I read a bunch of long-form journalism that I’m going to count towards my Essay a Day project. I really need to stop getting behind… cramming a bunch of essays in a single sitting is NOT the point of the project.
Essay #18: “Stumptown Girl: An indie-rock star satirizes hipster culture, on ‘Portlandia’” by Margaret Talbot in The New Yorker
Portland sounds, at least from this story, a lot like Madison. I want to watch this show. Also, Carrie Brownstein’s “unusually devoted platonic relationship” with Fred Armisen sounds so sweet and awesome.
Essay #19: “My Mom Couldn’t Cook” by Tom Junod in Esquire
Honestly, Esquire doesn’t get nearly enough credit for the amazing long-form journalism they publish. This essay is beautiful and relevant and smart and sad. You MUST go read it.
Essay #20: “What Defines a Meme?” by James Gleick in Smithsonian
This essay seems to be a good introductory look at information theory, and more specifically ideas come to permeate pop culture in the way memes do. It does make me very curious about Gleick’s 2011 book The Information.
Essay #21: “Some Like Her Hot” by Chris Heath in GQ
I didn’t like this GQ profile of Michelle Williams very much. It was playing with the format of a celebrity profile — injecting the author, that sort of thing — but seemed to go a little far.
