The Highlighter Article Club

Hi Loyal Readers. Thank you for opening this week's issue of Article Club.In case you're new here: Every month over the last five-plus years, we've done a deep dive on an outstanding article. This means reading, annotating, and discussing the piece on Zoom. It also means inviting the author to share their views in a podcast interview. They almost always say yes. Click here and scroll down to check out all the authors we've had.Today's issue is dedicated to my interview with Brendan I. Koerner, author of this month's featured article, “The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman.” Scroll down for:* a quick review of the article (and why I liked it so much)* a short bio of the author (and why I appreciated our conversation)* an invite to our discussion on June 1The Article (and why I liked it so much)“The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman”Original Article • My Annotations • Gift Link • Wired (20 minutes)Eighteen-year-old Aaron Colvin lives in New York and attends college at Niagara University. But like many young men right now, Aaron is unsure that college is for him. He feels incomplete, lost somehow — and he's yearning for a way to make it big. Then one day, while at the gym, Aaron meets a bodybuilder, an enormous man who says he's made “crazy money” selling solar panels down in Florida. You should check it out, he says. After thinking about it, Aaron takes the plunge, leaving college to join a door-to-door solar panel sales crew named Seal Team Six. He spends his days “blitzing” neighborhoods with his colleagues — also young men wanting to strike it rich. In the evenings, Aaron records content for his fledgling YouTube channel and downs burritos with the bros, all the while seeking personal enlightenment (and paying for his lodging, and making very little money, and not receiving benefits).I've been telling people, this article is quintessential Article Club material. The writing is superb, the pace is quick, and most importantly, you'll have empathy for Aaron, because Mr. Koerner writes with compassion. In addition, the piece explores many of the topics we care about: masculinity, capitalism, higher education, technology, and the American dream. If you haven't read it yet, I hope you try it.The Author (and why I appreciated our conversation)Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor at Wired, where he writes in-depth stories about criminal justice, national security, biomedical research, and sundry other topics. Mr. Koerner is also the author of two books of narrative nonfiction: Now the Hell Will Start, the tale of an American G.I. who went native in the Indo-Burmese jungle, and The Skies Belong to Us, a history of the American hijacking epidemic of the late 1960s and early 1970s.I appreciated my conversation with Mr. Koerner for many reasons. We covered a wide range of topics, including how this article came about, how he found Aaron, and why he was interested in the topic. Mr. Koerner also spoke about how he reported and organized the piece, and most importantly, how he wanted the reader to feel about Aaron. He said, “ We have to come out of this admiring Aaron, because I admire Aaron. He made kind of a foolish choice, which he acknowledges, and he went through something kind of crazy, but I admire him. I admire his authenticity. I admire his earnestness. I admire his perspective and his intellect.”It was illuminating to hear Mr. Koerner share his thoughts on the challenges that young men face and the allure of get-rich-quick schemes, especially when they embrace notions of spirituality and self-help and cultiness. I liked the entire interview, but my favorite part was when Mr. Koerner talked about his teenage son, who is not much younger than Aaron. My hope is that you'll take a listen.Note: If you prefer listening on Apple Podcasts, you can subscribe to Article Club there. It's easy: Click here.An invitation to our discussion on June 1I warmly invite you to participate in our discussion on Sunday, June 1, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. We'll meet on Zoom. You can sign up below.If it's your first time: We'll spend the first few minutes saying hi and doing short introductions. Then after I frame the piece and share our community agreements, we'll break out into small, facilitated discussion groups. The small groups usually include 5-8 people, so there's plenty of time to share your perspectives and listen to others. That's where we'll spend the bulk of our time. Toward the end, we'll return to the full group, sharing our reflections and appreciations of fellow participants.If you're unsure, I get it. If you don't know me, it might feel strange to sign up for an online discussion with total strangers. But I'm confident that you'll find yourself at home with other kind people who like to read deeply and explore ideas in community. It's not a surprise that we're able to create an intimate space, almost like we're in the same physical room together. I hope you'll try it!Thank you for reading and listening to this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Hi everyone! It's Melinda. Welcome to Melinda's Grief Corner! If this is your first time here, be sure to check out past posts to learn more about the inspiration behind this new Article Club feature and read about other grief-y topics I've covered with resources I've shared! Glad to have you here!The emotional part of grief is something you can kind of understand before you're ever on a grief journey. We see it in movies, read about it in books, we listen to grief-y lyrics in songs - longing, sadness, pain, heartache.What I didn't realize were the physical parts of grief. Particularly, the complete exhaustion.When I tell you dear reader that I was completely wiped out the weeks and months immediately after my dad died, I mean it.Like going to bed at 6:00 pm tired.Like sleeping 12 hours and waking up still exhausted kind of tired.The kind of tired where I honestly thought I needed to go to the doctor to make sure nothing was actually wrong with me.Turns out nothing was actually wrong with me. Nothing medically anyway. It's just that grief exists in our body just as much as it does in our emotions.And let's be honest.Grieving is EXHAUSTING.What didn't register for me at the time was that my body was in survival mode. I was in shock at the death of my dad. Anxious about how my mom was feeling over the death of her husband. Overwhelmed by ALL of the things you need to do when someone dies (the number of forms I had to fill out!) - updating friends and family about what happened, where the memorial would be, where they could send flowers etc.I mean no wonder I was exhausted. I was grieving the loss of the person I loved the most and the longest. And on top of that I was just trying to keep me and my mom afloat through the wreckage.It never occurred to me that other people have also experienced grief fatigue until I talked to other grief-y friends. It turns out, it is extremely common to feel completely wiped out in the early stages of grief. (I've also realized it can happen in the later stages of grief, but more on that in a future newsletter).During the early stages of my grief fatigue, I found this helpful article from What's Your Grief that discusses why grief can leave us completely exhausted.What I learned is that 1) I am not weird for sleeping 12 hours a day for several months after my dad died and 2) that there are many reasons why I was exhausted.The article helpfully lays out 10 reasons why someone may be exhausted when in those early stages of grief (early is of course relative to you!). For me several of the reasons rang true, particularly the hyper-vigilance I felt after my dad died (I was constantly worried someone else I loved would die) and my mind being on overdrive (see above all of the tasks you have to do after someone dies, my to-do list kept my mind completely on all of the time).I hope dear reader that you find some solace in this article and that maybe you feel less alone in your grief fatigue!Feel free to share in the comments your thoughts and reactions to the article!Until next time, big hugs! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi Loyal Readers. I have two pieces of good news to begin this week's newsletter:* Many of you reached out after last week's issue to say kind things. Thank you.* Several of you signed up for our discussion of “The Egg” on April 27That's what Article Club is all about. We're a kind, thoughtful community that likes to read and discuss the best articles on race, education, and culture. Whether you're a new or not-so-new subscriber, thank you for being here.Over the last 5 ½ years, one consistent feature of this newsletter has been its monthly interviews with authors. We launched with Jia Tolentino back in January 2020 and have never looked back. This week, I'm excited to share a conversation that my co-host Melinda Lim had with Susan Berfield, who co-wrote “The Egg” with a team of investigative journalists at Bloomberg. My hope is that you'll listen to the interview and then sign up for our discussion on April 27.If learning more about the human egg trade is not your thing, scroll down past the fold for two other pieces that I feel are worthy of your time and attention. They're about:* A librarian in New York who reminds us there was a time before Google* A college student who wanted to fit in at his fraternity, no matter the costAs always, thank you for trusting me to supply you with things to read. My hope is that they spark new thinking, expand your empathy, and bring you joy.An interview with Susan Berfield, author of “The Egg”The more I re-read “The Egg,” the more I respect Susan Berfield and her colleagues at Bloomberg who brought us this robust report on the human egg trade. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, I highly recommend you do:Original Article • Gift Link • Google Docs version • Audio versionSadly, this kind of journalism — big investigative journalism — rarely exists anymore. That is why I am so grateful that Susan Berfield generously said yes to sharing her thoughts with us at Article Club.In her interview with Melinda, Ms. Berfield shares the impetus for the article, how she and her team went about reporting it, and the lessons she learned along the way. I appreciated how Ms. Berfield characterizes the tension between the opportunity and the exploitation that women experience in selling their eggs.It's a thoughtful conversation on an important topic — one that seems to be receiving a lot of attention lately. I hope you take a listen and let me know your thoughts.Thanks again to Ms. Berfield. Here's more on her work:Susan Berfield is an award-winning investigative reporter and editor for Bloomberg Businessweek and Bloomberg News where she's exposed how Walmart spies on its workers and McDonald's made enemies of its Black franchisees. She uncovered a con man who talked a small Missouri town out of millions and revealed how Beverly Hills billionaires bought up an enormous water supply in the Central Valley. Her story about the biggest food fraud in U.S. history was the basis for an episode of the Netflix documentary series, Rotten.2️⃣ The Department Of EverythingStephen Akey: “⁠How do you find the life expectancy of a California condor? Google it. Or the gross national product of Morocco? Google it. Or the final resting place of Tom Paine? Google it. There was a time, however — not all that long ago — when you couldn't Google it or ask Siri or whatever cyber equivalent comes next. You had to do it the hard way—by consulting reference books, indexes, catalogs, almanacs, statistical abstracts, and myriad other printed sources. Or you could save yourself all that time and trouble by taking the easiest available shortcut: You could call me.”By Stephen Akey • The Hedgehog Review • 8 min • Gift Link3️⃣ Greek Tragedy: A Drowning At DartmouthSusan Zalkind: “Signs of Won Jang's mounting distress appeared almost immediately after he pledged the Beta Alpha Omega fraternity in the fall of 2023. During calls and visits home, his parents noticed their once-confident son had lost his spark, increasingly preoccupied with his standing among fraternity brothers. He worried about how he fit in — or didn't — with the brothers and about the ‘vibe' of his house. ‘I could see that it was very stressful because he didn't feel like he fit into the mold of what a person from that house would be,' a college friend later explained, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of student blowback. ‘He wasn't a white athlete. He wasn't tall. He wasn't from an affluent family. And he felt like he had to compensate for that.' ”By Susan Zalkind • Boston Magazine • 26 min • Gift LinkThank you for reading this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Hi everyone! It's Melinda. Welcome to Melinda's Grief Corner! If this is your first time here, be sure to check out my intro post to learn more about the inspiration behind this new Article Club feature and what to expect from this series! Glad to have you here!Right after my dad died, I couldn't stop talking about it. I'm a verbal processor (how predictable, I know!) and all I wanted to do was to work this out with the people in my life. I almost needed to talk about it, like if I didn't talk about it I'd hold all of my feelings inside and then I'd explode. Or if I didn't talk about it then he'd really stop existing.But I learned a very hard truth about grief.Not everyone can hold your grief.And not everyone, even those who love you, will show up for you.That's not a judgment. It's a fact.I learned this through a text message from a friend who I know wanted to say something comforting and supportive to me. They told me that my dad was in a better place and he wasn't suffering anymore.Now sure, that doesn't sound THAT bad.But dear reader here's what went through my head when I read that - “HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW WHERE HE IS?! ALSO I RATHER HE WAS ALIVE AND HERE WITH ME!”Yes, in all rage-y caps.Immediately, my world got a lot smaller. I felt like I couldn't share my pain with everyone because I couldn't stand getting another text that sounded like an unhelpful Hallmark Card.And that felt scary and isolating.And also really weird - there were people I loved that I couldn't lean on because they said something that I found painful. Or they told me they couldn't listen to me talk about my dad's death anymore because it was too much for them. Which was also painful.But then I found a YouTube video by Nora McInerney titled “Advice for the Newly Grieving.”Nora gives some excellent advice for those fresh in their grief, but one of the quotes that stuck out to me was about sharing your grief with others in those early days.When she's explaining how it's important to be honest with those around you about how you're feeling she says “Not everybody. You can't trust everybody. Not everybody even deserves your story.”Dear reader, that last sentence hit me like a ton of bricks.Not everybody deserves to hear the story of my loss. And the same goes for you and your loss.People don't know what to say to the grieving. I don't blame them. In my opinion, as a culture we don't talk enough about death and loss and so it is completely unknown to us how to handle the big-ness of grief.So the grieving end up hearing awkward and unhelpful platitudes from people who are just trying to help. Or the folks who love them don't know exactly how to support them. And the grieving feel unsupported. It's messy.What I took from Nora is that it is not only totally fine to not share your grief, it is almost necessary. It is a way to honor your grief and your loss. Because your grief and loss are sacred, and personal, and feel-y, and it should be handled with care.For many months thereafter I only opened up to folks in my life who had also experienced significant loss. Most of the time that meant someone in my life who had also lost a parent and who was similar in age to me. And I made new grief-y friends too who had also lost a parent.These people spoke my grief language. I didn't have to explain how I felt or what I thought or what I struggled with. They just got me.And so I share Nora's words to help you give yourself grace when you're feeling like you can't go to certain people in your life. And for you to be open to giving grace to those in your life who may not be able to support you during whichever grief-y season you're in.Your grief is sacred. It should be protected. It should be shared with those who can hold it fully and gently and can also hold you fully and gently. And that's not everybody. Just like Nora says.I hope Nora's video resonates with you as it did with me!And I'd love in the comments if you shared one word that describes how you feel when you feel supported by someone who is able to hold your grief. Mine is “comforted.”Big hugs. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi everyone! It's Melinda. Welcome to Melinda's Grief Corner! If this is your first time here, be sure to check out my intro post to learn more about the inspiration behind this new Article Club feature and what to expect from this series! Glad to have you here!In the early days (I guess it's still early days? Time is stupid) after my dad's death, I kept thinking that grief was the only thing I could feel. That my body had absolutely no capacity for anything that wasn't the smorgasbord of grief-y feelings.And I kept asking myself “will my life just be this now, just BIG grief 24/7?”I did what people normally do in this situation.I asked Google for its opinion. Note - I do not recommend doing this.Now while I got a lot of weird stuff in the 24977897829789 search results that Google spat out at me, I did find an article that I found extremely helpful.Let me introduce “Growing Around Grief,” a 1996 article by Dr. Lois Tonkin (via whatsyourgrief.org).Dr. Tonkin describes being in a workshop with a mother whose child had died years prior. The mother drew a sketch of her grief and how she thought it would progress over time and then how it actually felt for her.The figures show that the mother's grief always stayed the same size, but that her life grew around her grief. Put another way in the article, her life expanded around her loss.After reading through this article, I had an “Ah-ha” moment to quote Oprah. The loss I felt would always be big. It wouldn't change in its big-ness. But my life could get bigger around it.My dad is foundational to who I am. He is everything I wanted to be in life. Losing him felt like losing the air in my lungs and also all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. It felt like the ground underneath me had cracked open and I'm just going to be free-falling until the world ends.The big-ness of losing him is terrifying. But I've realized shrinking my grief is not the point. And also not possible.He may no longer be alive, but he is just as important today as he was when he taught me how to make pancakes when I was 5 years old. He may even be more important.What I'll try to do each day is to make my life bigger around the loss. And dear reader, I think I have in some ways! A few months after his death, I started working with a personal trainer and I can now deadlift 105 pounds (I know, unbelievable, but I would NEVER lie to you!). I made new friends. I finally made a mug in pottery class I am not ashamed of. I've gone out on dates (yes, I am single! I do come with a cat!).I have found ways to add to my life. To feel the bigness of my grief. And to feel the bigness of my life.So dear reader, I hope this resource resonates with you as much as it did with me. And that it gives you hope for a future where your life gets bigger around your grief.And I'd love it if, in the comments, you shared one way that you've made your life a bit bigger in your grief. Or one way you want to make your life bigger! I'm here to cheer you on!Big hugs! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi, Mark here! In case you missed Thursday's issue, I'm very excited to announce a new feature at Article Club. It's called Melinda's Grief Corner. As some of you know, Melinda and I co-host a podcast in which we preview the article of the month. Now she will be sharing her reflections on grief, as well as a resource, for everyone who is interested. I'm looking forward to it, and I'm confident you'll find the corner illuminating and supportive. The first installment is here below. Take it away, Melinda!One year ago, on March 9, 2024 at 4:37 pm, my dad died after complications from a stroke. And since then I've been learning how to live with what I've been calling my new life-long roommate - grief.I'm what you call an ‘over-intellectualizer.' I've had several therapists (hello, out there if you're reading!) tell me that I like to write dissertations about my emotions, but not necessarily always feel them.You know when someone says something about you and you feel both seen and attacked? That is how I felt, y'all! Guilty as charged!So in the early days of grief, I joked to my friends (and therapist!) that I was trying to get a Ph.D. in grief. I felt like if I could just really study grief, really get in there and stick grief under a microscope, that maybe I'd be able to get a handle on it. And by getting a handle on it, I mean feel like I'm not constantly drowning.I read every article on grief I could find, I listened to dozens of podcast episodes, I watched the interview between Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper about their shared father-loss at least 10 times.Just trying to tether myself to anything to help me make sense of this new world I was trying to live in. And trying to make sense of who I was without someone I have never had to live without.I'm no expert in grief despite me trying to desperately earn a Ph.D. in it. And I'm definitely not a mental health professional who is giving professional advice to the grieving.But one thing I know to be true is that grief is not something to be fixed.It is something to be witnessed.And that's why I'm here.Welcome to Melinda's Grief Corner. A place where your grief will be witnessed and held. And in the spirit of Article Club, this is a corner where I hope you find support through articles, podcasts, and grief resources that I will share.Every other week I'll share a grief-y reflection in newsletter format right here in Article Club and I'll also share a resource I've come across that has helped me. And folks will be able to comment on these reflections and resources to share their own thoughts and feelings.This is open to all folks on a grief journey (or not yet on a grief journey!). If you want to just read these reflections and other people's comments that is completely fine! There is no pressure to comment or share. And if it's too much for you to sit with that, then that's ok too! The newsletters will always be open whenever you're ready.And here's the deal. Grief is big. Grief for me feels a bit like a suitcase. And inside of that suitcase are memories of my dad and also just dozens of emotions - sadness, pain, joy, love, longing, etc. etc.And you know sometimes that suitcase is super organized with my REI packing cubes bento box style. And other times that suitcase has lost a wheel, I've had to duct tape it shut, and TSA is like “ma'am no way can you bring that on this plane.”Each day the suitcase is different. But each day, the suitcase is still there and we have to carry it forward. And we do not have to do it alone.And that's what I hope this grief corner is. A place for us to come together, to support each other, and hopefully for you to find something that helps you in your grief journey.Bring your suitcase of grief-y ness. Hopefully gain some insight on grief. Cry with me. Laugh with me. Honestly laugh and cry at the same time with me because the journey of grief is a weird road that is anything but linear or logical.Thank you for witnessing a part of my grief-y journey today. In two weeks I'll share what happens when you ask Google how to grieve (spoiler alert - it's messy!).In the meantime, I'd love for you to share one word in the comments about how you're feeling in your grief journey. Today mine is “heavy.”Big hugs, see you soon. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back, loyal readers. First off, we had another strong week, with 18 new subscribers joining, thanks to Sunday, Sarah, Gotelé, Loque, Coree, Claire, Elizabeth, Lauren, Marina, Imma, Patricia, Beth, Mahesh, Olga, Heriberto, Leer, and Melissa. Thank you for trying Article Club, and I hope you like it here.This week's issue is dedicated to our article of the month. For all of you who are interested, we'll be reading, annotating, and discussing “Radicalized,” by Cory Doctorow. You'll learn more about the piece below, but here are a few tidbits:* It's a fictional novella written in 2019 about a man who becomes radicalized after his health insurance denies his claim. Sound familiar?* I read this piece in December, the week after all-things-Luigi Mangione* Mr. Doctorow‘s writing is fast-paced and his details eerily prescientSound compelling? If so, you're invited to join our deep dive on the article. We're meeting up to discuss the piece on Sunday, March 23, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. All you need to do is click the button below to sign up.

