Understanding the Russia situation via one quick email exchange with Keith Gessen

It's been a minute since I did a subscriber-only email, for which I'm very sorry! It's a good thing I don't have a fat Substack contract to lose, because I would definitely have lost it by now. Subscribers -- thank you for sticking with me. I am committed to making it worth your while, though perhaps not at the pace of 1 subscriber-only email a week (which I think we can all agree is insane? It definitely tends to result in a lot of emails in my inbox that are like "open thread: chocolate OR peanut butter, if you could only have one for the rest of your life").

Since I am visiting family with our kids during NYC public schools' cursed "February recess," I thought I would make my husband, who is home in NYC alone in our apartment, pick up some of the slack. Besides, he really is a valuable resource re: this one thing. Probably some others. Lmk if you are interested in future Keith interviews re:, for example: hockey, the history of the little magazine in America, and the correct way to vacuum (not the way I do it).

Emily: Hi [endearment redacted]!

Keith: Hi.