Some Treats for Your Long Weekend
ICYMI: Influencers leaning right, sex strikes, and the Platonic ideal of ankle boots.
Hi friends,
If you’re in the States, I hope you’ve had a lovely few days of gathering with your people and eating delicious things. One thing I know about the state of the world right now is that we need our communities, and these kinds of breaks, more than ever. So here’s hoping you’re curled up somewhere cozy right now; that’s definitely my only plan for today. Or if you’re traveling, that it’s all going super smoothly and you have all the good snacks.
Either way, you might need some good reads, good listens, or little treats, and I got you covered! Scroll down.
-Virginia
Should We Go on a Sex Strike?
It's hard not to get a text like this and think, "why are we still talking to men." But does the 4B movement liberate women, or just give us another set of rules to follow about our bodies?
"I Thought What My Body Liked In Bed Was Weird"
The right to have sex (or not!) and be sexual (however you define that!) is a fundamental part of body liberation. I talk with Substack's smartest new sex writer, Loretta, about what that looks like for divorced, over-40 moms.
The Curious Evolution of Emily Oster
Are we feeding our kids the "wrong" foods, or is this diet culture? And why has the queen of data-driven parenting advice drifted so far to the right?
Healthcare is Ground Zero for Fatphobia
Weight-inclusive doctor Mara Gordon, MD joins us to answer your questions about prediabetes, sleep apnea, acid reflux—and how we get healthcare providers to stop yelling at us to lose weight.
Two Things I Love Right Now
1. The paperback version of FAT TALK, which comes out in just 10 days!!
Preorder it from my local independent bookstore, Split Rock Books, and I’ll sign it for you—plus the first 50 people get a free Phoebe sticker, and everyone gets to take 10 percent off the Burnt Toast Bookshop!
Also: Bookshop.org/Barnes & Noble/Amazon/Target
2. My favorite boots, which are on super sale right now.
They are just that unicorn boot that looks good with everything AND I can walk forever in them and not get blisters. Caveat that Nisolo doesn’t work well for wide feet (though I’m curious to hear if folks have tried their men’s boots — these are so hot; I also love these for a wider and sustainably made option, up to size 15). Rest of the outfit is linked here; more of what I wore in November here.
Splendid time with friends for the holiday, but the weekend brought a need for nesting. I spent days listening to gentle music - piano and cello - and meditating, reading Katherine May's "Wintering," walking in the cold, listening to nature podcasts, crafting a personal virtual art gallery from the Rijksmuseum collection. Vermeer. Of course.
All of this brought about the courage to care for myself. I made an appointment with a HAES registered dietitian. Friday afternoon. Time to talk honestly about food.
A good weekend.
So nice to start the day with coffee and you!