Make your own gumball machine, press to dispense, and then blow big bubbles whenever you'd like. Get the full instructions in our Joy Issue (#35), out now.
Click here for the printable templates for your cardboard pieces.
Hello friends, It's been a while. How are you? I was in the middle of planning the next issue of Kazoo when, perhaps against my better judgement, my daughters convinced me to welcome this bouncy, little pup into our family! In truth, they've been begging for a dog for years, and whew! It's like having a very fluffy baby. Her name is Chloe Snickerdoodle. She's a mini labradoodle. We all love her so much, and you'll be seeing more of her. But, she's sleeping now, so I finally have a minute to chat with you. Hi there. I know you've probably been missing this newsletter and my random thoughts about what I've seen on the internet (with a sprinkle of the latest Ani Difranco news), but not to worry. I'm back. Read on for the best of this fall, but first, a big sale: 50% off our first 25 issues, for the rest of this month.
Click here for 50% off issues 1-25. Use code CHLOE at checkout.
• Pick-Me Girls: I first thought that the "Pick-Me" insult, used against girls, was a tool to dampen their ambition, like "Try hard, but not too hard." But my daughters have been trying to explain the subtleties of the term to me. Like all generational slang, it's sometimes hard to translate. Parents explains that Pick-Me Girls are not cool. (So not sigma. Amiright, chat?) • Running for a Good Cause: The NYC marathon route goes right past our apartment in Brooklyn, and it's our favorite fall tradition to cheer on the athletes as they speed by. This year, friend of Kazoo, vascular surgeon, and mom to an awesome Noisemaker is running it to raise money for The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health. You can donate and feel good about it, here. Another friend of Kazoo, who's a midwife and mom to three Noisemakers, is running and raising money for Every Mother Counts, which supports maternal health. If you're running, send me your bib number, and we'll look for you and cheer for you at mile 7! • Potluck Dreams: Who would attend your dream dinner party? Courtney Thorsson's book, The Sisterhood, describes the Brooklyn supper club that seems more like a fantasy than something that actually happened IRL. And yet, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and June Jordan, plus other amazing black women, got together over dinner and basically changed the world. I wonder if they knew they were doing it at the time, if it felt electric. I really wanted to start a recurring Sunday Dinner party and had it all planned to begin in Spring of 2020—and then I didn't eat with a non-family member for, like, a year. Even now, dinner parties still seem...a little weird? Is this whole tradition gone, or are you just not inviting me? • Luddite Kids: In The New Yorker, Jessica Winter asks, Can We Get Kids Off Smartphones? Honestly, as often as I've threatened to throw my middle schooler's phone in The Lake, I don't know how I could; she uses it for everything, even at school! And, if kids don't have them, they're further isolated because that's the only way all of their friends communicate. I'm hoping this pup helps distract her from her phone. Puppies, after all, are 100% screen-free.
• Meet the Birken Bag of the Book World: This family-run publisher—excuse me "luxury brand"—sells gift books for $1000+. So obnoxious, but then again, Louis Vuitton sells plain white t-shirts for more than $1000, so why not? The printed page is a thing to treasure. Also, should we be charging more for our magazine? Kazoo—I mean, our brand—is also "collectible and covetable." Right? RIGHT? (Even though I increasingly tend to buy my t-shirts at Costco. What? They have good deals.)
• Here Comes the Sun: Julie Mehretu, an artist who worked with us on Kazoo #23, is creating an 83 ft-high painted-glass window, inspired by President Obama’s remarks at the 50th anniversary of the marches from Selma to Montgomery. “Uprising of the Sun” will welcome visitors to the Obama Presidential Center. I want to go see it. • Speaking of Bright: We had the idea to create a “Kazoo Klassifieds” section (and not just so we could spell classifieds w a K, which just cracks me up). We did it to help offset our printing costs, without advertising products. And we liked it so much that we're going to make it an ongoing thing. Want to say, “We love you!” or “We’re so proud of you!” or “Happy birthday!” to a special kid you know and watch her face light up, when she sees her name in ink in her favorite magazine? Messages received before Oct 15, 2024 will appear in our Winter Issue (#35), out in December. Click here to write your own.
• Winning! If you're a subscriber, you should already have your copy of Kazoo's latest, The Winners' Issue, #34. (If not, it's most definitely OTW and will arrive soon! If you need to pick one up, it's on stands now.) It felt so good make this one, and we sure hope you loved reading it. You know, we'd originally planned to make this issue all about persistence. But as we were putting it together, Kamala Harris took her place at the top of the Democratic ticket with such hope and joy, announcing, "We are not going back!", and I thought, What if we allow ourselves to believe her? We've become accustomed, for nearly a decade, to just slogging through one crisis after the other, being strong, and teaching our kids to "Nevertheless, persist!" But, what if we remind our daughters what it feels like to win? This small shift in mindset means everything. No matter what happens with the election, this is one of Kamala Harris's great gifts to us. Here are some others, all worth watching:
• As this little girl already knows, "When we fight, we win."
•And you can wear whatever you want to our party, we still love you for being you.
• You can feel optimistic about our future!
• Even when it feels hard,
"You always hold that chin up, OK?"
•And couldn't we all use some female energy? How about a Femininomenon!
• And how refreshing to have a politician who really listens to kids. Kids are all worth listening to.
• And this one, most important to me: kids aren't born with hate. They learn it. It doesn't have to be this way.
YES WE DID:
With your help, we hit the fundraising goal for the Radio Kazoo podcast and we've sent out all your rewards. Now we just have to finish the episodes! Stay tuned! In the meantime, we have a few Kazoo posters left in our shop.
• What We're Reading: New books by Kazoo Contributors! Erin Entrada Kelly's First State of Being was just named finalist for the National Book Award! Karina Yan Glazer's Poppy Song Bakes a Way is out now. Lois Lowry's Tree. Table. Book. gets a star from The Horn Book. Ruth Chan's Uprooted was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. Stacey Abrams's Stacey Speaks Up reminds kids that everyone has power to make a difference. Sophie Escabasse's Taxi Ghost is about growing up and standing up. And Margaret Atwood, who talked to us way back in Kazoo #4, has collected 62 years of her best poetry in Paper Boat. Here's a NPR interview with Margaret Atwood about her book, in which she spills that her college advisor told her, "Why don't you just forget all this writing and graduate student stuff and find a good man and get married?" (!!!) Thank goodness she didn't take that advice. And Ani Difranco's Show Up and Vote get's a star from Kirkus, and we get this message from Ani about how to be a strategic voter, even if you find the candidate imperfect, joyfully. (Be honest, you read this far to get that Ani news!)
• What We're Watching: Run don't walk to The Wild Robot. We already loved the books by Peter Brown, and this adaptation was excellent. "Sometimes to survive, we must become more than we are programmed to be." really hit home with my gen Alpha kids, and I might have even shed a tear or two. The perfect animation changed throughout, as the robot changed.
• What We're Eating: This Sweet Potato Hash is my go-to Sunday morning fall brunch. I loosely follow this recipe, but add a ton of fresh spinach and crack an egg on top. (If you prefer meat, this version includes sausage.)
