Article Club

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. 🎙️ I warmly invite you to join our discussion of “In Flux” on Sunday, March 24, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. We’ll meet on Zoom. It’d be wonderful to have you there. Alongside fellow Article Clubber Sarai Bordeaux, I got a chance to interview Mr. Escoffery last week. It was an honor. We discussed a number of topics, including: * the shame the main character feels as a result of having his identity questioned * the use of the second person point of view and its impact on the reader * the messiness of identity and our society’s disdain for nuance and complexity Most of all, I appreciated Mr. Escoffery’s thoughtfulness and introspection. It was clear that he does not settle for simple answers, especially when it comes to issues of race. Listening to Mr. Escoffery got me to want to re-read his piece. It encouraged me to share his piece with my colleagues at school. (Our students would appreciate it, I’m certain.) And it made me excited to discuss his piece with you. 🙋🏽 Before you go: It’s time for a poll! I’m thinking about making some changes to this newsletter, based on what you’re appreciating and finding valuable. I’d love to hear from you. Thank you for reading and listening to this week’s issue. Hope you liked it. 😀 To our 6 new subscribers — including Jiaway, Amit, Ryan, Teghan, and Maria — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Zaretta! Zachary! Zaden!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Gregg, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out. If you like Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are two ways you can help out: ❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Vanessa (thank you). If you’ve subscribed for free for a long time, and you appreciate the articles and author interviews, or if you’ve joined one or more discussions, I encourage you to take the leap. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year. 📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you for spreading the word. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe below. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT. 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. 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 continues Most 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. 😀 To our 6 new subscribers — including Scott, Hoa, Sammy, Amimul, and Kevin — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Quincy! Quinn! Quince!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Wayne, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out. If you like Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are two ways you can help out: ❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Molly (thank you). If you’ve subscribed for free for a long time, and you appreciate the articles and author interviews, or if you’ve joined one or more discussions, I encourage you to take the leap. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year. 📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you for spreading the word. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT. 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, 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. 😀 To our 3 new subscribers — including Jennifer and Bernice — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Hunter! Hudson! Hakeem!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Naya, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out. If you like Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are two ways you can help out: ❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Christopher (thank you). If you’ve subscribed for free for a long time, and you appreciate the articles and author interviews, or if you’ve joined one or more discussions, I encourage you to take the leap. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year. 📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you for spreading the word. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

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 children Most 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. 😀 To our 7 new subscribers — including Dave, Janina, Anna, Shoshana, and Kerry — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Lauri! Lori! Larry!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Quan, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out. ❤️ If you like Article Club, I encourage you to become a paid subscriber. If you’ve subscribed for free for a long time, and you appreciate the articles and author interviews, and if you’ve joined one or more discussions, I encourage you to take the plunge. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of Article Club. Plus you’ll receive personal audio letters, invites to events, and other perks and prizes. It costs $5 a month or $36 a year. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT. 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. 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 nuance Most 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. 😀 To our 10 new subscribers — including Sonia, Abigail, and Charles — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Kristen! Kristin! Krystyn!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Paul, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out. If you like Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are two ways you can help out: ❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Opal (thank you). If you’ve subscribed for free for a long time, and you appreciate the articles and author interviews, and if you’ve joined one or more discussions, I encourage you to take the leap. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year. 📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you for spreading the word. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT. 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. 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 abolitionist Most 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. 😀 To our 16 new subscribers — including Joe, Kent, Emily, Rachael, Dhaka, Jordan, McKenzie, and Robert — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Rose! Rosie! Rosaline!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Ivy, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out. If you like Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are two ways you can help out: 📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you for spreading the word. ❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Nellie and Tanya (thank you!). You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value Article Club. Plus you’ll gain access to our monthly discussions, our monthly quiet reading hours, and my personal audio letters from me to you. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT. 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 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 read These 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, Mark PS - 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 Club This 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 relationships Where’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 Zhang One 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. 😀 To our new subscriber Susan – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (July! Julio! Julia!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Brett, 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 two ways you can help out: 📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you for spreading the word. ❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Susan, Courtney, and Sara (thank you!). You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT. 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 four things for you this week, so let’s get right to it. 1️⃣ Article Club This 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 about Instead 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. Bazelon I 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 discrimination There 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 Prize When 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 1 Highlighter 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. 😀 If you like The Highlighter Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are two ways you can help out: 📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them...

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 21 Before 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. 😀 To our 6 new subscribers – including Montessa, Eric, Cory, Lisa, and Josette — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Fern! Fred! Faith!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Kathy, 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...

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. 😀 To our 8 new subscribers – including Pamela, Jessica, John, Abbie, Madison, Bianca, and Albert – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Dave! Danny! Derek!), you’re pretty great. Loyal reader Nancy, 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 two ways you can help out: ❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Venus and Yolanda (thank you!). You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. 📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? Share with them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT! 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

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 classroom I hope you take a listen and let me know what you think. Thank you for reading this week’s issue. Hope you liked it. 😀 To our 65 new subscribers – including Faith, Francis, Jessica, Sarah, Mary Lou, Adrienne, Hilary, Jenn, Maria, Kate, Tracy, Marilyn, Paula, Kellie, Abby, Laura, Tim, Dakota, Lauren, Shannon, Erin, Dolores, Colleen, Carly, Nicole, Lorna, Heidi, Paula, Kat, Emma, Kelsey, Kim, Alex, Terri, Hallie, Jodie, Carolyn, Tiffany, Marian, Melinda, and Jillian – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Venus! Vard! Violet!), you’re pretty great. Loyal reader Mike, 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 two ways you can help out: ❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Lorna and Jack (thank you!). You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. (The hoodie is next!) 📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? Share with them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT! 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

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 world I 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. 😀 To our 3 new subscribers — James, Rachel, and Bria – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Ronald! Reginald! Ryan!), you’re pretty great. VIP Camille, 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 two ways you can help out: ❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Rachel and Helene (thank you!). You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. (The hoodie is next!) 📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? Share with them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word. On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT! 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

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: 📬 Invite your friends. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? Share with them today’s issue and urge them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you very much for spreading the word. ❤️ Become a paid subscriber for $3 a month, like Chris and Cal (thank you!). You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of The Highlighter Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. (A new T-shirt is coming at HHH.) ☕️ Buy me a coffee to express your appreciation of the newsletter On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT! 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

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