#360: What Comes After Ambition?

Hi loyal readers! Thank you for opening this week’s issue of The Highlighter, which includes outstanding selections on ambition, reading instruction, live action role plays, and emotional support animals. If you have time to read just one piece, I recommend (depending on your mood) either “What Comes After Ambition?” or “His Emotional Support Animal Is An Alligator.” The first is about redefining success in life, and the second is about, well, an alligator. If you’re a teacher, don’t miss “The Rise And Fall of Vibes-Based Literacy,” and if you want to be creeped out, go with “My 4 Days In Gay Conversion Therapy.“ Please enjoy! — and if you like, share in the comments which article resonated with you most.

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ALSO: Tonight is Highlighter Happy Hour #18! We’re sold out. I’m looking forward to seeing you all there at Room 389 in Oakland beginning at 5:30 pm.

ALSO: There’s still time to join Article Club this month. I warmly invite you to participate. We’re reading, annotating, and discussing “A Kingdom from Dust,” by Mark Arax. Here’s an annotatable version. It’s a brilliantly written, sweeping account of water and farming politics in California, exploring how two non-farming, kitsch-selling business people from the East coast built massive wealth by moving out west and making it big. Already 14 of you have signed up for our discussion on Sunday, September 25, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. There’s room for 10 more of you! All you need to do is click the button below.

Sign up for the discussion!

1️⃣ What Comes After Ambition?

We know about the Great Resignation of 2021, when 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs. We’ve heard of quiet quitting, the trend of meeting our job requirements, rather than going above and beyond. (I’m not sure how this is quitting.)

But what’s really going on here? Why are so many of us — and in particular, women — questioning the role of work in our lives? Is it just the effects of the pandemic? Is it Gen X wanting to retire early, and Gen Z not wanting to work? Is it a structural effect of late-stage capitalism, or maybe an existential response to climate change – a plaintive cry of “What’s it all for?”

Whatever is causing this decline of ambition, author Ann Friedman expertly captures the feelings of (many) women right now in this well-written piece. She argues that girlboss culture and previous waves of feminism did not break the glass ceiling. The pay gap stubbornly persists, particularly for BIPOC women. Why try so hard when structural inequities remain intractable? Why strive at work when more attainable and satisfying measures of success lie outside the office? (10 min)

2️⃣ The Rise And Fall of Vibes-Based Literacy

Before the latest round of teacher bashing – you know, the one about critical race theory and book banning and LBGTQ grooming – there was another movement by parents to criticize teachers. It was about the way teachers approached reading instruction. About five years ago, with the dogged reporting of education journalist Emily Hanford, proponents of phonics rebranded as “the science of reading,” vilifying educators who supplemented structured lessons on decoding with independent reading and access to high-interest books. In this article, when Jessica Winter notices that her kindergarten daughter is not sounding out words, she grows concerned about the reading curriculum. After first reacting like many parents (trying to cancel Lucy Calkins), Ms. Winter realizes that the solution to the reading wars isn’t an either-or proposition. Instead, we must recognize systemic inequities and provide young people multiple ways (including phonics) to learn to read well. A big thanks to VIP Jennifer for sending this article my way. (27 min)

3️⃣ My 4 Days In Gay Conversion Therapy

While Americans love their video games, Scandinavians prefer live action role playing. I’m by no means an expert in Larping, but if you’ve ever attended a Renaissance Faire (not my thing), or heard of a Civil War re-enactment (definitely not my thing), you get the idea. Except Scandinavians take their Larps very seriously, as Jason Anthony explains in this well-written and uncomfortable article about “The Future Is Straight,” a four-day experience in Denmark that simulates a gay conversion camp in a strict heteronormative society. Mr. Anthony, who is queer, takes on the character of Ferret, who in the Larp wants to be straight. This is discomfiting for Mr. Anthony, who nonetheless begins to identify with Ferret, which Larpers call “bleed.” He writes, “While two days earlier Ferret was an idea, his personality had taken over my flesh, a kind of possession.” (30 min)

4️⃣ His Emotional Support Animal Is An Alligator

Like many of us, Joseph Henney gets anxious sometimes. But instead of a lovable Lab or a cute kitten to help him get through the daily stressors of modern life, Mr. Henney relies on his emotional support animal, a 70-pound alligator named WallyGator. “When he returns his nose toward you,” Mr. Henney says about WallyGator, “that means he expects a kiss.” In addition to giving and receiving affection, WallyGator accompanies Mr. Henney (on a leash) on jaunts to the park and the farmers market, where residents of Jonestown, Pennsylvania, greet him and ask for selfies. At home, they watch TV together on the couch, sleep in the same bed, and regularly devour their favorite snack, cheesy popcorn. (15 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter Article Club. Hope you liked it. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. All you need to do is hit reply, email me, or leave me a voice message.

