#292: Invisible Kid

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. It’s Teacher Appreciation Week. No matter what Twitter says, I’m very grateful to my colleagues for the quality of instruction they’ve provided to our students in distance learning. Though I can’t wait to see everyone back in classrooms, don’t believe everything you read in the newspaper. Because of teachers’ skill and dedication, many students are thriving this year, appreciating the technology integration and the additional one-on-one support. It’s been a slog, no doubt. But we’ll get through it.

I can’t tell you which article I like best this week. They’re all good. “Invisible Kid” is infuriating, “How to Name Your Black Son in a Racist Country” is razor-sharp, “The End of the Road” is insightful, and “How Amanda Gorman Became So Much More Than a Literary Star” is inspiring. If you have time, please read one (or more!), and share with me your thoughts. Enjoy!

+ I encourage you to join Article Club. This month, we’re discussing “The Crow Whisperer,” by Lauren Markham. Originally highlighted in Issue #285, it’s a quirky (but deep) piece about crows, Oakland, animal whisperers, and how maybe we should take better notice of what’s happening around us. Here’s more information, and here’s how to sign up.

Invisible Kid

Thirty years ago, when he was 16, Adolfo Davis was sentenced to life in prison for a crime he says he did not commit. Thanks to the work of Bryan Stevenson and the Supreme Court case Miller v. Alabama (2012), which ruled that life imprisonment for minors is cruel and unusual punishment, Mr. Davis won clemency and was released.

But after returning home to the South Side of Chicago, Mr. Davis realized that freedom did not afford him an authentic chance at a new beginning. While the world had changed over the past three decades, his neighborhood had remained largely the same. He wondered, “Would Black kids raised on the South Side of Chicago have a future to look forward to, something better than what I had?” (49 min)

How to Name Your Black Son In A Racist Country

Tyrone Fleurizard: “What happens to a dream deferred? Apparently it turns into a nightmare, one where you finally meet your newborn son and his name is Tyrone. Decide that you will never call him this. You fear that in this country, a name like Tyrone will get your son killed. But in this country, there is no difference between your Black son and anybody else’s Black son. The only difference is between you, a naturalized American who pledges allegiance to this country, and your son, born in America, whose only allegiance is to upend the systems that make it impossible for Black people to breathe.” (10 min)

The End Of The Road: Nomadland, My Mother, And The Frontier’s Broken Promise

In this thoughtful article — equal parts movie review, history lesson, and personal essay — Mitchell Johnson recounts how his mother became a vagabond after the 2008 Great Recession, taking to the road after losing her home. Mr. Johnson compares the recent tech boom and bust to its counterpart more than a century ago, when white settlers got sold the frontier myth after the government killed Indigenous people and granted land to the railroads. You don’t need to watch Nomadland before reading this piece, though I recommend the film, because Frances McDormand is one of my favorites. (20 min)

How Amanda Gorman Became So Much More Than A Literary Star

Amanda Gorman wrote “The Hill We Climb” by studying the poetry of her “spiritual grandmother” Maya Angelou. She speaks frequently with her “cool auntie” Michelle Obama but still has a “mini-heart attack” every time she texts Oprah. Doreen St. Félix captures Ms. Gorman’s epic talent, rise to stardom, and wholesome character in this heartwarming profile. “I’ve learned that it’s OK to be afraid,” she says. “And what’s more, it’s okay to seek greatness. That does not make me a black hole seeking attention. It makes me a supernova.” (21 min)

+ Reader Annotations: It turns out that many of you take typing as seriously as I do. VIP Phoebe felt compelled to take a test immediately after reading “Why Am I Sp Bad at Typign?” She wrote, “My first try was 82 wpm. I bet I could do better. I was 100% accurate though. I was being careful. I normally am not and make a lot of mistakes.” Not bad, Phoebe!

Loyal readers also appreciated the newsletter’s upcoming milestone and made suggestions to celebrate. Noting my still-nascent musical skills, Randy wrote, “I’m proposing an audience-requests-only piano tour to celebrate Issue #300.” I’ll be sure to get practicing!

Loyal reader and artist Matt also congratulated me on the achievement and hoped for the commission of large-scale public works of art. He wrote, “They’ve made a movie about 300. Maybe you could Photoshop your face over Gerard Butler’s in the 300 movie poster — and put a highlighter in the hand instead of a sword!” This is a fantastic idea. Anyone interested in making this a reality?

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

Also, to our four new subscribers — including Jacob, Paulina, David, and Mark — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (e.g., Johanna! Elliot! Tiff!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#291: Wider Than The Sky

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. Thank you for being here. Today I’m announcing “The Official Countdown to Issue #300.” No, I’m not sure what all of that means yet, but it promises to be exciting. I hope you’ll join me in the festivities! (Your ideas welcome.)

This week’s issue is quintessential Highlighter eclectic: You get a braided essay on love, an historical analysis on whiteness, a profile on a school run amok, and a personal reflection on typing. I’m eager to hear your thoughts on these pieces, so please hit reply and share.

If you have limited time to read this week, I highly recommend today’s lead article, “Wider Than The Sky.” In addition to being about love and death (two of my go-to topics), the piece is an ode to our brains. We might think we have free will, and agency, and consciousness, but our brains are big, and their 100 billion neurons will keep doing what they’re doing regardless — which is usually beautiful and amazing, unless or until it’s not.

