God’s strongest and silliest soldiers
The girls decompress and share some fall recommendations.
It’s been almost two full weeks since Mike and I got back from my honeymoon, so I’ve reluctantly settled back into real life at this point. (Expect an essay inspired by ~my travels in the next issue!) And by settled in, I mean crash landed into a ton of plans because now that wedding month is over, I feel like I can finally see people and go places again. In the past week, I went to the annual carrot pull at the farm where I get my CSA box (incredible), had two dinner-and-a-movies (Priscilla and The Holdovers), caught up with Love Island Games (a must watch), and helped a friend move (I like organization, so weirdly fun for me). I also had a personal essay on How I Stopped Buying My Way Out of Everything published in Vox as part of their incredible Buy Less Stuff package — so safe to say, it’s been a busy but fun time being back! After sitting inside during a rainy summer, I’m set on having an incredible fall and stepping on as many crunchy leaves as possible in Boston as long as it’ll continue to let me. — LM
As you may know, it’s been getting dark out earlier. This annual personal affront to me and my interests has been going head to head with my bottle of Vitamin D, with varying results (which is probably my fault, as I have been generally inconsistent.) Anyway, please don’t play with me right now. In other news, I’ve seen a bunch of movies recently (do NOT see Iron Claw if you have not been taking your Vitamin D pills), been out to dinner a lot to the detriment of my pre-Black Friday savings fund (sorry to those like Lilly who are buying less, also I am so stoked about her Vox debut), and went to Solidcore on Lilly’s recommendation AND pilates in the same week. As usual, I am one of God’s strongest and silliest soldiers. — MF
Hunter-gatherer corner
What we’ve read and DMed each other about lately — our internet bounty is below!
“The Terrifying Car Crash That Inspired a Masterpiece” by Ted Gentler - The New Yorker — I came across this year old New Yorker piece this week. While I hadn’t heard of the masterpiece inspired by the crash (Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson), this story made me desperately want to learn more. While there is certainly a lot of tragedy here, both in the crash and in Johnson’s life otherwise, this piece finds glimmers of beauty and levity in it. — LM
“Park Slope Parents Is Old Enough to Order a Drink” by Emily Gould - Curbed — I honestly love a profile about a subject that has absolutely nothing to do with me or my life, and Park Slope Parents founder Susan Fox is just that. I didn’t know much about the forum before this story, outside of my assumption that it was just a place for rich moms to be catty with each other. It turns out, it is that — but it’s also a place where Fox and her site’s medical advisor Dr. Philippa Gordon combat anti-vax and pseudoscience on the front lines, provide valuable advice to nervous mothers raising newborns, and so much more. — LM
“You Can Learn To Be Photogenic” by Michael Waters - The Atlantic — My friend Michael always kills it, and I thought the studies cited in the article was interesting, as someone who has recently become someone who spends a lot of time thinking about my own face — “[We are] terrible judges of what we look like to other people. Thus, when we insist that we are not photogenic, we probably don’t know what we are talking about.” — MF
“The Makings of a Literary It-Girl” by Sophia June - Nylon — This exploration of a new generation of book release marketing was an interesting read, and it was fun to hear about the way
thought about how to promote Happy Hour (which I’m reading right now!) This article also has me brainstorming for Michael’s book release in June 2024, and for our This Is Why! anniversary party (more to come, watch this space!) — MF“Jacob Elordi Is The Number One Baby Girl” by Alex-Abad Santos - Vox — Like Lilly, I also recently saw Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, and he’s BEEN my white boy of the month for several months already. I need him BAD. — MF
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Why Not?
Why Not? is our biweekly list of recommendations. Think recipes, gift guides, podcasts, clothes, and anything we consider to be generally chic. Have a suggestion? Let us know!
Priscilla (dir. Sofia Coppola) — I was on Tumblr in the 2010s so I obviously love Sofia Coppola’s movies, and Priscilla was no exception. It was beautifully shot and occasionally funny and often sad, and really made the audience sit in the loneliness that Priscilla grew up in while living in Graceland. Highly recommend! — LM
The Holdovers (dir. Alexander Payne) — This movie, which I knew nothing about going into the theater, surprised and delighted me. Its spin on the somewhat classic trope of a ragtag group making the most of being stuck together is so tender and lovely, and had me alternating between giggling and tearing up just about the whole time. Plus, its soft 70s setting and aesthetic provided just the coziness I needed in late fall. — LM
An Enemy of the People on Broadway — Speaking of white boys, I just got my tickets to see Jeremy Strong and Michael Imperioli on Broadway in the spring. No idea what goes on in this play and it’s not for months, but figured I should flag if that combination sounds as amazing to you as it does to me. — MF
Love Island Games — I’m pretty sure everything in my life has been leading up to the release of Love Island Games. It may be the reason I’m on this earth. Every night at 9 PM I’ve been tuning in to watch ridiculous Americans, Aussies, and Brits put on bizarre costumes and do senseless challenges all while taking themselves so, so seriously. And every night when it ends, I wish there was more. If you are a Love Island fan, you need to give it a try. — LM
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende — I’ll admit that this was a pretty intense read to bring on my honeymoon, but I contain multitudes. And I’m obviously late to the Isabel Allende party (The House of the Spirits was my first Allende book, but definitely won’t be my last) as I’m recommending a book that’s been a bestseller for 40 years, but this multigenerational tale is timeless. — LM
Cranberry Curd Tart - NYT Cooking — Thanksgiving is coming up, and if you’re looking for a recipe that’s not too difficult but that will highly impress your family, this is the one. I made this beautiful red tart last year and it was a hit! I decreased the sugar because I love a tart tart (sorry, I had to) but would be interested in trying the recipe as written in the future as well.
Pasta Amatriciana - NYT Cooking — It can be so important for girls to make pasta amatriciana with a side of arugula salad on a weeknight. This is a recipe for when you have nothing in your house but still want a filling meal. For the world’s laziest salad, I just toss arugula with a little olive oil, fresh lemon juice, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Yum! — LM
Spiced Chickpea Stew With Coconut and Turmeric - Alison Roman — After two weeks of eating out for every meal, I made this soup for Mike and I the day after we returned from our honeymoon to revive us. It did the trick! It’s comforting while still complex — and for some reason, I always just feel like I’m participating in Wellness whenever I have turmeric. — LM
Plain red nails — I know, groundbreaking, but I love to get designs or some variation of a french, and it’s different FOR ME. Red nail theory all the way aside, it really is just a powerful, simple manicure pick. —MF
If you liked this issue, you’re our new white boy of the month! Tell us your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram (@lilly_milman | @melindafakuade), and share it with Jacob Elordi (please!!)