Article Club Mark Isero

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here.
Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Mike Hixenbaugh, co-author of Southlake and author of They Came for the Schools: One Town's Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for America's Classrooms.
Published by NBC News, Southlake is a six-part podcast about how a mostly-white community in a Texas suburb failed to respond to the harm that white students caused when they chanted the N-word in a video after a homecoming dance in 2018. (It’s about a whole lot more, too.)
I highly encourage you to listen to the podcast (if you haven’t already), then take in the interview with Mike, then sign up for our discussion on Saturday, July 20, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. I’d be very happy if you were there.
⭐️ About the author
Mike Hixenbaugh is a senior investigative reporter for NBC News, co-creator of the Southlake and Grapevine podcasts, and author of They Came for the Schools: One Town’s Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for America’s Classrooms.
Mr. Hixenbaugh’s reporting in recent years on the battles over race, gender, and sexuality in public schools won a Peabody Award and was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
While working as a newspaper reporter in Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, and Texas, Hixenbaugh uncovered deadly failures in the U.S. military, abuses in the child welfare system, and safety lapses at major hospitals, winning numerous national awards and triggering reforms aimed at saving lives and keeping families together.
Mr. Hixenbaugh lives in Maryland with his wife and four children.
⭐️ About the interview
I got a chance to interview Mike last week, and it was an honor. Our conversation was one of my favorites ever at Article Club. In addition to talking about Southlake, we really went deep into his book (which I highly recommend).
We discussed a number of topics, including:
* how he got interested in the story in the first place
* how his identity as a white man influenced his reporting
* how he tried to take in the viewpoints of conservative Southlake residents
* how listening to young people was paramount
Most of all, I appreciated Mike’s generosity and thoughtfulness. It was abundantly clear from the interview how deeply Mike has gotten to know this community and how thoroughly he has reported this story. He is not afraid of nuance — and he is not afraid to tell the truth. As an educator and a journalism fan, I could have talked to Mike for much longer. Our conversation made me very excited to discuss Southlake with you.
🙋🏽‍♀️ Come Join Our Discussion on July 20
I urge you to join us on Saturday, July 20 as we discuss Southlake. We’ll be focusing on Episodes 2 and 3, “Just a Word” and “The Not-So-Silent Majority.” It’ll take a little over an hour to listen to the two episodes.
If you’re interested, I’ll be sure to get you all the info you need, including the Zoom link and what you can expect from the discussion.
If this will be your first time participating in Article Club, I’m 100% sure you’ll find that you’ll feel welcome. We’re a kind, thoughtful reading community.
What do you think? Interested? All you need to do is sign up below. Or reach out with all of your questions.
Thank you for reading and listening to this week’s issue. Hope you liked it. 😀
To all of our 12 new subscribers — including Dave, Emily, Roni, Hadiya, Laura, Juho, Aida, Yvonne, Adonis, and Morgan — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Ben! Benji! Benjamin!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Tyren, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.
If you appreciate these interviews, value our discussions, and in general have come to trust that Article Club will have better things for you to read than your current habit of incessantly scrolling the Internet for hours on end, p

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here.
Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Amanda E. Machado, the author of “The Abstract Rage To Protect,” June’s article of the month.
First published in The Adroit Journal, “The Abstract Rage To Protect” is about masculinity, the need for men to protect women, the violence that follows, and what we can do about it.
I highly encourage you to read the piece (if you haven’t already), then listen to the interview, then sign up for our discussion on Sunday, June 30, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. I’d be very happy to connect with you in conversation.
⭐️ About the article
“There is a difference between a man’s sense of protection and a man’s sense of violence,” a male friend once reassured me. But I never could tell the difference.
When Amanda E. Machado tells men that she was once sexually assaulted at a festival, with her ex-boyfriend nearby but lost in the crowd, they instantly become ashamed of him. “How could he let this happen?” they ask. “He was supposed to protect you.”
In this enlightening essay, Amanda explores notions of masculinity, weaving personal experiences with the work of Phil Christman, a lecturer at the University of Michigan. Christman writes, “When I try to nail down what masculinity is — what imperative gives rise to all this pain seeking and stoicism, this showboating asceticism and loud silence — I come back to this: Masculinity is an abstract rage to protect.”
The biggest problem with this “abstract rage to protect,” Amanda argues, is that there is a fine line between a desire to protect and a desire to inflict violence. “The aggression men learn to protect the women they love, becomes exactly how they hurt the women they love.”
⭐️ About the author
Amanda E. Machado (she/they) is a writer, public speaker and facilitator with ancestry from Mexico and Ecuador. Their work has been published in The Atlantic, Guernica, The Washington Post, Adroit Journal, Slate, The Guardian, Sierra Magazine, among many other outlets. In addition to their essay writing, Amanda is also a public speaker and workshop facilitator on issues of justice and anti-oppression for organizations around the world. They are also the founder of Reclaiming Nature Writing, a multi-week online workshop that centers the experiences of people of color in how we tell stories about the outdoors.
Amanda currently lives on unceded Ohlone land in Oakland, California.
⭐️ About the interview
Alongside fellow Article Clubber Sarai Bordeaux, I got a chance to interview Amanda a few weeks ago. It was an honor. We discussed a number of topics, including:
* that we all have a desire to be protected
* that we’re socialized that protection must be physical and therefore may involve violence
* that we have a collective responsibility to find ways to redefine protection
Most of all, I appreciated Amanda’s generosity. It was clear that their thinking is expansive and non-judgmental. Listening to Amanda got me to want to be more imaginative in how I support others and how I show up for other people when they seek emotional protection. And it made me excited to discuss their piece with you.
🙋🏽‍♀️ Come Join Our Discussion on June 30
I urge you to join us on June 30 as we discuss our article of the month.
If you’re interested, I’ll be sure to get you all the info you need, including the Zoom link and this version of the article, where you can annotate and share your thoughts with other Article Clubbers.
If this will be your first time participating in Article Club, I’m 100% sure you’ll find that you’ll feel welcome. We’re a kind, thoughtful reading community.
What do you think? Interested? All you need to do is sign up below. Or reach out with all of your questions.
Thank you for reading and listening to this week’s issue. Hope you liked it. 😀
To our 13 new subscribers — including L