To our three new subscribers – including Ronald – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Zach! Zoe! Zane!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Betty, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.

If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are some ways you can help out:

📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? Share with them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word.

Subscribe

☕️ Buy me a coffee to express your appreciation of the newsletter

❤️ Become a VIP member for $3 a month, like Shawnim and Sharon. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes, like Highlighter Sticky Notes and exclusive audio letters from me to you.

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

The Power of Hearing from the Author

Plus: I’m a bit starstruck by next month’s Article Club author (you’re invited!)

Thank you for being paid subscribers (VIPs!) of The Highlighter Article Club, and thank you for supporting me.

In this week’s audio letter from me to you, I talk about…

• how great it is that famous authors participate in Article Club

• how hearing from authors makes our discussions so much deeper

• how I’m excited and nervous to announce next month’s author

I’m revealing October’s article this upcoming Thursday, but because you’re VIPs, you get the news first! We’re going to be reading “Looking for Clarence Thomas,” by Mitchell S. Jackson, who won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Magazine Award for “Twelve Minutes and a Life,” his profile on Ahmaud Arbery.

I warmly invite you to join our discussion on Sunday, Oct. 23 — either in person in Oakland at 11 am PT or online at 2 pm PT. Click the button to sign up.

Sign up for the discussion!

That’s it for now. Hope you have a good week, and see you this Thursday for the next issue of the newsletter. Thank you again for all your support.

#359: The Grammar Of Exile

Hi loyal readers, and welcome to September! This week I have two great articles and a warm invitation for you. The lead article, “The Grammar Of Exile,” is set in an English class at a refugee resource center in Rome at the height of the European migration crisis in 2015. With writer Will Boast’s support, asylum seekers hope that learning the world’s most powerful language will grant them freedom and opportunity in their new land. The reality, of course, is far more complicated.

Also this week, I reveal this month’s Article Club selection, “A Kingdom from Dust.” It’s a brilliantly written, sweeping account of water and farming politics in California, exploring how two non-farming, kitsch-selling business people from the East coast built massive wealth by moving out west and making it big. I’m delighted that author Mark Arax has agreed to join us, and I encourage you all to read the piece and participate in our discussion on Sunday, Sept. 25. More details below.

+ If you live near Oakland, it’d be great to see you at HIGHLIGHTER HAPPY HOUR next Thursday at Room 389 beginning at 5:30 pm. This will be the 18th installment of HHH, a joyous gathering of our reading community. It’s a great way to meet new people, deepen relationships, chat about the articles, and win exciting prizes. There are seven tickets left, so get yours soon. Hope to see you there!

Get your free ticket!

The Grammar Of Exile

“Would, could, should — this was the language of possibility, of opportunity. Hopes, dreams, plans: You used the conditional to conceive them, take them from imagination into reality.” But in this well-crafted essay by writer Will Boast about his time teaching English to asylum seekers in Rome, what’s possible remains subbornly out of reach. The students – nearly all of whom are men, many of whom are professionals in the countries they fled, many of whom are already multilingual — diligently learn the what, where, how, and when of English in Mr. Boast’s class. But why confounds them — not just the word itself, but also understanding the why of their precarious, powerless situation, the why of being stuck in between.

Mr. Boast writes: “For almost all of my students, the crisis had come to mean something else: waiting. Waiting and trying to grasp the rules, the grammar, not just of new languages but of a new continent, one made up of a particularly labyrinthine network of bureaucracies and charitable organizations. And if I wanted to help my students, really help them, I’d have to learn that new grammar too. (37 min)

A Kingdom From Dust

Ever had a Cutie? 🍊 Or a bottle of Fiji water? Or a glass of pomegranate juice?

Maybe you prefer nuts — like maybe almonds? Or pistachios, perhaps?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you support the empire of billionaires Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the king and queen of California agriculture, who control not only hundreds of thousands of acres of land, but also billions of gallons of water every year, not to mention the livelihoods of thousands of mostly undocumented people who work in their vast fields and live in their company town.

