Four Seasons in One Link

This week brought to you from the depths of Trader Joe’s pumpkin-flavored oat milk and sugar-free brown sugar syrup in my coffee, making for a perfect fall-tinged start to my mornings.

Good Reads

The Lawyer Trying to Hold Gunmakers Responsible for Mass Shootings (New York Times)

Those of you who know me personally already know that I’m passionate about gun control because of my own family history with gun violence and have only gotten moreso after five years of covering news for Refinery29, during which I covered so many mass shootings that I actually lost track of how many there were. This is a fascinating look into how Josh Koskoff is using the legal system, despite legislation that is not in favor of gun violence victims, to go after corporations in the wake of mass shootings.

Catching Up With the Texas Drag Ban (Eater)

Nadia Chaudhury, my colleague who edits Eater Austin, wrote an edition of the weekly newsletter recapping the status of SB12 after it was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge this week, as well as a look back at the life of the bill and its hateful intent.

Should Computers Decide How Much Things Cost? (The Walrus)

This is a fascinating intellectual exercise in not only exploring how AI could make our lives better but also the idea of sliding prices to make products more available and meet people where they are. It doesn’t come to any particular conclusion, but it did present a lot of ideas I hadn’t considered previously.

Americana’s Annual Gathering Has Brandi Carlile and Others Posing the Question: Is It a Musical Style, or an Ideology? (Variety)

I feel like I’ve been having this conversation with a few people lately about what Americana is now and if it’s the minor leagues of country music. This piece explores how several notable artists in the genre feel but, more importantly, creates a context for defining a genre that exists outside of just radio airplay, marketing budgets, and lines that historically exist to keep POC and women siloed. What if genre wasn’t a classification system but an ideology? And what if that made its so-called bugs into features?

It’s Time for a Glorious, Uncompromising Re-Politicizing of Wine (Punch)

This just gets a giant “fuck yes” from me.

Confessions of a Viral AI Writer (Wired)

Those of you who are extremely online may have seen the discourse on this piece last week. It’s an incredible read exploring the future of AI and its impact on writers that’s full of surprises and extremely human.

flashback favorite from 1980 - The B-52’s “Dance This Mess Around”

Good Stuff

Wilco - Cousin (dBpm)

I haven’t been excited about a Wilco album since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, so for about 20 years. I got very excited about this one when I heard Cate Le Bon produced it — she’s an amazing Welch singer/songwriter whose albums I love. And she’s at least a generation and 20 years removed from Wilco. With the lack of women producers and a lack of women in the 1990s and 2000s indie rock scene at all, this is something I’d love to see more bands of that era do. Find the women among this new and extremely talented group of indie-spirited artists and work with them in serious ways. The album is gorgeous.

The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple TV+)

Is this great TV? No. Is it a compelling mystery that kept me hitting “next episode” for two days straight? Yes. Plus, if you’re an Alias fan, there’s a reunion of Jennifer Garner and Victor Garbor that is delightful.

My Stuff

Songs My Ex Ruined with Doree Shafrir

The talented writer and host of Forever 35 joined us this week for a story about lusting after a hot guy who had a penchant for Katy Perry. It made me realize I haven’t ever dated a hot guy. So if you’re a hot guy subscribed to this email blast, let’s talk.

How Carbone, Vino, and Sadelle’s Plan to Go From Being the New Thing to ‘Just the Thing’ (Eater Dallas)

Fellow journalists, you’ll be familiar with this scenario: a PR person emails to offer you an exclusive interview with a big name person with no apparent reason for it. Then, they ask if you have questions in advance or a direction in mind — and you’re like, uh, you reached out to me, friend. And then the angle you pick ends up being extremely controversial because of course it is. I don’t know if this is a conversation about letting journalists journal or doing a better job controlling the story from the PR side. Either way, this happened.

Graham Elliot and Felipe Armenta’s Ultimate Food Guide to the State Fair of Texas (Eater Dallas)

I spent a lot of time at the State Fair of Texas last week, which opened on Friday, eating deep-fried things and watching other people eat deep-fried things. That included this photo essay with a celebrity chef and his business partner, who are opening a stunning number of restaurants in Fort Worth over the next year. I lost track of how many people asked him to stop for a selfie, but it included an entire class of culinary students.