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here.
Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Jonathan Escoffery, the author of “In Flux,” March’s article of the month.
First published in Passages North, “In Flux” is a short story about race, identity, and the dreaded question, “What are you?” It’s about Blackness, belonging, and the main character Trelawny’s struggle to figure out where he fits in.
Mr. Escoffery writes:
I was interested in what complications an American-born boy of Jamaican parentage, and of African and European descent, presenting, to some degree, as racially ambiguous, might find in claiming a neat, pre-packaged identity, and how the competing attitudes—the contradictory denials and affirmations—held by those within his various communities might further complicate this, and how shifting geographic and class locations would complicate this even further.
🎙️ I warmly invite you to join our discussion of “In Flux” on Sunday, March 24, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT. We’ll meet on Zoom. It’d be wonderful to have you there.
Alongside fellow Article Clubber Sarai Bordeaux, I got a chance to interview Mr. Escoffery last week. It was an honor. We discussed a number of topics, including:
* the shame the main character feels as a result of having his identity questioned
* the use of the second person point of view and its impact on the reader
* the messiness of identity and our society’s disdain for nuance and complexity
Most of all, I appreciated Mr. Escoffery’s thoughtfulness and introspection. It was clear that he does not settle for simple answers, especially when it comes to issues of race. Listening to Mr. Escoffery got me to want to re-read his piece. It encouraged me to share his piece with my colleagues at school. (Our students would appreciate it, I’m certain.) And it made me excited to discuss his piece with you.
🙋🏽 Before you go: It’s time for a poll!
I’m thinking about making some changes to this newsletter, based on what you’re appreciating and finding valuable. I’d love to hear from you.
Thank you for reading and listening to this week’s issue. Hope you liked it. 😀
To our 6 new subscribers — including Jiaway, Amit, Ryan, Teghan, and Maria — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Zaretta! Zachary! Zaden!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Gregg, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.
If you like Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are two ways you can help out:
❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Vanessa (thank you). If you’ve subscribed for free for a long time, and you appreciate the articles and author interviews, or if you’ve joined one or more discussions, I encourage you to take the leap. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year.
📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you for spreading the word.
On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe below. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT.


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here.
Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Paul Tough, the author of “Saying No to College,” January’s article of the month.
Published in The New York Times Magazine last September, the piece explains the significant shift in Americans’ views on the value of college over the past decade. Whereas in 2010, when nearly all families wanted their children to attend college, now only half do. And 45 percent of Gen Z says a high school diploma is sufficient to “ensure financial security.”
What explains this trend — this darkening mood about college? Two things, Mr. Tough explains:
* There’s a difference between the college wage premium and the college wealth premium. In other words, you’ll make more money if you graduate from college. But that doesn’t mean you’ll become more well-off.
* Going to college is a little like going to a casino. If you graduate, you’re largely good (unless you pay full price at NYU and get a Humanities degree). But if you drop out, and you’ve got debt — that’s another story.
There’s much more in the article, but I don’t want to give away too many spoilers. If you haven’t read it yet, I urge you to do so — and to join our discussion if you’re intrigued. We’re meeting on January 28 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm PT.
I got a chance to interview Mr. Tough (again!) last week, and it was an honor. If you’re a long-time subscriber, you know that Mr. Tough helped get Article Club off the ground. Back in February 2020, he shared his thoughts on “Getting an A,” a chapter from his book, The Inequality Machine. He was generous and thoughtful then. Nothing has changed.
About our conversation: I won’t give everything away, because it’s better to listen, but we discussed a number of topics, including:
* how there’s a major disconnect between “college experts” and regular American families on the value of higher education
* how this piece required a different kind of reporting and approach to writing
* how giving college advice to young people is way more complicated than it used to be
* how even though there’s “something really wrong in higher education,” our country is doomed if this current trend continues
Most of all, it became abundantly clear in our conversation that Mr. Tough knows what he’s talking about and knows how to write. Most of all, I appreciate his clarity and compassion. Especially if you’re a student, parent, or educator, this is an article that is worth your time and attention.
Thank you for reading this week’s issue. Hope you liked it. 😀
To our 6 new subscribers — including Scott, Hoa, Sammy, Amimul, and Kevin — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Quincy! Quinn! Quince!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Wayne, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.
If you like Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are two ways you can help out:
❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Molly (thank you). If you’ve subscribed for free for a long time, and you appreciate the articles and author interviews, or if you’ve joined one or more discussions, I encourage you to take the leap. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year.
📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you for spreading the word.
On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT.