This month at Article Club, we’ll be reading, annotating, and discussing “A Kingdom from Dust,” and I encourage you to join us on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 2 pm PT.

Sign up for the discussion!

I deeply appreciated this article because of what I learned about my home state – namely, how much power its big farmers wield, how little power its farmworkers possess, how messed up its water policies are, and how our desire for delicious produce in the supermarket is influencing climate change, contributing to wildfires, and literally making the land underneath our feet sink.

I’m grateful to journalist Mark Arax for generously saying yes to participating in Article Club and for agreeing to answer our questions. His well-written article has it all. Not only will you meet the Resnicks, but you’ll also learn about how they schemed their way to the top, stealing water to protect themselves from drought; how they built a company town, keeping their laborers dependent on philanthropy; and how they destroyed the environment, planting trees where they don’t grow and ripping out trees where they do.

And if you step back, as Mr. Arax encourages us to do, you’ll realize how fragile California is, and how dire our situation is — how we’ve managed to construct an enormous agricultural apparatus because of people’s ambitions for fortune, one that the country depends on, but one that fundamentally does not work, and one that will inevitably fail sooner rather than later.

After all, no matter how strong California dreaming is, there’s just no escaping the reality that 40 million people are living in a desert that’s getting drier.

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter Article Club. Hope you liked it. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. All you need to do is hit reply, email me, or leave me a voice message.

To our three new subscribers – including Erica and Lewis – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Yudiel! Young! Yuri!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Baron, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.

If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are some ways you can help out:

📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read the highest-quality nonfiction? Forward them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word.

Subscribe

☕️ Buy me a coffee (or two, like Imène!) to express your appreciation of the newsletter

❤️ Become a VIP member for $3 a month, like Ariel and Dina. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes, like Highlighter Sticky Notes and exclusive audio letters from me to you.

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

Sea Legs?

Plus a warm invitation to Highlighter Happy Hour on Sept. 8. Please join us!

One of the grand prizes at the annual Highlighter Game Show is this boat! Who’s going to win it this year? (Yes, that’s me in the back, getting my sea legs.)

Mark here, appreciating you for supporting me and The Highlighter Article Club with your paid subscription. Thank you for being a VIP.

One of the perks of being a VIP is that from time to time, I record a personal audio letter from me to you. These audio letters are usually pretty short and pretty informal, and it’s a way for me to share what’s on my mind and maybe a little bit about what’s going on behind the scenes. You can think of it as an expression of my gratitude.

In this audio letter, which I’m calling “Sea Legs,” I talk about two things:

1. How there’s been a lot of change at the newsletter and in my professional life, and how I’m wondering if I’m getting my sea legs

2. How I think it’d be great if you came to Highlighter Happy Hour #18 at Room 389 in Oakland on Thursday, Sept. 8, beginning at 5:30 pm.

Get your free VIP ticket to HHH #18

Thank you for listening to my personal letter from me to you. I hope you liked it, I hope you have a great week ahead, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the new newsletter, two months in. Thank you!

#358: Just Do This

School is back in session, so let’s make this week’s issue about education, shall we? Don’t worry: There won’t be any depressing articles about the teacher shortage or critical race theory or book bans. You can read about those topics elsewhere. Here at The Highlighter, I’ve selected pieces that are funny, thought-provoking, and inspiring. If you’re a teacher, or you care about teachers, you’ll enjoy this week’s lead article, “Just Do This,” an amusing reminder that teachers juggle many responsibilities. If humor’s not your thing, you’ll appreciate thoughtful pieces on what’s actually being taught in history class, how teachers are changing the way they teach reading, and how Native American students are navigating their college years. Please enjoy!

HIGHLIGHTER HAPPY HOUR: It’s that time again. Celebrate the start of the school year and the joy of our reading community! Join other loyal subscribers at Room 389 in Oakland on Thursday, Sept. 8 for our Fall gathering of The Highlighter Happy Hour. We’ll start gathering at 5:30 pm. Connect with fellow loyal readers and reflect on the articles. Meet new people, deepen relationships, offer your perspective, and listen with empathy. Hope to see you there! Get your free ticket here. (Space is limited to 20. We’ll be outside.)

