Article Club

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 the article. Plus, for the second month in a row, I have a surprise — an audio recording of the article, thanks to the generosity and talent of fellow Article Clubber Jennifer. If you’re as grateful as I am, please share your appreciation in the comments!

Just hearing about Article Club? It’s not too late to sign up for this month’s discussion. We’re meeting on Sunday, March 28, 2:00 - 3:15 pm PT, via Zoom. Sign up here!

Are you new to Article Club? If so, welcome! We look forward to meeting you and having your voice in the conversation.

Coming up this month at Article Club

* Monday 3/22: We’ll hear Ms. Mari’s thoughts about the article.

* Sunday 3/28: We’ll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.

Questions? Share them in the comments or email me at [email protected].

Article Club is an experiment in community reading in its second year. We read, annotate, and discuss one outstanding article or book chapter a month. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you’re interested, sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com

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 overwhelmingly for Democrats, but that doesn’t mean they’re all liberal (far from) or that trends can’t change (they have before). In this well-written article, Theodore R. Johnson explains how Reconstruction, the Great Migration, the Voting Rights Act, and the Southern strategy contributed to what appears to be Black people’s monolithic voting patterns. “Why do a vast majority of Black Americans, despite our diverse politics, vote the same?” Dr. Johnson asks. “Because our rights are always on the ballot.”

Last week, Article Clubber and co-facilitator Sarai and I got the chance to talk with Dr. Johnson and ask him some of our questions. I hope you will take a listen! Most of all, I want to appreciate Dr. Johnson for generously sharing his time and thoughtfulness with us.

After listening to the interview, please share your thoughts in the comments. What resonated with you? What surprised you?

Want to join this month’s discussion? We’re meeting Sunday, Feb. 28, 2-3:15 pm PT via Zoom. Read this for more information, then feel free to sign up by saying “I’m in!” in the comments.

Article Club is an experiment in community reading in its second year. Every month, we read, annotate, and discuss one great article, and the author participates, too! If you’re interested, sign up and check us out. Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com

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 States and challenges simplistic conclusions about prevailing voting patterns. Here’s my original blurb:

Black people vote overwhelmingly for Democrats, but that doesn’t mean they’re all liberal (far from) or that trends can’t change (they have before). In this well-written article, Theodore R. Johnson explains how Reconstruction, the Great Migration, the Voting Rights Act, and the Southern strategy contributed to what appears to be Black people’s monolithic voting patterns. “Why do a vast majority of Black Americans, despite our diverse politics, vote the same?” Dr. Johnson asks. ”Because our rights are always on the ballot.” (21 min)

Dr. Johnson is senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice. He investigates how race influences electoral politics and has written articles for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times Magazine. His most recent piece was “Raphael Warnock and the Solitude of the Black Senator,” published last month.

I hope you’ll join me and fellow Article Clubbers in discussing this article! Our discussion will be on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2:00 - 3:15 pm PT, via Zoom.

Are you IN? I hope so. If so, here’s what to do:

* Sign up by leaving a comment. Say hi, announce that you’re IN, and share with other Article Clubbers what drew you to join this month’s discussion.

* Read and annotate the article. (Here’s the original if you prefer it.)

* Optional: Listen to the article! (This is a new feature! More details below.)

One more (very important) thing: I have a surprise for you! For the first time ever, you can also listen to the article. My friend and fellow Article Clubber Jennifer has generously read this month’s article for your listening pleasure. (She could make it big in the voice over industry.) It’s available in today’s podcast episode. You can click the play button above or click the link “listen in podcast app.” Hope you like it!

Coming up this month at Article Club

* Monday 2/15: We’ll listen to Dr. Johnson talk about his article.

* Monday 2/22: We’ll share questions and topics we want to explore.

* Sunday 2/28: We’ll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.

Questions? Share them in the comments or email me at [email protected].

Article Club is an experiment in community reading in its second year. We read, annotate, and discuss one outstanding article or book chapter a month. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you’re interested, sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com

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. When COVID-19 hits and New York closes down in early April, the aides are told they must leave the nursing home immediately, which prompts Ms. Fan, in an act of desperation, to seek help on Twitter. In trying to save her mother’s life, Ms. Fan faces an intense backlash from Chinese nationalists, calling her mother’s fate an appropriate comeuppance for Ms. Fan’s traitorous reporting of the Chinese government.

Last week, I got the chance to talk with Ms. Fan and ask her some of our questions. I hope you will take a listen! Most of all, I want to appreciate Ms. Fan for generously sharing her time and thoughtfulness with us.

After listening to the interview, please share your thoughts in the comments. What resonated with you? What surprised you?

