Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here. Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Amanda E. Machado, the author of “The Abstract Rage To Protect,” June’s article of the month. First published in The Adroit Journal, “The Abstract Rage To Protect” is about masculinity, the need for men to protect women,…

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here. Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Jonathan Escoffery, the author of “In Flux,” March’s article of the month. First published in Passages North, “In Flux” is a short story about race, identity, and the dreaded question, “What are you?” It’s about Blacknes…

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here. Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Paul Tough, the author of “Saying No to College,” January’s article of the month. Published in The New York Times Magazine last September, the piece explains the significant shift in Americans’ views on the value of coll…

Dear Loyal Readers, Hope you’re having a relaxing (and reading-heavy) end of the year. I’ll be back next Thursday to reveal our January article of the month. It’s going to be a good one, and I urge you to join our discussion. Until then, I welcome you to listen to Article Club’s first-ever end-of-year podcast reflection episode, in which Melinda an…

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here. ⭐️ Before we get started: If you live near Oakland, join me and fellow Article Clubbers at an in-person gathering on Thursday, Nov. 30, at Room 389, beginning at 5:30 pm. It’s a great way to connect with other thoughtful readers and chat about the articles. It’d be wo…

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here. Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Dashka Slater, the author of “The Instagram Account that Shattered a California High School,” October’s article of the month. Originally published in The New York Times Magazine in August, the piece explores a racist soc…

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here. Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Daniel Duane, the author of “A Tale of Paradise, Parking Lots, and My Mother's Berkeley Backyard,” September’s article of the month. Originally published in The New York Times Magazine in May, the piece explores the hous…

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here. Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Matthew Desmond, the author of “Why Poverty Persists in America,” August’s article of the month. Originally published in The New York Times Magazine in April, the piece is an excerpt from Prof. Desmond’s bestselling book…

Dear VIPs, Thank you for being paid subscribers and for supporting me and Article Club. This weekend, I have for you an audio letter, where I share some of my thoughts on deeper reading — and whether it’s possible to read deeply with so many online distractions swirling around, competing for our attention. I’ve been thinking about this topic for a …

Dear Loyal Readers, Thank you for being here! I have three things for you this week, so let’s get right to it. 1️⃣ Article Club This month we’ve been focusing on “How Much Would You Pay to Save Your Cat’s Life?” by Sarah Zhang. Originally published in The Atlantic last December, it’s a piece I highly urge that you read. Here’s why: * It explores th…

Dear Loyal Readers, Thank you for being here! I have four things for you this week, so let’s get right to it. 1️⃣ Article Club This month we’ve been focusing on “Why is Affirmative Action in Peril?” by Emily Bazelon. It’s a piece I highly recommend that you read. Here’s why: * The Supreme Court will likely strike down affirmative action next month …

Happy Thursday and happy almost-May, loyal readers. I’m very happy to announce that this upcoming month, we’ll be reading and discussing “Why Is Affirmative Action In Peril?” by Emily Bazelon. You may know that the Supreme Court will be ruling on two affirmative action cases in June. It’s a big deal, given the current composition of the Court. Unle…

Dear Loyal Readers, I’m coming to you on a Monday with a bonus episode of the podcast. This is because many of you said “we want more!” after listening to a conversation I had with fellow Article Clubber Melinda last month. So I asked Melinda, “Want to do it again?” And she generously said yes! ⭐️ Melinda’s an activist, lawyer, and cat mom living i…

This month at Article Club, we’ve been focusing on “The Sunset,” by Lisa Bubert. If you haven’t read the article yet, I highly encourage you to do so. In the essay, Ms. Bubert discusses her experience working in a nursing home when she was a college student. It’s poignant and outstanding. Also: I hope you’ll join us to discuss the article on Sunday…

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. Great to see so many new subscribers here this week. Welcome to our kind and thoughtful reading community. Hope you like it here. This month at Article Club, we’ve been focusing on “Saying Goodbye to my Chest,” by Naomi Gordon-Loebl. If you haven’t read the article yet, I encourage you to do so. In the essay, Gordon-L…

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. This month at Article Club, we’ve been focusing on “The Spectacular Life of Octavia Butler,” by the talented writer E. Alex Jung. If you haven’t read the article yet, I urge you to do so. It’s excellent. Even if you are a newbie to Ms. Butler’s work, you’ll appreciate how Mr. Jung honors her and her impact. There aren…

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. This month at Article Club, we’ve been focusing on “An American Education,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eli Saslow. If you haven’t read the article yet, I highly encourage you to do so. It’s outstanding. It’s about how the superintendent of a school district in Bullhead City, Arizona, tries to deal with its s…

I never forget how lucky I am to be doing Article Club. Not only have I met so many of you, and built a thoughtful reading community together, but I’ve also had the opportunity to interview the most talented authors out there. Like, the most talented authors out there. This month is no exception. Some of you might say, It’s the pinnacle, actually. …

