Cramped Style (Somewhat) Weekly
Issue No. 226: May 8, 2026
Hello, hello my dear subscribers! Thanks for sticking with me as I’ve been quite inconsistent in my posting this spring. Last week I was recovering from an annual work trip to middle-of-nowhere-Minnesota, but we’re back, baby! And chock full of recs.
What I’m reading
I read most of State of Wonder by Ann Patchett in the air, and while I’ve enjoyed all of the Ann Patchett books I’ve read, this is my favorite so far. Marina Singh is a pharmacological researcher who is sent to the Amazon to find a former mentor who has been there developing a drug to preserve fertility in women into old age. It was an interesting concept to think about and it was full of surprises.
Now I am reading Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe about a 19-year-old who resorts to OnlyFans to make money after her English professor knocks her up and wants nothing to do with her or the baby. It sounds bleak, but it’s absolutely hilarious and heartwarming.
What I’m listening to
On audio, I listed to Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo after multiple guests on “The Ezra Klein Show” recommended it as one of their three books to read. It was beautiful written and an impressive piece of work, but it was horribly depressing. And speaking of good ol’ Ezra, I am halfway through today’s episode, “GLP-1s and the ‘Wild West’ of Wellness,” which is 100 percent up my alley and so fascinating.
What I’m watching
Scott and I started watching “The Sopranos” because neither of us have ever seen it! I didn’t have any expectations really, but I didn’t expect it to be as darkly funny as it is. So far, I’m enjoying it and it’s weirdly nostalgic since the first season came out in 1999.
What I’m eating
I love pretty much any Korean dish I try, and this cheese buldak from NYT Cooking is no exception. I was a little bit skeptical of combining flavors like gochujang with mozzarella cheese, but I couldn’t stop shoveling it in my mouth.
This week’s obsession
Scott has decided that Harriet should be MAHA. Jk jk, but he did like the idea of getting her plastic-free toys and found woman-owned Purrfect Play. Now Harry and Beau have so many sad beige toys even though they are not sad beige animals. All joking aside, I really do love these toys. Beau is now the proud owner of a catnip sea slug and Harry is obsessed with their simple wool balls. Which means I am obsessed with their simple wool balls. I have become emotionally attached to these wool balls in fact. They’re my emotional support wool balls because they keep Harry busy. It’s the equivalent of giving my child an ipad so I can get some shit done.
How I’m staying healthy
I returned from Minnesota.
This week’s local favorite
Harry is currently taking a “polite pooch” basics course with Doghouse Girls, and I am impressed so far!
Here’s a little (Temu? AI?) inspiration from my Minnesota trip…have a great weekend!