Thank you for reading along. I hope I've kept you off Twitter for a minute. I'm in the middle of planning Kazoo #35, which will come out in December, just in time for the holidays. Since Kazoo is printed quarterly, it's always a little hard to know what the vibe will be by the time the issue finally lands. But, after this November 5th, Kazoo #35 could be arriving into a fully different world. (I'm so nervous! BTW, check your voter registration status here.) But, whatever happens, our kids will always need something good to read, something that encourages them to keep being strong, smart, fierce, and true. And inspires them to remember to keep looking for the light. So, I'm going to try to do just that. If you come across anything interesting this fall, please send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com. xo, Erin Kazoo magazine Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Hello friends,It has been HOT HOT HOT in Brooklyn, but today there's finally a respite. A summer breeze makes everything seem pleasant. I'm so happy to shoot some of it with you. Here's what I've come across so far this month, but first, help us finish our Radio Kazoo fundraiser. We have only ONE DAY left to make it happen. Click here for exclusive rewards.
• I guess I am a Hack? If you're wondering why we took our podcast to Kickstarter, honestly, at this point, so am I. But I think I was inspired by...Hacks? In the HBO show, Deborah Vance took her DVD comedy special directly to her fans via QVC, and it seemed to really work for her. Perhaps I shouldn't take my business inspiration from a comedy, but in all seriousness, our paper, printing, and postage costs have skyrocketed in these past few years, and we thought a new podcast could help offset our expenses. Thanks for enduring my month of pleas. It'll all be over soon (one way or the other). • Speaking of Printing: Kazoo's printer Lane Press was honored by the PINE organization (Printing Industries of New England). We won two big awards: a Best Of Show for Best Use of Ink AND a Pinnacle award for Best Overall for our Fun issue #29. You can still pick up Fun here. Not only is the print itself beautiful, this issue has a ton of fun summer things to do, including making these blue-ribbon whoopie pies!
• Squint Your Eyes and Look Closer: When we decided to launch Kazoo as an ad-free independently published magazine, we wanted to follow in the tradition of feminist 'zines and, of course, indie music. If you're a close reader, you might have noticed that Ani Difranco, the original Righteous Babe, has inspired more than a few of our pages—from the kids wearing the "three oranges and a pear" t-shirts in our Confidence issue #15, to the "car tires and chicken wire" in our DIY issue #20 to the "How to Write a Song" feature with Ani herself in Kazoo's Music issue #5. Now there's a new documentary film about Ani. Watch the trailer for 1-800-On-Her-Own here. • Cheap Fakes are Here to Stay: Fake videos go viral so quickly that the fact-checkers don't have time to catch up, so it seems that more Americans think President Joe Biden tried to sit on a nonexistent chair than know the boring truth that there was, in fact, a chair there. We took the "fake news" on with journalist Lisa Ling in our "The Fox's News" story in our Action Issue #10, because it's more important than ever to teach kids media literacy. Come to think of it, it's important to teach our parents media literacy, too, particularly since they did not grow up in a world where it was oh-so-necessary. If your parents send you clips of Biden wandering off, you might need The News Literacy Project's sharable graphics. The lack of critical thinking makes me want to leave civilization. • To the Lighthouse! You might remember the comic about the first female lighthouse keeper, Ida Lewis, in our Light issue #7. Well, following in our footsteps, as they do, the New Yorker recently ran a story about the last lighthouse keeper in America. But fear not, lighthouse lovers: You can buy your own lighthouse and carry on, if you dare. You know, I'm considering this. It's only accessible by boat, two and a half miles off shore. My kids would never make it to school on time, but at least now we'd have a better excuse! • Or maybe I'll just stay put. Two years ago today, the day of my daughter's 5th grade graduation, was the day of the Dobbs decision that continues to walk us backwards, as a nation. I don't know what more I can say that I haven't already said. I remain steadfast in this belief: We just keep going, keep working, keep helping, and yes, keep voting. Giving up and being quiet is not an option. Not for any of us. So, I guess no lighthouse-living for me yet.
• Who's happy school's out? Miss Cosgrove sure is. Now she can finally get a little rest.
• Who's even happier school's out for summer? Ms. Dugan! In an effort to understand why my 13yo now tries to call me "bruh," I've looked to the teachers of TikTok. Hope Ms. Dugan has a good summer, too. She deserves it. (BTW, I think I have the pants she's referring to at :48.)
• Who's ambivalent about summer? Parents. JK, no really, it will be fine. Luckily my girls are past the hide-the-Sharpies stage. (We had a time when The Tiny Editor kept coloring her nose with a red sharpie a la Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.) But working from home while the kids are out of school can be challenging. Still, I love the extra time with them. I'm starting to realize that childhood goes by so fast, and once these years are gone, they're gone.
• What We're Watching: The Teeny Editor is into Powerpuff Girls and Babysitters Club. (Wild to see the way these stories keep reinventing themselves over the years!) And, I can recommend Outlaws, The Gentleman, Bodkin, Baby Reindeer, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and The Veil. (WOW WHY are we watching so much TV? This is over a few months, I swear, but I'm still embarrassed.) We've started re-watching Halt & Catch Fire with the 13yo, who loves computer stuff. I'm not really into tech start-ups, but am getting something out of their passionate bootstrapping when the odds are against them.• What We're Reading: The Teeny Editor keeps re-reading Woe: a Housecat's Story of Despair by friend of Kazoo Lucy Knisley and the Best Friends/Real Friends/Friends Forever series by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham. The Tiny Editor just finished The Hunger Games series, so we can finally watch the movies together. I'm finding inspiration from The Joy of Swimming by Kazoo contributor Lisa Congdon, because I'm attempting a mile-long lake swim this Saturday. (Wish me luck!) And on my summer TBR list: The Spare Room by my friend and former Conde Nast colleague, Andi Bartz, which is coming out in paperback in early July. (She's a Reese's book pick, but don't take Reese's word for it, take mine.)
• Pixar finally hit the sequel!Run don't walk to Inside Out 2. My whole family loved it, and it seems like everyone else loved it, too. Did you spot Bing Bong? Maybe Riley is the one thing our divided country can unite around this fall. Here's hoping.
• What's Scarier than Quicksand? As a child of the 80's, I would say almost NOTHING is scarier than quicksand, except maybe opening Twitter these days. This American Life talked with Yoel Roth, former head of trust and safety at Twitter, with the story on "What I Was Thinking As We Were Sinking"
• Which is why we're all looking for some screen-free fun. We made this "Summer Bingo" for an early issue of Kazoo, but I pull it out every summer and try to make sure my kids and I check every box. You can find a printable Summer Bingo Card, here.
• New Go-To Dinner Recipe: When it's too hot to cook dinner, we rely on our family's tradional "Mademoiselle" dinner, which is basically a baguette, served with what's already in the fridge (cheese, salami, veggies, fruit, maybe a cornichon, if we're fancy), plated and served with a flourish and french accent. But, this easy bread recipe is a game changer. You will never buy a baguette again.
• Happy Pride Month: I celebrated it in Brooklyn with that family 5K in the morning and a side-hug from my favorite Attorney General, Letitia James, who walked in the very sweet Brooklyn Pride Parade. (It's full of scouts troops, elementary schools, and churches and synagogues, alongside some cheerleaders and, you know, like Con Ed or whoever.) We watch the parade every June but I suppose we celebrate pride all year in the most low-key way, much like Tig Notaro and her family.
• One Last Time: We are so close to hitting our fundraising goal, and we just need a few more kind people to help. Get an original Kazoo poster and see other rad rewards here.
