Outside Reading #6

The end of summer vacation/back to school edition - plus, get mail from me!

This edition of Outside Reading is coming to you about a week later than usual (I had a relatively minor but still focus-zapping case of COVID!) but what is time but a capitalist illusion, anyway?

Before we dive into it, I have a little announcement and invitation.

Would you love to receive a real deal, in the mail, letter + gift from me - from Mexico City?

I ask because I'm picking up little surprises to send to my paid subscribers at the end of this month! If you are already a paid subscriber (thank you!!), find the details below the paywall at the end of this post.

If you aren't yet a paid subscriber and to get in on the gift getting, upgrade your subscription to the paid level before September 18 and you will receive a gift and personalized note from me as well!

Now, onto the list.

Grocery stores are the best travel souvenir shops (The Washington Post)

I love picking up foodstuffs when I travel at grocery stores and cafes! It's the best way to extend the vacation vibes in my opinion. I just finished my bottle of Alfred's World Famous Vanilla Syrup in one last latte, and each time I used it it brought me back to a memorable friend meet-up there in LA this summer when I picked it up.


Culture Study Meets Bama RushTok (Culture Study)

If, like me, you've heard of RushTok but don't need another useless digital rabbit hole to fall into, this is an excellent, smart, nuanced guide into what the hell is happening and why these sororities are so damn white. Is anyone else out there like me, with my entire understanding of sororities coming from the movie Legally Blonde (I went to a college with no sororities or fraternities, which was a selling point for me)?


Baggy Jeans and Baby Tees: Back to School Special (After School)

Why am I obsessed with teenagers (in an intellectual way, not a creepy way!) and their television shows, back to school trends, and everything else? I don't know. Maybe it's an inner child/teenager healing thing. Nonetheless, this is what the kids are into these days, curated by one of my favorite newsletters all about trend forecasting and associated social commentary.