Weekend Reads #297
Weekend Reads
Here's each state's ‘walk-up song' for the DNC's ceremonial roll call. (NBC Chicago)
Speaking of which, here is the DNC 2024 Roll Call playlist on Spotify. (Spotify)
To save the world, my mother abandoned me. (The Atlantic – gift link)
Victoria Beckham is getting her own Netflix docuseries. (Variety)
The NY Public Library meme'd their way out of budget cuts. (Link in Bio)
‘It’s very silly and it feels like fun’: bubble skirts are making a comeback. (The Guardian)
I may have rocked a bubble skirt for dances from 8th – 10th grade, but I am not against wearing them again as a grown adult. I love this midi-length one from Target, this bubble-hem midi-length dress at Banana Republic Factory, and this maxi-length one on Amazon that gets great reviews (imagine this winter with sleek boots or flats and a cashmere crew or turtleneck).
Stacy London has a new line of clothing at QVC that she says celebrates the power of being in midlife; what do you think of it?
Here’s how Georgia Democrats pulled off their ‘epic’ Lil Jon moment at the DNC. (AJC)
Adam Sandler reacts to being an ‘accidental' Gen Z fashion icon. (People)
You can now read your Kindle on your Peloton. (The Clip Out)
The ‘demure' trend went so viral, the TikToker behind the audio can now pay for her transition. (Out)
Gwen Walz is sharing her fertility struggles for the first time. (Glamour)
I drove a Cybertruck around San Francisco because I am a smart, cool alpha male. (SF Gate)
Hear/See/Read
I mentioned last week that I was reading Margo's Got Money Troubles, a novel by Rufi Thorpe (link to Bookshop and link to Amazon). I was reading via audiobook, which is narrated by Elle Fanning. I am so glad I read this book.
It looks all chick-lit by the cover, and the reviews call it laugh-out-loud funny and heartwarming, the protagonist utterly loveable. And none of that is false; the cover is pink with a cartoon line drawing and fonts that are a bit whimsical. And the book is funny and heartwarming with an utterly loveable protagonist. But this is no chick lit. This is a book I would have LOVED dissecting in my college Comparative Lit classes.
Yes, this is a story about a young woman navigating adulthood. But it is also a discussion about being “good” and what exactly that means. How this society is set up for young women to fail. How we assume one's character by their jobs, and determine the value of women by their sex life. And all wrapped up in an utterly loveable protagonist and community that have you questioning yourself, your actions, and your beliefs.
Please let no one get the rights to turn this into a film. The switch from first to third person narration is one of its charms. And Elle Fanning was an utterly adorable narrator, too.
For Your Entertainment
Folk Bitch Trio is a Melbourne, Australia, folk/pop group made up of Heide Peverelle, Jeanie Pilkington, and Gracie Sinclair. Since they have distinctive hair colors, know Peverelle is the redhead, Pilkington the blonde, and Sinclair the brunette. Folk Bitch Trio's three-part harmony and modern lyrics is beautiful and retro and fresh and begging for a sunny day car ride or to enjoy while cleaning or cooking. I'd totally see them live; those in Texas, NC, and a few other states are in luck this fall. I wouldn't be surprised if they do the festival circuit and, through it, get the recognition they deserve.
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Thanks, as always, for the stellar content and links! Decided that I love that bubble skirt and bought it in red. Fingers crossed. And while I am a huge Stacy London fan? Those clothes are seriously cringe.
Bummer about the Stacy London clothes. She is a Vassar grad like me and I expected a little more sophistication than that.
Yes, I agree, The Stacy London clothing is dismal.
I liked the bouncy, high energy soundtrack for the Dem’s roll call. Being in Oregon, I was thrilled that we got Modest Mouse (and I’m in my 70’s.) I was thrilled with what our senators said too, BTW.
Alison, your weekend reads hit it out of the park. I really look forward to it every week.
Stacy London’s collection for QVC is a no for me. I’ve always liked her styling advice so I expected I’d like what she designed but no. I’ll be interested in hearing what others think about it. Maybe I’m missing something?
I feel the same. It’s really disappointing.
First, I’m with everybody else on the Stacy London line.
Second, I was not impressed with most of the DNC walk-up picks, though I doubt they were going for what a 61-year old white woman listens to. But picking songs because the artist grew up there? C’mon. At least they didn’t screw up Idaho.
I see that Folk Bitch Trio are playing in Charlottesville, VA in Oct. Not too far from DC, and it’s a cute town to explore. Might make a good road trip!
That would be fun!
Alison, thank you, thank you, thank you for the Cybertruck article. I am a Bay Area native living far from home and everything about this article brought me back.
(I do have burns from laugh-snorting my coffee as I read it, but that is so worth it.)
-Elizabeth
I completely agree about the ugliness and dowdiness of Stacy London’s QVC line. I have always been a fan of hers but this is like it was designed by a completely different person. I’m 72 and I wouldn’t be caught dead in any of it at any age!