+ Big gratitude to everyone who joined Article Club last Sunday to discuss Bill Buford’s “Baking Bread in Lyon.” Mr. Buford was great, but you were even better! Congratulations, Angelina, for winning the book, and thank you, Summer and Elise, for facilitating. I’ll be revealing May’s article this weekend. If you’re looking for a community reading experience that’s most likely less stressful and more enjoyable than your book club (no offense), you’ll like Article Club. (For the record: I love my book club.)

Wider Than The Sky

Phyllis Beckman: “The human brain, so humble in appearance, is both fragile in form and resilient in function. Scientists like to say, and many of us like to repeat, that it is the most complex object in the known universe. We say this with satisfaction and, if we are honest, with a degree of hubris.

“Despite our very human pride, the fact remains that the brain, with no apparent effort from us, creates and holds within it one’s world and one’s self. There is resistance on the part of some to accept the concept that this three-pound mass of jelly somehow creates consciousness, provides us with an identity, and enables us to love.

“But I will tell you this: damage the brain and you damage the mind; you alter the personality and change the very essence of the person. My brain and I are companions, partners in the creation of this evolving story that is me. This is the most enduring and intimate relationship I will know. If it should leave me, I would be unable, even, to grieve.” (36 min)

The Invention Of Whiteness

“What shall we do with the white people?” asked William J. Wilson in The Anglo-African Magazine in 1860. We’re asking the same question now, argues Robert P. Baird in this well-written essay on whiteness. Mr. Baird takes an historical approach, detailing how whiteness rationalized slavery, how color-blindness narrowed the definition of white supremacy, and how whiteness studies advocated abolition of the race. “Treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity,” Noel Ignatiev wrote in Race Traitor in 1992, urging white people to disavow the privileges of the label. But Mr. Baird says that’s impossible, likening whiteness to climate change. (30 min)

Going For Woke: How Brentwood School Became A Battleground In The Culture Wars

The elite like to talk a progressive game, but when their fancy private school wants to make real changes, like shifting its curriculum, well, that’s a different story. This profile of Brentwood School in Los Angeles (parents include Barry Bonds, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Calista Flockhart) explores the ideological skirmishes following George Floyd’s murder. How does an exclusive school become inclusive? Who gets to decide if eighth graders read To Kill a Mockingbird? (18 min)

+ I wonder what Caitlin Flanagan, author of “Private Schools Are Indefensible” (#285), thinks about this piece. Maybe I’ll ask her! She joins AC in July.

Why Am I Sp Bad At Typign?

When I tell people that my only real skill is typing, I’m only half joking. (My middle school teacher Mrs. Schaefer gets all the credit.) For Katie Notopoulos, though, typing is not a source of joy. But instead of complaining, she interviews cognitive scientists, mechanical keyboard connoisseurs, and ultimate typing champions, learning about dystypia, the effects of long fingernails, and the reasoning behind autocomplete. Her conclusion: “The act of typing is a miracle in our brains.” (18 min)

+ How fast can you type?

Thank you for reading another issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

Also, to our three new subscribers — including Stephanie — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (e.g., Susan! Micki! Jason!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#290: Compliance Will Not Save Me

It’s been a heavy week. I don’t think it’s just me. I’ve noticed a weight with friends, family, and colleagues. It’s an in-between state, maybe, a languishing. A hope for an end to the pandemic, but a realization that we’re still very much in the middle. An acknowledgement of a verdict that brought accountability, but a recognition that justice is still far off. And loss, plenty of personal loss, close to home. I hope you’re finding time to process, rest, be with friends, be alone, reflect, do whatever’s right for you.

If reading is helpful, I’ve got articles for you. This week’s lead piece by Ibram X. Kendi on compliance is a must-read, but even more powerful is “Seeing in the Dark,” by Breai Mason-Campbell. She captures the feelings of accumulated collective grief and the bitter truth that white people, at any moment, may bow out of the struggle for justice. Then after a pet photo break, Ashon Crawley shares his thoughts on Lil Nas X and Delphine Minoui offers some hope on the power of reading to build community. Please enjoy.

+ I invite you to try out Article Club — whether it’s this Sunday, for our discussion of Bill Buford’s “Baking Bread in Lyon,” or in upcoming months, when we’ll welcome authors Lauren Markham, Amirah Mercer, and Caitlin Flanagan. If you like to read deeply and want to connect with other thoughtful people, I’m certain you’ll appreciate Article Club.

+ You’ve weighed in: Saturday is officially Highlighter Reading Day, when the majority of you take the time to sink into the articles. If you’re an aspiring reader, VIP Martha is planning a friendly event that will support you and your reading goals. In the meantime, please reach out and say hi, whether by email or by voice message (like VIP Angelina).

Compliance Will Not Save Me

Ibram X. Kendi: “Black and brown people’s defiance is not the problem. Our compliance is not the solution. Police defiance of our humanity is the problem. American defiance of our right to live is the problem. Political compliance — to abolish American policing as we know it — is the solution.

