I happened upon this great French show on Netflix a few months ago called Lupin. Inspired by the adventures of Arsène Lupin, gentleman thief Assane Diop sets out to avenge his father for an injustice inflicted by a wealthy family. This is a very modern take on a classic story. Best of all, I love that the story centers around a smart Black man who games the system and makes the police look like fools.
It’s a show we all need right now!
I am continuing to find more resources to educate myself on the Asian-American experience. I found this video on YouTube, which was very educational.
I have been reading a lot of books lately that highlight the forgotten histories of people who are only now getting recognized. The latest book I read was Sensational: The Hidden History of America’s Girl Stunt Reporters by Kim Todd, which focuses on pioneering women journalists at the turn of the 20th century. When I was in journalism school, I only learned about Nelly Bly. Even though Bly broke down barriers for women in media, because she was doing her work during the height of the “yellow journalism” era, she is not always seen as a “serious” journalist.
But history has been kinder to these reporters’ legacy and this book successfully highlights the women who helped launch a new kind of investigative journalism. Their “stunt reporting” led to societal reform in the workplace and gender equality. The book talks about Bly’s investigation into patient rights at an asylum, Ida B. Wells’s anti-lynching and women’s suffrage campaigns, and the “Girl Reporter” who exposed doctors and midwives who performed illegal abortions. I also appreciated the profile of Victoria Earle Matthews, a black reporter turned community activist who founded a settlement home to help Black girls from the South find their footing in New York City.
In many journalism circles today, this type of reporting is still frowned upon, but some of the best journalism lately has come from female journalists doing just this type of work, Whether it is Gloria Steinem’s investigation into the Playboy club, Barbara Ehrenreich’s book on low-wage workers, Joan Didion’s encounter with a pre-school-age child who was given LSD by her parents, and even Nicole Hannah-Jones’s 1619 Project, today’s women journalists stand on the shoulders of the pioneers featured in this book.
I love a really good lemonade, especially during the summertime. When I went to Tangiers many years ago, I went to this cafe that served possibly the best lemonade I have ever tasted. I went to the bar and asked the bartender for the drink recipe. He gave me the recipe in Arabic and I translated it. My Arabic is limited, but I was able to get the recipe, or at least it tastes good enough from what I translated!
Mint + Lemon Drink (Limonana)
INGREDIENTS
Put everything in a blender and blend for about two minutes or until finely blended. Put a strainer in a jug and pour the drink into a jug to separate the pulp. Best served chilled.