Here’s what captured my attention this week:
- The New York Times Dining Section took a look at miracle fruit, a small berry from West Africa that causes the tongue—temporarily—to perceive foods as sweeter than they are. In New York, apparently, hipsters are attending miracle fruit parties, where lemons, Brussels sprouts, and cheap tequila suddenly become rapture-inducing. If those parties have made their way to Philly, I’m just not hip enough to know it, I guess.
- At Modern Art Notes, Tyler Green is understandably baffled by all the obituaries and critical appraisals of Robert Rauschenberg that failed to mention he was gay.
- I know that Texas Monthly is the best magazine currently being published anywhere. Believe me, coming from an Oklahoman (originally), that’s a high compliment. The current issue, which features the Top 50 BBQ Joints in the state, helped me pass the time on the trip from Santa Fe back to Philly. Yum, barbecue. Who’s going with me to try out, oh, 10 or 15 of these places?
- Two very different ministers come together to officiate at a funeral, in a smart, thought-provoking piece from the Spring issue of UU World.
- Spin offers an oral history of the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.”—beloved by two of my favorite groups, gay men and sports fan. Note how clueless the interviewees from the sports world are about the gay origins of the song. (Link via Towleroad)
What were you reading this week?