Dear Readers,They say in schools, February's no joke. Alongside my colleagues, I've certainly been putting in the hours in order to serve our students the best we can. But there's always still reading to be done — not only for this newsletter and our reading community, but also for my own self-care. It makes me happy that I keep getting to do this, week after week. Thank you for reading and supporting Article Club.I have a feeling you're going to like this week's issue. Instead of the regular offering (i.e., four articles), I'm switching things up and sharing with you some great writing and thinking from a variety of genres. Scroll down and you'll find:* an essay about racial appropriation and the end of an interracial friendship* an interview with Susan Dominus about IVF and her article, “Someone Else's Daughter”* an article about the care a park ranger takes in order to support unhoused people in Golden Gate Park* a podcast episode about how young people definitely don't think using generative AI is cheatingAlso, don't miss our pet photo, as well as our poll toward the end. Hope you enjoy.If you like what we're doing here at Article Club, and want to support this venture with a paid subscription, I would be very grateful. It's $5 a month or $36 a year.1️⃣ Dear White SisterI appreciate the work of Tressie McMillan Cottom, so when she recommended Don't Let It Get You Down, a collection of essays by UC Berkeley Law professor Savala Nolan, I knew I needed to check it out. I was not disappointed. As the book's subtitle makes clear, Prof. Nolan writes plainly and thoughtfully about race, gender, and the body. In the chapter, “Dear White Sister,” Prof. Nolan decides whether to approach a close and long-time white friend after an objectionable post on Instagram. In short, the friend quotes Beyoncé's song “Freedom” to celebrate her love for roller skating and progress in roller derby.Prof. Nolan writes: “I feel a peculiar sensation when white people borrow — take — something Black: it's like there's an octopus in my chest, peacefully afloat, when danger suddenly appears. The animal contracts its jellied body and expels a gush of protective ink, then darts away in panic. Don't belittle ‘Freedom,' I hissed inside. ‘Freedom' isn't for a white girl in the Midwest taking up roller derby.”By Savala Nolan • Don't Let It Get You Down • 25 min2️⃣  An Interview With Susan Dominus: “I was just so inspired by the goodness of the people involved.”Many of you read and appreciated January's article of the month, ”Someone Else's Daughter,” by Susan Dominus, which told the story of a horrible IVF mistake that resulted in two women giving birth to the other woman's genetic baby. More importantly, the piece illuminates the generosity of the human spirit, as the mothers, filled with grief and shame for an error they didn't make, embrace each other and figure out a way to raise their children together.I got to interview Ms. Dominus a few weeks back, and hope you take a listen. Over and over again in our conversation, she shared how reporting and writing the piece left her inspired and hopeful. Here's an excerpt: I would say the main thing that I really did want people to feel reading the piece was that same inspired feeling I felt in hearing their stories — that there is always a way, not always, but that when there is conflict or crisis, if you respond with openness and generosity, sometimes beautiful things come of that. That's what I took away as a human being, just being part of it. I was so inspired by the goodness of the people involved and the way that their goodness allowed them to turn something awful into something really beautiful.➡️ Listen to the interview by clicking the play button below.3️⃣ Her Job Is To Remove Homeless People From SF's Parks. Her Methods Are Extraordinary.It's easy to bewail the rise and intractability of homelessness. It's much harder to do something about it. That's why I appreciated reading this article about the efforts of Amanda Barrows, a park ranger for San Francisco Recreation and Parks. In 2015, the government agency launched a new program designed to connect unhoused people with the services they need. Since Ms. Barrows joined the force in 2021, she has helped 60 people leave Golden Gate Park and accept more permanent housing.Reporter Susan Freinkel does an excellent job following Ms. Barrows as she builds relationships with her clients, earns their trust, and listens to what they need. Having grown up in public housing, having lived in a “dodgy SRO” for five years, and having lost her father to a fentanyl overdose, Ms. Barrows says that her work feels natural. “I can relate to a lot of the people who I contact through my own lived experience.”By Susan Freinkel • The San Francisco Standard • 16 min • Gift Link4️⃣ Playboi Farti And His AI Homework MachineIn case there's any doubt: How teenagers think about using generative artificial intelligence in school is very different from how most educators think about it. In essence, we think it's cheating (or plagiarism, or whatever big word we want to use), and they don't. To them, ChatGPT is like a word calculator. Why slog away at a boring five-paragraph essay about The Great Gatsby that's been done millions of times when a robot can do you it for you?That's the essential question of this podcast episode, in which host PJ Vogt tests a theory he holds — that writing is more than answering a teacher's prompt, and that generative AI is more than just a labor-saving tool. It's thinking, he argues, and if we give away thinking to a computer, then our humanity is doomed.By PJ Vogt • Search Engine • 61 min • Apple Podcasts✅ It's time for a quick poll. I'd love to hear from you.Last week, we confirmed that there's no widespread conspiracy to keep this newsletter out of your inbox. Delivery is working well most of the time.But what about your reading habits? Do you focus on the current week's issue? Or do you like diving into the archives to check out past issues?Thank you for reading this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Dear Loyal Readers,You and me, I'd venture to say, we like to read. This is why I put together this newsletter week after week. And this is why you generously subscribe to it. After all, this is Article Club, right? We're here to read.But we also know (though I don't like to admit it): Reading isn't for everyone. This month's article of the month, “Is This the End of Reading?” follows the downward trend of reading, especially among Gen Z college students. In her piece, writer Beth McMurtrie looks at the problem straight on: listening to professors, considering causes, and most importantly, thinking of ways to respond.There's still room to join our discussion on Feb. 23, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. For more information and to sign up, click the button below.Leading this week's issue is a conversation I had last week with Ms. McMurtrie. Especially if you're an educator or a parent, I highly recommend that you listen. In the interview, Ms. McMurtrie shares the feelings of professors dealing with the abrupt shifts they're witnessing in the classroom. Reading stamina has significantly declined, and so have critical reading skills. Gone are the days when students could read a book or an article on their own. Now, according to one professor, reading has become a “scavenger hunt,” in which students search for discrete answers to discrete questions, dipping in and out of short excerpts, rather than taking in a whole text.If that interview does not catch your interest, never fear. I urge you to read one of the other three articles in this week's issue. They are about:* how we shouldn't blame phones and the pandemic on the decline of reading* how a woman visiting an abortion clinic finds Christianity confusing* how a college in Texas espouses free speech, unless they don't like itIf you like what we're doing here at Article Club, and want to support this venture with a paid subscription, I would be very grateful. It's $5 a month or $36 a year.An interview with Beth McMurtrie, author of “Is This the End of Reading?”I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Beth McMurtrie this week. Senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education, Ms. McMurtrie knows what she's talking about when it comes to the status of reading among college students. It was a delight to talk to her. I encourage you to listen to our entire conversation. Here's an excerpt:If you think of teaching as a vocation, a calling, which a lot of academics do, [the decline of reading] is really an existential crisis because you're seeing harm come to your students. I didn't find many professors who were angry at their students; they were sad for their students. They were certainly frustrated and sometimes wanted to beat their head against the walls, but they were sad for their students because they could see the anxiety that the students felt when they couldn't do the work.[The professors] would often say to me, These students have no idea how much less I'm asking of them than I asked of students 10 or 15 years ago. It changes what you can do in the classroom and how you can teach. You can't get through as much material, which means students just simply aren't as learning as much content. If you can't get through as much content, you may end up having to teach the skills that you thought students had learned in high school. So then your teaching becomes a different kind of teaching.And if you don't do those things, then you kind of have a dead classroom, or you might have a discussion that goes off the rails because the students are not interpreting kind of what they're learning in a useful way.2️⃣ The Loss Of Things I Took For GrantedI included this fair, well-written piece last year when it was published, but I'm sharing it again, especially since Ms. McMurtrie highlighted it in our interview. Focusing on the decline of reading among college students, it's a great companion piece to hers.Prof. Adam Kotsko writes: “For most of my career, I assigned around 30 pages of reading per class meeting as a baseline expectation — sometimes scaling up for purely expository readings or pulling back for more difficult texts. (No human being can read 30 pages of Hegel in one sitting, for example.) Now students are intimidated by anything over 10 pages and seem to walk away from readings of as little as 20 pages with no real understanding. Even smart and motivated students struggle to do more with written texts than extract decontextualized take-aways. Considerable class time is taken up simply establishing what happened in a story or the basic steps of an argument — skills I used to be able to take for granted.”By Adam Kotsko • Slate • 7 min • Gift Link3️⃣ Two Days Before Abortion Stopped In KentuckySavannah Sipple: “I grew up in a conservative, religious part of eastern Kentucky where fundamental Christianity rules. For most of my upbringing, I recognized the pastors, choir leaders, and Sunday school teachers as the folks who lived the kindness they preached. When someone's family member died they cooked food, cleaned house, and prayed with the grieving. They regularly took up offerings and gave food to those struggling.“What I didn't recognize at the time were the microaggressions. They'd say slight comments about Catholicism, which confused me as a kid because part of my family was Catholic. They'd make jokes about gays. Preachers pronounced lesbians the scourge of the nation because they dared to live without men. I was closeted, but I was both the butt of the joke and then the monster. Still, I was devout. This kind of confusing Christianity where hate is enmeshed with love was the only kind of sacred available to me. Even when my personal beliefs stood in contrast to what I was taught, I remained silent. I heard church folks disparage women who sought abortions. I heard their judgments, the way words like abomination, backslider, and sin always carried a tone of disgust and dismissal. And I stood by.”By Savannah Sipple • The Arkansas International • 8 min • gift link unavailable4️⃣ An American EducationNoah Rawlings: “A revolution in education! A resuscitation of the university mission! To happen in, of all places, not the pompous old northeast or the debauched West Coast, not New York or California but the country's southern reaches — in the Texas Hill Country, in the city of Austin, where already technologists and venture capitalists had swarmed, drawn by the absence of income tax and the looseness of labor regulations, pulled by the mild zoning laws and the natural beauty and the food trucks and the good vibes. Austin, because it was a ‘hub for builders, mavericks, and creators.' Here a new university: the University of Austin, or UATX.“UATX is a ‘genuinely safe space,' in the sense that it isolates students from the inconvenient opposition of other peers and professors. It is a monoculture of free-market faith which provides, in the end, a venue for young people seeking success in tech and finance to network and to fortify the rightwing ideas that brought them here in the first place.”➡️ Big thanks to loyal reader Tim for recommending this article. Want to nominate an article to appear in the newsletter? Click here.By Noah Rawlings • The New Inquiry • 26 min • Gift Link✅ It's time for a quick poll. I'd love to hear from you.Last week, we confirmed that most of you read Article Club via email. That's what I suspected. (But no problem if you use the app!)This week, let's solve a mystery.Thank you for reading this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Dear Readers,First things first: Let's welcome our 51 new subscribers Violet, Rae, Olga, Taylor, Joyce, Sogo, Emily, Callie, Angelina, Peter, Tya, Emily, Natalie, Christine, Heather, Mary, Hannah, Marie-Pierre, Kristy, Fernanda, Maurtini, Helen, Angelina, Colette, Ronald, Courtney, Kelley, Jaymi, Katy, Steph, Deborah, Cathy, Christina, Brenna, Megan, Jacki, Alina, Cynthia, Caryn, Brittany, Nimi, Katie, Shell, Jamie, Candice, Samuel, Leslie, and Stephanie. New subscribers, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Welcome to Article Club. Make yourself at home.

