Writing for the End of Summer
One of my favorite authors, Leslie Jamison, made a Twitter thread asking for pieces of writing concerning the end of a relationship and so, I was reminded to make my own poetry reading list for the end of summer although I'm not focusing on a particular topic.
“A Telephone Call” by Dorothy Parker — This short essay is personally attacking 19-year-old Dhaaruni.
“The Agony of Intimacy” by Jeanette Winterson — I’ve always loved Winterson and in particular, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? changed my perspective on a lot of things, particularly my own brain, and coming across this essay was a breath of fresh air not least because it’s one of the most objectively well-written essays I’ve read in a long time.
“The Commuting Principle That Shaped Urban History” by Jonathan English — I found this piece so fascinating since I’m not so secretly a huge history buff despite not taking a single history class since the 11th grade. Generally speaking, my area of expertise is more along the lines of the love affairs of the aristocracy but I still genuinely enjoy learning more about the world that preceded us and our ancestors hence the inclusion of this article on this list.
“Outlaw Kings and Rebellion Chic” by Alister MacQuarrie — I am recently obsessed with Les Misérables and this piece fits right into my current frame of mind. All I have to say is that a lot of people who are ostensibly focused on revolution are not into eradicating the social hierarchy but erecting a new social hierarchy with themselves on top.
“Darkly funny, desperate and full of rage: what makes a millennial novel?” by Olivia Sudjic — As the article says, (barely since I was born on the cusp of Gen Z), millennial women are often overeducated, underpaid, childless, self-loathing, precarious, ironic, anxious and full of rage and while I am not self-loathing (which is ironically a reason that certain people loathe me), I am definitely anxious and full of rage. It’s worth noting that the millennial woman is almost always designated as unequivocally white and wealthy but I still think this piece has value.
“Athleisure, Barre and Kale: The Tyranny of the Ideal Woman” by Jia Tolentino — As someone that loves athleisure and barre (although I draw the line at kale when it’s not deep fried), I really appreciated this article since it addresses something I’ve been processing for a while: I might objectively love the things I do for the sake of wellness but I don’t know if I love them for the sake of them or because they make me feel more attractive and more liked for it. Just some food for thought.
“The Casualties of Women's War on Body Hair” by Nadine Ajaka — I agree with this article wholeheartedly since for the life of me, I can’t figure out whether I shave because I want to or because I feel obligated to. I think the personal isn’t political to some extent but to some extent, I agree that it is and I just wish I knew the proportion it was and wasn’t.
“Anne of Green Gables: Patron Saint of Girls Who Ask Too Many Questions” by J. Courtney Sullivan — The title says it all and like Nancy Drew that came after her, Anne Shirley speaks for us girls who look for trouble and often face the consequences of it.
“The Making of a Millennial Woman” by Rebecca Liu — This is the only article I found that was remotely critical of the extreme whiteness of Fleabag and for that at least, I have to include it on this list.
“Where Was My Hero’s Journey?, My Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl?” by Janet Fitch — This piece by the author of White Oleander was excellent and expressed a lot of my frustrations about growing up female in a world that doesn’t think our specifically female experiences are particularly important.