The Best Books of 2013

Exciting news! My laptop is relatively fixed, and I plan to be cracking down on the LongReads once again. My Best of 2013 lists are finally seeing the light of Internet. Now, rounding up the ultimate longreads: BOOKS!

Best Memoir : Wild by Cheryl Strayed

It's safe to say I'm not the outdoorsy-est girl around, nor do I like long solo trips-only slightly anachronistic for a Peace Corps volunteer, I know. So it means something when I say that Strayed's memoir of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail alone made me cast a few sidelong glances at my underutilized hiking boots. Strayed is a powerful writer, bringing so much emotion to the page as she parallels her journey up the trail with the fallouts of her life: her mother's death, her depression, her divorce. The challenges she faces on the trail become transformative opportunities for her to become more of the woman she wanted to be, to grieve for her mother, and to understand her impulses, for better or worse. This book reflects experiences I've faced in Peace Corps, from the frustrations of isolation and loneliness to realizations that come from being stuck with just yourself. Again, some of the most graceful and empathetic prose when it comes to putting words to complex emotions.

Best Book for Shaping My Feminism : The Whipping Girl by Julia Serrano

Serrano writes about her experiences as a trans woman, sharing intimate details from her life pre through post transition. As a professional biologist, she adds a level of scientific clarity to processes that are often misunderstood by cisgender individuals. She explodes preconceived notions of gender and the nature/nurture divide, relying not just on her experiences but scientific studies. Well researched and footnoted, but never dry or weighty, Serrano spends about half the book exploring the politics of transitioning, both in biology and its treatment in society. Not only does she offer this excellent primer into trans issues, she proceeded to blow my mind with her insight into how femininity has been stigmatized and looked down upon in modern America. Indeed, the most bizarre, and for some, repugnant, thing a person can do is reject masculinity in favor of living as a woman, let alone a feminine woman. Reminding us that femininity is not weak, and indeed can be powerful and subversive, Serrano takes feminism and mainstream society to task.

Best Short Story Collection : The Girl in the Flammable Skirt by Aimee Bender

Such a delightful and provocative collection of stories that swing from fanciful to macabre. Bender honors traditions of short story tellers before with a series of modern fables, stories of magical surrealism and metaphor. Every story is at least a little strange, and often times set in a reality far from our own. Her prose is so charming and light, full of clarity and sets a quick stepped pace. 

Best Book on Religion : No god but God by Reza Aslan

No god but God educated me about the history of Islam, not only how it arose but how it fits with the other major monotheistic religions. Aslan writes with a true enjoyment of his research and the history of Islam, and with a hope for a inclusive future. No god but God manages to be academic and brimming with sources and citations while also compelling and at times emotionally stirring. This work has really furthered my understanding of Islam and also, along the way, my knowledge of colonialism and its part in provoking radicalism and fundamentalism. Aslan's call for religious and political reformation rooted in pluralism and human rights is one that can be shared by all the major religions of the world.

Best Applicable to Peace Corps Book : The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

If you have an interest in medical anthropology, and haven't read this book before, frankly I'm amazed. Fadiman's tribute to the mistakes made when medical practices lack cross cultural understanding is a landmark work. It illustrates the myriad of differences between cultures, and reminds me of all the medical misunderstandings and occasional malpractices I see in my village on a regular basis. This is an excellent book in bringing together two unique worlds and gracefully displaying the shortcomings and benefits of both medical realms, not to mention an insightful history and collection of the Hmong culture.

Runner Up : The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy

Conroy lived his own Peace Corps when he moved to an isolated island in the Carolinas to teach a one room school during the nineteen sixties. Its a mirror to the frustrations and mistakes a volunteer makes as they rush head long into a relatively unknown culture with grand ideas and little preparation.

Best Graphic Novel : Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

This series just wrapped in December 2013. Joe Hill, whose father happens to be Stephen King, writes a new take on the haunted house genre, while Rodriguez illustrates expressive characters and spooky dark evil. Hill knows how to build suspense, that's for certain. That the main characters are all children just makes the reader that much more nervous and concerned about the outcome. Keyhouse is full of secrets, riddles, and bloodstains. But throughout the series is a sense of humor and energy that is carried by the youth of the characters, so that the horror rarely feels punishing.