This month at Article Club, we’ve been diving into “A Kingdom From Dust,” by Mark Arax — a big, bold, outstanding piece about the magic and plunder of California. I’ve been hearing from many of you about how much you are appreciating the article. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly encourage you to do so. And if you find the piece moving, I urge y…

This month, we’re gathering online on Aug. 28, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT, to talk about “Revolt of the Delivery Workers,” by Josh Dzieza. I got a chance to interview Mr. Dzieza a couple weeks ago, and he thoughtfully shared how he reported the story and how the 65,000 delivery workers have fought for better wages, working conditions, safety measures, on ti…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “The Roe Baby,” by Joshua Prager. I’m pleased that so many of you have signed up to discuss the article on Sunday, June 26. I am looking forward to it! A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Prager. It was an honor. Thanks to his generosity and though…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “On White Violence, Black Survival, and Learning to Shoot,” by Kim McLarin. It’s powerful and beautifully written. I’m pleased that so many of you have signed up to discuss the article next Sunday, March 27. I am looking forward to it! A few weeks ago, Sarai and I had…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “When Things Go Missing,” by Kathryn Schulz. It’s one of my favorite pieces of the past five years. I’m pleased that so many of you have signed up to discuss the article on February 27. I am looking forward to it! A few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to interview Ms…

This month at Article Club, we’re reading “When Things Go Missing,” by Kathryn Schulz. Big thanks to Carina, Jamie, Kira, Lauri, Toronzo, Shreya, Angela, Corinne, Peter, and Sara for already signing up for our February 27 discussion. If you’re interested (especially if this will be your first discussion!), there’s still time to sign up (until Satur…

Hi Article Clubbers! Welcome to February. Before revealing this month’s article, I would like to express my gratitude to Sara, Abde, Jennifer, Bonnie, Elise, Marcus, Summer, Toronzo, and Peter for our discussion last Sunday of “Good Mother.” Special thanks go to Sara — for joining Article Club for the very first time! — and to Sierra Crane Murdoch,…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “Good Mother: Custody and Care in the Shodow of Colonization,” by Sierra Crane Murdoch. A few weeks ago, Sarai and I got the chance to interview Ms. Murdoch. It was a great conversation. We talked about a range of topics: how it felt to be a Pulitzer Prize finalist, h…

And we’re back! Welcome everyone to the third year of Article Club. I’m really happy that you’re here, and I encourage you to join this month’s discussion. That’s because this month’s article is awesome. I’m pleased to announce that we’ll be reading “Good Mother,” by Sierra Crane Murdoch. It was one of my favorite articles last year. Here’s the blu…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “My Father Vanished When I Was 7. The Mystery Made Me Who I Am,” by Nicholas Casey. A few weeks ago, I got to interview Mr. Casey with fellow Article Clubber Lauri. It was a great conversation. He talked about how he came to write this piece and about how writing his …

Welcome to November! I’m excited to announce that it’s our first-ever Readers’ Choice Month. This month, we’ll be reading and discussing “My Father Vanished When I Was 7. The Mystery Made Me Who I Am.” by Nicholas Casey. Thank you to everyone who nominated an article, and congratulations to Lauri for being the winner! Originally published in The Ne…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “The Key,” by Brian Broome. Mr. Broome is one of my favorite writers. We last spoke more than two years ago, after he published “79,” one of the best pieces in Highlighter history. It was an honor to interview him again. He’s the first returning guest to the podcast! …

Our 20th Article Club discussion is in the books! We read and annotated Tyrone Fleurizard’s “How to Name Your Black Son in a Racist Country” and participated in three thoughtful conversations. Thank you! Thank you to Summer, Peter, Jennifer, Elise, Molly, Lauri, Shreya, Wes, Sarai, Telannia, Daniel, Philippe, Tamyra, Susan, Abde, and David for join…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “How to Name Your Black Son in a Racist Country,” by Tyrone Fleurizard. A couple weeks ago, Article Clubber Sarai and I got the chance to talk with Mr. Fleurizard and ask him some of our questions. It was a fun, deep conversation. We talked about a range of topics, in…

Before we start: Welcome, new subscribers! (There are about 100 of you.) Thank you for signing up for Article Club. I hope you feel right at home. OK, let’s get to it. Our 19th Article Club discussion is in the books! We read and annotated Jamie Figueroa’s “The Stories I Haven’t Been Told” and participated in a deep, thoughtful conversation. But th…

Welcome to August! I’m excited to announce that this month’s article is “The Stories I Haven’t Been Told,” by Jamie Figueroa. You’re going to appreciate this article, because of its beautiful language, direct authenticity, and deep themes. Here’s my blurb of the piece, which I featured in Issue #286 of The Highlighter: Jamie Figueroa fills up cheap…

