Morning Coffee (1/23/18)

Happy Oscar nomination day! Check back here this afternoon for the official start of my Oscar Project 2018. And if you'd like to follow along behind the scenes with my exclusive Oscar Project Diary, join me on Patreon!

This was a really great, important read: There’s Nothing More to Learn About Trump

Senate Democrats’ decision to reopen the government, explained (If nothing else, I'm glad we can stop worrying about CHIP in all this.)

Good. Keep it up: Pennsylvania supreme court rejects GOP-drawn congressional districts

...of course: Trump Researcher Arrested for Child Porn Also Made Mysterious Request for Latino Voter Info

Watchdog group files complaint against Trump campaign over reported payout to Stormy Daniels

What's Scary About Shutting Down the C.D.C.

Ooh: Roxane Gay, Masha Gessen among 2017 National Book Critics Circle finalists

Progress? Thinx Has a New CEO and, Finally, an HR Department

Bitcoin’s Success Is Drawing More Attention to the Shadiest Parts of the Cryptocurrency World

I AGREE: Stephen King wants Dick Wolf to make a Law & Order show with vampires

Let's not pretend a female author could get away with this.

I love the Times' Carry-On column, in which they talk to some prominent person about what they pack for (usually frequent) travel. And Stephen King came across as pretty delightful in his; nothing I'm saying here is a criticism of him and I just wanted to make that clear up front.

But. But! In this he talks about how he just wears jeans and t-shirts on book tour, and doesn't pack any toiletries, just uses whatever his hotel provides. (Or motel. Apparently he prefers the Motel 6, which I guess is the sort of charming low-brow taste it's cool to have when you have enough money to stay wherever you want. I will promise you right now that no matter how much money I ever make, I will never ever prefer the Motel 6 over a nice hotel. BUT I DIGRESS.) But seriously, that's all fine! I'm glad he has a system that works for him. I wish Stephen King no ill.

What is less fine is the reaction to this I saw around the Internet, a chorus of "Oh, he's so normal and down-to-earth and only cares about his WORK, not like all those shallow lady authors who care about their APPEARANCE!" (I'm exaggerating, but only very slightly.) And I would like to tell you that this is sexist nonsense. Do you think there aren't a whole lot of female authors who would love to not worry about how they look on book tour? Of course they are. But they're not granted that luxury.*

I know a fair number of authors and have heard stories from and about many more. And I'm, you know, on Twitter, where we all get a firsthand look at how people respond to women who are public figures in any way. You can see on social media how any time a woman speaks out - especially the most successful; say J.K. Rowling - people rush in to call her ugly and criticize her appearance and evaluate her sexual attractiveness in all sorts of gross ways. If she decided to only ever appear in t-shirts and use generic motel shampoo, I promise the result would not be that people would stop talking about her appearance. It would only become more of a distraction.

And it's not just social media, where we have all (for good or ill) learned to expect people to be terrible. Before they do book signings or appear on panels, the authors I know all think carefully about what they're going to wear; a lot of them get their hair done or their nails done or plan out their makeup. They have to cart around hair and skin products with them on book tour. Exactly zero of them do this because they are shallow and care more about their looks than their work. Some of them genuinely enjoy and are interested in fashion and makeup and that's great! But some, many, of them do this primarily because it is what is expected of a woman who dares to speak in public.

These issues don't just randomly start with events after an author has been published, of course. As in pretty much every industry in our historically patriarchal, sexist society, this is baked in to the publishing industry. Publishers know that it's easier to sell books by young, conventionally attractive (white) authors, and this affects who gets book deals in the first place, who gets marketing budgets, who gets sent on tour.

So: I'm glad Stephen King can wear his jeans. I wish more people could wear what makes them comfortable without worrying about external standards. But let's not take this as a sign of King's virtue, the purity of his dedication to his work. He's a white man who makes a lot of people a lot of money, so he is given this freedom.

* And I'll say - even among male authors, obviously Stephen King can get away with a lot more than someone less wildly successful or someone new trying to make a good impression. But in general, this is all harder for women and their appearance is more heavily scrutinized.

Afternoon Tea (9/11/17)

I LOVE this essay by Reese Witherspoon: We Have to Change the Idea That a Woman With Ambition Is Out Only for Herself

This was fascinating: Who Will Save These Dying Italian Towns?

I'm thinking of trying this: The essential Stephen King: a crash course in the best from America’s horror master

I'm so excited for this: How Gary Oldman Was Finally Convinced to Play Winston Churchill

Hee: Netflix: TV Shows Recommended Hyper-Specifically for You

Morning Coffee (6/14/17)

This is a difficult, important story: Turning Pain Into Hope: Rwanda’s children of rape are coming of age — against the odds.