“Police compliance with our humanity could be the solution, but I can’t imagine the institution of American policing ever recognizing Breonna Taylor’s human rights, Eric Garner’s cries to breathe, or the life that a Latino seventh grader has to live. The institution of American policing has never systematically complied with my humanity, and it never will. To believe otherwise is to comply with an alternative history, with a fantasyland, with wishful thinking, with an American dream that is my American nightmare.” (9 min)

Seeing In The Dark: A Sermon On Race, Grief, Accountability, And Change

The pandemic has taught white people about collective grief and unmerited adversity, argues Breai Mason-Campbell in this stunning essay. That’s why white people joined calls for racial justice last summer after the murder of George Floyd. But white people can only take so much, Ms. Mason-Campbell argues, before lashing out or craving the status quo. “Nice White Folks confuse moments with movements,” she writes. “Corona helped you build up some armor. Use it. Now is the time to show mercy with brave and decisive acts. The price for your return to normal is my life.” (24 min)

Lil Nas X’s ‘Montero’ Is The Lesson I Needed As A Queer Christian Kid

Growing up gay in the 1980s and ’90s in a Black Pentecostal church, Ashon Crawley felt anxious all the time. “Fear was the air we breathed.” In this moving piece, Prof. Crawley reflects on Lil Nas X’s influence on young people today. By shunning fear and slaying the devil in “Montero,” the artist reminds Black queer youth — and all of us — to live full, joyful lives, unencumbered by world views that rely on threats. To his detractors, Lil Nas X tweeted, “I hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.” (11 min)

Hunting For Books In The Ruins: How Rebel Librarians Found Hope In Syria

Since the Arab Spring, Ahmad Muaddamani has seen himself as a protester, an activist — not as a reader. But after years of living under siege in Syria, he and his friends began saving books from the ruins and built a secret, underground library for fellow townspeople in Darayya. By offering a space for reflection and ideas, welcome to experienced and novice readers alike, Mr. Muaddamani found a new way to resist against Bashar al-Assad’s regime. “Books don’t set limits; they set us free. They don’t mutilate; they restore. Reading helps me think positively, chase away negative ideas. And that’s what we need most right now.” (19 min)

+ My prediction is that loyal reader Marni, who loves to read as much as I do, will tear up after reading this article. Let us know, Marni!

+ Reader Annotations: After reading last week’s article on the classic French omelet, VIP Abby revealed that she grew up with the famous chef. She wrote, “Jacques Pépin lived in my hometown in a really cool house behind a big fence! He would often stop into my bookstore where I worked for all of high school and sign his books for us.” That makes me very happy, Abby! Did you meet Julia Child, too?

Also: I’m happy to report, the kids at Teenager Therapy got into college! (After featuring them back in Issue #277, I’ve been rooting for them.)

Thank you for reading another issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

Also, to our four new subscribers — Alden, Tarik, Pamela, and Linda — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (e.g., Katherine! Mea! Juan!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#289: Return The National Parks To The Tribes

In the same week that we witnessed the trial of the police officer who killed George Floyd, and in the same week that yet another Black man, Daunte Wright, was killed by a white police officer, the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance HR 40, the bill that would establish a commission to consider reparations to Black Americans for slavery. By no means, of course, am I hopeful. After all, HR 40 was first introduced more than 30 years ago, after the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which granted reparations for the internment of Japanese Americans. Nevertheless, the conversation about reparations is growing. This week’s lead article, ”Return the National Parks to the Tribes,” by Dave Treuer, argues that the country’s 423 national parks, comprising 85 million acres, should be returned to their original stewards. If you have 30 minutes sometime this week, I urge you to read it.

Also in this week’s issue, Shayla Lawz explores the power of writing, Dr. Miin Chan criticizes the fermented food industry, and Joshua David Stern celebrates the classic French omelet. As always, thank you very much for being a loyal reader of this newsletter, and I hope you have a great week.

+ Which day of the week do you read The Highlighter? Hit reply and let me know. Or leave me a quick voice message to say hi.

Return The National Parks To The Tribes

David Treuer: “More than a century ago, John Muir described the entire American continent as a wild garden ‘favored above all the other wild parks and gardens of the globe.’ But in truth, the North American continent has not been a wilderness for at least 15,000 years: Many of the landscapes that became national parks had been shaped by Native peoples for millennia.

“We live in a time of historical reconsideration, as more and more people recognize that the sins of the past still haunt the present. For Native Americans, there can be no better remedy for the theft of land than land. And for us, no lands are as spiritually significant as the national parks. They should be returned to us. Indians should tend — and protect and preserve — these favored gardens again.

“To be entrusted with the stewardship of America’s most precious landscapes would be a deeply meaningful form of restitution. Alongside the feelings of awe that Americans experience while contemplating the god-rock of Yosemite and other places like it, we could take inspiration in having done right by one another.” (30 min)

+ Mr. Treuer is the author of The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award.

Writing Myself Back Into My Body And Into the World

A writer, poet, and interdisciplinary artist, Shayla Lawz, who is Black and queer, begins this piece, “I began writing in order to imagine. If I put something down on the page, suddenly, it existed. Suddenly, I existed.” But the murders of Sandra Bland and Eric Garner, along with a racist incident with a white professor in graduate school, challenged Ms. Lawz’s belief in her imagination. In this contemplative essay on grief, the body, and ways of seeing, Ms. Lawz acknowledges her pain and eventually returns to her vision — that writing, for her, is a willful act of being, of living. (10 min)

The Fermented Foods Industry Is Built on Global Ingredients. So Why Are Its Most Visible Faces White?

Twenty years ago, Dr. Miin Chan tasted kombucha for the first time in a Whole Foods in San Francisco. Her white friends sneered and called the beverage “gross.” That’s not true anymore, of course. Now the fermented foods of her childhood have been glorified, fetishized, and appropriated for profit. In this well-written piece, Dr. Miin explores the history of kimchi, miso, tempe, tibicos, and other ferments, criticizing the growing industry ($690 billion by 2023) and its attraction to whiteness. (19 min)

+ My new fave show, Waffles + Mochi, devoted one of its episodes to fermented foods. Please watch.