*Ends 6/26/24.
• Thank you for being here.I'm just now turning towards Kazoo #34, which comes out in September. Thanks to our amazing designers, contributors, and our award-winning printer, I've got the very best help filling these pages with something your kids will love. So, back to it. If you come across anything interesting this summer, send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com. xo,ErinKazoo magazineFounder & Editor-in-Chief
Hello friends, I took a walk through Prospect Park today and noticed some snowdrop flowers popping up. Spring really is on the way! It's still chilly, but nothing a cup of tea can't fix. I'm so happy to share it with you.
• Yay, us: Kazoo was nominated for the 2024 National Magazine Award for our Girl Power issue, bringing our total honors from the American Society of Magazine Editors to 11. For me, it really is an honor just to be nominated! But more than that, I hope your little readers liked our 2023 issues as much as the judges did. Which was your favorite?
* Our Weird Issue is landing now.
If you missed it, you can still subscribe to get a copy.
• How Tech Obliterated Media: I read with interest Kara Swisher's Burn Book excerpt in NY Magazine. But I read this part, twice: "In 2000, Google struck a brief deal with Yahoo to power the search engine for the ascendant web portal, which did not then have algorithmic search capabilities. As part of the vendor arrangement, the Google logo, with its primary-color letters, was prominently featured on the much-visited Yahoo website. It was as if Coke let Pepsi put its name on cans." Fast forward to today, my kids think it's just hilarious that there was once an internet search engine called "Yahoo!" • And So: I read about Highlights' magazine's partnership with Google with just as much interest. In his telling, the CEO of Highlights "always wondered how Highlights and Google could have a more positive impact together." And, so based soley upon his mu$ings, they made a special issue called "Be Internet Awesome." And, Highlights, the "most trusted" children's magazine with a million young readers, gives Google half the cover for its logo! Together, they aim to teach kids age 6+ to "stay safe online," but they begin with the presumption that kids that young should be online at all. And, they're providing 250,000 additional copies to send into schools and other kids' organizations. I'm sure this is fine and will all be very empowering for young minds everywhere. • There is a reading crisis in America: I'm mean, just safely Google "literacy crisis." Last year, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), “the nation’s report card,” showed that not even half (43%) of fourth graders in the U.S. scored at or above a proficient level in reading. Now, it has been generally accepted in the book business that even as adults' reading habits change, children will keep reading print books, but in 2023 kids books sales were flat. It's a real head scratcher how any of this is related, or what any of us alone can do about it, but I'm going to put my phone down more and keep reading bedtime stories with my kids. There has got to be another way to be. • Do you ever worry you're using slang incorrectly? If you are, Gen Z will roast you for it. Now, I scored 100% on this GenZ office slang quiz, but then, I'm old enough to translate "Internet Awesome" to the original "Internet Famous" and ... are we sure we're using this phrase correctly? Isn't "Internet Awesome" a not-ideal thing to be, like Julia Allison, just working it, being chased around NYC by Gawker? But also, Google, please get in touch so I can trade my beloved, somewhat smaller brand with you, because we need the money to pay the printer for our next issue hahaha. (JK JK about all this, so please don't bury "Kazoo magazine" in the search results even further like that Chumhum guy did to his detractors on The Good Wife.)
• Who did I ask for permission? "I asked myself!" We should all memorize this wisdom. (This is all very cute unless this is your child, and you only have one good tube of lipstick.)
• A World of Pure Imagination: We do live in a deeply divided world, but for one afternoon in February, we all united around the terrible Willy Wonka Experience. It was, come to think of it, magical! Vulture tracked down the sad Oompa Loompa, if you want to know more.
• Going through a Swing Change: This pro golfer/teacher/most patient women in the world, is as kind as she can be in this situation. I don't know that I would have reacted the same way.
• Amen! Also, when this happens, my daughter doesn't get to sit by the kids she clicks with, so she doesn't further develop her own friendships, too. It's stressful.
• Election blues: I can't believe this whole thing is happening again. Just trying to remind myself of John Lewis: "Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."• No Ice, Baby: The Ice Maker in my freezer hasn't worked for years, and while I'm constantly filling my kids cups (who love to chew ice so much, I asked their pediatrician to check their iron levels), I am only slightly comforted because I read somewhere that Kate DiCamillo's ice maker doesn't work either. It does seem such a waste to get a whole new set-up when the ice maker will probably just break again.
• What we're watching: The kids are not watching any shows these days? But I can recommend American Fiction. I'm starting Regime, and can't wait for every new Abbott Elementary. Oh, I also liked Jenny Slate's stand-up special. It's gross and funny!• What we're reading: The teeny editor picked up Scary Stories for Young Foxes and loved it so much we immediately ordered the second one. Keisha Blain (who you might remember from Kazoo #19) has edited a new book, Wake Up America: Black Women on the Future of Democracy and Liana Finck (who you might remember from Kazoo #16) has a new parenting advice book, sans advice, How to Baby on the way. I just cracked The Riddles of the Sphinx about two things I love: word games and feminism!• New Recipe: I had some extra dough in the freezer that I thought was sugar cookies so I thawed it one afternoon, when I was "writing" and discovered it was pie crust. But, I turned my disappointment into delight by making homemade pop tarts. Have you ever done this? Your kids will go wild. You will never eat a boxed pop tart again.
*Mine did not look this good, but they were delicious.
• Righteous Persephone: Ani Difranco (who you might remember from Kazoo #5) is taking her turn as a Greek goddess in the Tony-winning musical Hadestown. I was in Manhattan (!) at night (!) to see her on her opening night. The audience was full of Ani fans, and we gave her a standing ovation before the show even started. Ani's music has been by my side for years, and I'm so proud of her for trying something new.• Speaking of inspirational people, Erin Entrada Kelly (whose wonderful stories you might remember from Kazoo's #16 & #24) has been undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, and I've been following along on her journey. She also has a new book: The First State of Being (which looks great). And Christine O'Connell, or Cancer Warrior Mom (who you might remember if you helped us send paper fish to her daughter Jane on her 4th birthday), has almost reached her goal of raising 1 million dollars to Kick Childhood Cancer. If you have an extra dollar or two, you can help Christine and Jane, now 9, cross the finish line here. • Changes: I am going to turn this here newsletter into a substack, not because it will make money but because when I send you this email, this mail service charges us $400+. So, look out for a substack from me next month. The problem is I haven't yet come up with a name for it. All these substacks have great and clever names (the Audacity, the Meteor, etc). I'm thinking of calling this something about Taylor Swift being internet awesome for the SEO. (JK JK I don't really know what SEO is.) If you can think of a good newsletter name, let me know.
• Thank you for being here.I'm just now beginning to plan Kazoo #33, which comes out in June. This is the fun part, but with 64 blank pages to fill, it's also the hardest. So, feel free to interrupt. If you come across anything interesting, send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com. xo,ErinKazoo magazineFounder & Editor-in-Chief
The American Society of Magazine Editors just announced the finalists for the 2024 National Magazine Awards, and Kazoo has earned three more nods: NATIONAL MAGAZINE AWARD
Single-Topic Issue for our Girl Power Issue (#31)
ASME AWARDS FOR DESIGN, PHOTOGRAPHY & ILLUSTRATION
Best Print Design for the "Little Things, Big Fun" feature in our Tiny Issue (#30)
Best Illustrated Story for our comic on Vera Rubin in The Motion Issue (#28) by Breena Bard
Kazoo is print-only by design, but we're so proud of this comic that we wanted to share all six pages right here with you. It is for every girl who's ever looked up at the night sky with wonder or who's ever pretended an empty paper towel roll was a telescope. We hope you enjoy it!
