This was the week when we started shopping for REAL — and we’re getting books for everyone on our lists (because of course we are!). Hot off our book festival last week, we’ve got updated recommendations for kids’ books, cookbooks, books about grief, and more.

The Mash-Up Americans:

It’s Time For Extreme Hospitality With Pierre Thiam

It’s our last episode of the season(!) and we’re talking hospitality — what it looks like, what it means, what it does for our souls — and we can think of no better expert to turn to than Pierre Thiam, the trailblazing chef, author, and activist. He talks about how sharing food is a literal blessing, how it can transcend borders, and he also reveals his firm stance on who makes the best jollof. And if you’ve ever wondered how much food is enough food when you’re hosting people? Pierre’s got the answer for that, too.

If you also want to be the host with the most, here’s 5 Ways to Practice Extreme Hospitality With Pierre Thiam

LISTEN NOW

Mash-Ups In The News:

Year In Search 2023
GOOGLE

Google’s annual ranking of search trends is always a fascinating retrospection of the year’s goings-on. At the global level, some (like Travis Kelce) are more predictable than others (like bibimbap?!).

Home Is Where The Heart Of Hip-Hop Is
THE NEW YORK TIMES

Name a rapper, any rapper, and chances are they’ve penned many an ode to their hometowns. MC Lyte, E-40, and others share how “home” has shaped their identities and their music, from the Bronx to the Bay.

What Do Kids Lose When Preschools Are Segregated?
THE CUT

“The consequences are that we sell poor children of color short. And then I also want to underscore that there are costs for the affluent white children too.” In this compelling interview, Dr. Casey Stockstill sheds light on the compound effects of residential segregation and income inqeuality on our little ones.

This Is What Happens To All The Stuff You Don’t Want
THE ATLANTIC

Oh the guilt, the horror. The Atlantic gets real about the dark side of commerce: the millions and millions (and millions) of products we return and the people in charge of processing them.

The Legend Of Skokie
THE RACKET

Jonathan M. Katz takes a stab at “understanding how [the 1977 Skokie case] helped made a synecdoche between ‘free speech’ and ‘Nazi speech’ in many people’s minds. It’s gone so far that protecting far-right extremism has seemingly become more important to some than the actual protections afforded by the First Amendment itself.”

The Last Residents Of A Coastal Mexican Town Destroyed By Climate Change
AP NEWS

“A rusting sign at the town’s entrance says over 700 people lived in El Bosque two years ago. Now there are barely a dozen. In between those numbers lie the relics of a lost community.”

The Year Twitter Died
THE VERGE

What a trip, right? The Verge published a eulogy-come-denunciation of the late, sometimes great, Twitter. Was it a funhouse nightmare full of harassment? You bet. Was it also an enjoyable joke factory? 100%. Thanks for nothing, Elon.

Netflix Takes Big Data Transparency Step, Releasing Viewing Numbers For 18,000 Titles
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

The results are in: The Night Agent was by far the most watched, with Ginny & Georgia and K-drama The Glory coming in a close second and third. Time will tell if other streamers will follow suit in making public their viewing numbers.

Saving Praise Houses Before Their African Lineage Is Forgotten
THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Gullah Geechee of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida are fighting to preserve the tiny structures, a cradle of the Black church, before they’re erased by sprawl, climate change and fading memories.