I RECOMMEND
MY COLLABORATORS
Aminatou Sow, my CYG co-host and Shine Theory co-coiner
Gina Delvac, our incredible CYG producer
Lara Shipley, a photographer I love to work with
Jade Chang, an author who I teach workshops with
Jacque Boltik, #1 newsletter tech guru
Gail Ross, my literary agent
Laura Bertocci, my assistant
Quinn Heraty, my lawyer
Midroll, which handles ad sales for CYG
FRESH Speakers, my speaking agency
Kenesha Sneed, who designed the CYG logo
Dylan C. Lathrop, who designed the Shine Theory logo
Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs, who composes CYG's music
Jorge Rivas, who took my bio photos
Describe the Fauna, who took our Team CYG portraits
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BOOSTED MY CAREER
My Tomorrow magazine crew, which includes Megan Greenwell, Cord Jefferson, Zak Stone, Nona Willis Aronowitz, Dylan C. Lathrop, and Tim Fernholz
My Feministing crew, especially Vanessa Valenti, Samhita Mukhopadhyay, Courtney Martin, Miriam Pérez, Jessica Valenti
Dave Gilson and Elizabeth Gettelman Galicia, who hired me as a Mother Jones fellow and taught me how to check facts
Jessica Hopper, who responded to a late-night emotional email from a stranger 10 years ago
Mark Schmitt, who enabled me to cultivate my feature-editing skills at The American Prospect
Edith Zimmerman, who paid me real American dollars to make hand-drawn pie charts
Doug McGray, who was a mentor and later recommended me for an exec-level editing job
Anna Holmes, who spent hours imparting editorial wisdom when I felt I was in over my head
Cyndi Stivers, who paid me to turn a Tumblr blog into a Columbia Journalism Review column
Maureen O'Connor, who hired me as a weekly columnist right after I got fired
Stella Bugbee, who has valued me as a far-flung member of The Cut team
ORGANIZATIONS I SUPPORT
Women's Center for Creative Work, a nonprofit feminist community space
Library Foundation of Los Angeles, because public libraries are the BEST
Downtown Women's Center, which serves women experiencing homelessness
The Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which fights for everyone’s freedom to self-determine their gender identity
Showing Up for Racial Justice / White People for Black Lives
CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights LA)
National Network of Abortion Funds, which directly funds abortions
Higher Heights, which invests in black women's political leadership
PLACES I SHOP
Birkenstock (how many pairs is too many?)
HEALTH & PERSONAL GROWTH RESOURCES
Myisha Battle, sex coach
Gracy Obuchowicz, self-care coach
Beth Pickens, arts consultant (and the person who made me a feminist!)
Yoga Studio / Meditation Studio apps
Related rec: Colleen Medlock, who does branding for health+wellness practitioners
NEWSLETTERS I ALWAYS OPEN
Girls' Night In, Laura Olin, Of a Kind's 10 Things, and Austin Kleon for fantastic curated links
Pome, a short poem every day [currently on hiatus]
Chappell Ellison's design roundup
Zan Romanoff, Dayo Olopade, Courtney Martin, and Evie Ebert for writerly dispatches
BUSINESSES I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE ELSE TO START
An independent shop that sells beautiful, sustainable, stylish clothes for very tall women. I'm talking 33" inseams and longer. I'm talking long-torso swimsuits with NO ruching. I'm talking a broad size range. You could even do a pre-order thing where you ask designers to do a limited run of some of their items with a longer/bigger cut! Please. Start this business and take all of my money.
On a related note… some sort of e-commerce platform that curates statement shoes with heels that are 2” and under. For people who like dramatic footwear but want to be extremely comfortable.
A bar that specializes in savory cocktails. This would be a place where everybody knows your name and also that you hate sweet drinks. The bartenders would be forbidden from describing drinks as "balanced." Give me the driest and dirtiest martinis. Give me the bloodiest marys. Give me salt rims. Give me citrus twists. Give me celery tonics. And pair them with an impressive menu of salty snacks.
A seltzer-of-the-month club.