Hey Article Clubbers! Hope your July is going well. This month, we’re discussing “Private Schools Are Indefensible,” by Caitlin Flanagan. It’s about the excesses of fancy independent schools. I hope you’ll join our discussion on Sunday, July 25, 2:00 - 3:15 pm PT. You can sign up here or find out more here. Today I have a bonus for you: a recording…

Welcome to July! I’m excited to announce that this month’s article is “Private Schools Are Indefensible,” by Caitlin Flanagan. You’re going to appreciate this article, no matter where you fall on the public vs. private school spectrum. In fact, I especially invite independent school teachers and parents to the discussion. Here’s my blurb of the pie…

Our 17th Article Club discussion is in the books! We read and annotated Amirah Mercer’s “A Homecoming” and participated in three deep, thoughtful conversations. Thank you to Summer, Sarai, Shelley, Lorie, Bonnie, Elise, Jennifer, Kati, Lauri, Tamyra, Mahogney, and Amirah for joining the discussion. I’m very grateful. Also, I deeply appreciate Amira…

Welcome to June! I’m excited to announce that this month’s article is “A Homecoming: How I Found Empowerment in the History of Black Veganism,” by Amirah Mercer. Even if you’re not a vegan, you’ll love this piece. Here’s a quote from the article, which I featured in Issue #277 of The Highlighter: “Plant-based eating has a long, radical history in B…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “The Crow Whisperer,” by Lauren Markham. A couple weeks ago, Article Clubber Sarai and I got the chance to talk with Ms. Markham and ask her some of our questions. It was a fun conversation filled with joy. We talked about a range of topics, including animal-human com…

This week we’re reading, listening to, and annotating “The Crow Whisperer,” by Lauren Markham — getting ready for our discussion on Sunday, May 23 at 2 pm PT. Still want in on the discussion? Great! You can sign up here until May 18. Coming up on Monday, we’ll get to listen to Ms. Markham talk about her article. This is thanks to her generosity and…

Hey Article Clubbers! Hope your May is going well. This month, we’re discussing “The Crow Whisperer,” by Lauren Markham. It’s a delightful article about crows, crow whisperers, the intelligence of animals, and our connection with the natural world. This week is all about going deeper. Here are some things you can try: * Annotate the article. It’s a…

Welcome to May! I’m excited to announce that this month’s article is “The Crow Whisperer,” by Lauren Markham. Even if you don’t like crows, and even if you don’t much believe in animal whisperers, you’ll love this piece. Here’s my original blurb from Issue #285 of The Highlighter: After crows attacked their dog, harassed their baby, and followed th…

Hi Article Clubbers! I look forward to discussing Bill Buford’s “Baking Bread in Lyon” with you this weekend. We’ll meet on Sunday 2-3 pm PT via Zoom. Mr. Buford will be joining us! There’s still time to sign up if you’re interested. To get ready for the discussion, I encourage you to… * Annotate the article with fellow Article Clubbers. * Come wit…

Hey Article Clubbers! Hope your April is going well. This month, we’re discussing “Baking Bread in Lyon,” by Bill Buford. It’s the story of following through on a dream: living in France and becoming a French-trained chef. (It’s about a bunch more, too, and very well-written, and a tear-jerker.) This week is all about going deeper. Here are some th…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we read, annotated, and discussed “A Lonely Occupation,” by Francesca Mari. Our conversation last Sunday was perhaps our deepest yet, thanks to everyone’s thoughtful contributions and Elise’s expert facilitation. A couple weeks ago, Article Clubber and facilitator Sarai and I got the chance to talk with Ms. M…

Hey Article Clubbers! Hope your March is going well. This month, we’re discussing “A Lonely Occupation,” by Francesca Mari. (Here’s the original version.) It explores the effects of gentrification, including how real estate developers hire homeless people to house-sit empty homes undergoing renovation. This week is all about reading and annotating …

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “How the Black Vote Became a Monolith,” by Theodore R. Johnson, senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice. Hope you’ll join us! (We are expecting a record turnout of kind, thoughtful people.) Here’s a little blurb about the article: Black people vote overwhelmin…

Welcome to February! I’m excited to announce that this month’s article is “How the Black Vote Became a Monolith,” by Theodore R. Johnson. It is a powerful piece worthy of our deep reading, reflection, and conversation. Published in The New York Times Magazine last September, the article explores the history of the Black electorate in the United Sta…

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “Motherland,” by Jiayang Fan, staff writer at The New Yorker. Hope you’ll join us! The article explores the relationship between Ms. Fan and her mother, who lives with ALS in a long-term acute-care facility in Harlem, with the support of two around-the-clock aides. Wh…

Welcome to 2021! Hope your new year has begun well. After a month-long break, I’m excited to announce that this month’s article is “Motherland,” by Jiayang Fan. It is a powerful piece worthy of our deep reading, reflection, and conversation. Published in The New Yorker in September, the article explores the relationship between Ms. Fan and her moth…