Wanna get out of here?
Someone I follow on one of the apps wrote something a few weeks (or months? it was probably months) ago like "I've now said the phrase 'what a time to be alive' to so many people so many times, I want to punch myself in the face." I wish I could remember who it was but I can't seem to track it down. All of that to say: me, too.
Anyway, I'm just here being thankful for each of your tender hearts and wishing I could properly cite things. We're all bolted to this ball of water with a molten core, being alive somehow. What a time to do such a thing. The odds, the chance, the what-the-fickety-fack-fvck of it all. Since we can't really take a vacation from it, at least here's some mints on your pillow, I guess.
This week's pleasures & treasures:
- My deeply talented friend Tolly Moseley runs Submit Here, a vulnerable, wise, and captivating newsletter about sex, culture, and human connection. Her latest piece—with audio!—smells like teen spirit (hormones) and jelly shoes (sweaty plastic) as she lets us ride shotgun through a series of 1990s middle-school makeout sessions. It sounds like the songs she mentions by name—the ones that provided the soundtrack to those years and the frenemy-driven dramas that kept them hectic. It's a perfect time capsule and a great piece of writing.
- Speaking of time capsules, here's a shout-out to two of the dreamiest and most criminally underrated bands of the '90s, both of which are still heavenly to listen to today: Mazzy Star and The Sundays.
- File under "Amy is once again late to the game," but I didn't know about the existence of urban food forests and community orchards until late last year and now my fascination runs deep. In case you, too, are tardy to the party: There are these multi-acre forests and gardens in urban areas around the US, collectively referred to as "agroforestry" and often but not always run by volunteers. People can come through whenever they want and harvest free food to enjoy for themselves, distribute to folks in need nearby, or both. Festival Beach Food Forest in Austin, Texas is a great example; not only does it feed the community and build solidarity, but it also doubles as a regenerative floodplain restoration project. Chef's kiss.
- Related to #3: you're probably already aware of the pure sunshine that is environmental science enthusiast Alexis "Happy snacking, don't die!" Nikole, aka Black Forager, but if you weren't, now you are, and if you were, congratulations: clicking that link will probably coax her content back into your feed on a more frequent basis.
- Beyond food forests, everything's too expensive. Here's one small solution: If you're a flexible eater without an absolute minefield* of dietary considerations, the Too Good To Go food rescue app can save you dramatic amounts of money while you enjoy takeout from your favorite restaurants. In 19 countries around the world and counting, you can use it to order a surprise bag full of food from your bakery, burger or BBQ joint, vegan eatery, etc. of choice, usually south of $10. If there are fresh food pantries/fridges where you live, these bags are great for sharing—just don't forget to label them with a made-on/enjoy-by date and any common allergens. Yes, these places should be doing their level best to minimize food waste and donate extras without compensation. Yes, I hate that everything has to be commodified all the goddamn time. But right now, let's feed ourselves and one another in whatever ways we can.
- Need a hit of original beauty? Behold the art of Dawn Okoro, a Texas-based artist whose work first came into my life through the album covers of Pleasure Venom, a super-rad punk band out of Austin. I have a small print from her Punk Noir collection in my office and it's one of my favorite things. Her prints are currently sold out, but you can get on her mailing list if you want access to the next drop.
- One more thing before I let you go: a gentle reminder of just how small our place in this beautiful, terrible, ridiculous world really is.
*my lactose-intolerant darlings who need more protein but want to not eat meat, I see you, I am you, this nutritional tetris game sucks! Having a body is such a wild ride.
Hang in there, beloveds. I hope something good happens to you this week.
“We have to consciously study how to be tender with each other until it becomes a habit.”
—Audre Lorde
12 May 2025
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