Putin's Monster

Russian Cyber Hacks on U.S. Electoral System Far Wider Than Previously Known

Trump’s Tweets Must Now Be Taken Seriously

Yesterday was really quite a time for new restrictions on media access to the Senate, given the SECRET HEALTH CARE BILL and all.

Why James Comey’s prepared testimony reads like a great American short story

The Madness of King Trump

The J.K. Rowling response is what makes this: Donald Trump blocked Stephen King on Twitter, according to the author

Remembering the Murder You Didn't Commit

Ooh: Ta-Nehisi Coates unveils cover for Obama-era book We Were Eight Years in Power

Posh Roman London teen's skeleton to return to her final resting place

Morning Coffee (10/4/16)

I'm probably not going to have time to write about it - I'm focusing on network premieres - but I really liked Westworld on HBO. Check it out!

Strange matter wins physics Nobel

Trump Foundation ordered to stop fundraising by N.Y. attorney general’s office

Sad news: Neville Marriner, Prolific Musician and Acclaimed Conductor, Dies at 92

This is important: Why Every Woman Should Be Mad That People Are Treating Kim Kardashian's Holdup Like a Joke

!! Drink Free Coffee Like a Gilmore Girl at Hundreds of Luke’s Diner Pop-Ups Across America

"If you believe this election is basically a lock, or you happen not to live in a battleground, and are thus flirting with the idea of abstaining or of voting for a third party, ask yourself if you want to live in a country that has established proof of concept for a more polished racist demagogue."

This paper is long but worth reading: Fanning the Flames: Reporting on Terror in a Networked World

Pepe The Frog’s creator is voting Hillary, isn’t sure what the hell happened either

Oh: Stephen King's 'It' Movie Producer Denies Creepy Clown Sightings Are Marketing Stunt

Postcard from the past: a nostalgic glimpse into holidays of yesteryear

Morning Coffee (9/2/16)

Time for some happy Friday links!

This is the greatest thing the New York Times has ever printed; it deserves a Pulitzer.

Aw: Florida State University Football Player Sees Boy With Autism Sitting Alone at Lunch During Visit, Joins Him

!!! Bill Nye Lands Netflix Talk Show

Letter sent to Iceland farm with hand-drawn map instead of address gets there anyway. Aw, Iceland.

These vintage posters of America's national parks are gorgeous.

Whoa: Egyptian Mummy Comes to Life via CT Scans, 3-D Printing

I haven't read much Stephen King because I am a scaredy cat, but Zack Handlen's piece on why he loves IT is lovely and compelling.

These Kate Middleton Style Bloggers Are the Hardest Working Women on the Internet

Quiz: Which Of King Henry VIII’s Wives Would You Be? (Catherine of Aragon, obviously.)

Let's go make perfect rum punch.

Morning Coffee (3/30/15)

Me elsewhere: Here's your TV news for the week!

I deeply enjoy the feud between Stephen King and Gov. Paul LePage.

This headline was basically MADE FOR ME: Why Is American Figure Skating Losing the Cold War?

I agree with Alyssa Rosenberg that everyone should calm down about spoilers.

This idea is GREAT: I Paid a UX Expert $100 to Get Drunk and Evaluate Gizmodo's Design

I didn't know much about Steven Smith, who passed away recently, but if you're a tea drinker, his obituary is fascinating.

The 9 Weirdest Implications Of The Many Worlds Interpretation

Why “The Jinx” Is Better Than Any of You Whiners: A Visual Guide

Heh: Mindy Kaling on Whether or Not These 6 Classic Rom-Com Couples Are Still Together

Morning Coffee (8/8/13)

My friends Heather and Crissy have their Vampire Diaries companion book Love You to Death 4 coming out soon, and look who wrote the foreword!

The awesome Holly Black is touring in September, including some New England dates. Go see her!

Leonardo DiCaprio might play Harald Hardrada, and I appreciate that the first line of this piece is basically "But he's already playing Rasputin!", because that was my exact reaction.

After last night's Broadchurch (more on that later), if you need a phone notification sound of David Tennant yelling "Bloody Twitter!", well, here you go.

Ryan is wise: “Doctor Who” has a new lead, but is in more desperate need of a new showrunner

I had no idea about this history of The Oregon Trail. (The game, not the actual historical thing.)

Interesting read: Who Am I to Judge? Francis Redefines the Papacy

Stephen King's Family Business