Edition #176: Just Content
Who died and left the US $7 billion, Parris Goebel is changing the way women move, and the funniest SNL sketch of the year.
A Note From the Editor
Dearest Readers,
I come to you from my new home, which I arrived at on Tuesday after a long travel day, a night in a strange Airbnb, and a day spent attempting to navigate the web of bureaucracy in a country where I don’t yet speak the language—I do not recommend!
The past few weeks have been all packing and errands and chaos, but then, life since returning to the US has been of the same quality and pace. From July through this week, I’ve been flitting from place to place with no lease, no home base, and nothing to anchor me but an inconveniently located storage unit. I’ve traveled extensively before, but being in your own country and city with no address is something else. The last few months taught me that being that untethered—or as I often joked without joking, being selectively homeless—is unnerving. Not my best choice.
All that’s to say, when I finally got my things unpacked late last night, I had a strange, out-of-body feeling. This is my life, I thought. I’ll be here. I stored two spare toothbrushes away in my bathroom, imagining pulling one out, still tight in its packaging, and handing it over to a visitor. After living like the human Tasmanian Devil cartoon, I am now in a spare toothbrush season. It felt sweet.
It’s pouring rain where I am. I’m supposed to attend a Halloween party tonight but am unsure how I will arrive at my destination without looking like a soaked animal. In the coming weeks, the gravity of the move will start to settle into my bones. I will finally return to Earth after this long voyage everywhere and back. I’ll finally reply to all of my unanswered text messages. I’ll take that long-awaited dip in the ocean. I’ll start thinking about what I want this coming year to look like, what I want to do, and who I want to be. I'll apply some pressure and listen for feedback. But tonight, I’ll be dancing in the jungle.
Cheers, my dears, and happy Halloween!
Three Pieces of Content Worth Consuming
Who Died and Left the US $7 Billion? Wow, wow, wow, this was fascinating. I was already hooked during the tee-up of this story—a gigantic sum of money appears on the line item of the US budget in the form of an estate tax payment. But every American knows billionaires don’t pay taxes, so how, why, and who did this massive lump sum come from? It got even juicer when the author names the potential billionaire, whose socialite daughter used to throw the most epic Halloween party in NYC (not in the story, just a random fun fact).
homage to my hips: A Poem. Lucille Clifton is my favorite poet of all time. Her work is sensual and suffering, feminine and strong. I am always flooded with feeling after reading one of her poems and this is no exception. Long live the poet who can exercise brevity!
Parris Goebel is Changing the Way Women Move. What do Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” music video and Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance have in common? Aside from both being iconic, they were both choreographed by Parris Goebel. I’ve been a huge fan of Goebel’s since being hypnotized by this video years ago. I do wish this piece went into more detail about Goebel’s personal life, her creative process, and her POV on making it work as an artist in our world, but I’ll take what I can get.
Perhaps You Should… Inspect America From a Different Lens
Not sure if you’ve noticed, but…America is electing a new president in less than a week (!!!) and I can feel the tension from several countries away. There’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said about the stakes of this election, so I’ll venture to direct you to this photo book instead.
writes one of my favorite newsletters on Substack. He walks various cities around the world and writes thoughtful, honest essays about each place, often relating his findings back to life in America. He has also spent time walking America, and that’s what this photo book is about. Arnade meets people from what he calls “America’s back row,” and shares their stories. I’m ordering this when I come back to the States for Thanksgiving. Here’s a taster of his style (and another story worth checking out).**Bonus Content** (Direct From DOMINGO)
Say what you want about Ariana Grande, but she is crazy talented and that talent was on full display when she hosted SNL a few weeks back. There are a lot of funny sketches, but this one sent me over the edge. The first and second time I saw it, I laughed so hard I couldn't catch my breath. My bets are that he will be SNL’s next big breakout star.
Also, a bop to go with today’s subject matter. I bought one of these and I’m never looking back. Morning face ice + palo santo burning = bliss. Some vital candy data in the spirit of Halloween. LOL at New York’s bougie choice. I firmly stand by this being the best candy, Halloween on otherwise.
A Quote From A Book You Should Read:
“There comes a time when you have to stop being who you were, when you have to let the past stay where it is, frozen and impossible. You have to let it go if you’re going to keep moving, if you’re going to survive, because the past doesn’t need a future.”
-Real Life by Brandon Taylor