Emergency cheese
I recently saw a video in which pop star Olivia Rodrigo shows us wHaT's iN hEr BaG, which is an annoying (and annoyingly effective—of course I watched it; I'm nosy!) clickbait device dating back to the fashion magazines of the late 20th century. If you're less lazy than I am, you can gather evidence to support the argument that those carefully-arranged InStyle photos were an early and obvious form of product placement. Nothing is sacred—not even voyeurism!
Anyway, Olivia apparently keeps emergency cheese* in her bag at all times. I love this. Personally, I keep emergency sea salt in my bag at all times, which is probably bad for my blood pressure but you can mind your business about that, and emergency puppy content in my social media feeds. It's medicinal. All of that to say: I hope these emails are kind of like emergency cheese. Take a bite whenever you need a moment of yum.
Om nom nom:
- A lot went on this past weekend, and though it flew under the radar for those of us outside NYC, the Schomburg Center Centennial Festival brought together writers, thinkers, musicians, and more for a giant block party celebrating the center's 100th year. Part of the New York Public Library system, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is headquartered in Harlem. It's a giant research repository with more than 11 million books, documents, photographs, and works of art chronicling Black American history, and it hosts lectures, events, and all sorts of gatherings. It's a treasure trove of knowledge and culture, and you can become a member if you want. Look me in my eyes when I say this: come hell or high water, we must and will protect this place.
- On July 25, a trans theatre company in the UK is staging Shakespeare's Twelfth Night with a special introduction by Sir Ian McKellen**. They're live-streaming it to folks who sign up for the downlink in advance. It's shaping up to be the largest trans cast of any scripted production, ever, which is another way of saying "history in the making."
- Speaking of live feeds, remember Mr. Downey from a few weeks ago with the neighborhood birds and squirrels? Well, guess what: he built them some adorable shelters on his patio and set us up a 24/7 live feed so we can all keep up with their shenanigans. This is the only gossip I care about anymore: Maxine on the Scene and all her furry/feathered friends and frenemies.
- If you've ever wanted to learn—like, really learn—about history-making women, citizen politics, anxiety management, or backyard meteorology, now's your chance to take a free online Harvard class about any or all of those things.
- Apropos of nothing: I'm not a Pitbull fan (or foe), but this poet sure is, and with a backing band to prove it. You've got to admire the dedication, honestly, and how game the crowd is. File under "collective effervescence."
- Did somebody say space rainbows?? Yep. Somebody said space rainbows.
- Last but not least, a gentle mindset nudge.
Stay fresh, cheese bags. 'Til next time.
Footnote roundup:
*it's Babybel, which may or may not be actual cheese but who cares.
**who, incidentally, owns one of the oldest pubs in London, frequented by none other than Charles Dickens back in the day. They host a weekly pub quiz on Monday nights, in case you're ever in town looking to do something epically nerdy and maybe even knock back some pints with Gandalf.
"Keep a little fire burning. However small. However hidden."
—Cormac McCarthy
17 June 2025
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