Best Young Adult Fiction : Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Here is the book for all of the fanfiction reading secret dorks, with hidden (or maybe out in the open) Harry Potter posters and desktop folders full of screenshots from our favorite scenes. Rowell not only captures the consuming thrill of fandom, she embodies the college experience for a typical freshman- less sexy partying and more laying around in bed on your laptop. Its an example of good young adult fiction - sweet and emotional without being manipulative or empty. These are real, if unglamorous, young adults, awkwardly growing up and dealing with all kinds of real and unglamorous issues.

Best Book Recommended by a Friend : Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

This recommendation came from my friend Tyler, and honestly he recommended it to me several years ago and I never got around to it... and once I had started reading Perdido, I was kicking myself that I had waited so long. I've gotten jaded to science/speculative/new universe fiction, and have read most of the "greats," and plenty of lackluster series as well. But Mieville has done something so new and unexplored, creating a world that doesn't reflect anything familiar. Its conceptually dense and the world building is phenomenal. Its dark and sometimes grotesque, just like the urban decay Mieville describes, but the story is compelling and again, new territory. 

Best Book I Haven't Finished Yet : Spillover by David Quammen 

There are several other works in this Best of List that have elements of horror, but Spillover is by far the most frightening. I am prone to laying in bed at night pondering the end of the world, and Quammen, a science and nature journalist, has brought all the fodder for nightmares. Some of the epidemics (SARS, AIDS, ebola) sound like the start of a young adult dystopian novel, only they're really happening. And what's to blame? Humanity destroying ecosystems and driving viruses into new hosts, and spawning new mutations that are just itching to jump ship and destroy our fragile pink bodies. Its a lengthy, dense tome packed with research facts that can be a little snooze inducing at times, but Quammen has a certain dark glee in squelching about the guts of gorillas or describing the life cycle of ticks, and I can appreciate that in a man. 

LongReads Round-Up Volume Twenty-One

Sadly, my laptop has once again met its match in Indonesia. I'm not planning on getting it serviced until the New Year, so I can only offer some less than beautifully formatted links for the time being.





A school in Mexico is producing some of the country's highest scoring math prodigies, using radical classroom methods - http://www.wired.com/business/2013/10/free-thinkers/all/






In memorandum of Lou Reed - http://m.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/10/heroin-was-our-heroin.html?






Last Round Up I posted about Jezebel as revolutionizing women's media. Newcomer Bustle would like to inherit the throne. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/09/23/130923fa_fact_widdicombe?



I'm a big fan of the podcast WTF with Marc Maron, and this interview exemplifies why - http://www.vulture.com/m/2012/07/marc-maron-podcast-interview.html




Talking about video games in a high brow manner, always - http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9713372/looking-back-game-myst-20th-anniversary




So fascinating! How the sex lives of Japanese young adults has tapered off into an apathetic shrug - http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/20/young-people-japan-stopped-having-sex




Talking about education reform methods, attempted solutions and unanswered problems - http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/%E2%80%9Cit%E2%80%99s-not-school-problem%E2%80%9D?fullpage=1






A science research council supporting big corporations, only to discover its funded by those same dark overlords!? No way! - http://motherjones.com/politics/2013/10/american-council-science-health-leaked-documents-fundraising





Angry feminists take to Etsy to craft their man hate. - http://www.salon.com/2013/10/27/fighting_sexism_with_cross_stitch_the_rise_of_misandry_crafts/

The Best Podcasts of 2013

I arrived late to the podcast scene, but in the past six months it has become an essential part of my media consumption. You can find all of the following podcasts on iTunes.

The Podcast That Started It All : Ninjas vs Podcasts 

My dear friend Tyler and fellow GCC alums Jordan and Kevin have been recording NvP for two years, and before I ever had the podcast app, I was steaming their episodes on my computer at work. NvP debates the merits of X vs Y every week, taking questions from listeners who really need to know, "Denim vs Corduroy? Game of Thrones vs Jumanji? or Cotton Candy Hair vs Twizzler Mustache?" The guys have a great wittiness and knack for word play, and their personalities and friendships really make each episode. 

The News Podcast : Democracy Now!

The independent news hour Democracy Now! is advertising, corporate, and government funding free. Journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez bring progressive reporting to listeners five days a week, via podcast, radio, and television. They feature international news with a commitment to social justice, labor politics, and the lesser reported issues around the world. Frequently Democracy Now! invites guests from grassroot organizations and policy think tanks to discuss the daily topics. 