When Jacques Pépin Made All The World An Omelet

Back in college, my roommate Dave introduced me to chef Jacques Pépin, delighting me with his outlandish French accent, reminding me of the chef’s rapport with Julia Child, and ensuring I watch, over and over again, Mr. Pépin’s omelet masterclass. Here’s Joshua David Stein and his appreciation of that 1995 cooking demonstration. In this coming-of-age story, Mr. Stein writes, “There are no tricks to the omelet. No shortcuts or hacks. Plainspoken yet brilliant, humble yet exalted, Pépin is the omelet he makes.” (9 min)

Thank you for reading another issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

Also, to our five new subscribers — including Sarah, Tia, Christos, and Sasha — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (e.g., Sandy! Carl! Byron!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#288: White People, Black Authors Are Not Your Medicine

Happy Thursday, loyal readers, and thank you for opening The Highlighter. The other day, it hit me yet again that I haven’t set foot in a school building for more than a year, which is an odd thing for me to say, given that I’ve been an educator my whole career. Many of you are in education, too, and if you’re back in your classroom, I’d love to hear how it’s going. In the meantime, I’ll keep looking for education-related articles that aren’t all about people being mean and yelling at each other.

This week’s articles are shorter than normal, but they’re outstanding nonetheless, and I hope you read multiple. The lead essay, “White People, Black People Are Not Your Medicine,” challenges the performative move of buying books for anti-racism and then never reading them — or maybe as bad, reading them to seek absolution or to be seen as a good person.

If that piece isn’t relevant to you, skip down to Roxane Gay’s article on fat shaming, Beth Nguyen’s essay on name shaming, and Jennifer Chong Schneider’s reflection on dating and relationships. And course, there’s the pet photo and the pasta podcast. Please enjoy!

+ Want to jettison your Pandemic Life, flee to France, and bake bread? If so, join Article Club this month, where we’ll be discussing “Baking Bread in Lyon,” one of my favorite three articles of 2020. Author Bill Buford will participate in our conversation (and optionally critique your sourdough). Here’s more info and here’s the sign-up form. Try it, you’ll like it!

+ Also, if Article Club sounds like too much of a commitment right now, but you’d still like to connect with other thoughtful readers and talk about the articles in a different format, please hit reply, let me know, and let’s brainstorm ways to make that happen.

White People, Black Authors Are Not Your Medicine

Yaa Gyasi: “I make my living off my imagination, but this summer, as I watched Homegoing climb back up the New York Times bestseller list in response to its appear­ance on anti-racist reading lists, I saw again, with no small amount of bile, that I make my living off the articulation of pain too. My own, my people’s. It is wrenching to know that the occasion for the renewed interest in your work is the murders of black people and the subsequent ‘listening and learning’ of white people. I’d rather not know this feeling of experiencing career highs as you are flooded with a grief so old and worn that it seems unearthed, a fossil of other old and worn griefs.

“While I do devoutly believe in the power of literature to challenge, to deepen, to change, I also know that buying books by Black authors is but a theoretical, grievously belated and utterly impoverished response to centuries of physical and emotional harm.” (7 min)

We Are All Fragile Creatures

On the way to our vacation spot last week, my partner and I made sure to stop at Krispy Kreme for a delightful doughnut, free with our vaccine card. We didn’t heed the warnings of physicians, who attacked the company’s promotion and reminded us that a daily doughnut dose could be deleterious. In this thoughtful response, Roxane Gay suggests that maybe we should stop demonizing fat people and start acting on the real health problems our country faces. (9 min)

+ No, we didn’t get a doughnut on the trip back.

+ Ms. Gay has appeared many times in the newsletter. Her newsletter, The Audacity, includes sharp writing and the work of emerging writers.

America Ruined My Name For Me

Beth Nguyen: “Names are deeply personal and deeply public. We have to see our names all the time. Every form, every post, every e-mail. “Your name here” at the top of every assignment in elementary school. The other kids would decorate their names with stars and hearts; they would try to make their names look bigger than everyone else’s. The sight of their names gave them pleasure and satisfaction. I have never felt this pleasure, not once. Not even with publications. To me, my name has been a taunt. I’m always trying not to look at it.” (9 min)

Swipe White

In this newsletter’s first article about dating, Jennifer Chong Schneider explores how men have denigrated and fetishized her Asian identity. Brilliantly crafted in a question-and-answer format, the essay combines painful anecdotes with thoughtful reflections on trust and white aspirationalism. The daughter of a Korean woman and an abusive white American man, Ms. Chong Schneider questions her desire when she dates a Korean man for the first time. “Trust means that a person will take care with your feelings, and they will do it without effort.” (17 min)

+ Pasta Update: If you’ve been following the bucatini brouhaha (see Issues #276, #277, and #278), you can set that aside and focus now on cascatelli, the new pasta in town, a creation of Dan Pashman and his Mission ImPASTAble series. Yes, by all means, please weigh in with your thoughts, especially if you’re lucky enough to sample the prized pasta.

Thank you for reading another issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

Also, to our new subscriber Debby, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (e.g., Olivia! Luke! Monica!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#287: Am I A Conditional American?

Cindy-Lee_hero2.png

You’ll be proud of me, loyal readers. I’m taking my first real vacation in more than two years. (Take that, capitalism!) It’s been great to get away, rest, and reflect. As this newsletter approaches its sixth year and 300th issue, I’m feeling extra grateful for your readership. (Should there be a big celebration, once it’s safe, to commemorate the milestone?)

