Ann Friedman - Slipping through the quacks

Surprise Me

April 21, 2023

A bright, crisp oil painting of an overflowing black metal trashcan, mostly bottles and cans spilling out of the top

Grace Rhyne, Let's Get Trashed.
Grace is working on a series of oil paintings of garbage!
If you have a photo of rubbish that she might want to paint, contact her here.

"don’t center with a deep breath
don’t pray as you ring the bell
don’t smile as you realize your mistake

don’t make any mistakes
don’t whistle
don’t flirt
don’t rest down your vigilance
don’t be you
don’t be seen
don’t breathe
don’t even breathe
child, there is a hunter
at the door"

-from "at the door" by adrienne maree brown. Go read the whole thing, then read it again.

Tags: Aiyana Jones, Breonna Taylor, Emmett Till, Jordan Davis, Ralph Yarl, Trayvon Martin

-AF

READ

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that "nothing ever changes" when it comes to gun violence. Marin Cogan on where and how we should be pushing.

Are coincidences real? Paul Broks tries to weigh the rational against the magical.

"It never crossed my mind that people wouldn’t believe me." Megan Thee Stallion on the public vitriol she faced after she was shot at a party in 2020.

"You got me, internet. I bought those Instagram jogging pants. I am no different from every other playable bundle of synapses holding a phone." Merritt Tierce on what we mean when we say that the internet can read our minds.

Christopher Chang on how it's all just dust.

The new writing fellows are up to great things: Paige Curtis laments that Earth Day has become Christmas for crunchy people, a holiday that's mostly about consumption. And Vera Blossom explores how "roommate" is its own kind of relationship status. Plus fellowship alum Celia Mattison on mermaid movies and coming of age underwater.

PIE CHART

MEMBERS ONLY

The Cave Pie
with a shoutout to Beatriz Flamini

If you were a paying member, you'd be enjoying this pie chart right now! Membership starts at just $15/year and supports my weekly labor, underwrites the fellowship program for emerging writers, and covers my tech costs.

BECOME A MEMBER

LOOK & LISTEN

I'm gobbling up fresh seasons of Mind Your Practice (pep talks and advice for artists) and Normal Gossip (dish about non-famous total strangers).

LET'S GET WEIRD

Headline: What kinds of items are you interested in? Subhead: Let us know if you want to see more items like this one. Then a photo of sculptures of peeled bananas, standing upright, their ends carved and painted into duckbills. Below, it says "$17.99 Banana Duck Statue Figurines for Garden Outdoor"

This moment of pointless extraordinary comes from Bekah Otto: "Facebook marketplace has been an unexpected gift to me this year. I met random neighbors. I got a juicer that I needed for my new orange tree and many things that I did not need. It tries to trick you into buying things from stores, but I’ve gotten good at the filters to find humans nearby."

She adds, "Yes, obviously I want to see more items like this."

Is the algorithm prepared to deliver? I mean, what items are ~like~ a banana duck statue figurine for garden?

THE CLASSIFIEDS

HEAL YOUR MOON CYCLE to lead from your womb center w/o cramps, hot flashes, PMS, heavy bleeding. Build your CREATIVE fertility–everything is possible!

Expert video therapy. Feminist, frank, astute, and occasionally funny. I help people in all seasons of their lives—let's see if we are a fit.

Do you love podcasts, listen to them constantly, but still want more? Subscribe to Bingeworthy: A free newsletter for podcasts that are just that good.

Instead of struggling over where to pitch & wondering why editors make their emails so hard to find, join the Monthly Pitching Sprint w/Amber Petty and have it done for you! Last Sprint, students sold stories to Huffington Post, Atlas Obscura, and more.

Plant Styling for weddings. Looking to have a more environmentally-friendly wedding? Plants are the way. Not to mention aesthetically pleasing. www.floatinggreenhouse.net/reach-out

“Love the wide range and mix of brands on WellzyPerks. I’ve saved hundreds of dollars on my daily supplements.” - Devon, Sr Manager @ Under Armour. Get unmatched discounts on top health and wellness brands for less than $8/month. Join today and you'll also receive over $400 in FREE stuff instantly!

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and get 15% off with the code SPRUNG at checkout.
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ENDORSEMENT

Sprucing up last summer's sandals—either by taking them to a shoe repair place or doing some basic maintenance at home.

TESTIMONIALS

"Glad I can have your takes in my inbox :)" -Diana

This newsletter is a banana duck.

Forward it to someone who would like to see more items like these.