It’s Put Your Kids to Work Day
At least in this newsletter.
Today is Take Your Kid to Work Day, and the office is predictably a horrorshow. I gave up on interviewing Allison P. Davis about her latest masterwork and let my son Raffi do it for me. Also: Maris Kreizman walks me through the moments that revolutionized her politically, and a poll you absolutely must respond to. —Emily Gould
TRAVEL ISSUES
How Allison P. Davis Attempted to Overcome Her Fear of Flying
A foray into journalism by a 10-year-old (not Allison).
Allison P. Davis has been afraid of flying for a while, but recent aviation disasters have made her more so, and season two of The Rehearsal hasn’t helped. Neither has the fact that, as she depressingly reminds us, “the secretary of Transportation is a cast member from a lesser season of The Real World.” So she did a special training to overcome her fear. Did it work? Raphael Gessen-Gould decided to get to the bottom of it in a roundabout way.
Marvel or DC?
Marvel, sadly.
Wait, you like Marvel?
I do like Marvel — I have three older brothers.
Finally someone here who likes Marvel.
I just started watching Ironheart on Disney+! Marvel's still so good.
My favorite character was definitely Iron Man because of his sacrifice.
I like Iron Man so much! And he's the funniest.
So did you have any initial regrets when you got on the plane or was it just smooth sailing from then on?
I regret every time I book a trip because it means I have to then get on the flight I booked. For example, right now I am flying to [redacted] for vacation, and I'm praying the flight gets canceled because I feel mysteriously anxious. But for the most part, when I get on the plane, it's pretty smooth. It's just my brain that's the unsmooth problem.
I see. I read a book about anxiety to help it. I suggest that you watch a horrible movie like Snow White (no offense if you like that movie; just my opinion), because what are the chances of two disasters happening at the same time? Interview over, I think I have succeeded.
THE DINNER PARTY SURVEY
Who Will Record the ‘Firework’ of Presidents’ Day?
There’s a hole in the marketplace, and your ideas can help fill it.
Yesterday in the Dinner Party chat, Intelligencer senior editor Margaret Hartmann pointed out that Katy Perry is a genius for recording what’s become the official song of Fourth of July celebrations: “It's her ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You.’ She'll be able to find work when she’s 80 thanks to that song!” Then we went off on a tangent about whether Katy is currently past the nadir of her villain arc and whether, if she hires a new stylist and distances herself from Lauren Sánchez, her divorce could be the beginning of a comeback story. But that’s not the point, sorry! For our next Dinner Party Survey, we want to know:
Which pop girlie should record a new holiday-themed song that gets played every year on that holiday, à la “Firework,” by Katy Perry, and "All I Want for Christmas Is You,” by the genius Mariah Carey? Think of the possibilities! Sabrina Carpenter now defines the experience of Presidents’ Day. Doja Cat rules the airwaves every year on Rosh Hashanah. Bonus points for titling a song or writing lyrics.
BOOK GOSSIP
How Maris Kreizman Went From Centrist to Leftist in Ten Easy Hard Steps Years
In her new book of essays, the pop-culture writer traces her political awakening.
Maris Kreizman was taught to believe that, in America, everything she wanted could be hers if she worked hard enough, that the cops protected us, and that the diabetes medicine she required in order to survive would always be available to her and everyone else who needs it. None of that is the case anymore. In her new essay collection, I Want to Burn This Place Down, she writes in a lucid, approachable way about how she went from Bill Clinton fan to card-carrying DSA member. Plus, she says, she’s willing to absorb any flak that comes her way for speaking her mind about her beliefs. We talked on the phone last week. The book launches tonight (I’ll be there!)
What would you say was the biggest turning-point moment for you?
It was really in 2017, 2018, when I realized that people were dying, not because diabetes is a hard disease to manage but because they simply couldn't afford the insulin required to manage it. Trump had taken over, but the prices of insulin had shot up so insanely during the Obama years, and I realized that in a country where we have enough money, something is really wrong if people are not able to get the medical care they need.
You write about that in such a moving and specific way, and you do a great job of linking your personal story with this much larger issue. Before I read your book, I didn't realize that I had a very Babysitter's Club understanding of type 1 diabetes. I didn't realize how much constant consciousness of your disease you’re required to have and how life-threatening it can be if you let your guard down even very briefly. And to add to that, you’ve also been diagnosed with OCD.
I can't separate the fact that I am diabetic and I have obsessive compulsive disorder because it really did something to my brain. It's something to always dwell on. Maybe everyone isn't like this, but I've talked to enough people who also have diabetes to know that this is kind of true.
Where did you fall on the political spectrum when you were just starting out in your career in your early 20s and working in publishing, and where are you now?
I think I would've said that I was a left-leaning Democrat back then, but I wasn't. I was a centrist for sure. In 2017, I started thinking about joining the DSA and then in 2018 I finally did. I don't love everything that they do, but it encompasses enough of the things I value. For a long time I used to mouth off about Bernie bros, and I still think they're assholes, but that doesn't mean Bernie doesn't have a lot of good ideas.
The overarching story of your book is, and you make this pretty explicit, is that it's about being a part of a generation that was inundated with cultural messaging about a future that we were promised when we were at our most impressionable. And that is not the country and not the future that we're currently living in.
One of the things that I think about in the book a lot that I think is true is that when we were getting these messages as late Gen X or elder millennial kids, we didn't have a lot of sources of information. We didn't learn to be critical of any of the things that we were told by our politicians or community members.
I want to talk about Judaism for a second. I think you've been really brave and principled and outspoken about being a Jew who supports the rights of Palestinians and decries the atrocities in Gaza. Have you experienced any sort of backlash in your personal life or in your internet life?
I've been so disappointed by the defensiveness of many American Jews. I grew up going to temple. They collected money for Israel all the time. Israel was our given place as Jews. Did I hear about Palestinians? Maybe on the news. Certainly not in Hebrew school. When I first learned what the Nabka was, I was like, No, you're kidding, right? Because we just weren't told. In 2025, you can go and seek that information for yourself. But back then I just didn't know what I didn't know. And now it feels so inexcusable to not try to know.
I’ve lost a couple of friends and it hurts, but I wouldn't change anything. There were a few professional consequences when I wrote in Lit Hub about the Jewish Book Council opening up a database to record antisemitic events. I am mostly a freelancer, and I don't know how I would feel if I had a full-time job and was receiving benefits. But I had less to lose, I guess, than other people at the moment. And so that felt like a good position to start yelling from.
Click Your Way Out
How many of these queer beach reads have you read? I’ve read seven, but I want to read them all.
I’m on the hunt for new beach towels, but I’ve cut myself off from buying any more sandals or sweaters for the moment. Regardless of what your needs/non-needs are, you probably should take a look at all the best Fourth of July sales. (Or sign up for the Strategist’s Sales Alert newsletter.)
Recession indicator? Early Tumblr employee (not early enough to get rich, sadly) Meaghan O’Connell has a new blog (just as genius as the old blog).
Ballerina Farm visited NYC and its fancy grocery stores, maybe to imitate them better in Utah?
No matter what else tomorrow brings, here’s one nice thing: It won’t be Take Your Kid to Work Day!