The Sh!t Your Pants Laughing Podcast : Doodie Calls With Doug Mand

Doug Mand is on a mission: to break down the taboos surrounding poop. A writer at How I Met Your Mother, Mand is fascinated by bathroom business. Each episode he brings in an equally funny guest to recount bathroom (or, often, lack thereof) horror stories, discuss touchy stomachs, and come clean on farting habits. It's not for everyone, but nothing has made me laugh out loud harder. I've seriously rolled around snorting in laughter.

The Interview Podcast : Totally Laime

There are a lot of great interview centric podcasts out there (WTF with Marc Maron, Here's The Thing with Alec Baldwin, etc). But none of them have host Elizabeth Laime (and her husband, Psychic Andy) asking the guest to settle a recent argument between her and her husband, or a game based around Oprah episodes. Elizabeth has such charming charisma, and the chemistry with her co-hosting husband envelopes the guest every time.

The Social Issues Meet Pop Culture Podcast : TIE! The Read / Throwing Shade

Its so hard to choose! I love both of these podcasts, which both feature best friend duos (Kid Fury and Crissle on The Read, Bryan and Erin on Throwing Shade), occasional ranting, and lots of sass. The Read and Throwing Shade often take on racism, homophobia, and sexism, while mixing in plenty of jokes about reality television and Miley Cyrus. I love listening to best friends just hash it out and make in-jokes, so if fast paced humor about Drake's feelings is your thing (and also, pointing out sexism in advertising, homophobic lawmakers, and whatever horrible racist thing someone just tweeted), check out both of these. 

The History Podcast : Stuff You Missed in History Class

Stuff You Missed is chock-full of stories I didn't even know I had missed, like the episode on the Winchester Mystery House. Equally balanced between oddities and curiosities of history, and aspects of history that go untold (think Howard Zinn's People's History), Stuff You Missed brings frank, insightful reviews and analysis of world histories. Its also progressive minded and does its part to expose past injustices and unsung heroes, reminding us that history is often written by the winner.

The Highbrow Discussion of Pop Culture Podcast : Girls in Hoodies

Girls in Hoodies is a weekly podcast that is part of the aggregate Grantland Pop Culture podcast. Emily, Molly, and Tess take on pop culture news with the insight and thoughtfulness of a college class on literary theory. If you've ever thought to yourself, I wish someone took Kanye's twitter feed more seriously, this is the podcast for you. All three women also write and edit for Grantland, so checking out their articles and blogs are a worthy way to spend some time. 

The Twin Peaks of Podcasts : Welcome to Nightvale

Everyone tries to figure out just what Nightvale is- is it Twin Peaks was written by Lovecraft and made a baby with Tim Burton, or maybe Ed Woods? On the radio? Is it War of the Worlds crossed with the creeping dread of a Shirley Jackson novel and a handful of conspiracy theory forums from Reddit? What you need to know is its a twice a month broadcast of the community radio station from the strange town of Nightvale, and the intrepid announcer Cecil fills in the locals on charity jogs and new traffic routes while dodging the City Council, with their dead eyes and levitating hooded robes...

LongReads Round-Up Volume Twenty Two

The continuing conversation about the cost of a degree in college, and new methods for giving credit to students
Http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/education/edlife/degrees-based-on-what-you-can-do-not-how-long-you-went.html?

Slate reviews the 130+ page interview of Susan Sontag from a 1978 issue of Rolling Stone.
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2013/11/susan_sontag_s_complete_rolling_stone_interview_reviewed.html

An oral history of the revamping of Vanity Fair, complete with Truman Capote's histrionics.
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/10/birth-modern-vanity-fair?

Real talk, I don't really care for the quality of Thought Catalog pieces, so it makes sense this is actually an aggregate of posts from Quora, about people's expectations of America and their actual experiences.
http://thoughtcatalog.com/michael-koh/2013/11/16-people-on-things-they-couldnt-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/

This story of the journey refugees make from the Middle East, through Indonesia to Australia, is heartbreaking. A life with no options is no life at all.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/magazine/the-impossible-refugee-boat-lift-to-christmas-island.html?