Dear Loyal Readers,Happy Halloween! I wish you successful tricking and treating. In case this needs to be said, 100 Grand is the best candy bar. (It used to be Twix.) Thank you.Now let's get to this month's featured article. But before that:* If you're a newish subscriber: Since January 2020, I've chosen one article every month for a deep dive. Folks who are interested read it, annotate it, and discuss it. The author generously records a podcast interview. It's been fun.If you've never participated (that is to say, most of you), you're invited. We're a kind, thoughtful reading community. I think you'll enjoy it.All right, let's get down to business. I'm excited to announce this month's article: “Athens, Revised.” Written by Erin Wood and published in The Sun, the article is equal parts devastating and uplifting. It's raw and vulnerable. Throughout, it is brilliantly written.Here's what you can expect in today's issue:* My blurb about this month's article* A short biography about the author* A podcast interview with the author* What you need to do if you'd like to participateAre you already confident that you'd like to join? We're meeting up on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. All you need to do is click on the button below and sign up.

Dear Loyal Readers,Welcome to October. Thank you for being here.In just a moment, I'll reveal this month's featured article. But before that, two things:* If you're a newish subscriber: Since January 2020, I've chosen one article every month for a deep dive. Folks who are interested read it, annotate it, and discuss it. The author generously records a podcast interview. It's been fun.* A small celebration: This will be our 51st article of the month.

Dear Loyal Readers,Welcome to September. Thank you for being here.In just a moment, I'll reveal this month's featured article. But before that, two things:* If you're a newish subscriber: Since January 2020, I've chosen one article every month for a deep dive. Folks who are interested read it, annotate it, and discuss it. The author generously records a podcast interview. It's been fun.* A small celebration: This will be our 50th article of the month.

Dear Loyal Readers,August has arrived. This means (at least) three things are true:* It's my birthday tomorrow. (Because I'm a Leo, I'll be celebrating all month.)* School is starting soon (very soon).* You deserve a blockbuster issue. Because why not?We've had a ton of new subscribers lately, so before launching into today's issue, I want to say thank you for signing up. Welcome to Article Club. We're a kind, thoughtful reading community that believes that reading and discussing the best articles on race, education, and culture will grow our empathy.One thing we do here (if you're interested) is a deep dive on one article a month. We read it, annotate it, listen to the author's viewpoints on it, and discuss it on the last Sunday afternoon of the month, on Zoom.That's what today's issue is all about. No matter if you're a new or longtime reader, I encourage you to participate. If you're feeling extra bold, why not sign up now, even before I reveal the article?All right, in case you need more information before you take the leap, I'm excited to announce this month's article: “Is the hardest job in education convincing parents to send their kids to a San Francisco public school?” Written by Gail Cornwall and published in The Hechinger Report, the article is perfect for us to discuss as we head into the new school year.If public schools matter to you, if you're a parent or a teacher, if you care about issues of race and class, if you are feeling hopeless, if you want to feel hopeful, if you worry about whether public schools will survive — this article might be for you.Here's what you can expect in today's issue:* My blurb about this month's article* Some information about the author* A double feature podcast episode: interviews with both the author of the article, Gail Cornwall, and the subject of the article, Lauren Koehler* Information on what comes next if you want to join us this monthAll right, let's get to it.