Kazoo is 100% ad-free, 100% indie, and 100% subscriber-funded, so if you'd like to help us stay awesome—and in print—please pick up any issue in our shop, subscribe for a kid in your life, or share us on your socials and tag us @kazoomagazine and #kazoomagazine. We're so grateful for your support!
Hello friends,It's been a minute. How are you?I hope you're up and running into 2024. January always drags a bit for us, but I still love the winter sky, the promise of a new year, and the chance to begin again. So, I'm right back at it: putting the finishing touches on Kazoo's 32nd issue. (!!!) When I'm writing a new issue, I say goodbye to the kids in the morning and sometimes don't look up from my computer all day. When my alarm rings, "School pick up," I yell, "Already???" It's fun to get lost in the flow, but it can feel a little, well, isolating, so I'm happy to take some time today to look around and catch up with you. Here's some good I've come across in 2024:
• You're Not Hardcore (No, You're Not Hardcore!): If School of Rock is as popular in your house as it is ours, it won't surprise you to know that it was also written by Mike White, the man behind White Lotus. And if you ever wondered why you love Jack Black so much, too, maybe it's because he was raised right: Jack Black's mom, Judith Love Cohen was a NASA aerospace engineer and an advocate for women’s rights, and even wrote a children’s book titled You Can Be a Woman Engineer. Way Hardcore! • Speaking of Rocks: Really fun story about a dad who noticed something peculiar on his 2yo's bedroom wall that led him to a "profound cosmic revelation." • Can AI buy all the books, too? They might have to. Seems like everyone is really jazzed about this AI stuff. Even the new CEO of Random House says, "Hopefully, A.I. will help, making it easier to publish more titles without hiring ever more employees." Wow, books without writers or editors? Okaaaay. To my surprise, my very own books, How to Sew a Button and How to Build a Firewere used to train AI without my knowledge or consent, in order to ... teach the computer how to write more books just like mine. (Ok, I don't totally understand the purpose of all this. Or want to.) Perhaps the robots can indeed pirate our grandparents' wisdom which I spent years learning and reporting; it wouldn't be the worst thing to teach them. I have my doubts about them serving the grandkids a slice of pie, though. • Kill Your TV 2.0: A groundbreaking study shows kids learn better on paper, not screens. Now what? (Ahem. May we suggest a subscription to a certain magazine?) • The Little Magazine that Could: I'm pretty proud of this piece I wrote for Pages magazine about why I launched Kazoo. Please read, and share, and send to anyone who might want to subscribe--or give me a pot of gold. We could really use help keep this thing going!
*I did not choose this pull-quote.
• What would you do if your child refused to go to school?: When editor Lauri Hornik's daughter Ruby was struggling with anxiety, it inspired her to start a new book imprint focused on mental health books for kids, and Rocky Pond Books was born. Ruby says she hopes her mom's books, such as, Where to Start: A Survival Guide to Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Health Challenges, will help other kids, too. • Protecting Families: Mayor Pete says, "Our family deserves to be protected ... I will admit it's a little bit difficult driving the family minivan to drop our kids off at daycare, passing the dome of the Capitol knowing the speaker of the House doesn't even think our family ought to exist." I hear you, Pete.• Speaking of All Families: GLAAD-award-winning website Mombian wrote this very kind review of Kazoo. She also keeps a database of great books for LGBT+ kids and families, so if you'd like to diversify your library, check out her list. She's collected over 1,400 books! • Do you think you're a cool parent? "On the internet, being a parent seems outrageously lame." I'm not sure I've ever been "cool" IRL (and my 12yo would likely agree), but I don't think I got into all this for the cool factor. Did you? • And if you're not a parent: Lynda Barry says, "At least once a month, I spend a whole day in bed, and I read comics and drink beer." Which is not something a parent can do! But doesn't it sound sort of AMAZING? If you can do this in your life, please tell me all about it.
* We love our GIRL POWER issue.
What did you think of it? If you missed it you can still get a copy here.
• Sorry, not sorry: Do you start your work emails with an apology? Journalist Caitlin Moran says, "The first advice I gave my daughter, when she started working, was to delete the first and last lines of her emails. 'Why?' Because the first and last lines are where you apologise for sending the email. No emails I get from men start or end like that." Sorry to bother you with this, but I was just wondering what do you think? • Tradwives are making men ... sad?: Turns out the hot, new online trend of "traditional housewifery" which sells a very certain kind of ideal wife (think taking toddlers apple-picking while wearing a full make-up, a flowing white dress, and heels, and then later meeting your hubby at the door with a cigar and scotch) is "exacerbating male loneliness." Like all things on the internet, making content for the most popular tradwives accounts take a lot of work, and their purpose is to get clicks and make money. But, in Salon, Amanda Marcotte wonders if because so many men are subsisting on a steady stream of social media delusions, it's actually discouraging young men from developing the skills and mindset they need to get an actual real-life girlfriend.
• Real Life vs Social Media: One tweeter says, "True trad wives are from the Midwest or Appalachia, and we know how to make taco casserole and also how to use all parts of a pig. We wear pants and cook aggressively." Here's one such trad-wife making "Taco Tater-Tot Casserole." I don't know that I would attempt this dish, but I kind of love her.• Comfort, food: The news of the world is mostly terrible, again. (What is it with you, world?) And so I've been trying to focus on what's good. An easy (perhaps not world-changing) way is making some overly-complicated food. I made this Butternut Squash Lasagna, which took forever! I made a lovely Apple Tart! I made a French Onion Soup! I made Puppy Chow! (Okay that last one did not take forever, and it did not last for long, either. But it was comforting.)
*Maybe the prettiest tart I've ever made.
• Remember the heroic librarian, Martha Hickson, from our Brave issue (Kazoo #27) who told us about her fight against book bans? She has recently been subjected to threats, hate-mail, and efforts to have her fired, and videos attacking her have been posted to extremist websites! And though she is still 100% committed to protecting the right to read, she said on Twitter: "Promise me, library community, that if any harm comes to me or my co-workers, you'll raise hell." We stand by you, Martha. See Hickson's inspirational interview on PBS Thirteen.
• Wait, maybe she's addicted to PR? I used to think these book-banners were nuts, and sure some of them probably are, but they’re also opportunistic. See the story of the “mysterious woman” who confessed that a Scholastic book gave her a porn addiciton. She also happens to do PR for a competing right-wing book fair company. Huh? After her compelling testimony, the school board voted to ban that particular book, and switch all their book fairs from Scholastic to her right-wing book company. • See, also: “Burr, since when are you a Democratic Republican? Since being one put me on the up-and-up-again.” Which is the exact thing I think every time I hear one of these stories, courtesy of my kids' love of Hamilton, and the 387+ replays on our long car trips. • Do you think people do this to GQ?: Another bit of reader mail asking me to kindly point them in the direction of a boys magazine just like Kazoo—and if I can't, then please explain why? I really don't know how to answer this! If anyone wants to give me an editorial staff and 24 more hours in a day, then maybe I could do it, but it's only me and I'm pretty busy here already! I think of Lin-Manual Miranda saying, "“Every time you make a frame, people are going to point out what’s not in the frame," (Well he might sing this part,) "And you go and you make the next thing. That’s all that you can do, keep your head down and keep making --it.”