1️⃣ Just Do This And 10,000 Other Things

Now that I’m back at a school (and very happy about that), and particularly because I substituted four days last week (to support a colleague with Covid), I’m reminded that teachers have a ton on their plates. It’s a tiring (and rewarding) profession, don’t you think? In this piece for McSweeney’s, teacher Tom Lester gets right to it, humorously lamenting all the demands teachers face, alongside administrators’ suggestions to “just take a deep breath and remember to take care of yourself.” (4 min)

2️⃣ What’s Actually Being Taught In History Class (videos)

This collection of short video interviews of high school history teachers made me proud to have taught social studies. In short, they know what they’re talking about. After sharing their perspectives on critical race theory (and how they don’t teach it), the teachers consider important questions like, “What is it like to teach about race and United States history?” “What do you teach about Thomas Jefferson?” and “How do you discuss the Civil War and Reconstruction?” My favorite quote was from Valencia Abbott, who teaches in Wentworth, North Carolina. She says, “I teach these things so that I know that when I’m no longer here, my country is going to be fine, my country is going to make it, and the only way that that’s going to happen is to teach the truth.” (15 min)

3️⃣ Changing How Kids Are Taught To Read

When Kareem Weaver taught fourth and fifth graders in Oakland, his district required him to use Open Court, a scripted reading curriculum based on phonics instruction. He and his colleagues hated the program and fought for a more progressive approach that would offer young people access to a wide variety of meaningful texts. Now Mr. Weaver wants the old curriculum back. Why? The science of reading. Despite all of the controversy surrounding the latest battle of the reading wars, this article offers a fair summary of why and how educators have shifted their approach to teaching young people how to read. (17 min)

4️⃣ Standing In Two Worlds: Native American College Diaries (podcast)

This is an inspiring collection of first-person accounts by Native American college students seeking higher education to strengthen connections with their indigenous roots. Reuben Kitto Stately says: “Education for me is truth-seeking. I knew that focusing on American Indian Studies at Augsburg University would help me better understand the history of colonization here in America. Knowledge is an act of resistance and a way to help Native people. This is a capitalist system and the best way that we can support our people and ourselves and our families is to make money. You can bring that college degree back to your people and get a job for your tribe. Maybe you’re able to indigenize new space or you strengthen the space that your people are already in.” (50 min)

+ I highly recommend this podcast episode, especially for Humanities teachers and college counselors.

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter Article Club. Hope you liked it. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. All you need to do is hit reply, email me, or leave me a voice message.

To our four new subscribers – including Emma, Heni, Anna, and Clark – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Xavier! Xi! Xane!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Jim, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.

If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are some ways you can help out:

📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, loves to read, and wants to spend less time doomscrolling? Forward them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word.

Subscribe

☕️ Buy me a coffee to express your appreciation of the newsletter

❤️ Become a VIP member for $3 a month, like Reba and Loretta. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes, like Highlighter Sticky Notes and exclusive audio letters from me to you.

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

#357: Interview with Josh Dzieza, author of “Revolt of the Delivery Workers”

Dear Loyal Readers,

This week I want to focus on something many of you might not even know: The Highlighter Article Club has a podcast, too. (Did you know?)

Listen on Apple Podcasts

I mean, it’s not a famous podcast (yet), and it comes out only once or twice a month, but I fully vouch for the quality of its content. After all, most episodes involve an interview with an outstanding journalist or author. That’s because since January 2020, our reading community has invited writers to join our monthly discussions of the very best articles on race, education, and culture. And many of them generously say yes!

This month, we’re gathering online on Aug. 28, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT, to talk about “Revolt of the Delivery Workers,” by Josh Dzieza. I got a chance to interview Mr. Dzieza a couple weeks ago, and he thoughtfully shared how he reported the story and how the 65,000 delivery workers in New York City have fought for better wages, working conditions, safety measures, on tighter regulations of delivery apps.

I hope you take a listen! You can click on the play button above or you can subscribe to The Highlighter Article Club Podcast on your phone.

If the interview interests you, there’s still time to join our discussion on Aug. 28. We’re a kind, thoughtful group of people who enjoy thought-provoking conversations. You can sign up by clicking the button below, or you can email me with questions.

Sign up for the discussion!

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter Article Club. Hope you liked it. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. All you need to do is hit reply, email me, or leave me a voice message.

