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Substack Reads: The double exposure effect, a mustard obsession, and the color of Neptune
Despite the urge to declare races over even as they’ve just begun, there is the matter of what former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld liked to call the “known unknowns.” Ostensibly, the acting Oscars honor individual performances in specific films. It’s not always that simple, though. An actor’s overall career can come into play, whether it’s rewarding a veteran for the latest in a string of impressive performances or hailing a newcomer who shows exceptional promise. There’s the matter of how charming—friendly, engaging, grateful!—a nominee comes across while working the awards circuit. And then there’s also what could be called the Double Exposure Effect, the extra praise that’s heaped on a performer earning added kudos for other films or TV shows that appear simultaneously alongside an Oscar-nominated turn.
Grey Poupon was founded in 1866. Colman’s was founded in 1814. Maille was founded in 1747! I didn’t know just how old these legacy brands were until I started researching this letter, but after digging further, it’s not all that surprising. Mustard as a spice is one of the earliest on record, appearing in Sanskrit manuscripts around 3000 BCE, and mustard as a condiment dates back to the early Romans. I’d love to see how they were storing this colorful condiment back then, but I’m quite pleased with how these brands are jarring it today. Per usual, this is one of my favorite categories in this deep dive because of that whole “timeless cool” thing that always wins for me when it comes to packaging design. Side note, I’m now obsessed with vintage mustard pots.
Stephen Fry takes us inside his mind through expert storytelling—this week covering the masses, arithmetic, and the point at which he knew Hillary Clinton wouldn’t win against Trump in the 2016 presidential race
Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray in a scene from the movie Double Indemnity (photo by Donaldson Collection/Getty Images)
Groups are weird. They behave in the oddest manner. Predictably, for one. Predictably, like groups of people who come to the theatre, but predictably in weirder ways too.
Imagine you have a group of 20 randomly chosen people. You study this group and discover that differing personality types have emerged. Not surprising. There’s The Clown—a joker who just can’t stop themselves trying to raise a laugh. There’s the quietly charismatic Natural Leader. There’s The Loudmouth, who thinks they should be leader. There’s The Shy One. The Complainer, who moans about everything. There’s The Kindly Empathetic One. There’s The Bossy One. The Quibbler. The Bickering One. The Know All. The Rebel. The Sneaky Sycophant. And so on. If you’ve seen an episode of Big Brother, The Traitors or similar, you will know what I mean.
Tahirah Hairston and her parents, via Ridiculous Little Things
My father, a drug dealer, General Motors assembly line worker, and member of a Detroit rap group called Street Lordz, taught me about dressing for myself. He was always the best dressed, with a preference for Lou Myles suits, alligator loafers, Coogi sweaters, and Cartier gold-rimmed frames. His love language was material, exposing me to designer brands and to the importance of building a relationship with your salesperson. A tall, dark-skinned, big-bodied man, my father commanded attention, and time spent with him usually involved being seen. We’d shop at the Gucci store (where, at one point, he was dating one of the saleswomen) or Neiman Marcus or Saks, despite skeptical onlookers, and he’d spend thousands of dollars both because he had an affinity for nice things and something to prove.
I vividly remember the black-and-silver velour Sean Jean tracksuit he bought me. I told him I couldn’t wear it, that it was too baggy and for boys. He told me I could wear anything I wanted and to trust him, this would look fly. (The response from my classmates proved him right.) At the time, I was about 13 years old; I didn’t understand the impact mere shopping trips with my father had on my sense of self. But seeing my dad flaunt his style and, to my knowledge, not care what anyone thought about it, informed my confidence. Overhearing my Uncle Skeet and Uncle Sean recounting the outfits he wore to weddings or to the club were moments that made me think he was so cool. It was my first understanding of what it meant to shamelessly revel in standing out.
He was half a world away from home when Wake Forest basketball coach Steve Forbes got some shocking news from his daughter. Now he is coaching the fight of their lives
On the night of August 8, Steve Forbes was riding a minibus at Camp Arifjan, the U.S. Army installation in Kuwait, when he felt his cellphone vibrate. Forbes, the men’s basketball coach at Wake Forest, was there for Operation Hardwood, a program that sends a group of former and current college coaches to military bases so they can coach servicemen and -women through a tournament and give them a little taste of home. Forbes and his fellow coaches were on their way to a late dinner. When he pulled his phone from his pocket, he saw that it was his daughter, Liz, calling from home. Forbes figured it was a mistake and let it go to voicemail.
A few minutes later, Liz sent a text message saying they needed to speak. Steve stepped off the bus and called her back. Liz was more than 7,000 miles and nine time zones away, but the message came through all too clear.