This week’s issue spans a variety of topics, in typical Highlighter fashion. The lead article, “Am I A Conditional American?” explores a Korean American woman’s experience with anti-Asian hate. After that probing piece, you’ll find an interview about death, a travelogue about teeth, and a reflection on the superior navigational abilities of animals. Please enjoy!

+ Article Club was a big success again last weekend. We discussed Francesca Mari’s “A Lonely Occupation,” an outstanding piece about gentrification. It was possibly the deepest conversation we’ve had. The only problem is that some of you weren’t there. If reading great articles and making new friends sound intriguing, we’d love to have you. Plus I have good news: This month, we’ll be discussing “Baking Bread In Lyon,” one of my favorite articles from last year, and author Bill Buford will be joining our conversation (and maybe judging our sourdough).

Am I A Conditional American?

Cindy Lee: “At 64 years old, I’ve come to realize that my feeling of safety is conditional. My acceptance is conditional. My Americanness is conditional. The rules are not up to those of us who are ‘other.’ Despite how we feel, who we are or what we’ve done, someone else gets to decide if we are dangerous, diseased or even American. The American Dream can be bestowed, and it can be withdrawn. Now, the American Dream is less dreamy for me, less sure. For too many, it’s never been.” (3 min)

+ Ms. Lee wrote this essay, her first published work, for a course at Arizona State University, where she is pursuing a master’s in Liberal Studies.

This Mortal Coil

Common sense suggests that being reminded of our death would make us kinder and gentler, more generous and open-minded. But according to psychologist Sheldon Solomon, the opposite is true: Our fear of the unknown causes us to turn inward, focusing on ourselves and those we trust, suspicious of anyone outside our cultural group. In this interview, Prof. Solomon explains Terror Management Theory, which accounts for why the pandemic has exacerbated polarization. After all, when times get tense, we might want to practice gratitude and humility. But we can’t help human nature. (30 min)

Bo, who belongs to loyal reader JoLynn, contemplates how best to spend the day. Want your pet to appear in The Highlighter? hltr.co/pets

Molar City

If the rate of vaccinations outpaces the rate of virus variants, we’ll soon see a rise in two of Americans’ favorite pastimes: summer vacations and going to the dentist. Why not combine the two with a trip to Los Algodones, the dental tourism capital of the world? Get a crown, install an implant, replace some gums, or do a full mouth reconstruction, all for pennies on the dollar, thanks to the inequities of the American health care system. Even if you’re not experiencing piercing pain, you may want to try out veneers, popular among teen influencers, to boost your confidence in our society obsessed with teeth. (19 min)

Why Animals Don’t Get Lost

Good thing the pandemic has kept me mostly sheltered in place, because without Google Maps, there’s no telling if I’ll get from here to there. Most animals, though, don’t need a GPS, and in this outstanding article by Kathryn Schulz, you’ll learn how Canada geese, Monarch butterflies, jumping spiders, and even your pet Goldendoodle navigate their environment, even if they’re plopped down for the first time in the middle of nowhere. Get ready for some science! (26 min)

+ Ms. Schulz is the author of “When Things Go Missing,” one of my all-time favorite articles. It was voted Best Article of 2017.

+ Reader Annotations: Last week’s lead article, “The Stories I Haven’t Been Told,” sparked strong emotions in many of you. VIP Lopez loved the piece and wrote, “I want to hear more from Jamie Figueroa, that writing was exciting. Having two sisters and a very single mom, I related so much to this article it was scary, and I’m Puerto Rican. I really hope you get her in for Article Club.” I’ve already emailed Ms. Figueroa to join us, and if she says yes, you’ll be the first to find out!

Loyal reader Kibos expressed her appreciation for “A Letter to My Fellow Asian Women Whose Hearts Are Still Breaking.” She wrote, “Thank you for choosing the article by R.O. Kwon and for particularly highlighting the voice of Korean women.” The murders were horrific, and my hope is to find more pieces like Ms. Kwon’s that might be helpful and supportive.

Given that everyone faces a cavalcade of email, it’s heartwarming to hear when you’ve appreciated receiving the newsletter. Loyal reader Johanna wrote, “I love your friendly, warm, interested voice that you use in the newsletter. :) It’s one of my fave emails to get every week!” Thank you, Johanna!

Please keep your thoughts coming. All you need to do is hit reply and start typing. I read and respond to every email I receive.

Thank you for reading another issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

Also, to our new subscribers Ayanna and Joel, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Thank you to loyal reader Alison for getting the word out!

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#286: The Stories I Haven’t Been Told

Illustration3_final_v02_WR-2048x1195-1.jpg

Hi loyal readers! This week, I’m trying a new design for the newsletter. Maybe you don’t notice anything different? If you do, let me know what you think: Do you like the new look? Or should we go back to classic?

This week’s lead article, “The Stories I Haven’t Been Told,” is a masterpiece. I hope you will find the time to read it. It’s powerful and beautifully written. I’d love to hear what you think.

The other pieces in today’s issue are also worthy of your reading time. R.O. Kwon writes a touching letter to Korean women after last week’s horrific murders. Sen. Raphael Warnock delivers a rousing speech for voting rights. Rebecca Solnit describes how Native Americans are infiltrating environmental groups to become more inclusive. And Paul Tough explains how the dismantling of the SAT hasn’t meant more inclusive admissions at elite colleges.

About that reading thing: If you love to read but can’t seem to find time, and you’re seeking support — you know, maybe like a reading buddy — please let me know. Our reading community has tons of generous people (like VIP Martha, for instance!), who would love to connect with you.