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I'm happy you're here.Today's issue is dedicated to an interview with Mike Hixenbaugh, co-author of Southlake and author of They Came for the Schools: One Town's Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for America's Classrooms.Published by NBC News, Southlake is a six-part podcast about how a mostly-white community in a Texas suburb failed to respond to the harm that white students caused when they chanted the N-word in a video after a homecoming dance in 2018. (It's about a whole lot more, too.)I highly encourage you to listen to the podcast (if you haven't already), then take in the interview with Mike, then sign up for our discussion on Saturday, July 20, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. I'd be very happy if you were there.⭐️ About the authorMike Hixenbaugh is a senior investigative reporter for NBC News, co-creator of the Southlake and Grapevine podcasts, and author of They Came for the Schools: One Town's Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for America's Classrooms.Mr. Hixenbaugh's reporting in recent years on the battles over race, gender, and sexuality in public schools won a Peabody Award and was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.While working as a newspaper reporter in Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, and Texas, Hixenbaugh uncovered deadly failures in the U.S. military, abuses in the child welfare system, and safety lapses at major hospitals, winning numerous national awards and triggering reforms aimed at saving lives and keeping families together.Mr. Hixenbaugh lives in Maryland with his wife and four children.⭐️ About the interviewI got a chance to interview Mike last week, and it was an honor. Our conversation was one of my favorites ever at Article Club. In addition to talking about Southlake, we really went deep into his book (which I highly recommend).We discussed a number of topics, including:* how he got interested in the story in the first place* how his identity as a white man influenced his reporting* how he tried to take in the viewpoints of conservative Southlake residents* how listening to young people was paramountMost of all, I appreciated Mike's generosity and thoughtfulness. It was abundantly clear from the interview how deeply Mike has gotten to know this community and how thoroughly he has reported this story. He is not afraid of nuance — and he is not afraid to tell the truth. As an educator and a journalism fan, I could have talked to Mike for much longer. Our conversation made me very excited to discuss Southlake with you.

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I'm happy you're here.Today's issue is dedicated to an interview with Amanda E. Machado, the author of “The Abstract Rage To Protect,” June's article of the month.First published in The Adroit Journal, “The Abstract Rage To Protect” is about masculinity, the need for men to protect women, the violence that follows, and what we can do about it.I highly encourage you to read the piece (if you haven't already), then listen to the interview, then sign up for our discussion on Sunday, June 30, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. I'd be very happy to connect with you in conversation.⭐️ About the article“There is a difference between a man's sense of protection and a man's sense of violence,” a male friend once reassured me. But I never could tell the difference.When Amanda E. Machado tells men that she was once sexually assaulted at a festival, with her ex-boyfriend nearby but lost in the crowd, they instantly become ashamed of him. “How could he let this happen?” they ask. “He was supposed to protect you.”In this enlightening essay, Amanda explores notions of masculinity, weaving personal experiences with the work of Phil Christman, a lecturer at the University of Michigan. Christman writes, “When I try to nail down what masculinity is — what imperative gives rise to all this pain seeking and stoicism, this showboating asceticism and loud silence — I come back to this: Masculinity is an abstract rage to protect.”The biggest problem with this “abstract rage to protect,” Amanda argues, is that there is a fine line between a desire to protect and a desire to inflict violence. “The aggression men learn to protect the women they love, becomes exactly how they hurt the women they love.”⭐️ About the authorAmanda E. Machado (she/they) is a writer, public speaker and facilitator with ancestry from Mexico and Ecuador. Their work has been published in The Atlantic, Guernica, The Washington Post, Adroit Journal, Slate, The Guardian, Sierra Magazine, among many other outlets. In addition to their essay writing, Amanda is also a public speaker and workshop facilitator on issues of justice and anti-oppression for organizations around the world. They are also the founder of Reclaiming Nature Writing, a multi-week online workshop that centers the experiences of people of color in how we tell stories about the outdoors.Amanda currently lives on unceded Ohlone land in Oakland, California.⭐️ About the interviewAlongside fellow Article Clubber Sarai Bordeaux, I got a chance to interview Amanda a few weeks ago. It was an honor. We discussed a number of topics, including:* that we all have a desire to be protected* that we're socialized that protection must be physical and therefore may involve violence* that we have a collective responsibility to find ways to redefine protectionMost of all, I appreciated Amanda's generosity. It was clear that their thinking is expansive and non-judgmental. Listening to Amanda got me to want to be more imaginative in how I support others and how I show up for other people when they seek emotional protection. And it made me excited to discuss their piece with you.

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I'm happy you're here.Today's issue is dedicated to an interview with Jonathan Escoffery, the author of “In Flux,” March's article of the month.First published in Passages North, “In Flux” is a short story about race, identity, and the dreaded question, “What are you?” It's about Blackness, belonging, and the main character Trelawny's struggle to figure out where he fits in.Mr. Escoffery writes:I was interested in what complications an American-born boy of Jamaican parentage, and of African and European descent, presenting, to some degree, as racially ambiguous, might find in claiming a neat, pre-packaged identity, and how the competing attitudes—the contradictory denials and affirmations—held by those within his various communities might further complicate this, and how shifting geographic and class locations would complicate this even further.

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I'm happy you're here.Today's issue is dedicated to an interview with Paul Tough, the author of “Saying No to College,” January's article of the month.Published in The New York Times Magazine last September, the piece explains the significant shift in Americans' views on the value of college over the past decade. Whereas in 2010, when nearly all families wanted their children to attend college, now only half do. And 45 percent of Gen Z says a high school diploma is sufficient to “ensure financial security.”What explains this trend — this darkening mood about college? Two things, Mr. Tough explains:* There's a difference between the college wage premium and the college wealth premium. In other words, you'll make more money if you graduate from college. But that doesn't mean you'll become more well-off.* Going to college is a little like going to a casino. If you graduate, you're largely good (unless you pay full price at NYU and get a Humanities degree). But if you drop out, and you've got debt — that's another story.There's much more in the article, but I don't want to give away too many spoilers. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to do so — and to join our discussion if you're intrigued. We're meeting on January 28 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm PT.I got a chance to interview Mr. Tough (again!) last week, and it was an honor. If you're a long-time subscriber, you know that Mr. Tough helped get Article Club off the ground. Back in February 2020, he shared his thoughts on “Getting an A,” a chapter from his book, The Inequality Machine. He was generous and thoughtful then. Nothing has changed. About our conversation: I won't give everything away, because it's better to listen, but we discussed a number of topics, including:* how there's a major disconnect between “college experts” and regular American families on the value of higher education* how this piece required a different kind of reporting and approach to writing* how giving college advice to young people is way more complicated than it used to be* how even though there's “something really wrong in higher education,” our country is doomed if this current trend continuesMost of all, it became abundantly clear in our conversation that Mr. Tough knows what he's talking about and knows how to write. Most of all, I appreciate his clarity and compassion. Especially if you're a student, parent, or educator, this is an article that is worth your time and attention.Thank you for reading this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Dear Loyal Readers,Hope you're having a relaxing (and reading-heavy) end of the year.I'll be back next Thursday to reveal our January article of the month. It's going to be a good one, and I urge you to join our discussion.Until then, I welcome you to listen to Article Club's first-ever end-of-year podcast reflection episode, in which Melinda and I discuss some highlights from 2023 and what's coming up in the new year.Among other things, we chat about:* our favorite articles of the year (can you guess?)* our favorite moments from our monthly discussions* what we're looking forward to in 2024 (will Roxane Gay be joining us?)* how Melinda is going to read Middlemarch To listen: Hit the play button up top or add Article Club to your favorite podcast player.In the episode, Melinda and I also share our deep appreciation of our reading community here at Article Club. In other words: This means you.Thank you for subscribing, reading the articles, listening to author interviews, joining the discussions, and sharing your perspectives.Thank you for being thoughtful and kind.As we head into 2024 — which will no doubt be a roller coaster — I'm reminded that authentic connection does not come easily. True empathy does not come easily. What we continue to build here is special. In fact, in this clip, Melinda calls it magical.Thank you again, and see you in the New Year!Mark This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I'm happy you're here.⭐️ Before we get started: If you live near Oakland, join me and fellow Article Clubbers at an in-person gathering on Thursday, Nov. 30, at Room 389, beginning at 5:30 pm. It's a great way to connect with other thoughtful readers and chat about the articles. It'd be wonderful to see you. Here's more info and where you can get your free ticket.Today's issue is dedicated to an interview with Larissa MacFarquhar, the author of “The Fog: Living in Adoption's Emotional Aftermath,” November's article of the month.Originally published in The New Yorker in April, the piece profiles three adoptees who have come out of “the fog,” or the denial of the trauma of being adopted. Not all adoptees have mixed or negative emotions, but many do.They seek their birth parents but are lied to; they can't obtain their original birth certificates; they're told they should be happy they're adopted when their feelings are complicated; they find the adoption system corrupt; they feel like they're living a double life, estranged from the person they really are.By focusing on the lives of Deanna, Joy, and Angela, the article also discusses the history and problems of three categories of adoption: invisible (or closed) adoptions, transracial adoptions, and international adoptions.If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to do so — and to join our discussion on December 3, if you're moved.I got a chance to interview Ms. MacFarquhar last Friday, and it was an honor. I won't give everything away, because it's better to listen, but we discussed a number of topics, including:* how Ms. MacFarquhar became interested in adoption after exploring the problems of the foster care system* how being adopted is a profoundly different way of being human than growing up with one's biological family* how many adoptees feel they're not real, that their stories are scrambled, that their identities are disorientating, and that they learn about themselves bit by bit* how although adoption is sometimes the best outcome for a child, our society should be more supportive of birth parents who love and want to keep their kids Most of all, it became abundantly clear in our conversation that Ms. MacFarquhar is a thoughtful reporter and writer. Her approach to profiling is exquisite; she tells her subjects' stories directly and with compassion. And no matter your background knowledge on adoption, and no matter your lived experience, this is an article that is worth your time and attention.Thank you for listening to this week's episode. Hope you liked it.

