Hello hello! In between my more thought-out pieces, I’ll be sharing recommendations on things I’ve been reading/watching/listening to/consuming/etc. If you know me, you know I love to influence. I am also very easily influenced by others, which you will soon see from my resulting suggestions. Now, onto the recs!
Articles of Interest
Avery Trufelman’s podcast is about the clothes we wear and the fashion industry at large. She explores the history and relevance of certain garments, styles, and the inner workings of the fashion industry. Avery does an amazing job diving into these topics and discussing their cultural and economic importance. I’d highly recommend her episodes on the Clueless closet (Cher Horowitz’s touchscreen outfit creator) and clothing factories.
Carrying a water bottle with you everywhere you go
Summer is upon us and it’s hot. We’re all dehydrated all the time and so we should all be carrying water with us! In order to emphasize the importance of this practice, I will share a slightly mortifying experience I had a few weeks ago.
I won’t dive into the nitty gritty details. But, either due to a migraine or heat stroke, I threw up on a subway platform (into a trash can, at least!) in front of probably a hundred strangers. It sucked! But you know what would’ve saved me? Water.
Don’t be like the old me. Be like new-and-improved me! Now, if I know I’ll be out for an extended period, I bring a water bottle to ward off the scourge of thirst. Please use this as a cautionary tale and consider bringing a reusable bottle with you on your next summer excursion.
The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
Maybe it’s silly to recommend something published half a century ago. But whatever, I’m doing it! If you’ve taken a sociology class, you may be familiar with Jane Jacobs. She was a writer and activist and her book critiques 1950s urban planning methods. Maybe that sounds dry to you BUT I’m here to make a case for it! Having lived in Chicago, LA, and New York, I’ve been very interested in what makes a viable and vibrant city.
Essentially, Jane discusses how cities have been planned in ways that are conceptual and focus on the ways that cities should be, rather than how they actually work. The points she makes are so obvious but so taken for granted as we move through our daily lives in cities.
As someone with limited urban planning experience, the book is pretty approachable. She explains the people, works, and concepts that she references. I’m only about 20 pages in and I’ve already started telling people what I’ve learned so far. It’s fascinating and the issues she discusses are ones that are still ever present in cities today.
Coffee (as a concept)
I haven’t always been a coffee person. When I’ve had it in the past, it’s made me jittery and anxious. I would tell people “I’m super sensitive to caffeine” and lowkey felt a bit superior because I wasn’t reliant on it.
However, I’ve been working from home most days since January, and coffee has helped mark my daily shift into work mode. It’s part of my routine at this point. I used to spurn coffee because I didn’t want to get addicted to caffeine. And then I listened to an episode of NPR’s Life Kit podcast and quickly changed my tune. As stated earlier, I am easily influenced and would probably join a cult if it seemed status-y enough. But anyways, I am now a coffee person because NPR said it’s fine (as long as you’re not using it to replace sleep or food).
And yes, I know it’s somewhat ironic to promote a dehydrating beverage after emphasizing the importance of water. I’m a bundle of contradictions! Anyways, I drink La Colombe cold brew that I buy from the grocery store and mix it with Planet Oat vanilla creamer. It feels like my little morning treat.
That’s it for this week :)
xoxo Mia