Reading List
The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.
Why some American accents have endured — while others have faded away
On Explain It to Me, Vox’s weekly call-in podcast, we hear a lot of stories from listeners. Recently, we asked people to tell us about their accents: what they love about them, things they’ve noticed. The response was huge; we got the most responses we’ve ever gotten. This was not a surprise to Valerie Fridland. […]
The crisis in American air travel
I’m scheduled to take my 1-year-old on a three-hour flight just over a week from now. Probably a headache, under normal circumstances, but a bona fide nightmare amid the recent airport bedlam. I was thus relieved — overjoyed, really — to learn that the security line chaos is easing at many airports. But that doesn’t […]
How meat became a measure of manhood
In January, a 24-year-old nutrition influencer named Jacob Smith made the grave mistake of becoming a little too curious about tofu. Smith had read a study about the health benefits of eating less meat and figured he’d try to replace a small amount of the animal products he ate with plant-based foods. So, as content […]
How Trump is paying TSA, briefly explained
This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The US air travel situation is looking up — for now. What’s happening? TSA agents received paychecks today for the first time in more than […]
The secret to successful conversations with strangers
You may generally disregard unfamiliar faces as background characters in the movie that is your life, but almost everyone you care about was once a stranger. Aside from the people who have been in your life since you were born, every relationship has a getting-to-know you process where you transition from unknowns to knowns. Strangers […]