Whether visiting Pope Francis or clothes shopping with Julia Louis Dreyfus, beloved essayist David Sedaris remains a sharp-witted misanthrope who secretly loves people. mnth.ly/4edSkYp

Coop tells us the guy “deserves to lose it”. But that’s the end of the folk hero portion, because he’s not redistributing the gains but paying off his ex-wife’s MonaLisa Touch vaginal rejuvenation. mnth.ly/5mPatwl

Read more: mnth.ly/jMZerV0

Read more: mnth.ly/O7mh3UF

‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ is the clear belt-winner, for me. While it doesn’t offer revolution, this genuinely felt, technicolour hug provides a small measure of real consolation. And there’s nothing fake about that. mnth.ly/2yM2BnS

As a cautionary tale for aspiring creatives, ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ takes some beating. One day you’re a talented essayist at college, the next you’re churning out custom penis appraisals on OnlyFans. mnth.ly/3XBvvJK

New piece in June issue of @themonthly.com.au

“If people who are struggling to put food on the table aren’t voting for a policy that taxes super yacht owners more, then the problem lies with the sales pitch, not the policy,” writes @abistephenson.bsky.social. An edited extract from Griffith Review 91. Read more: https://theaus.in/3Oo9Opn

@abistephenson.bsky.social on The Point about why tax policy is far sexier than you think

Bruce Springsteen’s struggles with depression are at the forefront of Scott Cooper’s biopic about the making of the lo-fi classic album ‘Nebraska’ | Abi Stephenson mnth.ly/tkFxeIy

"One of the clear standouts for me was how sensitively the film depicts a certain era of emotionally thwarted male relationships." mnth.ly/GLaUdMu

Jeremy Allen White (‘Shameless’, ‘The Bear’), is shark-eyed throughout, believably miserable as a fugue-state Springsteen trapped behind the glass of depression. mnth.ly/0jGqKm4

"To be a Bruce Springsteen fan – particularly as a young woman – is to spend a lot of time clearing up misconceptions. Admittedly, the brand has thrown off a confusing scent at times." mnth.ly/W95HuPV

November issue out Monday (online today for subscribers)! With an extract from Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein’s ‘The Mushroom Tapes’, Madison Griffiths on abuse in horseracing, plus Abi Stephenson, Andrew Leigh, Robbie Arnott, and more. mnth.ly/uFHtxV3

This excellent piece on hyperemesis gravidarum should be required reading for maternity professionals. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Brilliant long-read from @abistephenson.bsky.social in the Guardian about extreme pregnancy sickness - how much suffering it causes and why it’s so weirdly neglected. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

The harsh reality of ‘extreme morning sickness’ | Letters

An essential read by my dazzling pal @abistephenson.bsky.social "Far from languishing on the chaise longue without intervention, she could also receive the “rectal instillation” of morphine, laudanum or her own urine ..."

My new Guardian Long Read. The one in which I talk about medical misogyny, my favourite Napoleonic battle, a handsome US civil war surgeon, cocaine pessaries, the terrors of Victorian medicine, punk icon Patti Smith, and lots (and lots) of vomiting.

Fascinating by @abistephenson.bsky.social on the horror of hyperemesis. One of my dearest friends had this and really had to fight for appropriate care. I've always been struck by the fact that it was the probable cause of Charlotte Bronte's untimely death. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

“There are at least three roots to trip over here: these are confidential discussions between a patient and her psychiatrist, full of intimate psychiatric notes about someone else, and clearly addressed to yet another individual.” #NotestoJohn

The excruciating posthumous collection of psychiatric summaries regarding the American writer’s tragically doomed daughter that should never have been published | Abi Stephenson

“A polished, confident conjuring trick, Shankland’s glossy tour through the ballrooms, decaying palazzos and dusty Sicilian streets of a bygone era manages to be both elegiac and gently critical.” Abi Stephenson on Netflix’s #TheLeopard

Abi Stephenson on #TheWhiteLotus: “White has spoken about not wanting to write about ‘rich people in front of infinity pools’ forever, and one wonders if season 3 is perhaps an unconscious act of self-harm to liberate him from the yoke of his own success.”

Netflix’s Italian period drama #TheLeopard is glorious with intense performances and visual detail, but the latest season of Binge’s hit satire of privilege and psychopaths falls flat | Abi Stephenson

Hey we're nine followers off of that first hurdle of 10,000, send this post to your top nine friends who like independent books published with integrity, vision, drive and passion and I guess we'll be at the big funny number and maybe my boss will finally respect me

The "he's not gonna listen to her" reactions are missing many points. Lots of other people are also hearing it. Lots of people can see him hearing it, then weigh what she's said with what he'll do. Lots of people can see her refusal to surrender these ancient teachings to the latest face of empire

Thoughtful article from @abistephenson.bsky.social on an incredibly tough decision. I love the final description of her daughter "In silence, but with a hearing key right at hand; ready to unlock the blooming, buzzing cacophony of the world whenever she chooses." www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Beautiful essay: “Why does society want to frame deafness as a medical abnormality, rather than a sensory difference? A parent’s difficult decision about whether to give her child a cochlear implant.”

I was delighted to be able to commission Abi Stephenson to write this Aeon.co essay about her daughter’s deafness and the dilemmas for parents - wonderful to see it syndicated by The Guardian too, and reaching an even wider readership www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

I thought this was an extremely thoughtful article, well worth a read.

Resharing this thought provoking essay by my amazing friend @abistephenson.bsky.social ⭐

This is a thoughtful discussion of a difficult issue.

Didn’t explicitly have ‘a @theguardian.com Longreads byline’ on my Christmas wishlist this year - but the idea of writing for my favourite newspaper has vaguely (preposterously, dreamily) been on my mind since I bought my first copy at 17. amp.theguardian.com/society/2024...

The cochlear question: as the parent of a deaf baby, should I give her an implant to help her hear?

Had a lot of fun reviewing this gorgeous biography of Madrid for the December edition of the Australian Book Review. It’s behind a 💲 paywall but the mag is brilliant and well worth the subscription 🗞️ www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/c...

"One of my teachers at Columbia was Joseph Brodsky...and he said 'look,' he said, 'you Americans, you are so naïve. You think evil is going to come into your houses wearing big black boots. It doesn’t come like that. Look at the language. It begins in the language.'"

A wonderful essay by @abistephenson.bsky.social on Aeon about making difficult decisions as the parent of a deaf child. aeon.co/essays/why-i...?

Please read this incredibly nuanced and thoughtful essay by my wonderful pal @abistephenson.bsky.social