A Star-Studded TWELFTH NIGHT Broadcast

It seems the kids were never okay

Is reading literacy among young people declining? Is the question they can’t literally read, or is it the question of not being able to understand textbooks at the university level? These questions were permanent and confounding, with the answer tending to “children are incompetent.” Constance Grady analyzes the tired reappearance of “children can’t read” discourse Vox“On the other hand, I know that every generation of generations complain that the next kids are all wrong, stupid and not respectful. Read everything about scholars, psychology experts, and the assumptions that data make, the history of this question, and what actually affects test scores and reading comprehension.

The writer’s difficult confusion breaks up

What do writers do when they experience major life-changing events? They write about it. But what happens when the event is divorce and two writers are dealing with it through pen and paper? In the case of Hannah Pitard and her ex-husband Andrew Ewell, they both write about it from their perspective, then write about the original they write about it. My head is spinning… Pitard wrote her latest novel. This prompted a fascinating question of who would get custody of the story when the writer parted ways, and explored it in Pitard’s profile New York Times. The whole thing gives me hives, but of course it makes for a great read.

Pride is disappearing in libraries all over the United States

Pride is almost dying in the library.

Definitely: The few stories about pushbacks related to LGBTQ+ displays, programming and other events at US libraries during June are not to be celebrated. In an age of security scrutiny and legitimate fear, more and more libraries are being thrown into towels to celebrate their pride. What felt like a quiet censorship of pride in 2024 became much more obvious in 2025. You can be grateful for the fear you can. You can shame the way LGBTQ+ people are simply pushed away at moments where they are more important than ever, in the moments they defend their voices, stories, experiences, and beings.