To our six new subscribers – Emma, Emmie, Laura, Suruchi, Social, and Wade – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Wanda! Wes! Wayne!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Laura, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.

If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are some ways you can help out:

📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, loves to read, and wants to spend less time doomscrolling? Forward them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word.

Subscribe now

☕️ Buy me a coffee to express your appreciation of the newsletter and keep my reading stamina strong and mighty.

❤️ Become a VIP member for $3 a month, like Joel and Jessica. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise prizes and exclusive audio letters from me to you.

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

#356: 8 Years Later

This week’s issue is dedicated to teachers heading back to work this week. We all know it’s not an easy job. But now that I’m back working at a school, I’m reminded of the cognitive, physical, and emotional labor that the profession demands. As you work your butts off to prep rigorous and joyful learning experiences for your students, please feel free to rest big along the way – especially this weekend. You deserve it.

All three of this week’s selections relate to education. The lead article, “Since Ferguson,” profiles students at Normandy High School eight years after the murder of Michael Brown. They share how it feels to live in Ferguson, what the school has (and hasn’t) done since the murder, and what it means to be Black in America. If you have time to read just one article this week, I suggest this one.

But the other two pieces are outstanding, too. The podcast “No Excuses” follows a white teacher’s journey at a no-excuses charter school in Chicago, and “Sam Taggart’s Hard Sell” focuses on all the myriad techniques that door-to-door salespeople employ to close the deal. (Being a teacher is sometimes not unlike being a door-to-door salesperson.) Please enjoy!

ARTICLE CLUB: This month, we’re focusing on “Revolt of the Delivery Workers,” by Josh Dzieza. This week, we’re annotating the article together and sharing our thoughts. Feel free to get in there, highlight, and add your comments on this shared Google Doc copy of the article. Also, if you’d like to discuss this outstanding piece with other thoughtful people, sign up for our discussion on Sunday, August 28. There are two options:

1. In person in Oakland: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm PT (for paid subscribers)

2. Online on Zoom: 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT (for all subscribers)

⭐️ Want to sign up? Just click the button below! After you sign up, I’ll follow up with more information, plus answer any questions you have.

Sign up for the discussion

1️⃣ Since Ferguson: Life For Students After Michael Brown

When Michael Brown was murdered eight years ago, Bobby Reed II was 9 years old. Now he’s a senior at Normandy High School, where Mr. Brown graduated in 2014. Despite his 3.8 GPA and his plan to become an illustrator after college, Bobby laments that not much has changed at his school and in his community over the years.

“It’s embarrassing,” he said. “They like, ‘Oh, you from Normandy, you one of those.’ They stereotype me. People look at us, they like, ‘Oh, he a thug, like he thuggish or he a menace.’ And you just be like, ’No, I’m just a regular dude.’ ” 

In this revealing and frustrating article, Prof. Rita Omokha travels to St. Louis to chronicle what has and hasn’t been done to support students’ emotional and academic needs since the Ferguson uprisings. There are some bright spots, no doubt. But on the whole, students report that their school has chosen mostly to ignore the legacy of their classmate, opting for business-as-usual. (36 min)

2️⃣ Race And Reckoning At A Chicago Charter School

Before he became a journalist, DJ Cashmere was a Teach for America corps member and taught for seven years at Bulls College Prep, a no-excuses charter school in Chicago. In this podcast documentary, Mr. Cashmere reflects on his experience, noting that his infatuation with the school’s academic success contributed to his controlling and punitive style. Ever since George Floyd’s murder in 2020, the school has reckoned with its “assimilationist, patriarchal, white supremacist, and anti-Black” discipline system, moving to a restorative justice model. Mr. Cashmere returns to Bulls to interview his former students about their experience, as well as to witness and report on the seismic shift in school culture. (52 min)

3️⃣ Sam Taggart’s Hard Sell

Time for a career change? How about becoming a door-to-door salesperson? After decades of downturn, the industry is heating up, and D2D salespeople like Sam Taggart are making millions by knocking on doors and selling solar panels and pest control. You can sell anything to anyone, says Mr. Taggart, a millionaire at age 25. All you need to know is whether the person is a bull, owl, lamb, or tiger. Don’t worry if they say no. That’s normal. Just keep pressing, and once you’re inside their home, the deal’s done. (Note: It also helps to be young and good looking and Christian and impenetrably positive and appeal to people’s fear and paranoia and believe in God’s abundance.) (43 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter Article Club. Hope you liked it. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. All you need to do is hit reply, email me, or leave me a voice message.

