Ann Friedman - Out of range

This was me on Monday: "Wow. 4 days ago I began a camping trip in the forest. We were totally isolated. No phone, no communication etc. We had no idea what was happening outside the national park." (With a nod to Jared Leto in March 2020, and to my friend who actually remembered this tweet, which I had long forgotten.)

What a privilege to be three days behind this particular news cycle. To miss those first 24 hours of "did you hear?" and tiny details and false reports. To not have to watch the narrative cohere in real time. To have full days of conversations that were not punctuated by speculation about the effects of this event. To be late and ignorant with an excellent excuse. 

This is also what I like about writing a weekly newsletter. It almost always allows for a few days to let the dust settle, during which time I can decide if I have anything worthwhile to say. In this case, I do not. At least, not yet.

On to the links... 

There's a growing gap between how people want to consume the news: News avoiders have chosen, metaphorically speaking, to be on a permanent camping trip rather than sift through minute-by-minute updates. [Kelly McBride, Poynter] And some people want so many updates, so fast, that news hustlers have become X's anonymous, dubious sources for breaking news. [Caitlin Dewey, Links I Would Gchat You] 

"Vance offers what right-wing politicians have always peddled to downwardly mobile Americans: the quasi-spiritual saga of family-bred individual uplift, which serves to neatly underwrite the broader political fable of great-leader salvation," writes Chris Lehmann from the RNC. He sharpens Trump's bluster into "a potent, albeit bastardized, brand of pseudo-populist nationalism."  [The Nation] I shudder. True story: Chris was once my editor at The Baffler and the recipient of an email I sent in 2017 that said: "eyeroll at JD Vance." 

Elle Reeve talks to Spencer Ackerman about how the worst corners of the internet bled into the rest of culture and politics. [Forever Wars] See also: The Antisocial Network, a documentary by my pal Arthur Jones about "how a group of bored teenagers built an online community out of their shared loneliness but accidentally shattered consensus reality." [Netflix]

"Just as abortion by pill becomes more popular, and more necessary, it’s also become extremely sensitive to talk about its use later in pregnancy." Cecilia Nowell reports on medication abortion in the second trimester. [Lux] And Moira Donegan how three women transformed pre-Roe abortion access. [Men Yell at Me]

And as a palate cleanser, because all of that was really heavy: 

• Is fashion art? [Tamar Avishai, Articles of Interest]
• The hot mess of brat summer. [Zoe Williams, The Guardian]
• Sylvia Plath's quantified self [Carl Rollyson, LitHub]

Jesse Glazzard's portraits at Camp Trans, accompanied by Anthony Vahni Capildeo's words: "Move how you feel moved to move. No limit; also, no hurry. Camp Trans breathes an atmosphere of rest, like a treasured painting in a peaceful gallery. "

And paying members can call The Hotline to hear a brand-new micro-message and leave one in return. +1 (323) 909-XXXX

"Do you guys take tap?"

Some further thoughts on LOTErs:

Laura writes, "And let’s not forget that the LOTE still and always is a vote for the Supreme Court." While Maliha sees LOTEing as the enemy of progress: "Collective action is what will save us from LOTE-ing. America doesn't have to be a two-party system. It can (it has to!) change but change will not come as long as people stay on LOTE-wagon."

Hilariously, Elise misread last week's subject line as "Rock the ELOTES." Which, honestly, is also a view I endorse. (Especially off-the-cob in salad form.) 

And finally, from Nina: "Nothing else ever needs to be written about Alice Munro‘s personal life, or that of any other flawed to terrible artist, now that we have this." 

I love your replies and links! Even when we disagree.