Her 2nd Broadway show! We've been singing Nonstop nonstop.
• What we're watching: Our 12yo went to see Mean Girls (but preferred the original), and our 8yo is not watching much TV really. If she has any screen, she's being a Warrior Cat on Roblox or following drawing tutorials. After the kids are asleep, we recently laughed all through Quiz Lady. We finally felt strong enough to finish the latest season of The Handmaids Tale, and we just started The Feud, mostly to see the great cast (though I can barely stand Truman). Oh, and we're trying to stay awake during an entire episode of True Detective, because we love you Jodie, but you know—WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING? • What we're reading: Lisa Yee (who wrote the short story for our Fun Issue (#29) hit the NYT bestseller list with a new book, The Misfits. Friend of Kazooand frequent contributor Lucy Knisley has a new kids picture book out Ride Beside Me (and she's going on book tour so you can actually meet her and get a book, too). Veera Hiranandani, who wrote our short story in our DIY Issue (#20), has a new book out, Amil and the After, which is getting all starred reviews. At bedtime, we're on the second Wild Robot book (stressful but beloved) and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
• Another banger: Put a Google alert on “kazoo magazine” and you'll get some interesting stuff—though not all of it is related to our magazine (and some of it makes me wonder why oh why I ever chose this title). But this hit was nice: Sheryl Crow, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots Sing "All I Wanna Do" (with kazoos!) Brings me back to the days, when I interviewed her. The last time I did, I got scared to back out through her security gate, so instead I made a 497-point turn in her narrow driveway, while desperately hoping she wasn't watching me through her kitchen window.
• Thank you for being here.I'm diving back into Kazoo #32, which will be in your mailbox in just a few weeks. I really hope you love it!In the meantime, if you come across anything interesting, please send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com. xo,ErinKazoo magazineFounder & Editor-in-Chief
Hello friends,Sometimes it's hard to pay attention to how interesting the world is, and how fascinating people can be, and then you stumble upon a 1,000-pound pumpkin. One of our neighbors continues his long-standing tradition of hoisting the biggest pumpkin he can find onto his Brooklyn stoop every fall, just so people can come see it and get whatever joy a huge pumpkin brings them. It's magnificent! This year's giant gourd, which took ten people to roll it up his steps, is not even the record holder. The biggest pumpkin in the world, named Michael Jordan by the farmer who grew it, weighs almost three times as much! People go to great lengths just to spread joy. The trick (and treat) is to actually look around to see it. In that spirit, I'm putting the finishing touches on Kazoo's 31st issue this week. I know I say this every time, but this might be our very best one yet. I can't wait to share it with you! Here's more of what I've been thinking about this month:
• File under Can't Win: It seems that there is a now consensus that we are harming our children by being so attentive. As New York mag reports, "Childhood Independence is a Mental Health Issue." But do you remember just a few years ago, when parents were straight-up being arrested for letting a 9-year-old child play at the playground solo? That story terrified me. "There is nothing more shameful than a careless mother—we all know this down to our toenails," says New York writer Kathryn Jezer-Morton. But but but ... now we are careless because we're too careful. Perhaps shame is meant to be our constant state? • The Daily WHAT? Ultra-Conservatives have been saying for years that the very worst thing "The Left" does is "indoctrinate children" through woke entertainment, like, you know, Disney and Sesame Street. (Some critics might have even accused our sweet little magazine of doing the same.) So, in response, The Daily Wire, a company funded by Republican fracking billionaire Farris Wilkshave, just announced a $100 million commitment to develop "entertainment for kids that parents can trust." The "Bentkey" app will cost $99 per year and include shows like, "'Kid Fit Go," an original series about having fun while exercising." I suppose it's not "indoctrination" if it's coming from ultra-conservatives and backed by 100 million dollars. Anyway, sounds ... so fun. Watch out, Bluey! • What's Up? Dolly Parton and Linda Perry TOGETHER, that's what. My kids have been indoctrinated with this song on many a long car ride and I plan to indoctrinate them with this new version, too. (Dolly switched a few of the lyrics, which I liked.)• Let's All Make Noise: As you know, Kazoo's tagline is "A Magazine for Girls Who Aren't Afraid to Make Some Noise," and we've gotten criticism for it, over the years. I wonder if the author of this new book, The Noise Inside Boys (which I haven't read, but it looks really cute), has gotten the same sort of criticism? • Woopsies. We were all taught that of course, "Boys will be boys," because boys will grow into men and men are the way they are, because they evolved to be the hunters, while women were made to primarily tend children. The problem, says Scientific American: “It’s wrong.” Scientists now say, "The fossil and archaeological records, as well as ethnographic studies of modern-day hunter-gatherers, indicate that women have a long history of hunting game.” Oh well. If the response to this article on former-Twitter is any indication (people were MAD and most of those people were men), I'm sure we'll all correct ourselves in a really reasonable way and quickly realize that there are acceptable ways for all people to be. • Last call: Speaking of former-Twitter, in the early days you could bump into anyone, and it felt like a clever cocktail party, open all night. I first came across Roxane Gay on Twitter, and she became an early supporter of Kazoo (only because she heard about it, also on Twitter.) Now @rgay has a new book out: Opinions, featured in the Guardian here. “We don’t have to agree," she says. "But it would be great if you just listened.” That listening part of Twitter? Gone now. Increasingly, it seems gone from the entire internet, actually. Where are you all going to keep talking? I need to find you so I can keep listening, too. Some of our favorite costumes over the years...
• Settle something for me: This "You don't need to pre-rinse your dishes!" story has been following me around the internet for years. I can't help but wonder if the people who wrote this *also* unload the dishwasher. Do they know it doesn't actually fill up with water? It just hoses the dishes off. Do youpre-rinse? I am the only fool?
• I can barely even watch the clips of what is happening Israel and Palestine, and I'm horrified that is has already spilled over into our politics in the US, as propaganda that continues to stoke divisions in our increasingly divided country. I know so little about this that I don’t have anything to add, but I did find this piece illuminating. Since so many of us don't understand the complex history of the whole situation it's curious that everyone feels they need to make a statement about it. Of them all, I think Sesame Street had the best social media response: "All children deserve a safe childhood free from violence and terror." • Can you dig it? This summer, both kids spent two days building a "brick wall" out of clay from the beach cliffs and, though we went to amusement parks and on special hikes, I think it was among their happiest days of summer. They were so proud of their creation, which withstood several rain storms before finally washing away. This fellow digs his own clay and makes pots out of it, and though I complain about what "the algorithm" is doing to my kids' heads, this is the sort of thing I will watch on repeat until all my brain cells die.
