Ann Friedman - New glow

Change is never easy. You might be thinking "WHAT is this?!" But never fear, it's the Friday newsletter you know and love, with a slightly different outfit on. This newsletter had looked the same since 2015, and whew was I ready for something fresh!

Big thanks to my tech guru Jacque Boltik, who made this happen. Thanks to my paying members for the material support. And thanks for all of you for your patience as we collectively adjust to the new look. One exciting thing: The structure will stay the same, but the colors will shift based on my mood. So this lavender/orange combo is not a permanent vibe, but an occasional one.

I'm here for any feedback you have about the new design—especially if you notice any problems or errors, or if it's difficult for you to read on a particular device. Just hit reply. And thanks for reading, this Friday and every Friday.

What it’s like to lose water in Jackson, Mississippi: Kaitlyn Greenidge talks to local organizer Maisie Brown about how the "neglect of the city’s water supply is part of a much longer, older story of the state government’s abandonment of public works after the end of Jim Crow."

As Mary Oliver said, you do not have to be good. But what does liberation feel like when it's decoupled from "being good"? Courtney Martin ponders. And on a related note, Hayley Nahman considers the limits of altruism, and how generosity and courtesy can take on a self-centered edge.

Kira Deschler on segregated lesbian histories and the parallel lives depicted in the new "League of Their Own."

"If you’ve read a book penned by a woman with young children recently, there’s a significant chance it was written while hiding, losing sleep, or using inventive distractions. (Or even all three.)" Olivia Campbell on the heartbreaking ingenuity of artists who are also mothers.

What happens when the choices we perceive to be "environmentally friendly" are ... not? Hannah Ritchie on separating what feels good from what is effective. 

There’s no evidence two decades of TSA screenings have made travelers any safer—and lots of evidence they are often discriminatory—so why does the theater of airport security persist? Darryl Campbell reports.

I recently discovered Off Assignment's Letter to a Stranger series, and read six or seven in a row.

“Dear Mama...” Winter Dunn’s short film about a family whose mourning coincides with a city’s, on the day that Tupac Shakur died. Something about "atopos" feels like a return (or maybe just a nod?) to '90s Björk, and I love it. An animated climate-change explainer. The luxury of a book, a drink, and a smell.

Also: What makes a good airplane movie? Writing fellow Celia Mattison wants your opinions!

::stevie nicks voice:: hhhHEPEP, baby, hhhHEPEP, said pou-pooooo

"Is there any better deal than $15/year for @annfriedman's excellent newsletter? No there is not." -Sari Botton. We love a deal! (Also, do you get Sari's Oldster Magazine? I recommend it.)