Twitter diet, beer-starved World Cup fans, and Pete Davidson
Ten things I loved about the internet this month (because it's not all evil!)
Hello! I thought I’ll end the month by sharing 10 items that I enjoyed over the last few weeks. This will be a regular feature of this newsletter. Links are free to access unless otherwise specified.
1./ Last week, I questioned the importance of staying on top of Twitter trends. Seven Months on a Strict Twitter Diet by Charles M. Blow is a timely read.
“It took weeks for me to stop worrying that I was missing out on ‘the conversation,’ thinking that I had irrationally removed myself from ‘the town square.’ These were, in fact, classic withdrawal symptoms. I had been addicted. But because so many of the people around me shared that addiction, it felt completely normal.”
2./ I don’t follow the World Cup but this article gave me a good chuckle: England Had a Game, but First Its Fans Had a Quest. For Beer.
“‘To deny an Englishman a beer is to starve an Englishman,’ said Kenny, who mentioned (several times) that he had turned 50 that very day.”
3./ This beautiful essay by Vivian Gornick on the struggle of writing and seeking help through therapy.
“One day not too long ago I sat down at the desk, determined to sit there until at least one thought clarified itself sufficiently to serve the essay I was writing. I failed. Next day I sat down again. Again, I failed. Three days later, same thing. But the day after that the fog cleared out of my head. I solved a simple writing problem, one that had seemed intractable, and a stone rolled off my chest.”
4./ I was intrigued by how such a cliched subject matter merited a special shout-out from
but it turned out to be a sweet and charming story. From the now-defunct Gourmet magazine: on falling in love in Paris.“I… sat on a banquette hiding behind a copy of Le Monde, now and then peering anxiously through the vitrine at a table on the sidewalk, where two handsome men were having coffee. One of the men in particular had my attention. His name was John, and I had met him at a lunch the day before, but, being too attracted, had failed to say anything of consequence or charm. I had, however, overheard him telling a friend that he would see him the next day at the Flore. And so here I was. And here he was, too.”
5./ The Joan Didion estate sale was insane. Her Celine sunglasses (iconic, sure) was bought for US$27,000. Seashells and pebbles for US$7,000. Napkins for US$14,000. And three blank notebooks for US$9,000, US$11,000, and US$11,000 each. The Paris Review offers a tantalizing but also sobering account of what went down.
6./ Marie Kondo is trying to make kurashi happen. “As always,” The New York Times writes, “she appeals to our better angels — at least the ones that shop.” Shots fired.
7./ What I’m watching: Season two of The White Lotus. Rooting for Cam and Ethan to happen, but based on this interview with Will Sharpe, the subtext may be a little different than what I’m hoping for.
“I think it’s (Ethan’s) way of being playful and sexually voracious and showing who’s boss in this weird way. It’s like a micro powerplay.”
But now, come on! How do you explain this?
8./ Were the screenshots dark? It’s not your TV or laptop screen. Shows and movies are getting too dark. Literally.
9./ Ear candy: I believe Stell of SB19 is one of the brightest vocalists this country has recently produced. His cover of Circle of Life from the Disney+ Philippines launch (starts at 3:26):
10./ What I’ll miss on Twitter:
(Proof that it’s the Dionne Warwick here. For context on Pete Davidson, read this.)