Hidden Talents

Hello, friends!

What’s your hidden talent?

Earlier this week I was chauffeuring my son and his friend around town when the other kid was talking about how his mom can make anything. Her own clothes! Furniture! Songs! And it’s true. His mom is very creative; I admire her greatly, and I agree that she could in fact do anything. 

Then there was a pause and I heard my darling child say, “Well … My mom can eat dinner faster than anyone in the entire world.” And, actually, he’s right. I am the fastest dinner-eater in the world. The entire world! Any dinner! Doesn’t matter if I’m in a McDonald’s dining room or a Michelin-starred restaurant. I will finish my dinner before anyone else at the table. It’s not a skill I ever took particular pride in but I was touched that my son noticed this undeniably useful talent.  

Some fun links are below and have a lovely weekend.

Xo,

Toby

•  Are you ever on a group chat when one of your friends says, “Lol … we should start a podcast!”? Well, Nancy Silverton, Laurie Ochoa, and Ruth Reichl did actually start a podcast called Three Ingredients. I haven’t listened yet, but what a lineup. (Apple Podcasts) 

•  Susannah Felts’ interview with author Margaret Renkl is a good reminder to notice the world around you. (Field Trip)

•  I was immediately drawn into Richard Linklater’s road-trip documentary series God Save Texas. It captures the complexity of the state so well and I like learning about the childhood of one of my favorite filmmakers. (Max)  

•  With Passover approaching, I’d love to eat the bitter herbs off this gorgeous seder plate. (Isabel Halley)

•  It’s extremely fun to nerd out to these world history maps. (Vivid Maps)

•  Writer Kristin Russel nail’s the hopeful helplessness of parenting in her latest newsletter. (Metapause)

•  The new Kim Gordon album rips. And her conversation with Chloe Sevigny is, like, cool girl overload. (Interview) 

•  As someone who’s an expert in avoiding grief, I appreciated Claire Bidwell Smith’s tips on how to face it head-on. (goop)

•  It looks like Oppenheimer is going to sweep tonight’s Academy Awards, though I would give all the accolades to Past Lives. And I could watch this scene a million times. (Instagram) 

•  Very much looking forward to reading Ronan on RuPaul this weekend. (New Yorker)

•  If you’re in LA anytime soon, I just had an excellent meal at Botanica. Though, when I saw ‘Celery root lasagna’ on the menu I did think, “That is SO LA.” (Botanica)

•  And, finally, Reesa Teesa deserves her 15 minutes of (TikTok) fame. (The Cut)