But first, books:
Beautiful World, Where Are You (Sally Rooney) - “I don’t even know what we’re fighting about. I’m sorry. They sat down then on the staircase, exhausted, Alice one step below Eileen, their backs against the wall. Do you remember in college we had a fight and you wrote me a mean letter, said Eileen…Alice gave a hiccuping laugh again weakly. You were my only friend, she said. You had other friends, but I only had you. Eileen took her hand, lacing their fingers together….I just want everything to be like it was, said Eileen. And for us to be young again and live near each other, and nothing to be different. Alice was smiling sadly. But if things are different, can we still be friends? If you weren’t my friend, I wouldn’t know who I was, she said.”
(ya’ll, this book made me laugh and cry in the same paragraph. Please read it when it comes out in September 7!)
I think I’m going to love - My Most Anticipated Reads for the Second Half of 2021
Shop them here: The Cabinet, Fake Accounts, Magma, Other People’s Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night, A Touch of Jen, I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness, Butter Honey Pig Bread, Cultish
Best of Book Covers: a monthly round up
I am piloting a new section of the newsletter - a monthly round-up of books I would buy just for the cover. Every month, I’ll share my favorite book covers based on a theme. August’s theme is the best covers featuring faces!
Shop them here: Lady Joker, Insurrecto, Portrait of an Unknown Lady, The Woman in the Purple Skirt, Hamnet, Temporary, My Sister The Serial Killer, Love and Fury
A Vocal Story:
I was off Vocal for a while, but I just published a story about skincare this month that Vocal chose as a top story! Check it out here.
Buzzword: Disruption - but make it pandemic
A friend and I were recently discussing the buzzword “disruption” - it’s ubiquitous here where I live, near Silicon Valley. Companies of every size, from Amazon to tiny startups use the word to describe how their company will revolutionize the world. Amazon disrupted the bookselling industry, Uber disrupted taxis, AirBnB disrupted hotels - etc. Personally, I don’t think that every single thing needs to be revolutionized and disrupted. Rather than disrupting industries by lowering wages for workers or eliminating the need for workers to marginally increase convenience for the consumer (especially in a year where tons of people were laid off), I am instead interested in companies and programs that employ the local workforce and bring money back to communities that need it. Not companies who are trying to IPO. I wrote this newsletter section to brainstorm how we can '“disrupt” some of the problems exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic - and a lot of that work comes down to our behaviours and spending patterns.
Reflections on toxic behaviours I disrupted:
I noticed in the pandemic that I changed my behaviours, out of necessity at first, but eventually out of resilience and self-preservation. I wanted to share some of my behaviours that I changed that I will continue to practice even as places begin to open up:
Prioritizing local exploration: I initially considered calling this bullet “prioritizing local travel” but then I realized, that’s not what I meant at all. What I actually did during the pandemic was explore the area I live. I got granular with my neighborhood. I found cafes within 5 minutes of my house that I didn’t know about, I went on long walks around Lake Meritt every day and discovered flowers bloom in succession across seasons. I met the dogs in my building, and I found a Little Free Library near me. Before the pandemic, I ran to work and then showed up at various outings chosen by friends. I love those memories, but I made new solo memories with myself and the space I exist in during the pandemic. I never want to live somewhere without rummaging through the neighbourhood again.
Stepping back and stepping up: The pandemic helped me take a step back from a life that was go-go-go, and gave me the space to reassess my commitments. The first step was a step back. A recent Vox article perfectly encapsulated some of the steps I took with *irresponsibility*, which helped me realize where to adjust. One example: I was pouring a lot of time into ephemeral relationships - the ones that only exist because you are contextually in the same situation but won’t last after one person moves away, changes jobs, gets married etc. I let go of those friendships a bit, and instead reconnected with old friends using the free version of an app called Marco Polo. With the app, I have been having asynchronous video chats with my friends all around the USA. The app requires you to listen to a friend talk uninterrupted, and then you get to respond to them - something about this format allowed us to get into deep conversations quickly, and it feels like your friend has given you the gift of a personal podcast! Because of these reconnections, I was able to be there for friends when they went through break ups, share them the nitty gritty about moving, and even host an “unhaul” where my friend and I shared what products we were returning from the Sephora semi-annual sale (lmao, don’t judge us, it was so fun!). I will definitely be returning to the article for more ideas if I hit a wall again.
Opening Myself to my passions: Before the pandemic hit, I was interested in making friends, traveling, and having as many new experiences as possible… or so I thought. When all these things were taken away during the lockdown, I had cabin fever with a side of low mood. I felt like I was losing time, and I would sprint laps around my block to burn off anxious energy. Eventually I decided that there is no such thing as lost time - all time does is exist and pass. I can’t lose something that always exists, and what I really needed was to regain control of my time. I began to explore creative new (safe) ideas to do at home. Some ideas were flops (like online yoga classes, Netflix parties, and cooking fancy recipes), but some stuck (like long distance running, weekly Tamil language lessons, book Instagramming, and writing poetry!). I even re-evaluated my satisfaction with my job, and realized that I was desperate to grow my skills beyond what was being offered, and in January 2021 I started a new job. Today, I feel like a different person than I was, but also a happier person who knows herself better.
Disrupting Disease Transmission:
Along with getting vaccinated, one of the best measures you can take right now to disrupt disease transmission is masking! If I learned anything from my Master’s of Public Health, it’s that pandemics and don’t end just because governments say they’re over based on their economic and political motivations! In fact, in some places, COVID cases are getting worse (see these articles about India, >>>>). Despite federal guidelines, I am still masking in public even though I am vaccinated. This is a gesture to protect myself and others around me; I pass people who are elderly, unvaccinated, chronically ill, etc. every single day and I am interested disrupting disease transmission. I rounded up some of my absolute favorite masks I have worn during the pandemic, that come from SMALL businesses who could use our support:
These silk masks from Kes - they’re stylish and pair perfectly with a fancy outfit. The silk fabric doesn’t break me out, but be careful to get the adult sizes. My friend describes the youth sizes as a “thong for your face.”
These sport masks from Caraa - I use these on my runs and when I’m working out near others. They’re breathable (due to perforation), so they’re great for outdoor activity. I wouldn’t wear them on a flight or for indoor dining, but they really made running possible for me during the lockdown.
The cutest scrunchie masks - these masks make quite a statement. I love them, but found they are a little difficult to wear because I have incredibly small ears. I can’t wear them with bluetooth earphones, but otherwise, they stay put and are attention-grabbing.
The Bay Area favorite mask - These masks are worn by adults and children all over the bay area and I get why. Baggu is a lovely small(ish) business, and along with some durable reusable bags I own, I am enamored by the style and protection of their masks.
Soft Spots
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that acknowledgements are my favorite part of books, but they are definitely a section I always read and appreciate. Read more on this here.
Do you ever peruse certain sites to “window-shop” fun items? I look at Who What Wear for clothes, Allure and Byrdie for makeup, the Strategist for their Editor’s haul, and now…*drum roll* Architectural Digest: Clever for design/home decor inspo
In all honesty, I haven’t quite read this story yet but I really, really want to
A science journal article about dogs that always makes me smile