Want to join this month’s discussion? We’re meeting Sunday, Jan. 24, 2-3:15 pm PT via Zoom. Read this for more information, then feel free to sign up!

Article Club is an experiment in community reading in its second year. Every month, we read, annotate, and discuss one great article, and the author participates, too! If you’re interested, sign up and check us out. Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com

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 mother, who lives with ALS in a long-term acute-care facility in Harlem, with the support of two around-the-clock aides. When COVID-19 hits and New York closes down in early April, the aides are told they must leave the nursing home immediately, which prompts Ms. Fan, in an act of desperation, to seek help on Twitter. In trying to save her mother’s life, Ms. Fan faces an intense backlash from Chinese nationalists, calling her mother’s fate an appropriate comeuppance for Ms. Fan’s traitorous reporting of the Chinese government.

“Motherland” was voted best article of 2020 by Longform. It’s gripping, personal, and beautifully written. I hope you’ll join fellow Article Clubbers in discussing it.

Ms. Fan is a staff writer at The New Yorker and reports on a range of topics, including China, American politics, and culture. She has covered the democracy movement in Hong Kong, elite high schools in New York, and the film, “Crazy Rich Asians.”

Are you IN? If so, here’s what to do:

* Leave a comment. Say hi, announce that you’re IN, and share with other Article Clubbers what drew you to join this month’s discussion.

* Sign up for the discussion on Sunday, January 24, 2-3:15 pm PT (via Zoom).

* Read and annotate the article. (Here’s the original if you prefer it.)

Coming up this month at Article Club

* Monday 1/11: We’ll listen to Ms. Fan talk about her article.

* Monday 1/18: We’ll share questions and topics we want to explore.

* Sunday 1/24: We’ll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.

Questions? Share them in the comments or email me at [email protected].

Article Club is an experiment in community reading in its second year. We read, annotate, and discuss one outstanding article or book chapter a month. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you’re interested, sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading and discussing “Theater of Forgiveness,” by Hafizah Geter, poet and author of Un-American. The article explores the intergenerational rage that emerges from our society’s expectation that Black people forgive the atrocities that white people commit.

Last week, my friend and colleague Sarai Bordeaux and I got the chance to talk with Ms. Geter and ask her some of our questions. I hope you will take a listen!

Most of all, I want to appreciate Ms. Geter for generously sharing her time and thoughtfulness with us. Also, thank you, Sarai, for facilitating the conversation.

Here are just a few of my favorite moments:

“I’m writing about and for Black and African people. How do we understand the narrative of ourselves in this place, when the narrative that has been written in the mass culture is one that is so dangerous, so toxic, and so deeply untrue?”

“To be Black, you’re constantly on the stage, constantly having to perform a certain type of acceptability to be safe, and even then, you can’t even bird watch. How do you find your life again when you’ve lived in the performance the entire time?”

“I would argue that Black happiness is what makes us so dangerous.”

“Reading is the most important thing. People always say, Reading is a solitary activity, which I don’t understand. The first time you experience a book, someone is reading to you, so you can never ever be alone again. I think it’s so deeply important that people are reading the work of Black scholars, but especially Black trans activists, and disability justice activists, because the work has been done, and so much of what we do has just been reinventing the wheel. The more activists that I have read, it helps me remember my own life from outside of a white gaze.”

After listening to the interview, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Did anything surprise you or change your ideas about the article?

Want to join next week’s discussion? We’re meeting Sunday, Nov. 22, 2-3 pm PT via Zoom. Read this for more information, then feel free to sign up!

Article Club is a newish experiment in community reading. We read and discuss one outstanding article or book chapter every month. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you’re interested, sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com

Happy Monday, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading, annotating, and discussing “Theater of Forgiveness,” by Hafizah Geter, which explores the intergenerational pain and anguish caused by our society’s expectation that Black people forgive the atrocities that white people commit.

Sound interesting? Read this to catch up and join this month’s discussion on Nov. 22.

Also, I am very excited to announce that longtime loyal Highlighter reader Sarai Bordeaux will co-facilitate this month’s discussion. Two years ago, when this article first appeared in The Highlighter, Sarai was the first person to reach out and want to engage in conversation. She’s wonderful, and in this week’s podcast episode, you get to meet her. Please enjoy!

This week is all about how we’re experiencing the article so far. Don’t be shy. Share your first impressions by leaving a comment. Also, feel free to include questions you’d like us to ask Ms. Geter when Sarai and I interview her later this week. Thank you!

Coming up at Article Club

* Sunday 11/15: We’ll listen to Ms. Geter talk about her article.

* Sunday 11/22: We’ll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers. Please sign up for a discussion if you haven’t yet: 2-3 pm or 4-5 PT.