Marvel announces that the new Ms Marvel will be a 16 year old Pakistinian-American girl.
www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/books-marvel-comics-introducing-a-muslim-girl-superhero.html

This OkCupid couple booked a trip across Europe with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs.
http://www.salon.com/2013/11/12/the_craziest_okcupid_date_ever/

A deep review of America's foreign policy in the Middle East.
http://www.thenation.com/article/177002/field-guide-losing-friends-influencing-no-one-and-alienating-middle-east#

This transcript of an interview between Nia King and Virgie Tovar from the podcast We Want the Airwaves covers body image, women in advanced degree programs, and how self presentation is part of personhood. http://www.scribd.com/mobile/doc/152485506#fullscreen

LongReads Round-Up Volume Twenty

"It Was Nice While It Lasted," by Rosa Brooks for Foreign Policy. This charming piece of dystopian satire comes from the year 2060. America is now a lawless land, bereft of government since the Tea Party shutdown of 2013. Canada has built a wall to keep out the hungry, uneducated Americans, as the wealthiest fled the country long ago. Hardworking American laborers in major cities can still find work at Chinese military bases, at least.  "In 2013, the new Tea Party wanted to put a stop to a government run by their own fellow citizens. Well, they got what they wanted: Now it's the Chinese who make the rules for Americans."

"White Girls," by Hilton Als for Guernica. Excerpted from Als's new essay collection on media and literature, race and relationships, this piece follows the story of a friendship he formed with another black man. Its a sprawling meditation on the intersections of race, privilege, and art. Als reflects on the character of a man he deeply loved and admired, and the lessons he learned from their friendship."Standing above me and around me I see how we are all the same, that none of us are white women or black men; rather, we’re a series of mouths, and that every mouth needs filling: with something wet or dry, like love, or unfamiliar and savory, like love."

"Den of the Dominatrix," by Maria Smilios for Narratively. Fascinating account of a woman's work as a fetish dominatrix in New York. From Catholic school girl to vegan activist to dominatrix, "Mistress Josie," as she is called in the article, has blasted boundaries and taboos from her childhood. Not for the squeamish, this article features some of the stranger kinks Mistress Josie deals out to her clients. "Everyone deserves kindness and nurturing, even the person with a most extreme or unusual fantasy."

"Jezebel Founding Editor Anna Holmes On Her New Book -- And How She Changed Women's Media," by Lori Leibovich for The Huffington Post. The pop culture and feminist politics website Jezebel has shaped the way women engage with the news over the past six years. With its range of subject matter, from celebrity gossip to serious reporting on issues such as rape culture and racism, Jezebel has pushed feminist discourse into the mainstream. In this interview Anna Holmes reveals some of the biggest challenges she faced as the editor, including the life-suck that working in social media causes. "We talked about feminism in a very matter-of-fact way, without apology, and hoped that the readers who were kind of like “eh” about it would come to regard it as a un-scary thing."

"Why I Stopped Writing Recommendation Letters for Teach for America," by Catherine Michna for Slate. Humanities professor Michna writes a scathing reproach of Teach for America and untrained young teachers entering underprivileged classrooms. Her critique of the program is similar in many ways to critiques of Peace Corps- how effective can it be to send generally young and inexperienced adults to a disenfranchised area for relatively short term work? She also explores the effects of charter schools on the education quality, and the way TFA furthers those negative aspects of charter schools. For once, I recommend reading the comments, which were overall insightful and provided a variety of viewpoints. "[TFA teachers] work in service of a corporate reform agenda that rids communities of veteran teachers, privatizes public schools, and forces a corporatized, data-driven culture upon unique low-income communities with unique dynamics and unique challenges."

"Love in the Gardens," by Zadie Smith for The New York Review of Books. Smith writes this beautiful essay on her love of public gardens for NYRB, that follows a parallel of her relationship with her father and his passing. Seeking the public gardens in Italy and France let her escape from some of the cross cultural confusions and conflicts faced during travel. A public garden offers a chance for a peaceful experience of space. "In Italy, where so many kinds of gates are closed to so many people, there is something especially beautiful in the freedom of a garden."

"Two-Hit Wonder," by D.T. Max for The New Yorker. This profile on Jack Dorsey, a co-founder of Twitter, tracks the rise of the social media tech maven since 2006. The particular and at times peculiar personalities of tech geniuses is a modern fascination. Dorsey does not disappoint, with his love of bare minimalism and public transportation. Charting Dorsey's interests and talents, with the knowledge that they will ultimately result in Twitter, is an intriguing game of foreshadowing. "Twitter—inspired by the text message—is all about immediacy and mobility, and so is Dorsey. "

"The Facebook divorce," by Amanda Fortini for Salon. Social media has impacted the way we express ourselves in all kinds of situations, including the end of relationships. Fortini explores the way divorcées rant, rave, and regret their dissolving marriages on the internet. She also discusses how Facebook and social media can affect legalities during divorce proceedings."Facebook is not like Las Vegas: What happens there rarely stays there."