To our six new subscribers – Leah, Lea, Jennifer, Morgan, Haetae, and Nidna – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Valinda! Vernon! Venice!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Yolanda, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.

If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are some ways you can help out:

📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, loves to read, and wants to spend less time doomscrolling? Forward them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word.

Subscribe now

☕️ Buy me a coffee to express your appreciation of the newsletter and keep my reading stamina strong and mighty.

❤️ Become a VIP member for $3 a month, like Jen and Jenn. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes and exclusive audio letters from me to you.

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

#355: It’s August! Let’s read and discuss “Revolt of the Delivery Workers,” by Josh Dzieza

Delivery workers store their bikes at a garage overnight and prepare to take the subway home. Photo by Philip Montgomery.

Welcome to August, loyal readers. Hope you’re closing out the summer strong.

Today’s issue is dedicated to this month’s Article Club selection, “Revolt of the Delivery Workers,” by Josh Dzieza. It’s an outstanding piece about the 65,000 people who hurtle through the streets of New York City on their electric bikes, weaving through traffic to get late-night slices of cake to stock traders in skyscrapers just minutes after making their order on DoorDash.

The job was tough even before the delivery apps began exploiting them with lower pay and horrific work conditions. It was tough even before thieves began stealing their bikes. It was tough even before the police ignored their pleas for protection.

And then the pandemic made things even worse.

Here’s what I wrote about the article last October when I highlighted it in Issue #314:

Juan Solano doesn’t want to be called essential. Dignity is his goal. One of New York City’s 65,000 delivery workers, Mr. Solano is tired of being attacked at night, with thieves stealing his bike, police turning a blind eye, and lawmakers dilly-dallying on change. He wants a decent wage from DoorDash, a way to charge his electric bike, and a place to go to the bathroom. Mr. Solano is part of a growing group of workers fighting to protect themselves from danger and demanding respect in our inequitable economy. (34 min)

This article definitely caught my attention, bringing up a range of issues, including how late-stage capitalism, the rise of technology, and our obsessive desire for convenience promote the dehumanization of marginalized people, in this case immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

A bit about the author…

My second favorite thing about Article Club (after you, its kind and thoughtful participants) is that talented authors participate, too. They answer our questions, record podcast interviews, and sometimes even join our discussions. It’s pretty great. This month, I’m happy to announce that journalist Josh Dzieza of The Verge will be joining the conversation. Here’s a little bit about him.

Josh Dzieza is a writer at The Verge, where he covers technology and science. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, Pacific Standard, MIT Technology Review, and other publications. Mr. Dzieza’s story about migratory beekeepers and the pollination industry for Pacific Standard received the 2016 Science in Society Journalism Award from the National Association of Science Writers. His piece about sea level rise and the growing market for beach sand was a notable story in 2017’s Best American Science and Nature Writing. His most recent article, “The Great Fiction of AI,” explores how authors are using Sudowrite, a writing assistant that uses GPT-3 artificial intelligence, to churn out fiction for their readers.

A big thanks to Mr. Dzieza for saying yes to Article Club!

Want to dive in? Join this month’s discussion!

If “Revolt of the Delivery Workers” intrigues you, I encourage you to dive in by joining Article Club this month. Article Club is a community of kind, thoughtful people who read, annotate, and discuss one great article every month on race, education, or culture. Everyone is welcome!

Here’s how it works:

• This week: We sign up below and begin reading the article on our own.

• Next week: We annotate a shared version of the article.

• Week 3: We listen to an interview of the author.

• Week 4: We discuss the article together on Zoom.

More than 100 of you have participated in Article Club. Many of you — like VIPs Summer, Jennifer, and Elise — participate month after month. If you’re interested, it’d be great to have you! — whether this is your first time or your 29th.

We’ll be discussing Mr. Dzieza’s article on Sunday, August 28. There are two options for this month’s conversation:

1. In person in Oakland: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm PT (for paid subscribers)

2. Online on Zoom: 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT (for all subscribers)

⭐️ Want to sign up? Just click the button below! After you sign up, I’ll follow up with more information, plus answer any questions you have.

