Being Brave 💪🏼 and Boundaried 🚫
➕ Golden Globes results, a letter from a prisoner in Iran, & have you ever sought revenge in a break up? ❤️🩹
Coming at you directly after the first Shit Show recording of 2023 with Squish - it’s gonna be a goodie!!! I really don’t have THAT much to fill you in on today - the weather sucks, we’re all back in the office which is really fun, I’m reading House of Kwa and listening to Electric Light Orchestra… everything’s kinda good?
I’ll let Bel take the reigns on this newsy (as she does every Thursday) and if you feel yourself wanting more of her, you know what to do…
Have you ever sought revenge on an ex?
🔔 Bel Chimes In: On Being Brave and Boundaried 🔔
A letter from a jailed activist in Iran
The Golden Globes results!!
Have you ever sought revenge on an ex?
In case you missed it - we’re working on a very spesh project all about ❤️🩹heartbreak❤️🩹 right now (and how we were never taught to deal with it) and we’re currently looking for stories about revenge. Have you ever sought revenge after a breakup? Was it unhinged? Was it hinged? Do you regret it? Would you do it again? We wanna know all the details - drop em here - please!!
🔔 Bel Chimes In: On Being Brave and Boundaried 🔔
This section is written by my crush, the refreshing-as-a-house-chardonnay-on-a-steamy-day, Bel Hawkins. She also writes our Saturday newsletter ‘No News is Good News’ which all our paying supporters receive. Upgrade your plan to get her newsy here!
Besties! Aghhh SO good to have gone away, so good to be back. Literally, as the wheels of my plane home from my holiday touched the tarmac, I felt so happy to return to my little world (and this obvs includes you!), despite getting tonsillitis as soon as I landed 🙄
In my two-week break, I evacuated my Real Life and met my Amsterdam-based bestie in Malaysia after three years apart, which literally felt like a 'Move that bus!' moment, finally linking up in a hotel room in Kuala Lumpur, sweaty and sleepy after midnight but alive with that ~female friendship feeling~ that can't be replicated any other way.
We drank cheap champagne by the pool on Christmas Day and negronis made with peppermint tea (new hot fave) by night, hired a scooter and rode through the tropical light to beaches, swam under waterfalls, ate our way around street stalls and had those gorgey run-ins with strangers that only seem to happen while you're really far away. All of this is to say my cup is full (despite writing you this from my sick bed), and I'm absolutely vibing being back here with you all over again!
Now, onto this sexy new year we're all embarking on, and if you missed my ins and outs on Insta for the current Capricorn season, here they are below:
This is the time to dream up your quest! Be intentional about it. Fuck what everyone else is writing down for theirs — your life, your quest, it can be as big or small as you like <3. We've been chatting about this in the Substack chat ~ this is your invite to join!
This year can you be... Brave and Boundaried?
This brings me to a seamless segway into my two words of 2023. As you know, I have a deep fear of sounding like a motivational stretch canvas, but visions must be shared, and I always do it with you because I love us + feel like it could be cute and useful.
So, my mantra for this year is to be Brave and Boundaried, which is really just a hot take adaptation of Luce's 'Booked and Busy' phrase from last year as an affectionate term to describe how busy we all were.
But don't you just love the thought of running into the wind of a year that you:
a) do things that might scare you but genuinely will bring you newness/joy/everything that lies on the other side of being afraid?
And b) protect your peace very intentionally, even if it means it sometimes makes you uncomfortable (like saying no)??
It just feels like only good things can come from this.
Lastly - before I go and in case you missed it - all paying subscribers will get access to our cute new, news-free newsy this Saturday. I know money’s not an easy thing, but if you love these newsys, we would love you to love us back for $8USD p/m! (less than two coffees 👀)
Love this, love you, love us! See you on Saturday! xxx
A letter from a jailed activist in Iran
In case you’ve forgotten - there’s an uprising going on in Iran where protesters are still being arrested (19,300 of them), still being killed (519 of them) and still facing the death penalty (many of those who’ve been imprisoned.) The BBC got hold of a letter from Sepideh Qolian, one of Iran’s most prominent female activists, who was imprisoned in 2018 for acting "against national security" (supporting a strike) and it details what goes on within one of Iran’s notorious prisons (and how protesters are treated.)
Here’s what the BBC reported on it:
Writing from Evin prison, she describes the brutal treatment of her and other detainees by interrogators.
Their forced confessions are later broadcast on state-run television.
Alluding to the current anti-government protests sweeping the country, Ms Qolian writes: "In the fourth year of my imprisonment I can finally hear the footsteps of liberation from all across Iran.
"The echoes of 'Woman, Life, Freedom' can be heard even through the thick walls of Evin prison."
Qolian says she has also witnessed young detainees being interrogated in what used to be her examination room (she’s studying law) and has now been turned into a “torture and interrogation” building, and how she shouts to them to “not confess!”
You can read the rest of her letter here - and you really should.
The Golden Globes happened
And you can read the full list of winners here, but lemme give you some highlights for me:
Best limited series, anthology series or TV movie: White Lotus: Sicily
Best actress in a limited series or TV movie: Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout
Best supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie: Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
Best supporting actor: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best actor in a TV series – musical or comedy: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Best actress – musical or comedy: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best actor – drama: Austin Butler, Elvis
Best actress in a TV series – drama: Zendaya, Euphoria
And also just LOOK at Jenna Ortega:
Can we also celebrate "Naatu Naatu" winning best original song! The first win for India and the first time an Asian song won (against Taylor and Rihanna too!) 🎉
Wow Jenna Ortega looks really different in that third photo