"Meet the Fantasically Bejeweled Skeletons of Catholicism's Forgotten Martyrs," by Rachel Nuwer for Smithsonian's Past Imperfect blog. Just in time to inspire your glamorous Halloween dreams, this post on the new book Heavenly Bodies offers plenty of bejeweled skeletons that would be an excellent addition to a fabulous haunted house. Paul Koudounaris discovered the practice of bedazzling deceased Catholic saints while he was travelling in Germany. As a historian and photographer, the subject was fascinating, and he began to hunt down the catacombs and shrines that held these blinged out remains. "Each martyr’s skeleton represented the splendors that awaited the faithful in the afterlife."

LongReads Round-Up Volume Nineteen

"The 10 Best First Crush Stories," introduced by Jessica Coen for Jezebel. Coen put out a call for readers to submit their first crush stories, and what we got is a frank, intimate selection of pieces to which I think everyone can relate. One had me sniffling and crying, while others made me laugh and a little embarrassed at memories of fourteen year old Emily, who really, really related to Some Kind of Wonderful too. What's probably my favorite part of this collection is just how fresh and unvarnished some of the stories read- because they were submitted via the comments section, and not collected and polished and edited, they felt more valuable and accessible. "In my fantasy he would hand it back to me and his message would read: You are stunning. I want to 1) kiss you on the mouth 2) do all the sex stuff 3) marry you and make attractive, intelligent, artistic, musical genius superhero babies 4) play Nintendo with you forever until we grow old and can no longer hold the controllers anymore because of arthritis."

"The Secret of Bezos: How Amazon Became the Everything Store," by Brad Stone for Bloomberg BusinessWeek. I gave up my soul and first born son to Amazon long ago, probably around the same time I was offered a free Prime account for a year. Stone investigated the rise of Amazon, and its driven CEO, in a new book, which is here excerpted in Bloomberg. The excerpt covers CEO Jeff Bezos's intense boardroom manner, provides anecdotes of Amazon's ruthless tactics in company takeovers, and reveals a little known story of Bezos's past. Also, did you know Bezos has a rocket ship company? No big deal, just Amazon in Space. "Some employees love this confrontational culture and find they can’t work effectively anywhere else...But other alumni call Amazon’s internal environment a “gladiator culture” and wouldn’t think of returning."

"'Afghan Americans': A Study in Duality," by Elissa Curtis for The New Yorker. This slide show and brief interview with photographer Andrea Bruce captures the experiences of Afghan Americans seeking balance and identity between the two countries they call home. Bruce, who was also an embedded photojournalist during the Iraq War, wanted to expose Americans to the realities of war and its effects on citizens. Her series combines portraits, landscapes, and images important to her subjects, pairing them with sentiments about their identity and countries. "'Because I am Afghan American... I can see it in the eyes of the young people. They are craving to be a part of the world society ... They are the ones that give me a lot of hope.'"—Mustafa Ali Nouri

"Portrait of an Iranian Witch," by Alireza Doostdar for The New Inquiry. Just in time for Halloween! Doostdar follows a young, trendy woman in Tehran and her attempts to carve into the middle class with a career as a witch. Mersedeh the witch, with her makeup and chic apartment, differs from other wizards and occultists Doostdar met during his time researching superstition and magic practices in Iran. She reworks the traditions of witches to fit into the upwardly mobile young adults of Iran, practicing ancient arts with a fusion of modern spirituality, including The Secret. Doostdar also explores the perception of class differences between native Tehrani and newcomers to the city such as Mersedeh. "Rare is the analysis that places modern witchcraft in the context of individualistic aspiration, set against more than two decades of economic privatization and the increasing valorization of personal responsibility and agency."