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get

Dear Loyal Readers,
Hope you’re having a relaxing (and reading-heavy) end of the year.
I’ll be back next Thursday to reveal our January article of the month. It’s going to be a good one, and I urge you to join our discussion.
Until then, I welcome you to listen to Article Club’s first-ever end-of-year podcast reflection episode, in which Melinda and I discuss some highlights from 2023 and what’s coming up in the new year.
Among other things, we chat about:
* our favorite articles of the year (can you guess?)
* our favorite moments from our monthly discussions
* what we’re looking forward to in 2024 (will Roxane Gay be joining us?)
* how Melinda is going to read Middlemarch
To listen: Hit the play button up top or add Article Club to your favorite podcast player.
In the episode, Melinda and I also share our deep appreciation of our reading community here at Article Club. In other words: This means you.
Thank you for subscribing, reading the articles, listening to author interviews, joining the discussions, and sharing your perspectives.
Thank you for being thoughtful and kind.
As we head into 2024 — which will no doubt be a roller coaster — I’m reminded that authentic connection does not come easily. True empathy does not come easily. What we continue to build here is special. In fact, in this clip, Melinda calls it magical.

Thank you again, and see you in the New Year!
Mark


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit articleclub.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome, new subscribers, and welcome back, loyal readers! I’m happy you’re here.
⭐️ Before we get started: If you live near Oakland, join me and fellow Article Clubbers at an in-person gathering on Thursday, Nov. 30, at Room 389, beginning at 5:30 pm. It’s a great way to connect with other thoughtful readers and chat about the articles. It’d be wonderful to see you. Here’s more info and where you can get your free ticket.
Today’s issue is dedicated to an interview with Larissa MacFarquhar, the author of “The Fog: Living in Adoption’s Emotional Aftermath,” November’s article of the month.
Originally published in The New Yorker in April, the piece profiles three adoptees who have come out of “the fog,” or the denial of the trauma of being adopted. Not all adoptees have mixed or negative emotions, but many do.
They seek their birth parents but are lied to; they can’t obtain their original birth certificates; they’re told they should be happy they’re adopted when their feelings are complicated; they find the adoption system corrupt; they feel like they’re living a double life, estranged from the person they really are.
By focusing on the lives of Deanna, Joy, and Angela, the article also discusses the history and problems of three categories of adoption: invisible (or closed) adoptions, transracial adoptions, and international adoptions.
If you haven’t read it yet, I urge you to do so — and to join our discussion on December 3, if you’re moved.
I got a chance to interview Ms. MacFarquhar last Friday, and it was an honor. I won’t give everything away, because it’s better to listen, but we discussed a number of topics, including:
* how Ms. MacFarquhar became interested in adoption after exploring the problems of the foster care system
* how being adopted is a profoundly different way of being human than growing up with one’s biological family
* how many adoptees feel they’re not real, that their stories are scrambled, that their identities are disorientating, and that they learn about themselves bit by bit
* how although adoption is sometimes the best outcome for a child, our society should be more supportive of birth parents who love and want to keep their kids
Most of all, it became abundantly clear in our conversation that Ms. MacFarquhar is a thoughtful reporter and writer. Her approach to profiling is exquisite; she tells her subjects’ stories directly and with compassion. And no matter your background knowledge on adoption, and no matter your lived experience, this is an article that is worth your time and attention.
Thank you for listening to this week’s episode. Hope you liked it. 😀
To our 3 new subscribers — including Jennifer and Bernice — I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Hunter! Hudson! Hakeem!), you’re pretty great, too. Loyal reader Naya, thank you for sharing the newsletter and getting the word out.
If you like Article Club, please help it grow. I really appreciate your support. Here are two ways you can help out:
❤️ Become a paid subscriber, like Christopher (thank you). If you’ve subscribed for free for a long time, and you appreciate the articles and author interviews, or if you’ve joined one or more discussions, I encourage you to take the leap. You’ll join an esteemed group of readers who value the mission of Article Club. Plus you’ll receive surprise perks and prizes. It’s $5 a month or $36 a year.
📬 Invite your friends to subscribe. Know someone who’s kind, thoughtful, and loves to read? I’d love it if you encouraged them to subscribe. Word of mouth is by far the best way to strengthen our reading community. Thank you for spreading the word.
On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT.


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other su