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I'm happy you're here.Today's issue is dedicated to an interview with Dashka Slater, the author of “The Instagram Account that Shattered a California High School,” October's article of the month.Originally published in The New York Times Magazine in August, the piece explores a racist social media account created at a Bay Area high school in 2017 and its repercussions on young people and their community. The piece also raises the question: What does accountability really mean?If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to do so — and to join our discussion on October 29, if you're moved.I got a chance to interview Ms. Slater a few weeks back with fellow Article Clubber Melinda. It was an honor. I won't give everything away, because it's better to listen, but we discussed a number of topics, including:* how edgy humor is a premium in boy culture, how it causes harm, and how masculinity is contested terrority right now* how even in progressive places like the Bay Area, we think of accountability as punishment — that justice is balancing out the pain someone else has caused* how kids have a strong sense of justice, and how they want to do the right thing, but that they need guidance from their teachers and parents* how we as adults often don't know what we're doing, and how our own emotions get in the way of supporting our childrenMost of all, it became abundantly clear in our conversation that Ms. Slater is a thoughtful and compassionate reporter and writer. She sees nuance and complexity. She doesn't throw anyone under the bus. She gets to know people and writes with a ton of empathy. But this is not to say that Ms. Slater is wishy-washy or doesn't have strong feelings about what happened at Albany High School. She does. She just understands that healing does not come via punishment.One of the hardest things for anybody, any human, is to take a breath and say, I don't know. And I think that was really lacking in Albany and in most places in a time of crisis, because everybody's having emotions and they want immediate action. And as a result, there was a lot of action that wasn‘t very well informed with all the dynamics that it took me five years to reconstruct.So I always say, the first thing is don‘t rush. Because there‘s a lot that you don‘t know. And the more you talk, the less you‘re listening in general. I think the other piece for adults is to not become the story. We often forget in our relationships with young people that we are not the story, and our job is to be teachers, coaches, mentors. We are supposed to assist.Thank you for reading this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I'm happy you're here.Today's issue is dedicated to an interview with Daniel Duane, the author of “A Tale of Paradise, Parking Lots, and My Mother's Berkeley Backyard,” September's article of the month.Originally published in The New York Times Magazine in May, the piece explores the housing crisis in the Bay Area and the fears that emerge alongside the inevitability of change. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to do so — and join our discussion on September 24, if you're moved.I got a chance to interview Mr. Duane a few weeks back, and it was an honor. I won't give everything away, because it's better to listen, but we discussed a number of topics, including:* his fond memories of growing up in Berkeley* his relationship with his mom, who was a radical activist in the 1960s, but who now feels scared about the changes coming to her neighborhood* how the NIMBY / YIMBY debate could benefit from some compassion and nuanceMost of all, it became abundantly clear in our conversation that Mr. Duane is nostalgic but also does not find nostalgia useful. After all, we need more housing, he argues, even if that means having to make sacrifices for the common good. Sometimes, that sacrifice means realizing our time has come, that the world belongs to the young, that it's time to let go.At one point, when I was asking myself, Well, what is this story really about for me? I had sort of a moment of thinking about it as like, It‘s about the fact that the world belongs to the young, and it hurts when you find out that you're no longer one of them. And that moment comes for everyone.Thank you for reading this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I'm happy you're here.Today's issue is dedicated to an interview with Matthew Desmond, the author of “Why Poverty Persists in America,” August's article of the month.Originally published in The New York Times Magazine in April, the piece is an excerpt from Prof. Desmond's bestselling book, Poverty, by America. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to do so — and join our discussion on August 27, if you're moved.Fellow Article Clubber Melinda and I got a chance to interview Prof. Desmond a few weeks back, and it was an honor. I won't give everything away, because it's better to listen, but we discussed a number of topics, including:* how poverty is about having a lack of choice, not just money* how exploitation is at the center of poverty* what it means to be a poverty abolitionistMost of all, it became abundantly clear in our conversation that Prof. Desmond doesn't find despair useful. Even though poverty is a result of harmful policies, shame won't solve the problem. Rather, Prof. Desmond wants us to do something about the issue — not just talk about it. There's too much “informed sophisticated passivity,” he said.For the past half-century, we've approached the poverty question by pointing to poor people themselves — posing questions about their work ethic, say, or their welfare benefits — when we should have been focusing on the fire. The question that should serve as a looping incantation, the one we should ask every time we drive past a tent encampment, those tarped American slums smelling of asphalt and bodies, or every time we see someone asleep on the bus, slumped over in work clothes, is simply: Who benefits? Not: Why don't you find a better job? Or: Why don't you move? Or: Why don't you stop taking out payday loans? But: Who is feeding off this?As someone who sometimes likes to read and think and discuss, yet remain on the sidelines, I appreciated Prof. Desmond's call to action. In the interview, he offers five ways we can be poverty abolitionists. Let's stop debating people and sighing about how bad things are, he says. Let's stop trying to change other people's beliefs. Calling himself a “pragmatic writer,” he said, “I want my work to do things.”Thank you for listening to this week's episode. Hope you liked it.

Dear VIPs,Thank you for being paid subscribers and for supporting me and Article Club.This weekend, I have for you an audio letter, where I share some of my thoughts on deeper reading — and whether it's possible to read deeply with so many online distractions swirling around, competing for our attention.I've been thinking about this topic for a while, but Meta's launch of Threads really got me wondering if there's any way for us to escape the endless bombardment, besides of course destroying all our tech and moving to a mountain in Montana.I do think there's hope, and in this audio letter, I talk about four things we can do to promote and preserve deeper online reading. They are:* Limiting our reading sources* Choosing a dedicated reading device* Consciously compiling our reading collection* Scheduling a regular time and place to readThese steps sound commonsensical, but at least for me, they're easier said than done. I hope you'll listen to my musings, and I'd love to hear what you think!Do you do any of these four things? Do you have an online reading system that works for you — or any secret tips to share? You can leave a comment, email me, or record a voice message.Also, if this deeper reading thing interests you, I warmly invite you to Quiet Reading Hour next Sunday, July 16, 9-10 am PT. Let me know if you're in!Have a great weekend, and happy reading,MarkPS - Want to listen to these audio letters (and all other AC-related audio) on your phone? Click “listen on” to the right of the player above, then click “email link” to receive the private, subscriber-only RSS feed. Go to your phone, find the email from Substack, and click “add to podcast app.” Voila! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Loyal Readers,Thank you for being here! I have three things for you this week, so let's get right to it.1️⃣ Article ClubThis month we've been focusing on “How Much Would You Pay to Save Your Cat's Life?” by Sarah Zhang. Originally published in The Atlantic last December, it's a piece I highly urge that you read. Here's why:* It explores the rising trend of cat kidney transplants (expensive! controversial!)* Ms. Zhang asks a provocative question and examines it from all sides* Even though the article is about pets, it's really about human relationshipsWhere's the line between being a caring pet owner and doing too much? If you consider your pet a part of the family — or if you judge people who consider their pet part of the family — you'll love this article.I hope you'll sign up to discuss the piece on Sunday, June 25, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT on Zoom. Article Clubbers are kind and thoughtful and welcoming. Our conversations are always in small, intimate, facilitated groups. Reach out if you have questions or if you want to participate in the conversation but are secretly shy or nervous.2️⃣ My interview with Sarah ZhangOne of the best parts of Article Club (in addition to our monthly discussions) is the generosity of journalists and how they share their insights on the outstanding articles they write. Ms. Zhang (who has two cats herself!) was kind and thoughtful, and it was a delight to chat with her. We talked about a number of topics, including:* why this topic — how much we are willing to spend on our pets — is fraught with judgment (what's too much? too little?)* how cat kidney transplants raise major ethical questions (namely: the kidney comes from another cat, who can't consent)* how pets serve an “in-between” role in our lives — how they're not exactly our children, but they're not exactly our property (and how that's confusing)I hope you take a listen! (You can click the player at the top or subscribe to The Highlighter Article Club on your favorite podcast player.)3️⃣ Issue #400 is coming! What do you think about all this?We're coming up on eight years and 400 issues of this newsletter, which is a mild marvel, and to celebrate the occasion, I'd love to hear from you. What has been your experience of reading The Highlighter Article Club or participating in the discussions? Do you have any kind words, or words or wisdom, or requests for the next eight years? Feel free to leave a comment or reply privately. Thank you!Thank you for reading this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Dear Loyal Readers,Thank you for being here! I have four things for you this week, so let's get right to it.1️⃣ Article ClubThis month we've been focusing on “Why is Affirmative Action in Peril?” by Emily Bazelon. It's a piece I highly recommend that you read. Here's why:* The Supreme Court will likely strike down affirmative action next month* This article expertly explains why* Ms. Bazelon — staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, senior research fellow at Yale Law School, and co-host of Slate's Political Gabfest — knows how to write and knows what she's talking aboutInstead of focusing on the current politics of the Court, Ms. Bazelon takes us back in time, helping us understand the history of affirmative action through a close study of the Bakke decision and the legal strategy of attorney Archibald Cox — which won the case but ultimately left affirmative action vulnerable.I hope you'll sign up to discuss the article on Sunday, May 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT on Zoom. Article Clubbers are kind and thoughtful and welcoming. Our conversations are always in small, intimate, facilitated groups. Reach out if you have questions or if you want to participate in the conversation but are secretly shy or nervous.2️⃣ My interview with Ms. BazelonI can't stop thinking about how much fun it was to chat with Ms. Bazelon. She was a total pro: generous, thoughtful, and deeply knowledgeable. (My friends have told me to stop gushing.) We talked about a number of topics, including:* how Mr. Cox cobbled together a victory by wooing a segregationist justice* how the justices have wildly different interpretations of the 14th Amendment* how white people have a very short amount of patience for thinking about the harms of race discriminationThere is a fundamental American tension between prizing individual achievement and promoting the collective spirit of the nation's egalitarian promise, between the call to be colorblind and the call not to be blind to racism.I hope you take a listen! (You can click the player at the top or subscribe to The Highlighter Article Club on your favorite podcast player.)3️⃣ Article Club author Eli Saslow wins another Pulitzer PrizeWhen I spoke with Eli Saslow last November about “An American Education,” I asked him how it felt to win a Pulitzer Prize. He shared his complex feelings: both that he was “hugely gratified” for the acknowledgment but also “a little conflicted” given that he writes about people's worst moments and our country's deepest problems.I appreciated the thoughtfulness of that answer, and I have continued recommending Mr. Saslow's work to my colleagues. For those reasons and more, I was delighted to hear that he won yet another Pulitzer Prize this week. Here's a clip:Congratulations, Mr. Saslow! You are further evidence proving my bold claim — that writers who participate in Article Club go on to win Pulitzers. My other evidence? Mitchell S. Jackson. (Sadly, I can't take credit for Kathryn Schulz or Stephanie McCrummen; they won their Pulitzers beforehand.) 4️⃣ Meet other thoughtful readers at HHH on June 1Highlighter Happy Hour has been one of the most joyful ways for us to gather, connect, and celebrate our reading community. We're heading into the 20th HHH! Can you believe it?We'll be meeting up at Room 389 in Oakland on June 1 beginning at 5:30.If you live or work not too far from Oakland, it'd be great to see you there. If you get a free ticket, you'll get a prize at the door. And just in case you're nervous: Yes, we do chat about the articles — but only sometimes, and usually just tangentially.Thank you for reading this week's issue and for listening to the interview. Hope you liked it.