"With New Abortion Restrictions, Ohio Walks a Narrow Legal Line," by Erik Eckholm for The New York Times. Laws in Ohio make abortion seekers jump through hoops, including a rule that providers must offer women a chance to view fetuses on an ultrasound and listen to the fetal heart beat. As an attempt to limit women's access to abortion procedures, conservative law makers and activist groups support laws that complicate women's Supreme Court supported right to abortion procedures - Catch22s that include forcing abortion providers to have partnerships with hospitals, but outlawing public hospitals from signing such agreements, and legalizing only outdated methods of medical abortions. Here's what I have to say to anti-abortionists: when you outlaw abortions, only outlaws will provide abortions, and those abortions will be dangerous and decrease the quality of health in women. "...the annual number of nonsurgical abortions plummeted to 90 in 2012 from more than 600 in earlier years. But “there’s no evidence that this cut down on abortion,” said Ms. France, the clinic director. “Women just said, ‘Never mind, I’ll get a surgical abortion.’ ”"

"The Naked Man," by Michael Thomsen for Guernica. The fragility of masculinity in modern America is one of my favorite topics. Thomsen tackles the vulnerability of male nudity head-on (pun... intended?). In his efforts to pose nude for a series of portraits, he faces struggles with issues of patriarchy and the male egoism that is the "dick pic" sext, and also his own personal qualms about the intimacy of getting naked in front of the camera. He ends with a reflection on our modern culture's love of oversharing and shredding the veil of intimacy. Is worrying about naked photos on the internet passé? "Penis is patriarchy, and patriarchy is violence. To show one’s penis is to endorse its metaphorical power and the historical privileges that have come with it."

"Ebony Bones: 'When Did We Stop Asking These Questions?'" by Coral Williamson for DIY. Ebony Bones' new album, "Behold, A Pale Horse" isn't a political album, per se, but it is an album about political issues. Bones uses her music as a medium to convey questions and skepticism about the current state of affairs, in a time when little popular music is political or controversial. The riots that have taken place around the world - from London to the Arab Spring - inspired her to push her audience towards questioning the ethics of society. Bones asks, "What is this fear-based society which crucifies people who dare question or speak the truth?"

"A Question of Silence: Why We Don't Read or Write About Education," by Houman Harouni for The American Reader. What Harouni offers here is a scathing call to arms about the state of education in America, distributing blame for its sorry state on many. He proposes that the real purpose of education is rarely discussed, and that critical discourse about education has been largely ignored. Radical theory about education has largely died out as Americans became complacent with a system run by educationalists. This essay is assuredly aggressive and provocative. "Schooling, in its current form, is primarily neither a science nor an art. It’s a public service industry, and a traditional one to boot. "

Two for One! "Why "Sex Positive" Feminism is Negative For Me," by Kelly Rose Pflug-Back, for Huffington Post Canada, and a response "Semi Serious Thoughts On Feminism: Sex Positive Feminism vs Negative, or, I'm Sorry, Kelly Rose Pflug-Back," by yours truly. Pflug-Back wrote an article for HuffPo about her problems with "sex positive feminism," which could be considered one of the more popular schools of thought in this current wave of radical feminism. Sadly, in my opinion, Pflug-Back sees sex positive feminism in a limited, ill presented view, one that doesn't support survivors of sexual assault and caters only to white cis women, where my experiences have always been radically different.

LongReads Round-Up Volume Eighteen: Extra Long Weekend Edition

"Obamacare and the Conscience of a Radical," by Ta-Nehisi Coates for The Atlantic. Senior Editor and resident The Atlantic radical TNC writes about his frustrations with Obamacare and its limitations in reaching our county's most vulnerable and disenfranchised, in part because of systemic prejudice and oppression towards poor black Americans. TNC questions if Obamacare is essentially immoral because it doesn't provide services to those who need it the most. "...leaving the majority of the most vulnerable class of Americans uncovered, while the rest of the country enjoys the expanded safety net... is actively harmful. "

"Why the Agriculture Industry Hates Chipotle," by Tarini Parti and Helena Bottemiller Evich for Politico. Leaders of the agriculture industry in America resent the beloved burrito artistry that is Chipotle for its new non-advertisement advertisement, a short video bemoaning industrial farming tactics (GMO, hormone injections, etc). For the Ag industry, its nothing short of propaganda. Industry officials fear backlash in the form of new legislation, or worse, Americans taking their purchasing power elsewhere. "The agriculture industry fears that Chipotle, more than just influencing consumer behavior, could ultimately help drive policy either by bolstering the grass-roots good-food movement or by having the ear of members of Congress."

