Ever wondered how the sausage of film and TV casting gets made? The Guardian has a superb article about Nina Gold, the queen of casting.

This is a pretty extraordinary excerpt of oral history done by Zora Neale Hurston, an interview with a survivor of a slave ship.

George Yancy writes about what it’s like to be black in academia.

Here’s a story about trying to report sexual harassment as a call center worker.

Alexis Okeowo writes about her home state of Alabama and the heritage it loves to celebrate and ignore. (cn: lynching)

Three women who are defying the whiteness of romance novels.

This new app sounds racist even by the standard of neighborhood apps.

How the US erases native people from the landscapes of National Parks.

An ode to Brooklyn Nine Nine, a show about which I no longer have to feel heartbroken because NBC saved the day.

“Why is a woman in power questioned on sight?” On Raymond Chandler and being a rare bookseller.

“This won’t sell” is the widest moat in the castle’s defenses. Rabih Alameddine writes about comforting myths and the literature sanctioned by empire (which is most of it).

I always thought it would be super cool to be a sound guy, and Vulture is here to, um, well not exactly back me up, but to talk about how sound guys make sex scenes and stuff for the movies.

Infinity War spoilers in this link, but yeah, Gamora’s plotline was the thing that convinced me I didn’t want to see Infinity War.

Anyone got fun weekend plans? Awesome links I missed?

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“Every comment allowed to pass, every rapist defended by friends and family and strangers, every man afraid of being falsely accused, creates a culture saying, ‘We have your back when you harm women.'” Natalie Degraffinried on how badly we need men to take on accountability for rape culture.

“Let’s be dragons together”: Maureen Ryan on her sexual assault by a TV executive and the (lack of) fall-out.

And (last Harvey Weinstein thing) the typically brilliant Bim Adewunmi on sexual harassment, black women, and being in the room where it (movie, assault) happens.

Well, okay, one more tangentially Harvey Weinstein thing: Soraya Chemaly on what we teach girls when we enforce dress codes.

What time is it? VIDA COUNT TIME!

I’m really looking forward to Alexis Okeowo’s book A Moonless Starless Sky, which tells the stories of ordinary people fighting against extremism in Africa. Lithub has an adapted excerpt.

Do you read WIP fics? Caroline Crampton dives into the fraught problem of WIPs and what happens when your favorite story lacks an ending.

On the protection racket of sexism, and what leads women to blame the victim.

Dear universe, I don’t want to learn anything bad about Taika Waititi ever, so please see to that, thx. Here’s how he supported and incorporated indigenous New Zealand in Thor: Ragnarok.

“I enjoy full-sized toilets that flush into a municipal sewage system.” Roxane Gay on tiny houses and what they say about America.

Chaya Bhuvaneswar writes about her complex love for the bigoted, and talented, T.S. Eliot.

Have a safe and excellent weekend, friends!

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The NPR Book Concierge has arrived once again! Every year I get zillions of recommendations from this thing, and you should too!

How fantasy movies portray the experience of oppression in near-totally white terms (by the fabulous Zeba Blay).

Vann R. Newkirk II is flames emoji as usual on calling out racism and the value of civility.

The Eritrean soccer league keeps defecting en masse when it goes to games overseas. The author of this article, Alexis Okeowo, allegedly has a book about resisting extremism in Africa, and I am going to read it twice because this article on Eritrean soccer is incredible.

2016 was the year America finally saw the (black) South: A super-great article by Jesmyn Ward. Oh! I forgot to tell you! Last night I dreamed I met Jesmyn Ward, and I wanted to tell her that I admired her work, but all I had read of hers was THIS ONE ARTICLE, and I felt terribly embarrassed that I hadn’t read any of her books yet. I was like “But — I mean, but, I have The Fire This Time at my apartment right now!” and Jesmyn Ward, in my dream, couldn’t have been more polite about it.

The rise of the romance novel (including the genuinely fucking awful The Flame and the Flower, dear God I want those hours of my life back). This article notably includes a picture of romance novelist Rosemary Rogers in a sari because of course.

Authors from around the world discuss colonialism and literature.

It’s been a while since we had a bonkers story in this round-up! Let’s have one: Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants, is embroiled in a deeply weird financial scheme regarding Hatchimals (a prime Christmas gift for children).

Zadie Smith talks about the experimental (or otherwise) nature of multiculturalism and her hopes for the future.

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