Family Philately
I wrote this a month ago and just didn’t send it out. What a weirdo.
How Do You Like Your News?
Heather Cox Richardson and Ezra Klein
Following the news is really hard these days, but I’ve found a guide through the nonsense of Trump: Heather Cox Richardson. I’m not alone in this; it’s not a hot take. But I’m sharing it anyway, because it’s helped me.
HCR shares a measured, honest report of what has happened in America each day. Her newsletter Letters from an American is clear but dispassionate and not manipulative: just the facts, ma’am, plus analysis from a wide, long historical perspective. She offers the solace of truth with perspective and as much positivity (i.e., hope) as is reasonable. It allows me to feel I’ve done my duty of witnessing without having to feel like a dupe falling for inflammatory headlines and rage-bait.
She has a big YouTube presence, with none of the rages bullshit. She doesn’t play marketing games like stretching the point out, and doesn’t edit. If she misspeaks, she acknowledges that, corrects it, and moves on. It is beyond refreshing.
Which reminds me:
Human Journalism
Ezra Klein’s been in the hot seat these last few weeks, after his quick reaction to Charlie Kirk’s murder, which was a pretty bad take for him: he made an argument that despite his flaws, Kirk was doing politics correctly, in that he sat and talked with his ideological opponents. He left out the part where Kirk was a dishonest troll, paid for and connected to powerful bad-faith political actors, and that his form of discourse is destructive and cynical.
People reacted with big feelings, which is fair — Klein has a lot of power as a New York Times journalist, and reactions to his pieces are part of the discourse. To his credit, he had one of his biggest critics on his podcast to discuss the whole thing, with humility and kindness and honestly. That, by the way, is the right way to do politics/discourse.
Terminally online activists are still doing drive-bys on him — I saw a takedown on stupid Instagram this morning. The left not recognizing their allies (a great line: If someone agrees with you 80%, they are an ally) is their great weakness, so whatever — it’s going to happen. But the reaction I chafed at most was that (some) people do not want to hear doubt or uncertainty from their journalists. I have the exact opposite reaction.
When I am feeling overly uncertain, or paralyzed, or confused by current events, and then I hear a public intellectual share that they are feeling similarly, I feel less crazy. I’ve always appreciated the honesty of Klein’s work: without oversharing, he acknowledges that an intellectual journey isn’t detached from the emotional one.
Both Heather Cox Richardson and Ezra Klein are journalists worth listening to, and paying respect to. I do not fault them — or anyone — for a misspoken date or a shitty take, because I do not need my people to be perfect. I need them to be honest, smart humans acting in good faith. If either of them did put on a facade of absolute certainty, I would trust them less.
Gianmarco Soresi
I just found this guy, a happy YouTube accident. Gianmarco Soresi is a fantastic performer and writer, and great at crowd work. I followed the special below with a bunch of shorter clips, and he’s great. I shared it with Marjan and she agreed, so it’s verified. Watch:
I hope you’re good.
Love,
Santa