"You're a Fiction Writing Professor," by Justin Kramon for Glimmer Train. A short piece by Kramon that is better read than unnecessarily explained. "You think of your writing resume as one of the most creative pieces of fiction you've written. "

"In Praise of Idleness," by Bertrand Russel. In 1932, philosopher Bertrand Russell was pretty convinced we were working too hard. Its been eighty years, and America lags behind other countries in both amount of vacation and personal days, and productivity. Correlation? Russell provides a break down of work and morality that calls for a revolution in the workplace. "I want to say, in all seriousness, that a great deal of harm is being done in the modern world by belief in the virtuousness of work, and that the road to happiness and prosperity lies in an organized diminution of work."

"A Breaking Bad (and Beyond) Reading List," by Lauren Eggert-Crowe for The Millions. I'll probably never have children, because how could I punish them by bringing them into a world without new Breaking Bad episodes? As the world mourns the void left by the morally bankrupt Walter White, Eggert-Crowe offers some reads that will give us the dark, conflicted feelings we crave. From classic literature to memoirs and true crime, there's a little on here for everyone. "The books on this list range from the personal to the mythological to the journalistic, and some intertwine all three. "

"There's No God in Antarctica," by Jo Stewart for Vice. Stewart's travel essay and photo journal of a trip to Antarctica is brief, but the photos are stunning. Ranging from shots of massive icebergs to 1950s painted pinups on the walls of bases, Stewart captures scenes that aren't usually featured in National Geographic. "The lows are subterranean—sometimes it feels like you’ve arrived at the watery gates of hell. But the highs are stratospheric."

"Miley Cyrus: Confessions of Pop's Wildest Child," by Josh Eells for Rolling Stone. YES! Year of Miley! America's current "Hot Mess of the Year," Cyrus has been spinning heads with her love of weed, twerking, and bad hair cuts. Eells spent several days with Cyrus, observing her get tattooed, partying, even joining her for a skydiving trip. Cyrus displays an uncredited-by-bloggers insight into her public persona and calculated steps in progressing her career. Released in timing with her new album, Bangerz, the article gives a seemingly unvarnished look into the Twerk Seen 'Round the World. "Miley thinks people will be shocked when the ["Wrecking Ball"] video comes out, because it's the last thing they expect from her: real art."

"An Open Letter to Sinead O'Connor," by Amanda Palmer. Miley is so polarizing, she even has questionably culturally relevant Sinead O'Connor writing disses on her website. Palmer wrote a Defense of the Twerk on her own site, defending Miley's right to expression and the overall diversity of female performance and expression. "...we gotta give Miley (and every female) space to try on her artist’s uniform. It’s like a game of cosmic dress-up, but the stakes are high. If we’re allowed to play it, we’re empowered. If we’re not, we’re still in a cage."

"I'm 25... and I've wasted my life," by Cary Tennis for Salon. Tennis offers advice to a young adult who feels dissatisfied with life - he's worked hard, never "messed up," yet he feels unfulfilled and resentful of his flaky peers. Tennis makes me feel normal and validated as a rudderless young adult with his spirited cheers for taking the time to screw up. "The way you feel is completely normal. You’re not stupid. But you feel stupid because you’ve been taken in by a sucker’s system."

"America Has a Long Way to Go Before It's Fully 'Clitorate,'" by Anna Lekas Miller for Alternet. Sophia Wallace is a visual artist whose newest project is spreading "cliteracy," that is, knowledge about the human clitoris, to the masses. While the female body is sexualized in everything from advertising to porn, knowledge of female sexuality and female sex organs is still in infancy. After researching the misinformation and misunderstandings the average person has about the clitoris, Wallace was inspired to increase cliteracy through installations, street art, and internet campaigns. "Right now, you can’t even say the word clit, it’s too obscene and profane, but you can show the nude female body everywhere."

"My embarrassing picture went viral," by Caitlin Seida for Salon. After a Halloween photo of Seida as Lara Croft became part of a viral mockery meme, she fought back with copyright infringement warnings and calling out people for their hurtful comments. Her security and enjoyment of her body is really badass and patriarchy smashing, as is this quote: "But I refuse to disappear. I still go jogging in public. I don’t hide my flabby arms or chubby ankles for fear of offending someone else’s delicate sensibilities. "

"23 Dogs Who Really Love Their Best Friend," by Arielle Calderon for BuzzFeed. Babies + Dogs. That's all you need to know.