The majority of the Stacy London clothes are flat out ugly, sorry to say. They clearly look like they were designed for what my mom and grandmom’s generations thought a 50+ women’s wardrobe should look like. I’m a fan of Stacy’s, think she looks strong and beautiful herself, but this is a huge disappointment. The whole look of these clothes screams “post-menopausal” in the old school way. Today’s 50+ women are sexy as hell and vibrant. Let’s not go back.
Hi Alison,
I know this is late, but I still want to send kudos your way for being brave in talking about your political beliefs. I must confess I am now feeling less than brave because I feel that I cannot talk about politics with the great majority of my adult music students. (I know of only one, of whom I am sure shares my views.) I live in the middle of MAGA country. I know that there have to be other Democrats in my area, but I do not know any! I take that back. The family of a student who just graduated is quite liberal. They, however, are from a foreign country and cannot vote here. And, I have a former gay adult student who now lives in Florida who is a liberal Democrat. We talked openly before the last presidential election about our views.
I sometimes have to bite my tongue when a middle-school aged child volunteers that Trump was a good president and the last election was stolen from him. That certainly tells me where his parents stand. I foolishly told the boy that the election was not stolen and instantly regretted saying that. I worried for quite some time that my statement would get back to his parents. (I don’t think it did, since I never heard anything from them.) I believe it is completely inappropriate for me or any other teacher to talk with kids about politics. With adult students, I risk having them quit studying with me.
Here’s a good example: I have been teaching a 60 something year old guy for 2 1/2 years. He is a strong Evangelical Christian faith and is a very mild-mannered individual. One day he mentioned that it is very difficult to talk politics in any social situation. We agreed that we risk offending others if we assert our beliefs. He went on to say that he finds Trump to be an immoral, nasty person who lies frequently. He gave me the impression that though he loathed him as a human being, he agreed with his politics. I decided to suggest that he read Liz Cheney’s book, “Oath and Honor” to learn more about the insurrection. Mistake! As soon as I uttered her name, he sighed in disgust as though she were the most despicable person in the country. I shut down the discussion.
My husband is a Republican who voted twice for Trump. He never liked the man, but he sees himself as a Republican. Throughout the 2016 campaign, he talked about what a buffoon Trump is and we both believed our countrymen would have enough sense not to nominate him. We know how that turned out. My husband and I did not have “conversations” about politics. Instead, he ranted about how corrupt Hilary Clinton was and I kept my mouth shut. I believed that much of my husband’s vitriol was misogynism. He never gave any proof of Clinton’s misdeeds. He happily voted for Trump while I voted for Hilary.
In 2020, hubby told me that though he thought Trump was a disgusting individual, he liked his policies. I could never pin him down on what policies he liked. He again voted for Trump. I voted for Biden. He joked with neighbors about how we canceled each others’ votes. One elderly neighbor, a busy-body sort, was talking with my husband in our driveway one afternoon when I came out of the house. My husband made the remark about how we were a mixed family – i.e., he’s a Republican and our adult daughters and I are Democrats. The neighbor demanded that I explain to him how I could plan to vote for someone (Biden) who was so obviously senile! He said he really wanted a Democrat to explain that to him. He obviously spent lots of time watching Fox. Trump started throwing around the senile story and Fox magnified it. I told the obnoxious neighbor that I would not discuss politics with him or any other neighbors.
In November and December of 2020, my retired husband was spending hours every day watching Fox. He swallowed the Big Lie. I did open my mouth to argue that there was not a shred of evidence. After Christmas, I overheard him telling his older sister that the Democrats in Georgia were seen hauling out boxes of ballots in the middle of the night falsely marked for Biden, etc. I argued with him about that. We had quite a few very heated discussions regarding the lies being spewed by Fox, Trump, and Trump’s cronies.
Then came January 6. I did get brave and posted on my Facebook page, which I virtually never use, that Trump was responsible for the Insurrection. I knew that my husband’s Trump-loving family would see and read it. I didn’t care if they disowned me or not. As time went on, I eventually convinced my husband that all the nonsense about the election being stolen was just that – nonsense. To make this lengthy missive a bit shorter, I can now proudly say that I have convinced my husband that Donald Trump is a danger to democracy. He will be voting for Kamala Harris on election day, his 74th birthday. It will be one of the very few times in his life that he has voted for a Democrat. (He did vote for Andy Beshear. Now you know where we live.)
I am proud of you for being up-front about your beliefs and convictions. Keep up the good fight!
Thank you Kathy, and thank you for sharing your experience!
I immediately checked out the Stacy London clothes on he QVC website. Maybe they look better on tv? The only thing I might remotely consider wearing is the brocade jacket. Maybe to a cocktail event with black pants and top under. I like the shape and it comes in petite sizes. I suspect that the fabric, seen IRL, would not be great though.
The boucle suit is exactly like something I remember my elementary school principal wearing for the first day of school. And I’m 75.