Variations on escapism
Welcome to the seventh installment of Not Dead Yet, my monthly-ish roundup of compelling writing. Are you gardening this summer? I harvested some salad greens and radishes today and it’s true what they say: everything tastes better when you grow it yourself.
A different kind of isolation: Anna Maxymiw‘s travel diary from the far reaches of Norway provides some much-needed escapism. On the Cusp in the Fleinvær Archipelago is a wonder-filled reflection on her time getting to know the people, the landscape, and the unforgiving weather during a writing retreat.
If your interest is piqued by Anna’s reference to the tiny huts for eider birds, follow this article up with The weird magic of eiderdown by Edward Posnett.
Paper Faces on Parade by Anthony Oliveira is a tribute to the unapologetic, campy genius of the late director Joel Schumacher, who passed away last week. I was barely conscious of popular culture when Batman & Robin came out in 1997, but I remember being captivated by just how larger-than-life the characters seemed. Before gritty reboots made everything so moody, Schumacher reminded us that superheroes are supposed to be cartoonish.
As an artist, Schumacher recognized there is something important, transformative, and transcendent about joy as resistance; he had as instinct what every poor NYC club kid knows: the revolution, when it comes, must be opulent.
It can seem appealing to move to a new city to start your life over again. A fresh start. And when that new city is Vancouver, well, who can blame you for trying? Laughing Heir, a short story by Cary Fagan, explores the tension between building a future for yourself and running from your past.
Some sharp cultural commentary from Leigh Stein, who breaks down how Lean In feminism failed to achieve real societal change. In The End of the Girlboss Is Here, she takes us through the rise and fall of millennial hustle culture. Was it a special cultural moment, or just another way to prop up the same old capitalism?
Now that racism is on her radar, the girlboss is on an apology tour, donating to bail funds and sharing the mic. So why do I find myself bracing to find out how anti-racism becomes the branding for her next for-profit venture?
This story has got to be in the running for the cutest quarantine phenomenon I’ve seen. Read about the jump in demand for advice from baker support specialists: King Arthur Flour’s Baking Hotline Has Never Been Busier — and the Questions Are Getting Personal. Nick Mancall-Bitel and Erin Berger pull together a surprising variety of stories that use baking as a prism through which to understand the broader challenges of COVID-19.
Semi-related: here’s a Spotify playlist intended for your sourdough starter, created by author Robin Sloan.
I’d love to hear what you thought about these stories. You can reply directly to this email.
The next Not Dead Yet will come in four weeks’ time. Until then, why not forward this email to a friend who’d appreciate it?
Cheers,
Sam