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Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter Article Club. Hope you liked it. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. All you need to do is hit reply, email me, or leave me a voice message.

To our five new subscribers – Meli, Shannon, Chris, Raphinha, and Pauly – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Unique! Upton! Ursa!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Monique, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.

If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are some ways you can help out:

📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, loves to read, and wants to spend less time doomscrolling? Forward them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word.

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#354: Can Difficult Conversations Create Justice?

Hi Loyal Readers,

Before launching in, I’d like to welcome the many folks who have subscribed to the newsletter over the past month. Thank you for joining our thoughtful reading community. Please make yourself at home. I hope that you find that The Highlighter Article Club offers you an opportunity to read and discuss great articles on race, education, and culture.

One thing I like about putting this newsletter together is trying to find the highest quality writing from a variety of publications — not just The New York Timeses and The New Yorkers of the world. This week’s issue is no different. Leading the way is “Can Difficult Conversations Create Justice?” a provocative piece in The Forum, a publication of the African American Policy Forum. The author argues that American schools should teach young people about race but challenges the assumption that white and Black students should learn about racism together.

Also in this week’s issue: an outstanding profile on Chris Smalls, who defeated Amazon; a riveting podcast on the Unabomber; and a witty reflection on the benefits and drawbacks of tanning. I hope you find at least one selection worth your time and attention (they’re all good), and I hope you have a great week!

ARTICLE CLUB: Big thanks to everyone who joined our discussion of “When the Myth of Voter Fraud Comes For You” last Sunday. Our conversations covered a range of topics, including how to practice hope in the face of despair. We ended the session by creating a list of actions we can take to fight against voter suppression. I’ll reveal August’s article next Thursday. Hope you’re all in!

READER ANNOTATIONS: Several of you let me know that you listened to “Discrimination & Gaslighting,” in which the hosts of Teenager Therapy recounted their appalling experience at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Loyal reader Xuan-Vu astutely noted the issues of equity, dignity, and comfort zone that the episode explored and invited us to consider this question for discussion.

What can we adults do to create/nurture a more equitable environment for young people living in economic hardship? What does it really mean to support young people from these realities to break the poverty cycle?

Thank you for the great question, Xuan-Vu. Loyal readers, did you listen to the podcast? If so, would you like to contribute your thoughts and ideas? Click on the button below and leave a comment!

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1️⃣ Can Difficult Conversations Create Justice?

White high school teacher Willie Randall used to think the best way to move toward justice was to engage his students in meaningful discussions on race. But then he noticed that his Black students were doing far more emotional work than his white students. “They just sit there,” one Black student said. “Why do they just sit there?”

It’s not all white students, Mr. Randall makes sure to emphasize. “Many white students respond with open hearts and brave minds.” But some remain trapped in a state of paralysis. Mr. Randall is left wondering, “Who benefits? Who are such discussions designed to help? Is it possible to create a racial curriculum where all students benefit? I once said yes. Now, I’m no longer sure.”

His shift in perspective becomes stronger after speaking with a former Black Panther. She says, “Let Black families and Black teachers teach Black children and let whites deal with whites.” (8 min)

2️⃣ What Will Chris Smalls Do Next?

You’ve taken on Jeff Bezos, an army of anti-union consultants – the veritable behemoth of Amazon – and won. What’s next for you? For labor organizer Chris Smalls, who unionized the first Amazon facility in the country, the answer is not to rest on his laurels. The battle has just begun, he says. After all, now comes the actual negotiating-a-contract part. Meanwhile, Mr. Smalls is faced with the challenges of celebrity, with critics questioning if the fame has gone to his head and lobbing accusations of financial impropriety. (38 min)

+ Why are Amazon warehouse workers called “pickers?” Mr. Smalls asks, calling Mr. Bezos a slave master. “Amazon is definitely the new-day slavery.”

3️⃣ Project Unabom (podcast)

You think Attorney General Merrick Garland has it tough, deciding whether to prosecute the former president? Try Janet Reno, rest in peace, my attorney general growing up, who had to deal with Waco, Elián González, and of course, the Unabomber. In this fascinating podcast series, Eric Benson tells the riveting saga of how Ted Kaczynski grew to despise the harmful effects of technology, how he became radicalized to believe that terrorism was a solution, and how FBI agents finally cracked the case – with the help of his brother. (38 min)

4️⃣ Should I Be Tan?