Also, there’s Article Club, which I find delightful, where a group of us read, annotate, and discuss one great article each month. The author participates, too, which is a bonus. Reach out if you’re sort of interested but are nervous or want to know more.

The Stories I Haven’t Been Told

Jamie Figueroa fills up cheap spiral-bound notebooks with words to explore where she comes from, who she is, and why she’s here. In this complex, powerful essay, Ms. Figueroa organizes those thoughts into a gripping narrative that reveals what she knows (and doesn’t know) about her Puerto Rican family’s history. Her process reveals deep truths about generational trauma, the effects of assimilation, the legacy of family, the shape-shifting of memory, and the power of writing.

Ms. Figueroa writes, “I come from women who were held down. Women who left their children and took in others. I come from women who fought back, who wielded knives, who shot guns. Wounded, wounding. Healed, healing. I come from Taíno women and Yoruba women. Black-skinned and brown-skinned women. I come from women who can lie so good, they can convince even themselves. Women who were remade, unrecognizable. Women who have started over too many times to count. I come from women who were deterred from their own wild knowing. Women who survived.” (27 min)

+ Please reach out if you want someone to listen as you process this piece. Also, I plan on inviting the author to an upcoming Article Club.

A Letter To My Fellow Asian Women Whose Hearts Are Still Breaking

R.O. Kwon: “It’s not just that I love being a Korean woman; I also love that my life is full of Korean women. No one is more intimidating to me than ferocious Korean women, and it is part of my life’s work to try to more fully be one of these women.

“Still and always, hypersexualized, ignored, gaslit, marginalized, and disrespected as we’ve been, I am so fortified, so alive, when I’m with us. You matter to me, we matter to me, and I would so much rather have us and our allies on our side than any of them. For we already belong.” (10 min)

Environmentalists And The Sierra Club Are Finally Seeing Indigenous People

When you visit Yosemite or Yellowstone, and you gawk at the grandeur of Half Dome or Old Faithful, do you acknowledge that Indigenous people once called our country’s national parks their home? More than 100 years later after its inception, the Sierra Club is reckoning with its problematic founder, John Muir, and with its erasure of Native Americans. According to author Rebecca Solnit, a new generation of environmentalists — including the voices of Black and Indigenous people — have demonstrated “there is room to change who decides, who matters, who gets heard, whose story gets told.” (19 min)

+ Ms. Solnit appeared last in The Highlighter back in 2016, when her “Death By Gentrification” was one of the best articles of the year.

The Campus Tour Has Been Canceled: How The Pandemic Has Changed College Admissions

Mills College is closing, universities across the country are losing money, and high school seniors are taking gap years. But not everything is lost in higher education. The University of California and hundreds of other colleges no longer require the SAT or ACT to apply, signaling hope that admissions practices may become more equitable for first-generation students of color. But in this podcast episode, Ira Glass and Paul Tough report that student demographics will not shift dramatically because colleges still have to pay the bills. This means, of course, accepting more (white) students who can pay full price.

+ Mr. Tough is my second favorite education writer and the author of The Inequality Machine: How College Divides Us. He joined Article Club last February and answered our questions about “Getting an A,” a delightful story about a great student, a great teacher, and Calculus.

Thank you for reading another issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

Also, to our new subscribers Graig, Gabi, Christopher, and Claire, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Thank you to loyal reader Jessica for getting the word out!

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#285: What Black Schools Mean To Black Kids

Lemieux-Diversity-ftr_img (1).jpg

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here. As schools begin to reopen, one full year after they closed, I’m finding more well-written pieces about education. This week’s lead article, “What Black Schools Mean To Black Kids,” questions the value of integrated schools and celebrates learning environments where Black children are put at the center. The second article eviscerates and excoriates private schools and suggests that maybe we should eliminate them altogether. Educators and parents, I’d love to hear your thoughts on both.

After the pet photo break, you’ll find an outstanding podcast episode featuring the transformation of a protester-turned-politician. Then to round off this issue, please enjoy something entirely different: the story of a woman who communicates with animals and heals them. Never a dull moment at The Highlighter!

+ What would make this newsletter even better? I’m all ears and ready to hear all your great ideas. Type or tell me your thoughts!

What Black Schools Mean To Black Kids

Jamilah Lemieux: “The events of last summer, much like the events of the past 400 summers, were among the many reasons that I gave up on integrated-ish schools. Now, more than ever, I am convinced that my child — my child — is safest in the hands of people who know that she is a human being, who did not have to learn later in life that she is a human being, who were raised by people who look like her to love and understand people who look like her.

“I firmly believe that this child is right where she needs to be. At no point has my little girl ever indicated that she thought white people to be more beautiful, more intelligent, more capable, or more moral than Black people. Naima is quite convinced that to be a Black girl is to be glorious. It is, and she is, and it is my duty to protect her and that feeling so long as I draw breath.” (10 min)

Private Schools Are Indefensible

Caitlin Flanagan taught at a fancy private school. She even sent her kids to one. But enough is enough. In this tart, snarky takedown of elite private schools like Dalton and Sidwell Friends, Ms. Flanagan takes no prisoners and bars no holds. It’s one thing to hoard resources, breed entitlement, and exacerbate inequality. But to do all that and then to spout progressive values and pretend you’re engines of social change? No way, no how. Ms. Flanagan is having none of that. (30 min)

+ Loyal reader Jonathan gets credit for smartly pointing this piece in my direction.