Article Club is a newish experiment in community reading. We read and discuss one outstanding article or book chapter a month. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you’re interested, sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading and discussing “Miranda’s Rebellion,” by Stephanie McCrummen, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at The Washington Post. It’s a great article that explores the political transformation of a white suburban woman in Georgia and her reticence to share her new beliefs with her conservative friends and family.

Last week, I got the chance to talk with Ms. McCrummen and ask her some of our questions. She was generous and thoughtful. In our discussion, you’ll be able to tell how dedicated she is to reporting and to the craft of journalism. I hope you will take a listen!

After listening to the interview, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Did anything surprise you or change your ideas about the article?

Article Club is a newish experiment in community reading. We read and discuss one outstanding article or book chapter every month. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you’re interested, sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com

Welcome to October! I’m excited to announce that this month’s article is “Miranda’s Rebellion,” by Stephanie McCrummen. You’re going to love it. (Or maybe it’s more accurate to say, You’ll have strong feelings about it.)

Featured back in March in Issue #233, “Miranda’s Rebellion” explores the political transformation of a white suburban woman in Georgia and her reticence to share her new beliefs with her conservative friends and family. Here’s my original blurb:

The perfect Southern belle, Miranda Murphey grew up outside Augusta, Georgia, in a wealthy, religious, and conservative military family. She married her college sweetheart, who called her “Bombshell,” and has voted Republican all her life. But since the last election, Miranda has found herself making new friends, including Liz, who brandishes an RBG sticker on her cellphone. “Are you changing?” her friends and husband ask. Miranda doesn’t like making people feel uncomfortable, and she loves her husband, but she feels at odds with a world she once knew. At a dinner out, Miranda has a fight with Liz, and when she gets home, she sees her husband’s truck outside, and says, “I struggle with this.” It’s not clear which struggle she’s talking about. (22 min)

A national reporter at The Washington Post, Ms. McCrummen won the Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for investigative reporting. Along with Beth Reinhard and Alice Crites, Ms. McCrummen revealed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore’s past sexual harassment of teenage girls and his attempts to cover up the scandal. She will be answering our questions in a podcast episode later this month.

Are you IN? If so, here’s what to do:

* Leave a comment. Say hi, announce that you’re IN, and share with other Article Clubbers what drew you to join this month’s discussion.

* Read and annotate the article. (Here’s the original if you prefer it.)

* Sign up for a discussion on Sunday, October 25 — 2-3 pm or 4-5 pm PT (via Zoom).

Coming up this month at Article Club

* Sunday 9/11: We’ll share our first impressions of the article.

* Sunday 9/18: We’ll listen to Ms. McCrummen talk about the article.

* Sunday 9/25: We’ll discuss the article with fellow Article Clubbers.

Questions? Share them in the comments or email me at [email protected].

Article Club is an experiment in community reading. We read and discuss one outstanding article or book chapter a month. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you’re interested, sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com

Hi there, Article Clubbers! This month, we’re reading and discussing “I Went to Disney World,” by Graeme Wood, writer at The Atlantic and author of The Way of the Strangers: Encounters With the Islamic State. It’s a great article that explores the reopening of “the happiest place on Earth” smack dab in the middle of this summer’s surge of the coronavirus. Besides being hilarious, the piece brings up serious questions as well, like whether Disney as a private corporation might provide better governance than our actual government.

Last week, I got the chance to talk with Mr. Wood and ask him some of our questions. He was generous and thoughtful — and shared some extra details about his Disney visit. Please take a listen! Here’s an excerpt:

“I really believe that you cannot write about things that are serious without a sense of humor as well — and not just because it’s psychologically necessary, that is, it’s not just because you need to have a little happiness in your life to get by. No, I think because if you have nothing but solemnity in a piece, then no one believes in the solemnity. The solemnity actually doesn’t come through. It seems instead to be unreal. What you need is some relief, almost in the geographic sense, of high and low. The deeper the dark portions — that depth is revealed by the happiness in the higher portions. And you have to be honest about when that humor or that irony exists; otherwise, people will not understand how bad the darkness can be. You have to have both. If you don’t have one, then the other one will not actually land in the correct way. And also, you’re not going to be honest.”

After listening to the interview, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Did anything surprise you or change your ideas about the article?

There’s still time to join this month’s discussion. Read this first, then sign up!

Coming up at Article Club

* Sunday 9/27: We’ll discuss the article via Zoom. There’s still time to sign up for the 4-5 PT session!

Article Club is a newish experiment in community reading. We read and discuss one outstanding article or book chapter every month. We invite the author to join our conversation, too. If you’re interested, sign up and check us out! Article Club is part of The Highlighter, a weekly newsletter featuring the best articles on race, education, and culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com