Marble Frosted Donuts, and replaced their original hashbrowns and eggs with something that I now can barely keep down. Now they are dead to me. Bring back my Marble Frosted!
Much love I wish :)
Where was May 24th post!! I look forward to it every Friday….
i’m so sorry! i tried to get one done before camp but then i didn’t and i was gonna finish it while at camp but i lost my charger — there will be a new one on friday i promise!!
you made good on your word, so I forgive you <3