Resistance

Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr: “When people all around the world first started going outside and protesting, I’m kind of ashamed to say that I was on my couch playing video games. I was tossing touchdowns in one game, then shooting people’s heads off in another, and the most I raised my voice for anything was to talk trash to my friends over a headset.

“A couple days later, though, as the protests got more intense, I kept thinking about this. And I convinced myself that the reason I wasn’t out there protesting was because I didn’t want to catch coronavirus, or maybe it was self-care, or some shit like that. And I think those are valid points, but in all honesty, I know that I stayed on my couch because, for me, I didn’t think there was much use in fighting anymore.” (43 min)

+ In this podcast episode, Mr. Tejan-Thomas follows 22-year-old activist Chi Ossé as he takes to the streets, founds Warriors in the Garden, and decides to run for New York City Council.

The Crow Whisperer

After crows attacked their dog, harassed their baby, and followed them around their neighborhood in Oakland, Dani Fisher and Adam Florin knew they had to call the local crow whisperer in order to avoid a murder. In this delightful piece, Lauren Markham follows Yvette Buigues as she mediates conflicts between humans and animals and performs energy healing on people’s pets, like Ernie the bull terrier and Bodie the cat. “Animals store pain and memories just like we do,” she says. (22 min)

+ Ms. Markham is one of my favorite writers. Her article, “Our School,” was one of my favorites of 2017. She also joined the podcast to discuss her outstanding piece, “The Girl Gangs of El Salvador.”

+ Reader Annotations: Last week’s issue elicited many reactions. Loyal reader and teacher Katherine shared her concern with “How First-Year Teachers Have Coped,” urging us not to normalize the expectation that beginning teachers should suffer as part of their teaching journey. She wrote, “Why do we feel like it’s OK for first-year teachers to feel ‘desperation?’ Is it just because we all did? Is it a type of hazing?” Great point, Katherine. Teaching should be joyful.

Other readers got the word out about last week’s lead article, “Coming of Age in a Pandemic.” Loyal reader and Art teacher Heidi (aka First Guest Ever on The Highlighter Podcast) wrote, “I shared the piece with my classes and my colleagues. So good! Thank you.” VIP Sivan wrote, “Thanks for making me cry with this one.”

I also appreciated reading your words of encouragement for the newsletter in general. Loyal reader Matt wrote, “Thanks for keeping this going during this crazy year. It was a nice part of my weekly ritual when everything else was up in the air.”

I’m very grateful for this reading community. Please keep reaching out and sharing your thoughts. All you need to do is hit reply and start typing!

Did you hope this issue would never end? Well, sadly, it is ending. Thank you for reading another issue of The Highlighter. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought by clicking on one of the thumbs below.

Also, to our new subscribers Elizabeth, Christie, and Natalie, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Thank you to loyal reader Bela for getting the word out!

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#284: One Year Gone

14sp-comingofage-Bagaporo-facebookJumbo.jpg

One year ago today, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, the NBA called off its season, Tom Hanks announced he had contracted the virus, and schools across the country began to close. For the most part, over the past year, I haven’t featured too many articles about the pandemic, mostly because we’ve been inundated with them. But today feels different. It’s time to read and reflect. I’m dedicating this week’s issue to the 529,000 people who have died, to the time we have lost, to the ways our lives have changed, and to the resilience we have mustered. Thank you very much for being part of this reading community and for motivating me to keep publishing this newsletter every week.

Though all four pieces are worth your attention, if you have time to read just one article this week, I recommend “The Lost Year: What The Pandemic Cost Teenagers.” It will spark emotion in you.

+ A big shoutout to VIP Lopez, who took seriously my call to spread the word about the newsletter and singlehandedly convinced seven fine people to subscribe! Let’s please welcome Ruth, Paula, Yeshi, Aaron, Amanda, Maria, and Alex, along with new subscribers Emily and Braydon. Loyal readers, can you beat Lopez? (She says you can’t.)

Coming Of Age In A Pandemic Year

Last June we lamented that high school seniors would not get to celebrate their graduations in person. But millions of seniors this year have not stepped foot in school at all. Their experience has been “gloomy,” “lonely,” and “depressing.” But in this exhibit, young people demonstrate their ability to reinvent themselves and shape their realities through art.

Through images, words, videos, text messages, and poetry, they answer the question, “What has it been like to be a teenager during the first year of a historic pandemic?” In their pieces and artists’ statements, they share what they’ve lost, and what they’ve found. Hannah Blue, 17, writes, “I was forced to be alone with myself, which led me to create art and poetry with deeper meaning than I had ever been able to create before.” (15 min)

+ Thank you to VIP Tony for sharing this piece with me.