Happy Thursday and happy almost-May, loyal readers. I'm very happy to announce that this upcoming month, we'll be reading and discussing “Why Is Affirmative Action In Peril?” by Emily Bazelon. You may know that the Supreme Court will be ruling on two affirmative action cases in June. It's a big deal, given the current composition of the Court. Unless one of the conservative justices changes their mind, affirmative action might be dead.I deeply appreciated Ms. Bazelon's article because she offers context for the upcoming decisions. Instead of discussing the current cases in detail, Ms. Bazelon explains the history of affirmative action and tells the story of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the 1978 landmark decision that still serves as legal precedent.Today's issue is a three-parter. You get:* an introduction to this month's article* a podcast episode with me and fellow Article Clubber Melinda, where we share why we liked the article so much* an invitation to join this month's discussion on May 21Before that, though — a little bit about the author: Ms. Bazelon is a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine and is the Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law at Yale Law School. She is also the author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the current-interest category, and of the national best-seller Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy. She is a co-host of Slate's Political Gabfest, a weekly podcast. Ms. Bazelon has generously agreed to record a podcast interview.I hope you'll read the article and join our discussion on Sunday, May 21, at 2 pm PT. You can find out more information about the article and discussion below.Why Is Affirmative Action In Peril?The Supreme Court most likely will strike down affirmative action in June. This article explains why. According to journalist and law lecturer Emily Bazelon, it all comes down to understanding Regents v. Bakke, the 1978 decision that banned racial quotas but preserved affirmative action. In order to lure enough justices, lawyer Archibald Cox devised a strategy that centered the benefits of diversity, rather than the responsibility of reparations, as the reason affirmative action should continue. In other words: Let's forget that the 14th Amendment's purpose was to give equal rights to Black Americans. In the short term, the tactic worked. The Court sided with Mr. Cox 5-4, and affirmative action has endured despite many challenges, including in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) and Fisher v. Texas (2016). But now with a much more conservative court, Ms. Bazelon suggests that affirmative action's “diversity” rationale may be similar to abortion's “privacy” rationale — way too flimsy to survive. (35 min)This month, I warmly invite you to read, annotate, and discuss “Why Is Affirmative Action in Peril?” as part of Article Club.If you're interested, this how things will go:* This week, we'll read the article* Next week, we'll annotate the article as a group* The following week, we'll hear from Ms. Bazelon in a podcast interview* On Sunday, May 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT, we'll discuss the article on Zoom.If this will be your first time participating in Article Club, I'm 100% sure you'll find that you'll feel welcome. We're a kind, thoughtful reading community. Feel free to reach out with all of your questions.Thank you for reading this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Dear Loyal Readers,I'm coming to you on a Monday with a bonus episode of the podcast. This is because many of you said “we want more!” after listening to a conversation I had with fellow Article Clubber Melinda last month.So I asked Melinda, “Want to do it again?” And she generously said yes! ⭐️Melinda's an activist, lawyer, and cat mom living in Washington, D.C. A lover of many genres, from memoir to fantasy novels, she's normally reading several things at once and hunting for her next read at her favorite local bookstore, Solid State Books.This time, we're talking about this month's selection, “The Sunset,” by Lisa Bubert. It's a personal essay about Ms. Bubert's time working in a nursing home when she was a college student. If you haven't read it yet, I recommend that you do.Here are some topics we talked about:* how Melinda experienced her first AC discussion last month* how impressed we were with Ms. Bubert's writing and structure* what we got out of the essay and what we most valued* what questions we want to ask Ms. Bubert at our discussion (she's joining us!)Hope you appreciate this conversation with me and Melinda. I'd love to hear your thoughts!Also, last thing: There's still room if you want to join our discussion of “The Sunset” on April 30. We're meeting up 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT via Zoom. All you need to do is sign up below, and once you do, I'll send you more details. Have a great week, and see you this Thursday for Issue #390 of The Highlighter Article Club. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

This month at Article Club, we've been focusing on “The Sunset,” by Lisa Bubert. If you haven't read the article yet, I highly encourage you to do so. In the essay, Ms. Bubert discusses her experience working in a nursing home when she was a college student. It's poignant and outstanding.Also: I hope you'll join us to discuss the article on Sunday, April 30, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT on Zoom. There's still time to sign up. Article Clubbers are kind and thoughtful and welcoming. Our conversations are always in small, intimate, facilitated groups. Plus there's a bonus: Ms. Bubert will be joining us!I'm excited to share that I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Bubert a couple days ago about her brilliant essay. We talked about a number of topics, including:* how we care about our grandparents but not our elderly* how we don't care about the people who care for the elderly (i.e., Black women)* how death is the most vulnerable act* how “there is no act of love greater than to sit with someone as they face their deepest moment of vulnerability”* how the elderly deserve our dignity, and how “dignity requires witness”I hope you take a listen and share your thoughts in the comments.Thank you for listening to the interview. Hope you liked it.

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. Great to see so many new subscribers here this week. Welcome to our kind and thoughtful reading community. Hope you like it here.This month at Article Club, we've been focusing on “Saying Goodbye to my Chest,” by Naomi Gordon-Loebl. If you haven't read the article yet, I encourage you to do so. In the essay, Gordon-Loebl poignantly and vulnerably discusses her upcoming top surgery. It's outstanding.Also: I hope you'll join us to discuss the article on Sunday, February 26, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT on Zoom. There's still time to sign up! Article Clubbers are kind and thoughtful and welcoming. Our conversations are always in small, intimate, facilitated groups.I'm excited to share that I had the opportunity to interview Naomi a couple days ago about her brilliant essay. We talked about a number of topics, including:* how it feels to be on the other side of her top surgery* how there's no one monolithic experience of being trans* how trans people deserve stories of nuance and complexity* how writing is like going down to the bottom of the ocean and noticing what you're seeing along the way* how educators should treat trans kids (and all kids) in the classroomI hope you take a listen and let me know what you think.Thank you for reading this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. This month at Article Club, we've been focusing on “The Spectacular Life of Octavia Butler,” by the talented writer E. Alex Jung.If you haven't read the article yet, I urge you to do so. It's excellent. Even if you are a newbie to Ms. Butler's work, you'll appreciate how Mr. Jung honors her and her impact. There aren't many great profiles out there about Ms. Butler. Now, thanks to Mr. Jung, we have one.Also: I hope you'll join us to discuss the article on January 29, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT on Zoom. There's still time to sign up! Article Clubbers are kind and thoughtful and welcoming. Our conversations are always in small, intimate, facilitated groups. I'm excited to share that Sarai and I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Jung a couple weeks ago about his brilliant article. Sarai took the lead this time – which I was very happy about, given that she's an expert of Ms. Butler's work. We talked about a number of topics, including:* why Mr. Jung decided to focus on Ms. Butler as a subject* how reading her personal journals influenced Mr. Jung's approach to the piece* why contracts (professional and personal) were so important to Ms. Butler* manifesting (of course)* how Ms. Butler pushes us to imagine a better worldI hope you take a listen and let me know what you think.Thank you for listening to this week's issue. Hope you liked it.

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. This month at Article Club, we've been focusing on “An American Education,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eli Saslow.If you haven't read the article yet, I highly encourage you to do so. It's outstanding. It's about how the superintendent of a school district in Bullhead City, Arizona, tries to deal with its severe teacher shortage by attracting top-notch educators from the Philippines. It's also about one of those top-notch educators – Rose Jean Obreque – whose skills and optimism and high expectations and growth mindset unfortunately are no match for American middle school students and their shenanigans. It's a depressing story, no doubt, but it nonetheless tells the truth of what teachers and students are currently experiencing in schools across the country. I hope you'll join us to discuss the article on November 20, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT on Zoom.I'm also very happy to share that I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Saslow yesterday about his brilliant article. We talked about a number of topics, including:* how writing the piece reaffirmed his deep respect and appreciation for teachers * how it felt to be in a chaotic classroom, especially as a parent* how of course it's hard to recruit teachers when you're paying them $38,000* how he approaches writing about what it's like for people who are “in the swirl of our country's biggest problems” * and yes, spoiler alert, that ending (wow)I hope you take a listen and let me know what you think. Thank you for reading this week's issue of The Highlighter Article Club. Hope you liked it. Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback. I'd love to hear from you.To our five new subscribers – including Chris, Daniel, and Rebecca – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Irene! Izzy! Isis!), you're pretty great, too. Loyal reader Janet, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are some ways you can help out:

I never forget how lucky I am to be doing Article Club. Not only have I met so many of you, and built a thoughtful reading community together, but I've also had the opportunity to interview the most talented authors out there.Like, the most talented authors out there.This month is no exception. Some of you might say, It's the pinnacle, actually.That's because Mitchell S. Jackson — the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Twelve Minutes and a Life” (please read it if you haven't) — generously said yes to participating in an interview about his masterful recent article, “Looking for Clarence Thomas.” We're discussing it on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. Join us!What do you do when you get to talk to someone whose work you deeply admire?In my case, I get nervous. And prepare. And re-read. And annotate. And reach out to my friend and colleague Sarai Bordeaux and ask her to join. (She said yes, too.)But it turns out, I didn't need to be afraid at all. Mr. Jackson was kind and gracious from the start. He laughed that I insisted on calling him Mr. Jackson. And right from the first question, everything felt natural, like we were talking to a friend rather than to a famous writer whose prose is changing the canon (Sarai's words) of longform nonfiction.We talked about a number of topics, including:* how he didn't want to write about Clarence Thomas* how his editor persuaded him* how his trip to Pin Point inspired the piece's opening* how James Baldwin's writing helped him understand Mr. Thomas, and* how Mr. Thomas is a man of deep contradictions, whose time on the Supreme Court has caused “dramatically malevolent things to wide swaths of Americans”Most of all, though, Mr. Jackson talked about the craft of writing, how if he's going to spend months on a feature story, he wants to push himself, he wants to break convention, he wants to do something new with form.He said, “I'm very much concerned with the sentence. I'm almost concerned with the sentence over the story. And so the benefit of writing nonfiction is, You don't have to invent the scenes, but the kind of ethos of wanting to make beautiful sentences, that's really what I want to do.”I hope you take a listen, whether or not you've already read “Looking for Clarence Thomas.” I'd love to hear what you think of the conversation! Feel free to leave a comment here. What was thought provoking? What surprised you? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

This month at Article Club, we've been diving into “A Kingdom From Dust,” by Mark Arax — a big, bold, outstanding piece about the magic and plunder of California. I've been hearing from many of you about how much you are appreciating the article. If you haven't read it yet, I highly encourage you to do so. And if you find the piece moving, I urge you to sign up for our online discussion on Sept. 25 at 2 pm PT.I'm very honored to announce that this week's issue of The Highlighter is dedicated to a conversation I had with Mr. Arax a few days ago. We talked about a range of topics, including: his love-hate relationship with California; how water politics determine who succeeds and who suffers in the state; how meeting William Saroyan influenced his writing; how he approaches reporting with compassion and nuance; and what we need to do to make sure California survives.I hope you take a listen, whether or not you've already read “A Kingdom from Dust.” Hearing from Mr. Arax made me proud to be a Californian, even if our state is facing potentially catastrophic climate calamity.The interview also got me excited to order Mr. Arax's latest book, The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California, which received rave reviews, including recommendations from Linda Ronstadt and Mark Bittman.I'd love to hear what you think of the conversation! Feel free to leave a comment here. What was thought provoking? What surprised you? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