Neptune, it turns out, isn’t actually blue. A few months ago, scientists bid us say farewell to its cerulean skies, say goodbye to its signature hues on glossy pages and in movies. We were fooled from when Voyager 2 slingshotted past the planet in the 1980s; the resultant widely publicized color photographs were actually composites, put together in a way it’s not a stretch to call propaganda.
Here’s the real Neptune—a milky orb nude and sickly, a blind eye. The planet now looks just as unmemorable as Uranus (which, by the way, has lost most of its supposed green as well). No, instead of Superman blue, Neptune is an interstellar cataract.
During Covid-19 lockdowns, writer and cartoonist Carolita Johnson became a live-in caretaker for her estranged mother, and started a journey of creative discovery
It so happened that my mother, nearly 87 and all alone in the house since my father’s death a year earlier, began making it clear to my brothers that because she was falling down a lot, and also because the house was haunted by my vengeful father playing loud music in the basement (with other miscellaneous spirits tramping through the house at all hours), she wanted someone to live with her.
It went without saying that it wasn’t going to be either of my brothers, not even the one who would have benefited most from living rent-free, and who had been the most devoted to her all his life. Even he, and I quote, “would rather be dead than move in with her.” Our other brother, having finally settled down after three decades of serial monogamy, wasn’t about to leave his long-desired life behind, though, had he been available… Well, let’s just say lucky for him and his partner, it’s a moot point.
Congratulations to the following writers celebrating publication.
Valorie Castellanos Clark offers the first chapter of her debut, Unruly Figures, which came into being as a result of her Substack of the same name. The book comes out next month and is available to preorder:
Hi everyone, My debut book Unruly Figures: Twenty Tales of Rebels, Rulebreakers, and Revolutionaries book comes out in ONE MONTH! I’m so excited to share this book with you all. The publishing process can feel so long but also so quick, and in a way I sort of can’t believe that the release date is finally here…
I’ve been enamored with the beauty of maple keys since I was a kid, when I was introduced to them in my abuela’s front yard. We’d pick them up and toss them in the air, watch them come twirling down. I still take pictures of them whenever I spot them on the ground…
I’m incredibly excited to announce that the book I’ve been working on for the past three years, On The Edge, is officially on sale and will be published by Penguin Press on August 13. By the publishing industry’s standards, this is a lightning-fast turnaround. We think the book has a lot of news value and we’re trying to get it in your hands as fast as …
My book This American-Ex Wife will be published in TWO WEEKS February 20, 2024. Already the book is an editor’s pick on Amazon. A GoodReads February featured book. Kirkus called the book “A well-researched, acerbic critique of a sacred institution.” And Rebecca Solnit…
👋 Hey, I’m Lenny and welcome to a 🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒 of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. 🚨 The Best of Lenny’s Newsletter – Volume 1 is now available for order 🎉…
4 days ago · 146 likes · 3 comments · Lenny Rachitsky
New & noteworthy
Isabelle Amy shares news of a competition for short-story writers:
Isabelle Amy5d
For the last few months I’ve been working with a bunch of brilliant folks on something breathlessly exciting and all-consuming. A brand new international short story prize; The Hope Prize. What’s so great about it? Get published by Simon & Schuster. First prize is $10,000. Anyone in the world can enter, as long as you’re over 18 with a story of hope to share. Up to 20 highly commended submissions will be published in…
https://www.thehopeprize.com
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Marc Stein reported live on the NBA trade deadline:
Austin Tedesco2d
@Marc Stein chatting and reporting live all day for the NBA trade deadline right here. A great way to follow along with the news.
https://marcstein.substack.com
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Ruth Gaskovski and Peco started a “digital fast,” inviting readers to join them:
Ruth Gaskovski7d
Over the past couple of months @Peco and I have been writing about anachronistic practices and “simple acts of sanity” that offer concrete ways for people to limit the intrusion of (any) unwanted technology in our lives, while engaging in rehumanizing actions. In order to further cement these practices in our lives, we would like to invite our readers to join in a “Communal Digital Fast” coinciding with Lent. See…
Office Hours was instrumental to my early Substack life — the place I found community here, where I met many (now beloved) friends. I don’t attend anymore because it has just become too much in a variety of ways, but I’m grateful for what it gave me, when I didn’t even know I needed it 💛
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Inspired by the writers featured in Substack Reads? Writing on your own Substack is just a few clicks away:
Substack Reads is a weekly roundup of writing, ideas, art, and audio from the world of Substack. Posts are recommended by staff and readers, and curated and edited from Substack’s U.K. outpost by Hannah Ray.
Got a Substack post to recommend? Tell us about it in the comments.
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