Lost Time: Ten Stories Of The Pandemic

I encourage you to take time and read these closely. In this poignant set of profiles, which acknowledge the “suspended state of mind” we’ve felt, you’ll meet a college freshman who has never seen his campus, an engaged couple who keeps putting off their wedding, a massage therapist whose patients just want to be touched, a DJ who misses the closeness of the crowd, a 102-year-old man who’s sad he’s survived his second pandemic, and a hospice chaplain who helps people die through a mask and a pane of glass. And then there’s Emilia, who doesn’t want to turn 9. “I didn’t really get to be 8.” (15 min)

The Lost Year: What The Pandemic Cost Teenagers

Up until this year, Kooper Davis charmed his teachers, got straight A’s, and played quarterback for the Hobbs High School football team in New Mexico. He had his sights set on Stanford. But the state’s protracted shutdown canceled the football season, which led Kooper’s mental health to decline. In this heartbreaking article, Alec MacGillis argues that closed schools have led not only to losses in learning. They’ve also caused soaring rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. That’s not the case, though, in Texas, just a 10-minute drive away, where schools have remained open all year. (42 min)

Tears, Sleepless Nights, And Victories: How First-Year Teachers Have Coped

If you’re a teacher (like many of you!), you remember your first year. Every teacher does. It’s equal parts exhilaration and desperation. No matter how much you fail, though, you see your students in front of you, and you’re reminded why you chose the profession. But this year, being a new teacher has meant never meeting your students, teaching to blank screens, creating projects that don’t get turned in, and trying to support your students from a distance. (17 min)

+ I invite you to join Article Club this month, where we’ll discuss “A Lonely Occupation,” by Francesca Mari. Featured in January, the article explores how real-estate developers hire homeless Black people to guard vacant homes in gentrifying neighborhoods while they’re being renovated. Interested? Here’s more information.

Yet again, you have exceeded expectations. Thank you for reading another issue of The Highlighter. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought by clicking on one of the thumbs below.

Also, to our new subscribers Ruth, Paula, Yeshi, Aaron, Amanda, Maria, and Alex, Emily, and Braydon, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Also, thank you to VIP Philippe for getting the word out!

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#283: Out There I Have To Smile

longreadsfinal_revised.jpg

Happy Thursday and welcome to March, loyal readers, and thank you for opening The Highlighter. In this week’s issue, you’ll find articles about the challenges of parenting, the finiteness of life, the distraction of class-based grievances, and the perils of revenge bedtime procrastination. Please enjoy!

In particular, if you like this kind of thing, I encourage you to read the articles in pairs (the first two, the second two), to see if you draw the same connections as I did. Seemingly unrelated articles, when read back to back, sometimes reveal intriguing insights. I’d love to hear what you glean.

+ Last Sunday, as part of Article Club, 20 of us gathered to discuss “How the Black Vote Became a Monolith” (#262) by Theodore R. Johnson. It was a great conversation. Thank you to everyone who participated, including loyal readers Elise and Sarai, who facilitated small groups. If you’re wanting to read more deeply and connect with other thoughtful people, check out Article Club.

Out There I Have To Smile

For Heather Lanier, whose daughter Fiona has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, there’s a big difference between living “in here” and “out there.” She writes, “In here applies little pressure. In here asks no questions. In here often lets you and your kin be as you are.” But “out there,” Ms. Lanier and her daughter face physical obstacles — like narrow doorways and steep stairs — and people’s stares, excessive concern, and harmful questions. Most exhausting, they have to perform happiness. They have to smile all the time.

“You ask: Am I happy? I say, sometimes less than before. Because she wakes six times a night. Because regular trips to pediatric specialists are no strolls through the park. Because special educators sometimes see her as broken, in need of fixing. Because her needs often exceed my energy. Because every time I’ve hovered above her convulsing body at night, counting the minutes, I might have gained something like courage or ‘life experience,’ but I also felt gashed in a bodily place that I can’t find, I can’t name. Because loving someone has never been so hard.” (21 min)

A Matter Of Life And Death

When Marjorie Williams finds out she has liver cancer, at age 43, she is given six months to live. But the devastating prognosis does not prevent Ms. Williams from living fully and honestly along with her husband and two young children. In this outstanding, moving piece, she writes about the liberation she feels realizing that she lives on borrowed time. “Sometimes I feel immortal: whatever happens to me now, I’ve earned the knowledge some people never gain, that my span is finite, and I still have the chance to rise, and rise, to life’s generosity.” (52 min)

+ I’ve been asked, “Why so many articles on death?” It’s simple: They remind me, again and again, to live.

Inside A Battle Over Race, Class, And Power At Smith College

Two years ago, when a Black student at Smith College complained about racial profiling, the school’s white president mandated anti-bias training and called for “reconciliation and healing.” But ever since an investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing, a backlash has ensued, led by white staff members, including Jodi Shaw, who claim that class matters as much as race in building an inclusive environment, and that conversations about race cause undue discomfort. Two questions arise for me: (1) Haven’t we heard this distraction before? (2) Why so much attention on a tiny college in Massachusetts, tuition $55,830? (14 min)

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination Is Real, According To Psychologists

We know we should prioritize sleep. We know not to keep our phone at our bedside, or drink coffee late, or scroll through Twitter. If we know these things, why do we continue? The reason, according to clinical therapists, is that we’re savoring our rare alone time. We’re relaxing, despite our exhaustion. Most important, we’re stubbornly taking a stand against capitalism, which has stripped us from leisure. We know that sleeping will help us feel refreshed, but refreshed for what, exactly? More productivity, more obligations? No way. We can’t have that. Let’s stay up all night. (7 min)

+ Please share a time you participated in advanced revenge bedtime procrastination.

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Susan loved last week’s lead article and shared her appreciation for its author. “I love Anna Deavere Smith. I have seen her in her plays at the Berkeley Rep, and miss so much going to see live theater with a message.” Thank you very much for reaching out, Susan. I also look forward to seeing Ms. Deavere Smith perform again in Berkeley once we’re all safe!

I hope you feel accomplished now that you have successfully completed yet another issue of The Highlighter. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below.

Also, let’s welcome Jane, Minna, Maya, and Alanya, our reading community’s four new subscribers. I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Also, thank you to loyal reader Caitlin for getting the word out!

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!