Friday Fourteen Issue 167
This week on Friday Fourteen: A juicy read in the New Yorker about the man behind Prince Harry’s memoir, a fascinating oral history of Buzzfeed (RIP), gentle advice for anyone who’s struggling to get vulnerable in relationships, one woman explains why she actually prefers being ghosted (???), the Fin Times does a damn good job explaining the economics of Succession, and more
If you read one thing this week make it this piece in the New Yorker by J. R. Moehringer, the ghost writer behind Andre Agassi, Phil Knight, and Prince Harry’s memoirs. It’s absolutely beautiful writing on the bruising and painful experience of attempting to write someone's memoir (and juicy as hell)
Elizabeth Holmes must have paid a publicist a lot of money for this
We became obsessed with this Guardian blind date when it was published a few weeks back (did Graham ever visit Deborah in France? What really happened at the Groucho Club??) and the gods delivered this week when an internet stranger wrote a review of their date and received a personal comment from one of the daters themselves. Read the date, then read the review, and see if you can spot Deborah’s comment 👀
40 life lessons from a 40 year old (some are excellent, some are… interesting?)
We recommend reading this essay that explores clothing as family heirlooms if only for the truly excellent outfits in the family photographs
Buzzfeed folded this week (RIP) and we thoroughly enjoyed reading this extremely detailed oral history of the news organisation
TikTok has now surpassed Google as the world’s most popular search engine but is it doing more harm than good?
When you lose “your person,” it’s critical to have “your people”
An interesting case for ghosting (“I don’t need three self-esteem-destroying paragraphs about why you didn’t like me”)
How Tom Hanks became Tom Hanks and all the other lives he could have lived instead. This is celebrity profile journalism at its finest
Gentle, wise, practical advice for anyone out there who wants a relationship but is struggling to let people in
The Financial Times has attempted to explain the economics of Succession
This food disgust test helps explain triggers you have with food
And in other news: A nice life lesson from a basketballer, when your annual leave request is denied, okay maybe we DO have fomo, this TikTok trend is killing us (and Duolingo nailed it), main character energy, working from home or home from work, the anxiety you feel when starting a new job, kids take really unflattering photos, how to forget cringey stuff you did five years ago, all things butter, who hurt her, when your childhood videos give Succession vibes, everything you need to know about the woman holding the sword during King Charles’ coronation, once you hear this you can’t unhear it, if every agency was honest on the meet the team slide, for anyone who’s ever owned a hair
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Hamish, digital marketing coordinator
Baking: This absolutely stunning old-fashioned strawberry cake from my gal Alison Roman. (I flew to Melbourne to see her speak last week, and had an uncontrollable desire to bake this cake for our designer Jeremy’s birthday)
Eating: I’ve been on a kitchen rampage this week, largely so I could avoid cleaning the house but still feel productive. Highlights include: These honey-sriracha chicken noodles, a truly comforting bowl of pad kra pao (pork and basil stir fry), a roast chicken that I dry brined overnight and covered in lemon and tarragon, and Eric Kims pasta alla vodka (which inexplicably tasted exactly like a packet of instant continental pasta – not mad about it)
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Vanessa, content & strategy director
Reading: Curtis Sittenfeld’s new novel Romantic Comedy. I didn’t love it quite as much as Rodham or American Wife but I still highly rec if you want a fun, frothy read about SNL-esque writer falling in love with a pop idol amidst the pandemic
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Ava, copywriter & content producer
Cooking: I’m currently taking part in a competitive dinner party series, and I’m digging back through my archives. I’m keen to try this recipe for coconut creme caramel 🍮
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Emma, digital marketing assistant
Bookmarking: This article about tablescaping. If I ever work up the courage to host a dinner party these are the EXACT vibes I want
Looking forward to: Season 2 of Heartstopper. August can’t come soon enough
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Steph, digital marketing coordinator
Following: Care Bears on TikTok for the most wholesome content
