The FADER Weekend Reading List

Emma Hope Allwood, Dazed (10/20)

Ten years ago, artist duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset recreated a Prada store and stuck it in the middle of nowhere, AKA Marfa, Texas. To mark the anniversary of the iconic sculpture's installation, Emma Hope Allwood talked to the creators about vandalism, selfies, and how "the ideas behind the work survive and hopefully make more people interested in contemporary art." Very cool.

Lauren Kern and Noreen Malone, New York (10/18)

Listen up: the kids have spoken. There's no such thing as "hookup culture" anymore. It's sex, no sex, or something in between. Sex can be good, sex can be bad. New York Mag's brilliant spread about this burgeoning sexual revolution (or emotional revolution, maybe) is a true must-read for youngins and old fogies alike.

Jon Campbell, Village Voice (10/20)

It's almost Halloween. Yes, that's right, next Saturday is FRIGHT NIGHT. Don't worry, there will definitely be another spooky story or two in next week's roundup. But to hold you over until then, here is a story about murder, suicide, a haunted house, a creepy apartment, "bad vibes," and why it's totally legal to fail to mention a death in a home when you're trying to sell or lease it. Because ghosts, obvi.

Susan Burton, New York Times (10/21)

This is the kind of profile of a cultural icon that leaves you with goosebumps. Burton's interview with Terry Gross, the host of "Fresh Air" and a master of on-air interviews (with 40 years and 13,000 conversations under her belt) gave life to this beautifully written story. It's filled with amazing tidbits about Gross: "To movie theaters, she brings a bag of pillows" and "She feels a periodic need to take a walk around the block."

But this section in particular is exceptional: "She loves interviewing artists, she told me, because they are 'the people we designate to open up their lives for examination so we can understand better who we are.' They offer up their own stories as 'what Updike called "specimen lives,"' she said. 'Examples of what it’s like to be human.'" It's incredible. Please read this.

Kareem Reid, The FADER (10/23)

About eight months ago, Kareem Reid started a club night in London called "Body Party," which he billed as a "safe space" for black, brown, and queer bodies to be able to party with people who "get it," and "no homophobia, no transphobia, no patriarchal flexing.” Though it worked for a while, this turned out to be an imperfect plan. Here, Reid delves into why it's so important to have safe spaces in which to party. Because everyone deserves to choose who they party with.

Alden Wicker, Refinery29 (10/20)

We have no words for the legacy of AmAppy, but Alden Wicker has a bunch! She's got the full scoop on how infamous CEO Dov Charney, ran his former company like a sleezy cult. Wicker spoke to everyone from former employees to the Charn himself about the eight sexual harassment lawsuits against him, real pro-Charney groups, and how American Apparel was like a "really bad boyfriend [you] can't get away from." Blech.

Carrie Battan, GQ (10/21)

There is way more to Amber Rose than her past as "rap's most famous girlfriend." Amber Rose is a bad bitch, and Carrie Battan is a bad bitch, too for this on-point profile of an on-point lady. Read. It. Now.

Irin Carmon, MSNBC (10/19)

It would be really, really tight if everyone in this country could be allowed ownership of their own bodies and have affordable healthcare with which to do so. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen anytime soon. MSNBC's coverage (with support from the Economic Hardship Reporting Project) on the closing of abortion clinics in red states includes interviews with pro-choice activists, doctors, et al, plus informative graphics and charts, and an explanation of why this is happening. It's very comprehensive and easy to read, so get to it, because this is massively important.

Elias Leight, The FADER (10/20)

The "Hotline Bling" video dropped this week, if you hadn't noticed all the .gifs and memes. And the question we're all asking is: will Drake finally get his solo number one?! Elias Leight dug down to provide us with the complete history of Drake's relationship with the Billboard charts. 🙏💯