• All the Single Ladies: While the new Speaker of the House (with his increasingly bizarre and hateful/creepy backstory) blames no-fault divorce for everything, I'm thinking more about Rebecca Traister's recent exploration of the current wave of marriage boosterism. As Traister concludes: "Those single women that Republicans rail against? They vote against Republicans. And Republicans know it. On Fox News, in the days after 2022’s midterm elections, Jesse Watters was explicit: 'Single women are breaking for Democrats by 30 points … So we need these ladies to get married. And it’s time to fall in love and just settle down. Guys, go put a ring on it.'” • So, Get Married, Now: "Apparently, we have moved on from transphobia-for-clicks to shrieking at women for not giving birth," says Rolling Stone. Someone alert the "Tradwives," the self-described anti-feminists who promote a 1950's lifestyle. (Or maybe we don't need to inform them since they are probably trending on former-Twitter. Were #1950swomen also overly online?) But, you know, unrelated to anything, and just because it's fashion, Elle tells us that "full skirts are everywhere this season!" and The Wall Street Journal tells us Dressing Like a 1950s Housewife is just "in" right now. It just is. • Speaking of Fashion: Even though he is yet another Republican politician who is actively working against my rights, I am a big enough person to be increasingly worried about how uncomfortable Ron Desantis must be, all the time. But, I'm also 6 feet tall, so ...
• When friends become friends: It's true that maybe I need more excitement in my life but it is ABSOLUTELY THRILLING TO ME when two people we've featured in Kazoo get together in real life. I scrolled across a picture of the @QueenofMantas Dr. Andrea Marshall (from Kazoo #25) with Dr. Sylvia Earle (Kazoo #6). I'm just sitting here smiling like, I LOVE BOTH OF YOU! (If you do too, donate to Mission Blue, like we did in honor of Kazoo's Ocean Issue. It's great.) • Speaking of amazing Kazoo contributors: Artist Ashley Longshore, who you might remember from our Happiness Issue #11, just opened a shop in Soho, and it looks like such fun! I hope to drop by this weekend. • Shake it Off!: My 12-year-old woke up the other day and said, "I'm so excited, because 1989!" When I looked at her confused, she explained through much exasperation: "Taylor Swift!" I got to interview Taylor Swift (and also hang out with her lovely mom) when I worked at Self, and though she was only 19 years old at the time and had a meager million online fans, she was already a force. I'm even more impressed with her now for a multitude of reasons. One big one is that she's begun to take a stand against Trump and for democracy, women, and the LGBT+ community. (Seriously, click that link. I can't watch her impassioned plea without tearing up a little.) I do remind myself of the lyrics to "Shake it Off" more than I'd like, these days. • Related: Here's how an astronaut washes her hair, in space!
• What We're Reading: We still read bedtime stories to our 8-year-old every night, and we all JUST LOVED Dory Fantasmagory, who calls salami "floppy cookies." We read every book in the series and can't wait for more. The Teeny Editor's now taken to reading (and re-reading) graphic novels on her own too. We keep a copy of Smile in the car, which, even though we hardly drive anywhere because we live in NYC, she's probably read it a dozen times. She's doing the same with Be Prepared. The 12-year-old has timed reading for homework and since she can choose any book, she's started reading aloud to her little sister from a series about cats, who are also ... warriors? It turns out there are about a million of these Warrior Cats books. I can't speak on the quality but walking in on a big sister reading to her little sister is maybe the sweetest thing ever. Any new books your kids are really loving? Let me know. • What we’re watching: Our 12-year-old is making her way through Friends, which isn't as funny as I remember it. Is anything? (And of course it's heartbreaking now too.) After the kids are in bed, we're loving Lessons in Chemistry and The Morning Show, both shows on Apple TV with excellent opening sequences. (Though I hope Herve Tullet got some credit from The Morning Show because its opener is basically Press Here animated.) So excited to check out All the Light We Cannot See on Netflix. It's one of my very favorite books ever, and I'm hoping the series somehow lives up to it. • What we're doing: Though we all love to play sports—I even played soccer in college at Penn State—we rarely watch other people play them. But the Teeny Editor's soccer team got tickets to a women's professional soccer game, so we drove to New Jersey to watch Gotham FC, which was so much fun! Inspired by our new fandom, we decided to go to the WNBA championship game too. Even though our team, NY Liberty, lost by 1 point—at the buzzer!—it was a wildly exciting show, complete with an elephant hip-hop dancing at the half, which somehow really worked. Yay, women's sports! We can't wait to support both teams next year.
• Thank you for being here. • I'm a little tired this morning from our epic trick-or-treating. (We walked 6 miles—and collected THIRTEEN POUNDS of candy!) But, it's honestly one of my very favorite days. I hope whatever you did, it was fun. I'll leave you with a very strange Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater craft to brighten your day!If you come across anything interesting, please send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com. xo,ErinKazoo magazineFounder & Editor-in-Chief
Before / After: The last wild ride of Summer 2023.
Hello friends,What I really want to know is where did this summer go? I blinked, and the kids are suddenly back in school. But, September, its promise of new pencils and fresh notebooks to fill, still excites me. And, it's nice to have a quiet moment to sit and write to you, so, Hi. For the first part of the summer I was working non-stop to get Kazoo's 30th issue off to press. The rest was spent at our family cottage with the kids, where I built a cabinet! (Scroll down for the results.) And, we discovered new things to do in the country, like hitting all the best local ice-cream shops, hiking, and swimming in Lake Erie as many times as possible. Here's more of what I dove into this summer:
Spreading the Light:Kate DiCamillo, who I interviewed for our Light issue #7, told me that "Stories ARE light" and that "light is precious in a world so dark" so I wasn't surprised (but was so touched) to read that she still writes by candlelight every single morning. In a recent feature, she also tells The New Yorker that before she was published, she received 473 rejection letters. "She lived off beans and rice; she pinned some of those rejection letters up in her room and threw darts at them" before she ever wrote a word of her break-out success, Winn Dixie. But she never gave up. And thank goodness for that.
Speaking of not giving up: Ms. magazine turns 50, and my friend Anna Holmes reviews a new book about the magazine that ignited a revolution in the NYT. Did you know Ms. had a kids section?
Write this down, on paper: Sweden's classrooms are going off-line, because “there’s clear scientific evidence that digital tools impair rather than enhance student learning.” Which, yes! (This is part of the reason why Kazoo is print-only by design.) I wish my kids' NYC public schools would do the same.
Lovely Artist Lisa Congdon, who you might remember from OUR VERY FIRST ISSUE, and the feature in Kazoo #25, has her own museum show, Hold it Lightly, in homage to another of my favs, artist Sister Corita Kent. It's all about "radical love & hope," which, don't we all need more of?
WHAT IN THE WORLD? Child marriage is legal in most of the USA, and many republicans hope to keep it that way. ???
Into Tweets Again: This summer I stopped scrolling twitter but discovered the free Merlin Bird ID app by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (featured in Kazoo #4) and began a little obsessively collecting birds. Upon our return to Brooklyn, the girls tried to fool the app with bird calls of their own. (The Teeny editor does a great owl impression, which I'm sure all our neighbors enjoyed.) But alas, Merlin was not fooled.
Hiking, baking, kayaking. These memories will keep me warm this winter.
Do we even know what we like anymore? I was blown-away to learn about the manipulation of Rotten Tomatoes, like when misogynist trolls hijacked the platform, coordinating to tank women-led movies before they even opened. But, I suspect that this just the tip of the iceberg. Twitter view count, likes, etc, also untrue. And though I consider myself kind of media savvy, I often I decide to watch or read something because "people online are talking about it." I wonder how many things I might have missed because they've been artificially buried in the wreck?