This month, we're gathering online on Aug. 28, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT, to talk about “Revolt of the Delivery Workers,” by Josh Dzieza. I got a chance to interview Mr. Dzieza a couple weeks ago, and he thoughtfully shared how he reported the story and how the 65,000 delivery workers have fought for better wages, working conditions, safety measures, on tighter regulations of delivery apps.I hope you take a listen! You can click on the play button above or you can subscribe to The Highlighter Article Club Podcast on your phone.If the interview interests you, there's still time to join our discussion on Aug. 28. We're a kind, thoughtful group of people who enjoy thought-provoking conversations. You can sign up by clicking the button below or you can email me with questions.If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. One great way that you can help out is by reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Thank you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we're reading, annotating, and discussing “The Roe Baby,” by Joshua Prager. I'm pleased that so many of you have signed up to discuss the article on Sunday, June 26. I am looking forward to it!A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Prager. It was an honor. Thanks to his generosity and thoughtfulness, it was a great conversation. We spoke about a number of topics, including how he got interested in Roe v. Wade, how he found Shelley Thornton, how being a man affected his writing, how the politics of abortion are much more extreme now than they were 50 years ago, and how Norma McCorvey cared deeply about her legacy.I hope you take a listen!After listening to the interview, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments. What's one insight that resonated with you? What's a question you were left with?I look forward to our discussion on Sunday. See you then! If you have any questions, hit reply or click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we're reading, annotating, and discussing “On White Violence, Black Survival, and Learning to Shoot,” by Kim McLarin. It's powerful and beautifully written. I'm pleased that so many of you have signed up to discuss the article next Sunday, March 27. I am looking forward to it!A few weeks ago, Sarai and I had the opportunity to interview Prof. McLarin. It was an honor. Thanks to her generosity and thoughtfulness, it was a great conversation. We spoke about a number of topics, including how she approached writing the article, the importance of the role of positionality, what it means to be a Black woman in a nation of white violence, and what is worthy of being defended.I hope you take a listen!After listening to the interview, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments. What's one insight that resonated with you? What's a question you were left with?I look forward to our discussion next Sunday. See you then! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we're reading, annotating, and discussing “When Things Go Missing,” by Kathryn Schulz. It's one of my favorite pieces of the past five years. I'm pleased that so many of you have signed up to discuss the article on February 27. I am looking forward to it!A few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to interview Ms. Schulz. It was an honor. Thanks to her generosity and thoughtfulness, it was a great conversation. We talked about a range of topics, including: how it feels to have a new book out, how she organized the piece, how she thinks about a concept she calls “and-ness,” what her dad meant to her, why she included certain details and not others, and why she ended an article on loss with the phenomenon of finding. I hope you take a listen!Also, I encourage you to buy and read Lost & Found, her memoir, published in January, that grew out of this essay. (You can't have my copy.)After listening to the interview, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments. What's one insight that resonated with you? What's a question you were left with?I look forward to our discussion on Feb. 27. See you then! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

This month at Article Club, we're reading “When Things Go Missing,” by Kathryn Schulz. Big thanks to Carina, Jamie, Kira, Lauri, Toronzo, Shreya, Angela, Corinne, Peter, and Sara for already signing up for our February 27 discussion.If you're interested (especially if this will be your first discussion!), there's still time to sign up (until Saturday, February 12). Here's more information about the article. Then click the big button below.This week, we're doing two things: (1) annotating the article together (2) listening to the beginning of the article and sharing our first impressions.#1: Let's annotateHere's the copy of the article we can annotate together. Annotating is a great way to connect with other Article Clubbers and share your thoughts about the piece, right inside the text. You can build on others' comments or add your own. Try it, you'll like it! (Remember, we don't have to perform at AC.) Thanks for getting us started, Sara!#2: Let's listen to the beginning and share what we thinkBack in 2017 when I first featured “When Things Go Missing” in The Highlighter, loyal reader Shyanna generously agreed to record the introduction. (Thank you, Shyanna!) To spark interest and to get conversation going, let's listen to it (hit the play button at the top). Then, I encourage you to leave a comment.How did you experience reading the introduction? How did it make you feel?Coming up this monthThis week: We'll annotate the article with fellow Article Clubbers.Next week: We'll listen to Ms. Schulz' thoughts about the article.The week of February 21: There will be a surprise.Sunday, February 27: We'll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers. Plus, I'll raffle off a copy of Lost & Found.Are you new to Article Club? If so, welcome! We look forward to meeting you and having your voice in the conversation. Feel free to reach out with questions: mark@highlighter.cc. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi Article Clubbers! Welcome to February.Before revealing this month's article, I would like to express my gratitude to Sara, Abde, Jennifer, Bonnie, Elise, Marcus, Summer, Toronzo, and Peter for our discussion last Sunday of “Good Mother.” Special thanks go to Sara — for joining Article Club for the very first time! — and to Sierra Crane Murdoch, for your beautiful article. I'm pleased to announce that this month, we'll be reading “When Things Go Missing,” by Kathryn Schulz. Originally published in The New Yorker in 2017, and featured in The Highlighter as the best article of the year, the piece inspired me to make Article Club a reality. In fact, back in January 2018, eight of you joined me in Oakland to discuss the article at “Choc Talk,” the very-first rendition of AC. (We've come a long way!)Here's the blurb I wrote about the piece for The Highlighter:Kathryn Schulz begins this astounding piece with anecdotes about losing things – her keys, her wallet, her car. Then Ms. Schulz turns to the loss of her father, who died last year. Her writing is exquisite, and her thesis – that living is losing – will bring you pause, even if reading about death is something you'd rather not do.Since then: The essay became a book! Lost & Found, published last month by Random House, is a beautifully written memoir that expands on themes from the original essay – for example: that losing is inevitable, while finding is truly astonishing. Ms. Schulz joined The New Yorker as a staff writer in 2015. In 2016, she won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing and a National Magazine Award for “The Really Big One,” her story on seismic risk in the Pacific Northwest. Previously, she was the book critic for New York, the editor of the environmental magazine Grist, and a reporter and editor at the Santiago Times. She is the author of “Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error” and “Lost & Found.”I hope you'll join me and fellow Article Clubbers in discussing the piece on Sunday, February 27, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT! This event will be on Zoom and will be limited to 24 participants.Are you IN?I hope so! If so, here's what to do:Announce the good news by leaving a comment below.In a sentence or two, say hi and share why you're interested.Sign up for the discussion by clicking here.This will save your spot and tell me you're committed to joining.Start reading the article.Here's the original, and here's a shared version we can annotate together.Coming up this month at Article ClubThis week: We'll sign up for the discussion and start reading the article.Next week: We'll annotate the article and share our first impressions.The week of February 14: We'll listen to an interview with Ms. Schulz.The week of February 21: There will be a surprise.Sunday, February 27: We'll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers. Plus, I'll raffle off a copy of Lost & Found.Are you new to Article Club? If so, welcome! We look forward to meeting you and having your voice in the conversation. Feel free to reach out with questions: mark@highlighter.cc. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we're reading, annotating, and discussing “Good Mother: Custody and Care in the Shodow of Colonization,” by Sierra Crane Murdoch.A few weeks ago, Sarai and I got the chance to interview Ms. Murdoch. It was a great conversation. We talked about a range of topics: how it felt to be a Pulitzer Prize finalist, how this article came to be, how she felt to receive the questionnaire, how she approached this piece as a white writer, and of course, what it means to be a good mother.Even if you're not joining our discussion this Sunday, I recommend reading the article (one of my favorites of 2021) and listening to Ms. Murdoch speak intimately and transparently about her process.I want to appreciate Ms. Murdoch for generously sharing her time and thoughtfulness with us. Thank you!After listening to the interview, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments. What's one insight that resonated with you? What's a question you were left with?And if you're joining the discussion this Sunday, I look forward to seeing you there. In addition to participating in the conversation, you'll have a chance to win Ms. Murdoch's book! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

