7.3, amazing, enjoyable times
What’s the use of doing all this work if we don't get some fun out of this? Rosalind Franklin
Friends:
I’m currently reading “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: A Novel” by Taylor Jenkins Reid (@tjenkinsreid).
Here’s the book’s description: “Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?”
I’m about 30% of the way through, and it’s really good. I keep wanting to know what’s next (I have a few suspicions), which is the hallmark of great writing. If you’ve read it, don’t send me any spoilers yet 🙂!
Happy Women’s History month, and on with the links!
The Rundown
I’ve shared this article before and I’ll continue to share it. Especially during Women’s History Month. It’s so important, for everyone. But, especially, for women.
Find More Ways to Be an Outsider
As an immigrant, I relate to this.
But just because a journey to the unfamiliar was voluntary doesn’t make it easy: Being an outsider can be lonely and difficult, especially if all the strangers around you seem to know and understand one another. Your instincts might tell you that uprooting yourself was a terrible decision, that the benefits you sought are much smaller than the costs you are bearing. You might even wonder if you’ll ever be happy again.
Rosalind Franklin: the power of unbounded curiosity
She approached problem-solving in very useful ways.
Rosalind Franklin was a groundbreaking scientist whose story is tied to the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. Franklin and her Ph.D. student used x-ray technology to photograph DNA that showed the molecule’s structure.
However, when two other well-known scientists published a paper about the double-helix findings, they never gave Franklin credit for her contributions. Those scientists – Crick and Watson – went on to win a Nobel Prize. Franklin was never acknowledged.
...Franklin became an expert in creating clear x-ray diffraction images of different viruses. These images paved the way for scientists to break the genetic code and use DNA sequencing to understand viruses. These methods are still used today to investigate viruses such as COVID-19.
Spot the Scammer with Claire Fallon and Emma Gray from Normal Gossip (podcast) (60min)
“Normal Gossip delivers juicy, strange, funny, and utterly banal gossip about people you'll never know and never meet.”
Covid-19 has deprived us of low-stakes incidental gossip. So, here’s a podcast about a girls trip gone very very wrong. As Claire says, “This is why you don't travel with friends.”
Evelyn is a scammer!
How tainted is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 25 years on?
This is my number one favorite television show of all time. It’s also the product of a highly flawed man.
Whedon's mission statement of delivering "the joy of female power" does not always seem to have manifested behind the scenes or in front of the camera. And yet, 25 years on, one cannot deny the importance of what Buffy the Vampire Slayer did, in centring several strong female characters within a populist genre format, thereby pushing the boundaries of what was expected from a female-led TV series.
Below the Fold 👀
❤️ RIP to Stephen Wilhite, creator of the GIF
🐼Turning Red' is a turning point for Asians in film. Why is it seen as unrelatable?
👟 Americans are stuck in unhealthy pandemic habits. Here's how to reboot
✌🏾A database of the paid family leave benefit policies for over 480 companies in the US #ShowUsYourLeave
✉️ A letter of advice from a mother to her daughter
life divides into AMAZING ENJOYABLE TIMES and APPALLING EXPERIENCES THAT WILL MAKE FUTURE AMAZING ANECDOTES. However awful, you can get through any experience if you imagine yourself, in the future, telling your friends about it as they scream, with increasing disbelief, ‘NO! NO!’ Even when Jesus was on the cross, I bet He was thinking, ‘When I rise in three days, the disciples aren’t going to believe this when I tell them about it.’
Tweet of the Week 😎 ☀️
Okay, folks! Be your best selves. Best of wishes for a great week ahead! Thanks for reading!
Before you leave
This newsletter respects your time and attention. It's a labor of love for the chronically curious. Share it with someone else who likes to know.