More friends than usual this summer have commented on my tanned skin. They seem taken aback and have demanded an explanation. My two go-tos: (1) My hearty Mediterranean stock, (2) I’ve gone outside from time to time. But Kelly Conaboy, whose childhood nickname was “pale girl,” wonders if being tan should be a goal in the first place, and if so, whether spray tanning is the way to go. In this hilarious piece, Ms. Conaboy shares her experience with Glow2Go, which conveniently brings a tanning tent to your place, ready to make you sorta orange (with purple and green undertones). The biggest problem? You can’t take a shower, or sweat, or have your dog lick you, or else the tan fades fast. (11 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter Article Club. Hope you liked it. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. All you need to do is hit reply, email me, or leave me a voice message.

To our eight new subscribers – including Raphinha, Pauly, Karim, Clare, and Mohamed – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Tyler! Teresa! Thanh!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Chris, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.

If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are some ways you can help out:

📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, loves to read, and wants to spend less time doomscrolling? Forward them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word.

Subscribe

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❤️ Become a VIP member for $3 a month, like Paula and Monica. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes, like Highlighter Sticky Notes and exclusive audio letters from me to you.

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

#353: Bro

Hi there, loyal readers! Thank you very much for reading this week’s issue. It’ll be a shorter one than usual because I started my new job on Monday (haven’t been fired yet! 😀), which has significantly reduced my reading time.

But never fear! I’m pleased with this week’s selections and hope that you carve out some time to read (and listen) to them.

For our lead article this week, I’ve highlighted “Bro,” a short story about Greg, a white man in Canada who wants to do something to advance social justice after feeling sorry about police murders of unarmed Black men in the United States. His wife suggests volunteering or donating to a non-profit organization. That’s not enough for Greg. His goal? To make a Black friend.

Yes, the story is cringey — and absurd, and tragic, and sometimes funny. Most of all, though, the piece represents an unspoken truth embraced by some white people: that if they befriend Black people, then they can’t be racist, that they’re safe, that they’re “a good white person.”

Hope you enjoy the piece. I’d love to hear what you think! Does the story ring true for you? Leave a comment below – or if writing something isn’t your thing, leave me a tiny voice message.

Leave a comment

1️⃣ Bro

Ian Williams: “Not counting the NBA, Greg saw very few — no — Black people on a daily basis. To his knowledge, his wife didn’t have any Black friends either, not even on Facebook. So, when he beheld a Black man at the Home Depot in the next town, he recognized the significance of the occasion. Greg didn’t know how to talk to the man. Before getting married, he had only ever thought about approaching women. All his lines seemed like pickup lines. He would have to build this friendship in stages. On the way in, he nodded at the man.” (11 min)

2️⃣ The Sum of Us

Last year, Heather McGhee published The Sum of Us, an outstanding book that clearly explains how racism hurts us all. Analyzing both historical and current examples of zero-sum thinking (one example: how communities drained public swimming pools rather than desegregating them), Ms. McGhee concludes that capitalism and white supremacy have taught us that one person’s progress must mean another person’s loss. But not all Americans embrace that view. In her new podcast, Ms. McGhee is hitting the road, telling hopeful stories of people figuring out how to overcome their differences. She’s spotlighting communities coming together: fighting for clean water, expanding voting rights, and making sure our multiracial society has a chance to survive. (3 min trailer, Spotify only)

3️⃣ Discrimination & Gaslighting

Teenager Therapy has long been one of my favorite podcasts that I keep recommending to my friends. The premise is simple: Five teenagers (now out of high school) talk vulnerably and listen deeply to each other about issues they’re facing. In this week’s episode, they share their painful experience at the ritzy Aspen Ideas Festival, where they were invited to be speakers but treated like second-class presenters. After serving on a panel and meeting Hillary Clinton, Gael Aitor confronts a clueless and defensive representative from the festival, who clearly has missed trainings on equity and inclusion. (82 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter Article Club. Hope you liked it. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. All you need to do is hit reply, email me, or leave me a voice message.

To our four new subscribers – including Sol, Kiera, and Trisha – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Sara! Shareen! Steve!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Marni, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.

If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Look at these ways you can help out!

📬 Forward today’s issue to a friend and urge them to subscribe. If they use this sign-up form, they can say you referred them, and when I find out, I will shower you with thanks and praise (and maybe a prize).

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