And we're back! Welcome everyone to the third year of Article Club. I'm really happy that you're here, and I encourage you to join this month's discussion. That's because this month's article is awesome. I'm pleased to announce that we'll be reading “Good Mother,” by Sierra Crane Murdoch. It was one of my favorite articles last year.Here's the blurb I wrote about it for The Highlighter:Lissa Yellow Bird wants to become a foster parent. But the county social services department in North Dakota isn't so sure. So they send a questionnaire to journalist Sierra Crane Murdoch, asking for her thoughts.In this touching, beautifully written essay, Ms. Murdoch reflects on what it means to be a good mother in the shadow of colonization. She traces how the United States government decimated American Indian motherhood by separating families, forcing children to attend boarding schools, and sterilizing women – all the way until the mid-1970s.And here's an excerpt from the piece:Mothering was the only conceivable role in society for a Native woman, and yet motherhood was at odds with indigeneity. To become a citizen, a woman had to become a mother; to become a mother, she had to become less Indian. In the Yellow Bird family, the antidote to intergenerational trauma is intergenerational love, the piling on of relatives. When a mother falls short, the solution is not to take the child away from the mother, but to give the child more mothers and fathers.Sierra Crane Murdoch is a journalist and essayist whose work concerns, primarily, communities in the American West. Her book, Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman's Search for Justice in Indian Country, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Named one of the best books of 2020 by The New York Times, NPR, and Publisher's Weekly, it was also nominated for the Edgar Award, won an Oregon Book Award, and is being developed as a TV series for Paramount+. Ms. Murdoch's writing has appeared on This American Life and in Harper's, VQR, The New Yorker online, Orion, The Atlantic, and High Country News.Whether or not you're a mother, whether or not you're a parent, I encourage you to read this article, even if you're not able to participate in the discussion. It's brilliantly structured, sensitively written, and deeply thought-provoking.I hope you'll join me and fellow Article Clubbers in discussing the piece on Sunday, January 30, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT! This event will be on Zoom and be limited to 24 participants.Are you IN?I hope so! If so, here's what to do:Announce the good news by leaving a comment below. Click on the green button. In a sentence or two, say hi and share why you're interested.Sign up for the discussion by clicking here.This will save your spot and tell me you're committed to joining.Start reading the article.Here's the original, and here's a shared version we can annotate together.Coming up this month at Article ClubThis week: We'll sign up for the discussion and start reading the article.Next week: We'll go deeper, annotating the article, sharing our first impressions, and “meeting” Ms. Murdoch.The week of January 24: We'll listen to an interview with Ms. Murdoch.Sunday, January 30: We'll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.Are you new to Article Club? If so, welcome! We look forward to meeting you and having your voice in the conversation. Feel free to reach out with questions: mark@highlighter.cc.Thank you for reading Article Club. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we're reading, annotating, and discussing “My Father Vanished When I Was 7. The Mystery Made Me Who I Am,” by Nicholas Casey.A few weeks ago, I got to interview Mr. Casey with fellow Article Clubber Lauri. It was a great conversation. He talked about how he came to write this piece and about how writing his own story was different from his regular work as a journalist. Mr. Casey also talked about his father, the concepts of melancholy and wanderlust, and the age-old nature vs. nurture question.Most of all, I want to appreciate Mr. Casey for generously sharing his time and thoughtfulness with us. Also, to Lauri: Thank you for nominating this article for Readers' Choice Month and for collaborating closely on this podcast episode.After listening to the interview, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments. And if you're participating in the discussion, see you this Sunday! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to November! I'm excited to announce that it's our first-ever Readers' Choice Month. This month, we'll be reading and discussing “My Father Vanished When I Was 7. The Mystery Made Me Who I Am.” by Nicholas Casey. Thank you to everyone who nominated an article, and congratulations to Lauri for being the winner!Originally published in The New York Times Magazine in June, the piece chronicles Mr. Casey's long search for his father and explores issues of identity and connection. Where do we come from? What makes us the way we are?Here's an excerpt from the piece:I spent much of my life imagining who I was — and then becoming that person — through vague clues about who my father was. Part of me still likes to believe we each determine who we are by the decisions we make and the lives we choose to live. But what if we don't? Now I often wonder whether this long journey that has led me to so many corners of the world wasn't because I was searching for him, but because I am him.Nicholas Casey is the Madrid bureau chief at The New York Times, covering Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Over the last decade he was stationed in Colombia, Venezuela, Israel, Mexico, and the United States, where he covered the 2020 election. In 2016, he won the George Polk for his work in Venezuela. Mr. Casey's reporting has also won the New York Press Club Award, the Clarion Award, and honorable mention from the Society of Publishers in Asia.I hope you'll join me and fellow Article Clubbers in discussing this article on Sunday, November 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT! This event will be on Zoom and be limited to 24 participants.Are you IN? I hope so. If so, here's what to do:Sign up for the discussion.Leave a comment below. Say hi and share why you're interested in this month's article.Start reading the article. Here's the original, and here's a shared version we can annotate together.Coming up this month at Article ClubThis week: We'll sign up for the discussion and start reading the article.Next week: We'll annotate the article with fellow Article Clubbers.The week of November 15: We'll listen to an interview with Mr. Casey.Sunday, November 21: We'll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.Are you new to Article Club? If so, welcome! We look forward to meeting you and having your voice in the conversation. Feel free to reach out with questions: mark@highlighter.cc.Article Club is a community of thoughtful people who read, annotate, and discuss one great article every month on race, education, or culture. Everyone is welcome. The author participates, too. Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we're reading, annotating, and discussing “The Key,” by Brian Broome.Mr. Broome is one of my favorite writers. We last spoke more than two years ago, after he published “79,” one of the best pieces in Highlighter history. It was an honor to interview him again. He's the first returning guest to the podcast!I hope you'll listen to the interview. It's a good one – because Mr. Broome is thoughtful and doesn't hold back. We talk about sexuality, racism, “good white people,” Bertrand's ridiculousness, sports and locker rooms, the gaze of Black boys, inner hatred and inner acceptance, coming out, and how white supremacy limits possible constructions of masculinity.Most of all, I want to appreciate Mr. Broome for generously sharing his time and thoughtfulness with us. Also, I highly recommend Punch Me Up to the Gods. I'll be raffling off a copy this Sunday, so good luck!After listening to the interview, please share your thoughts in the comments. What resonated with you?Article Club is a thoughtful reading community and an experiment in community reading. Every month, we read, annotate, and discuss one great article, and the author participates, too! If you're interested, sign up and check us out. Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Our 20th Article Club discussion is in the books! We read and annotated Tyrone Fleurizard's “How to Name Your Black Son in a Racist Country” and participated in three thoughtful conversations. Thank you!Thank you to Summer, Peter, Jennifer, Elise, Molly, Lauri, Shreya, Wes, Sarai, Telannia, Daniel, Philippe, Tamyra, Susan, Abde, and David for joining the discussion. I'm very grateful.Also, I deeply appreciate Summer, Elise, and Sarai for facilitating groups. Also, a big welcome to Susan, David, and Abde. Hope you felt comfortable and had a good time!Reflections and celebrations are open:What did you take away from the discussion?What did you appreciate?How can we make things even better next time?Here are a few of my reflections and questions. (Feel free to share your thoughts!)Every discussion is unique. But should there be some commonalities in flow? What makes an Article Club discussion special?Discussion groups matter, too. Should groupings be random, or should you get to choose them? What are the benefits of affinity spaces vs. mixed groups?Article Club is better when everyone who signs up shows up. What are ways that I can encourage new and existing participants to the conversation?See you next week! That's when I'll reveal October's article. If you want to plan ahead, our discussion will be on Sunday, October 24, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. The author plans to join us, too.And if you like Article Club, please share it with a friend!Article Club is a thoughtful reading community and an experiment in community reading. Every month, we read, annotate, and discuss one great article, and the author participates, too! If you're interested, sign up and check us out. Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we're reading, annotating, and discussing “How to Name Your Black Son in a Racist Country,” by Tyrone Fleurizard.A couple weeks ago, Article Clubber Sarai and I got the chance to talk with Mr. Fleurizard and ask him some of our questions. It was a fun, deep conversation. We talked about a range of topics, including why he writes and how Jerald Walker's “How to Make a Slave” inspired the piece. In addition, Mr. Fleurizard shares his thoughts about naming, religion, his relationship with his father, and the immigration industrial complex. I hope you will take a listen.Most of all, I want to appreciate Mr. Fleurizard for generously sharing his time and thoughtfulness with us.After listening to the interview, please share your thoughts in the comments. What resonated with you? What surprised you?Article Club is a thoughtful reading community and an experiment in community reading. Every month, we read, annotate, and discuss one great article, and the author participates, too! If you're interested, sign up and check us out. Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Before we start: Welcome, new subscribers! (There are about 100 of you.) Thank you for signing up for Article Club. I hope you feel right at home. OK, let's get to it.Our 19th Article Club discussion is in the books! We read and annotated Jamie Figueroa's “The Stories I Haven't Been Told” and participated in a deep, thoughtful conversation.But that's not all. A few weeks ago, Ms. Figueroa generously agreed to answer our questions in a podcast interview. I let a few of you know about this, and the response was electric! Several of you wanted in. So for the first time ever, it's not just me and Sarai asking the questions. Please welcome Article Clubbers Elizabeth and Jessica to the show; their contributions made the discussion even better.I hope you will take a listen. Ms. Figueroa spoke deeply on a range of topics, including the writing process, the power of our voice, our relationship with family and culture, and the longing to connect and belong in community.Most of all: I want to appreciate Ms. Figueroa for sharing her time with us.After listening to the interview, please share your thoughts in the comments. What resonated with you? What surprised you?Thank you again — I'll be back very soon to reveal September's article, so be on the lookout for an email in your inbox in the next few days. Have a great week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to August! I'm excited to announce that this month's article is “The Stories I Haven't Been Told,” by Jamie Figueroa. You're going to appreciate this article, because of its beautiful language, direct authenticity, and deep themes. Here's my blurb of the piece, which I featured in Issue #286 of The Highlighter:Jamie Figueroa fills up cheap spiral-bound notebooks with words to explore where she comes from, who she is, and why she's here. In this complex, powerful essay, Ms. Figueroa organizes those thoughts into a gripping narrative that reveals what she knows (and doesn't know) about her Puerto Rican family's history. Her process reveals deep truths about generational trauma, the effects of assimilation, the legacy of family, the shape-shifting of memory, and the power of writing.Ms. Figueroa writes, “I come from women who were held down. Women who left their children and took in others. I come from women who fought back, who wielded knives, who shot guns. Wounded, wounding. Healed, healing. I come from Taíno women and Yoruba women. Black-skinned and brown-skinned women. I come from women who can lie so good, they can convince even themselves. Women who were remade, unrecognizable. Women who have started over too many times to count. I come from women who were deterred from their own wild knowing. Women who survived.” (27 min) Ms. Figueroa is Boricua (Afro-Taíno) by way of Ohio and long-time resident of northern New Mexico. Her writing has appeared in McSweeney's, American Short Fiction, Agni and Emergence Magazine among other journals. Jamie received her MFA in Creative Writing from The Institute of American Indian Arts where she is now an assistant professor. Recipient of the Truman Capote award, and the Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Arts award, she was also chosen as a Bread Loaf, Rona Jaffe Scholar, and is a VONA alum. Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer (Catapult) is her debut novel.  I hope you'll join me and fellow Article Clubbers in discussing this article on Sunday, August 22, 2:00 - 3:15 pm PT! This event will be on Zoom, open to the public, and limited to 28 participants.Are you IN? I hope so. If so, here's what to do:Sign up for the discussion.Leave a comment here. Click the button below, say hi, and share what drew you in.Start reading! Highly encouraged: Let's annotate this copy of the article together.Coming up this month at Article ClubThis week: We'll sign up for the discussion and start reading the article.Next week: We'll annotate the article with fellow Article Clubbers.The week of August 16 : We'll listen to an interview with Ms. Figueroa.Sunday, August 22: We'll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.Are you new to Article Club? If so, welcome! We look forward to meeting you and having your voice in the conversation. Feel free to reach out with questions: mark@highlighter.cc.Article Club is a community of thoughtful people who read, annotate, and discuss one great article every month on race, education, or culture. Everyone is welcome. The author participates, too. Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Hey Article Clubbers! Hope your July is going well.This month, we're discussing “Private Schools Are Indefensible,” by Caitlin Flanagan. It's about the excesses of fancy independent schools.I hope you'll join our discussion on Sunday, July 25, 2:00 - 3:15 pm PT. You can sign up here or find out more here.Today I have a bonus for you: a recording of the piece, thanks to loyal reader Nancy. Even if you prefer reading in print, you'll enjoy this audio version. I found that I got deeper into the article. Hope you enjoy it. If you do, please leave a comment to thank Nancy (and Jennifer, who has read articles in previous months).Coming up this month at Article ClubNext week: We'll annotate the article with fellow Article Clubbers.The week of July 19: We'll share our first impressions about the article.Sunday, July 25: We'll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.Are you new to Article Club? If so, welcome! We look forward to meeting you and having your voice in the conversation. Feel free to reach out with questions: mark@highlighter.cc.Article Club is an experiment in community reading. We read, annotate, and discuss one outstanding article or book chapter a month. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you're interested, sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to July! I'm excited to announce that this month's article is “Private Schools Are Indefensible,” by Caitlin Flanagan. You're going to appreciate this article, no matter where you fall on the public vs. private school spectrum. In fact, I especially invite independent school teachers and parents to the discussion.Here's my blurb of the piece, which I featured in Issue #285 of The Highlighter:Caitlin Flanagan taught at a fancy private school. She even sent her kids to one. But enough is enough. In this tart, snarky takedown of elite private schools like Dalton and Sidwell Friends, Ms. Flanagan takes no prisoners and bars no holds. It's one thing to hoard resources, breed entitlement, and exacerbate inequality. But to do all that and then to spout progressive values and pretend you're engines of social change? No way, no how. Ms. Flanagan is having none of that. (30 min)Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in commentary, Ms. Flanagan is a writer and social critic who challenges the social narratives of the powerful and the prominent. Born and raised in Berkeley, she now lives in Los Angeles. The author of To Hell With All That, Ms. Flanagan is a contributor to The Atlantic and former staff writer at The New Yorker. She has also appeared on The Colbert Robert and Real Time with Bill Maher.I hope you'll join me and fellow Article Clubbers in discussing this article on Sunday, July 25, 2:00 - 3:15 pm PT! This event will be on Zoom, be open to the public, and be limited to 30 participants.Are you IN? I hope so. If so, here's what to do this week:Sign up for the discussion.Leave a comment here. Say hi and share what drew you to this month's discussion.Start reading! Highly encouraged: Let's annotate this copy of the article together.Coming up this month at Article ClubThis week: We'll sign up for the discussion and start reading the article.Next week: We'll annotate the article with fellow Article Clubbers.The week of July 19: We'll share our first impressions about the article.Sunday, July 25: We'll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.Are you new to Article Club? If so, welcome! We look forward to meeting you and having your voice in the conversation. Feel free to reach out with questions: mark@highlighter.cc.Article Club is a community of thoughtful people who read, annotate, and discuss one great article every month on race, education, or culture. Everyone is welcome. The author participates, too. Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe