I truly wish that I did not have to open this feature by referencing something terrible that happened in the previous week as often as I do. This week, of course, I am referring to the awful mass shooting in Boulder; I don’t know about you, but I’m at the end of my rope with this sort of thing. I reached out to my senators to ask them to support stricter gun laws. We just can’t go on like this.
Also, if you live in Georgia, Alabama, or Tennessee, I hope you and yours made it through last night’s terrifying tornadoes okay.
Anyway. Here’s my pivot to other stuff:
Jessica Walter — a truly top-tier Jessica, perhaps the best of us — died yesterday. This is a great interview with her at The AV Club about a variety of her roles.
Elle also had a great interview with her in 2019.
So good, at The New Yorker: Ann Lowe’s Barrier-Breaking Mid-Century Couture. (Piper Huguley is writing a novel about Ann Lowe and I am ANTSY TO READ IT.)
This is truly the end of an era, and a very interesting obituary: Jessica McClintock, 90, Dies; Dressed Generations in Lace and Satin [NYT]
In other interesting obituaries, Larry McMurtry also died this week; we literally were just talking about Lonesome Dove here a couple of days ago. He left behind SO much to read. [NYT]
A truly, truly fascinating read, and a wild ride: “How Sara Gruen Lost Her Life: The Water for Elephants author’s six-year fight to free an incarcerated man left her absolutely broke and critically ill.” [The Marshall Project]
Speaking of fascinating reads, several of you sent this in, and rightly so: “Sharon Stone Is Telling Her Side of the Story: The actress and star of films like “Basic Instinct” and “Casino” writes about her life, upbringing and brushes with death in a new memoir, “The Beauty of Living Twice.”” [NYT]
This is so great, at Time: Sesame Workshop Is Talking More Explicitly About Race—and Welcoming Two Black Muppets
Also great at Time: My White Adoptive Parents Struggled to See Me as Korean. Would They Have Understood My Anger at the Rise in Anti-Asian Violence?
Was VERY excited to see this piece at Vulture, as Heather and I talk about this ALL THE TIME: Reconsidering How We Considered Melissa Leo’s ‘Consider …’ Campaign
This is SO INTERESTING: Inside Caligula’s Pleasure Palace, History’s Original Hype House [T&C]
Wait, I need to know more about this! Ana de Armas addresses rumors that she’s back together with Ben Affleck [Celebitchy]
Service-y! Answering the Questions You Probably Don’t Have About the New ‘Game of Thrones’ Spinoffs. (I actually DID have some of these questions.) (One of them is a spin-off of a spin-off??!) [Pajiba]
This is so well-worth your time: Cathy Park Hong and Chanel Miller on Making Art Out of Grief: A Conversation [Glamour]
Really interesting look at why so many celebs write children’s books. [Romper]
The Angelina/Brad divorce is getting (continues to be?) very messy indeed. At Lainey: The Latest on World War Brange
This is heartwarming: Need a Vaccine Appointment? Call a Vaccine Angel [InStyle]
Super interesting! How Serge Ibaka, P.J. Tucker, Chris Paul, and Other NBA Stars Get Game-Ready With Fashion [Vanity Fair]
Enjoy arguing about THIS: The 32 Greatest Character Actors Working Today [Vulture]
Look, we’re all going through it. Here’s shirtless Chris Pine and a dog! [Lainey Gossip]
Yikes: Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show has lost 1 million viewers since ‘toxic workplace’ allegations [Socialite Life]
This is a GREAT, and very honest, interview: Sean Young on Surviving Hollywood’s Many Toxic Men [Daily Beast]
Fascinating, at WaPo: In the ’80s, she wrestled as Mad Maxine. Now her debut novel takes readers inside the ring.
Interesting: ‘Gladiator’ was about to win the Oscar 20 years ago. What those awards foretold. [LA Times]
This is juicy: America’s Covid Swab Supply Depends on Two Cousins Who Hate Each Other [Bloomberg Business Week]
And this is really compelling, and sad: Molly Martens Corbett Isn’t Perfect. But Does That Mean She’s a Murderer? [Elle]
Finally, I rounded up some cute stuff that might perk you up, AND we talked about the best places to get maternity clothing.
