A few weeks ago I went to my first “Silent Reading Party” sponsored by a lovely indie bookstore in my neighborhood, and I felt like I was participating in a quiet revolution. For several months now, I’ve seen bookstores all over the country– from NYC to LA– offering various spins on the concept of a […]
culture
Chewy Idea: “People Can’t Read a Room Because They Can’t Read a Book”
Yesterday, my personal algorithm delivered to me a post by a writer/critical thinker who goes by AyaConnects on Instagram, who in this post shared her thoughts about the existential and socio-political consequences of the literacy crisis in America. She titled the post, “People Can’t Read a Room Because They Can’t Read a Book: The contingent […]
8 Cool Paris Art Galleries For Your Bucket List
Paris, France is defacto one of the world’s best cities for art lovers, with a mix of elegant modern galleries and timeless global treasures like the Louvre equally accessible to those living in or exploring the city. The cultural predilection for avant-garde aesthetics and simultaneous access to antiquities, moreover, make discovering art in Paris a […]
We Need More Collective Effervescence
During a recent conversation over coffee with a friend, I was reminded of a term I first learned from a Brené Brown conversation with musician Dave Grohl at ACL Festival in 2023: “collective effervescence”. Collective Effervescence is a feeling of energy and harmony that people feel when they engage enthusiastically in a shared purpose. It […]
How Cold Therapy Became a Pop Culture Phenomenon: Ice Baths, Cold Plunges, The Wim Hof Method & Beyond
Amid the discerning consumers of post-pandemic wellness culture– in which the prospects for future thriving look increasingly like things we used to do in the past— ice baths and cold plunges are having a pop culture renaissance. I first heard about cold plunging almost ten years ago, when the talking heads in the New York […]
Understanding Ho’oponopono: A Beautiful Hawaiian Teaching About Forgiveness
People who struggle with the concept of forgiveness– both for themselves and for others– often find comfort in a deeply healing age-old practice that comes from Hawai’i. The beautiful Hawaiian teaching for Forgiveness is called “Ho’oponopono” (pronounced HO-oh-Po-no-Po-no), and it’s lovely. This ancient Hawaiian practice of forgiveness functions as both a communication concept for reconciliation […]
What is a Lohri Party? What To Expect When Invited to This Joyful Indian Celebration
The New Year brings with it lots of fluffy traditions that don’t always seem rooted in history or culture, but Indian Lohri celebrations date back thousands of years and have a certain joyful magic about them. Like going to an Indian wedding, attending an Indian Lohri party is a bucket list item for many curious […]
An Insider’s Guide to Monterey, California
Monterey, California is a charming little beach village located about 2 hours south of San Francisco and 45 minutes north of Big Sur, California. The unparalleled beauty of the coastline in this region, especially along the iconic 17-Mile Drive, is one of the many reasons that visitors have been drawn to the area for decades. […]
A “Forrest Gump” Guide to Savannah, Georgia
Tom Hanks’ 1994 performance in the iconic American film Forrest Gump was a revelation at the time the movie came out– though the politics of having an able-bodied person (Hanks) play someone who was intellectually disabled (Forrest) have certainly changed. (Spoiler alert: that is a bad idea!) Nevertheless, Forrest Gump remains an essential narrative within […]
Here’s Where To Get Zendaya’s “I Told Ya” Shirt from Challengers for $25
Zendaya’s “I Told Ya” shirt from the Challengers movie is a now-iconic pop culture reference. The simple graphic tee has become a signifier of Italian film director Luca Guadagnino’s already cult-favorite tennis movie, Challengers— and now, you can get the same shirt in the official typeset on Etsy, for a mere $25. (Some other makers […]