Diving into the Wreck, online. I have to set aside a bit of time every week to search and untag Kazoo in inappropriate (adult or just gross) facebook posts, which seem to pop up again immediately, then check google to report spam or naughty sites, using "Kazoo magazine" as a keyword. The other day I had to remove literally thousands of fake duplicate accounts from our Shopify store. (I don't know who is doing this, or if we are specifically targeted, or if every business has to do the same.) With so few print opportunities left for actual reviews or features of our magazine, our online presence matters. But, what are these tags doing to Kazoo's reach, when someone else looks for us? I wish it didn't matter, so much. Any digital marketing experts among you feel like offering any advice?
Shout it from the Rooftops: Stumbled upon this old clip of Sarah Paulson saying “I love you Holland Taylor” and it reminded me how much I loved Peggy Peabody on The L Word and ALSO got me wondering if she would invest in Kazoo the way Peggy did in Bette Porter’s Art Center. I should ask costume designer Cynthia Summers (who we featured in Kazoo #6) to get me some cufflinks, so I can try out a pitch. (If you are a Peggy Peabody type, click here. And if you got all those references you should call me immediately because we should probably be best friends).
Is this all inside-softball and too negative? Maybe this Red Panda eating grapes will cheer us up.
"This is custom": Mary Oliver said: "I have never at all built anything perfectly, or even very well, in spite of the pleasure such labor gives me." It me, Mary. But, this little wine cabinet turned out OK. I know very little about carpentry. But when I get up from my desk, I love stretching another part of my brain, and I'm already thinking of what I can (try to) build next summer.
Back to School Fashion: I went to a MALL in PENNSYLVANIA to take both girls clothes shopping for school. (We don't have malls like this in Brooklyn, so my daughters had never been to one.) I was hoping for an Orange Julius, but no. The 12-year-old is suddenly *very* interested in fashion, which is a surprise. (I am trying to advise her, but I realized I haven't really purchased new clothes since 2020 and suspect she might know it, too.) Alas, this sort of fashion commentary makes the most sense to me.
Back to School BLEED KITS: Our 8-year-old had her first- week-of-school lockdown drill, where they all learned to “RUN, HIDE, FIGHT” and watched a video which reportedly also included the specific instruction to “fight off the intruder with a chair or a curtain rod” which caused her whole class of to laugh hysterically. The average 3rd grader is under 4 ft tall and weighs less than 70 lbs. The kids are little but already know the comical futility of the situation that many in government refuse to address, so they are being taught to fight ... with curtain rods. "Isn’t that so funny?” she asked us. No, no, it is not.
Someone Please Do Something: Friend of Kazoo Valerie Best, who sadly decamped Brooklyn for a little town upstate, is now running for town council and needs support. Kudos to her, to Mom's Demand, and anyone who decides to run for something.
Can you hear that? The universe is humming with gravitational waves that one scientist calls, "a choir or orchestra," most likely from black holes merging. Now that scientists can hear it, it'll help scientists understand how the universe formed. They say it's "a whole new way to observe the universe.”
What We're Reading: New books from Kazoo contributors: •Renee Watson (author of the story in Kazoo #21) Ways to Build Dreams. •Karina Yan Glaser (from #28) Vanderbeeker’s Ever After. •Molly Brooks (from #23) Growing Pangs.•Sophie Escabasse (from #24) Witches of Brooklyn: Spell of a Time.Any new books your kids are really loving? Let me know.
What we’re watching: The 8-year-old has now made her way through Bluey multiple times (and can tell me in detail how the "Flat Pack" episode is really about evolution). The 12-year old watched Glee all summer in its entirety. (Which she enjoyed but I was slightly sad, knowing what tragedies await the young cast.) And yes, we took the girls to Barbie, which we all liked. I cried??? (It was during that montage—and not just because I was imagining the size of their marketing budget compared to Kazoo's.) I was surprised by how much I liked it. I'm more excited about this new The Color Purple movie, though I already loved the first one.
More importantly, what is this stink bug trying to tell us?
Thank you for being here. I'm now hard at work on our Winter issue, our 31st. We are going hard on "Girl Power" for this one, which I'm excited about. Simone Biles said: “It's important to teach our female youth that it's OK to say, 'Yes, I am good at this,' and you don't hold back.” And obvs, I agree!Tell us what your little one is great at, and we may feature her in the winter issue of Kazoo. Does she love to play soccer, paint, or sing? Encourage her to write and tell us why, or draw a picture of herself doing that great thing. You can send it to us: readermail(at)kazoomagazine(dot)com.In the meantime, if you come across anything interesting, please send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com. xo,ErinKazoo magazineFounder & Editor-in-Chief PS: After a summer of trying, I have almost perfected my rhubarb pie recipe. If you want it, write to me and I'll send it to you.
Hello friends, I hope that you're already weeks into an amazing summer! My NYC school kids have still got a few days left to finish the year (WHY??? It is the end of JUNE!!!) which is driving my kids a little crazy but it gives me some extra time to get this newsletter out to you before they're off for the summer. Hi. June is Pride month, so here's a favorite photo of my wife and kids at the magical beach in Provincetown a few June's ago. If your family looks like ours, or doesn't, Happy Pride to you, too. Our Spring included a ton of kids' birthday parties, including a SLIME-themed one for our own Teeny Editor (our best slime recipe, below). Scroll down for more of what I've dipped into this June:
• But first, a sale: 25% off our new "Go-Getter" bundle. 256 pages of summer fun! Use code STARS at checkout.
• Someone (who I’m betting is not a parent) handed out crayons to children who were touring a historic property in England. The kids used them to color all over a two-centuries-old statue.
• The new Barbie movie inspired these IRL examples of “She’s Everything. He’s just Ken” tweets. Which (like everything on Twitter), people got mad about. The tweeter Lizzie Logan replied, “It’s not an insult. If you’d like a ‘reverse’ list of accomplished men who had benefited from the support of their less adored female partners I refer you to any history textbook.”
• Speaking of Twitter, writer A.S. King (author of the wonderful story in our Art issue) visited a 5th grade science show featuring cool projects relating to plastic pollution, recycling, and fictional animals who might help us make a better world. Some young inventors created an Elon Musk 2.0 animal: “It benefits the earth by eating glass.” Better than the real thing.
• HUGE PUPPETS! "The Giants" are part of a street theater company called @royal_de_luxe_compagnie. They travel around the world bringing their puppets to the streets. All of the performances tell a different story. I want to see them at Brooklyn Pride next June. Spectacular!
• Curiouser and curiouser. A grown man interrupted a track meet to complain that a 9-year-old girl competing must be trans and demanded to see evidence otherwise. Everyone loses in this fight, but I can't help but wonder how much of it is also about reinforcing girls as "the weaker sex" by an implicit threat: "Don't be too strong or fast, or else someone is going to make you prove you're a girl." (In an update, man denies he yelled, but maintains he had every right to demand proof. A mess, basically.)
•In every issue of Kazoo, we include some sort of activism (because we're not your parents' kids mag). I've been a magazine writer for over 20 years, so I've gotten pretty good at boiling almost anything down, but these are the hardest pages I write. It's extremely challenging to tell more sophisticated stories about our complicated world (without being a downer) for our very young readers. On the "Rally" page in our latest, the Fun issue, I wanted to explain how humor can be a powerful antidote to hate, and in writing it, I got a little in the weeds researching the amazing history of anti-racist Clowns. This video mocking a white nationalist “Patriot Front” group with ABBA's Dancing Queens is sort of a modern-day TikTok equivalent. Sometimes you have to laugh.
