From the creators of Ear Hustle, The Loop is a six-part podcast about kids caught up in the criminal justice system in New York City and the innovative programs trying to keep them—and others like them—out of it. Longtime readers will know of my fondness for Ear Hustle (well before it was a bonafide hit, I might add), and I’m very happy to see that show’s main duo, Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, bring their talents to a somewhat different topic. The first episode premiered this week, but I’m eagerly awaiting the finale, which documents the incredible partnership between the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and Riker’s Island. Twice a month, the museum closes to the public to allow incarcerated parents to be reunited with their kids for special uncuffed visits. I worked at the Children’s Museum for six months in high school and have fond memories of the experience, but I had no idea this program existed.
-DW
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I don’t think anyone who knows me would ever describe me as a runner. Outdoorsy, maybe. Erstwhile yogi, sure. Competitive, definitely. But a runner? No. So please hear me out when I say that Offfield’s High Performance Energy Gummies are maybe the most effective edibles I’ve ever tried when it comes to delivering on a promise. One of these little guys taken 30 minutes before I head out the door is enough to get me through a two to three mile run (a very big deal). Friends of mine who can more credibly be considered actual runners also swear by them, particularly for longer-distance outings (in which case they take two). But you don’t have to be a runner to benefit. I took one before an SLT class earlier this week and was all the more grateful for it. I’m thrilled to have these on the site, and am excited for you all to try them and to hear what you think! (Any NYC marathon runners out there? I can’t wait to cheer you on!)
-VvP
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I’m going to have to amend my very public stance on non-fiction to account for my newfound love of memoirs and biographies consumed as audiobooks. I recently finished a delightful listen of Lorne, Susan Morrison’s exceptional biography of Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels. Critic A.O. Scott’s complimentary review for the New York Times describes the book as “a nearly 650-page magazine profile” which is probably why I love it. Covering Michaels’ Canadian upbringing through to the Trump bump years, Lorne is juicy, genuinely propulsive, and a very thorough peek behind the comedy curtain. I also really appreciated the way Morrison breaks up the more biographical components of Michaels’ life with a day-by-day account of the November 3rd, 2018 episode of Saturday Night Live featuring Jonah Hill and Maggie Rogers.
-VvP
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Per Verena’s recommendation, I’m currently listening to the audiobook version of Lorne (it was an intra-Gossamer High Praise recommendation prior to this email). And while the bio is very good so far, I want to call attention to tonight’s premiere of Downey Wrote That, the Peacock documentary about Jim Downey. If you’re an SNL fan, you’re probably aware of Downey’s long tenure on the show, from writer to head writer to fired writer back to writer. Over the course of his 30 non-consecutive years there, he wrote some of the show’s most memorable sketches (he coined the term “strategery,” for instance), and has had viral moments in his own right, like this Epstein bit. I have not seen the documentary yet, so I’ll be watching it at the same time as everybody else, but I have no doubt it’s very good, and very funny.
-DW
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Here’s one for our subscribers across the pond and anyone with a soft spot for lichen (oddly specific, I know). Maybe it’s the Pacific Northwesterner in me, but I love lichen. Like, really, really, really love it. If I had to categorize all my favorite colors into one defining scheme, I’d call it lichen. My favorite outfits are ones that could convincingly be described as “dressing like a lichen” (both texturally and chromatically). If I could nibble some mushrooms and walk through lichen-mantled woods every single weekend of my life, I’d probably be a much happier person. Anyway! This cover shot stopped my thumb in its mid-scroll tracks. Lichen: A Beginner’s Guide to the Lichens of the World is a series of illustrated “character studies” by artist and children’s book author Rob Hodgson. In a move that feels somewhat fitting for the topic, Lichen isn’t available for on-demand purchase. Instead, Hodgson has shipped it out to select U.K.-based retailers from which you’ll have to pick it up directly. Unfortunately for all of us, the stockist list hasn’t been released yet, but Hodgson promises it’s coming soon.
-VvP
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If you’re planning to attend Paris Art Week or will find yourself visiting the city for some other reason in the coming months, may I recommend you book a reservation (and a reservation you must book) at Magnolia? Located in the 9th (but a stone’s throw from Montmartre), Magnolia is a lovely little bistronomique restaurant that truly mixes the intelligence and quality of a fine dining establishment with the heart and warmth of a neighborhood bistro. It is the type of place where you’ll be welcomed with open arms (which is still not always the case in Paris, despite much improvement on that front), and want to eat everything on the menu. (I highly recommend the crab focaccia, all the tartares, the tuna, and the duck.) In a city full of hot new restaurants with impossible-to-get-reservations, I’d put Magnolia up against any of them—and you can actually get in (for now).
-DW
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