•Are we pushing our kids too hard? In the wrong direction?
“If we taught our kids softball the way we teach them science, they would hate softball as much as they hate science, but if we taught them science as we teach them softball, by practice and absorption, they might love both.” In the NYT, Adam Gopnik on the pleasure of learning something you're not very good at. I can't play piano but as a self-taught guitar-player who still knows "Closer to Fine" by heart, this hit.
•I laughed way too hard at this! Even more so because I startle easily. "WHAT? WHAT? WHAT IS IT?"
• Why is an Eggplant is called an Eggplant? Am I the last person to know this?
• “Rural people are so angry they want to blow up the system.” sayeth Barbara Kingsolver in this interview about her excellent book, Demon Copperhead, which I just started and, since I'm the world's sleepiest reader, hope to finish this summer while we're staying in a lake cottage down the road from some of the very types of people she writes about, here. Not too many two-mom families from Brooklyn in rural Pennsylvania, but we all seem to get along. As Kingsolver says, "I feel like I’m an ambassador between these worlds, trying to explain that if you want to have a conversation you don’t start it with the words, ‘You idiot.’"
• What we're listening to:
Since we've been traveling a lot by car (and we can't bear Hamilton for the millionth time) we've discovered family-friendly podcasts! We love the excellent Ologies, (and the curse-word-free Smallogies, though TBH the adult one is not anything kids don’t hear at school), and the weird Everything is Alive!. Also, audio adaptions of graphic novels are good, more like old-timey radio shows than books. The kids love Stepping Stones by friend & frequent Kazoo contributor Lucy Knisley. On my own morning walks I'm excited to start Dykes to Watch out For by friend-of-Kazoo Alison Bechdel (who was there for our very 1st issue, and the Light issue) and also Rachel Maddow's newest, Deja News. So much I'm excited to learn about in the most pleasant way possible.
FLUFFY SLIME: 1/2 cup glue, food coloring, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 3 tbs contact lens solution, 1 cup shaving cream.STRETCHY SLIME: 3/4 cup glue, food coloring, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 3 TBS contact lens solution. * Trust me on this. We've spent years perfecting it. Use contact lens solution containing Boric Acid, that makes it really work. Stir everything for longer than you think you have to, and if it's still too sticky to handle, add more baking soda and contact lens solution as needed. Use too much, and your slime gets less stretchy. **Also, I know making slime is something that parents are supposed to hate, but it's not that much clean-up and it's actually kind of fun for a summer rainy day. Enjoy!
• Thank you for being here. I'm now hard at work on our Fall issue (which will be our 30th! Can you believe it?) because it turns out the calendar never stops when you independently publish a quarterly print magazine. In between sending the pages to the printer and worrying over postage rates (which are going up--again!) I'm going to try to enjoy this summer with my kids, and star-gaze as much as possible. I hope you do, too. If you come across anything interesting, please send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com. xo, ErinKazoo magazine Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Hello friends,Even though it happens every year, Springtime in New York is so beautiful, it takes my breath away. The Teeny editor and I got to spend a day together at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, with the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom. She found beautiful places to sit and sketch and I got to watch something just as beautiful, her losing herself in the flowers. (Is there anything better than watching your child do something they love?) I always try to remember poet Mary Oliver's instructions: "Pay attention. / Be astonished. / Tell about it." and I hope I've passed that along to my daughters. In that spirit, here's more of what we've seen this May:
• DYK honey bees sometimes sleep cozied-up together in flowers? Even in the hive, they entwine legs for their 5-8 hour nightly snooze, and scientists think they do it so they don't fall off the honeycomb, but I like to imagine they just like to cuddle. (pic via jmneelyphotography)
• If girls can be anything, then why can't this one be what she wants to be? She said what she said. She wants to be Barack Obama. I don't know how I would've handled this, as a mom, but I agree we could use more people who want to grow up to be him, or more like him, anyway.
• This is a real-life wild thing is called “Kukeri,” a very serious Bulgarian custom intended to ward off evil spirits. In a new film, one says, “If you do not believe in something, it cannot exist.” Kukeri extends back centuries, so far into the past that its origins are obscure. The costumes are amazing. Maybe we should start this in the USA?
• A Rube Goldberg machine is a contraption designed to perform a simple task in an overly complicated way. I love them so much, I even asked artist Ellen Forney to draw one for issue #14, (which was, well, awesome.) This one plays the song from Up! (see more @enbiggen.)
• Are you a “BoyMom” with the keychain to prove it? An op-ed in the Washington Post says the term is "a cutesy, nuance-annihilating addition to parental vocabulary ... that makes its users nearly as childish as their offspring." I sort of cringe at "GirlDad" for the same reasons. But, I'm a "GirlMom" which is not a thing, apparently?
• Let your PFLAGs fly! Fifty years ago, standing up for equality was considered radical activism, but to the founder of PFLAG, it was just part of being a parent. (This was before the term "BoyMom" but what a wonderful example of love.) 2023 update: A Republican Rep in Montana grabs the mic to say: "I prefer my transgender daughter commit suicide." Horrifying. It is still hard for LGBT kids, all over this country. It's time to dust your PFLAGs off, people.
• Peanut Butter and What??? Dwight Garner, a book critic for The NYTimes, calls the PB and Pickle sandwich “a thrifty and unacknowledged American classic.” Yes or no?
• New Books by Contributors: Alison Bechdel drew the cover art for a new edition of To the Lighthouse (which is almost as great as the Virginia Woolf-themed Spot the Difference she did for us for issue #7). Joy Harjo's Remember, encourages readers to pause and reflect on the wonder of the world. (You might remember Joy from issue #17). Lucy Knisley's sweet You Are New is now a board-book!
• What we're watching & reading: Friday Night Lights with our 12 yo, and upon rewatching, this show is very problematic! From the underage drinking to the criminal activity (do you remember when that Lance kid killed a man?!) it gives us a great deal to discuss. And, with our 7 yo, we're taking a break from Harry Potter, and have been dipping into Shel Silverstein to compliment her school poetry unit. I'm not sure which of us likes it more. Let's hug it out.
• I'm taking myshow on the road. I had an amazing time visiting Greenwich Academy, a girls school in CT, where I spoke to the 3rd an 4th graders about Kazoo and some of the coolest stuff I've learned while making it. I made a whole slide show (with help from my 12 yo who has become a total computer whiz). It was such fun to get to see our readers in person, and hear them ask questions, and laugh at my terrible jokes. If you are within driving distance of NYC and want me to come to your school or club, let me know.
• Thank you for reading. (And looking. As you can see I added pictures to this newsletter, what do you think?) I'm so happy you're here.We just sent the summer issue to the printer (more on that soon!) and I hope you are looking forward to summer as much as I am. If you see anything wonderful this month, please send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com. xo,ErinKazoo magazineFounder & Editor-in-Chief
Hello friends,This month we celebrated our Tiny Editor's 12th birthday. We took her to a place called Dave & Buster's, which made Chuck E. Cheese seem like a meditation retreat, where of course she and her sister had a blast. She was only 5 when we made these cookies in our launch video, which went viral, but I can't really call her my Tiny Editor any more. We also celebrated our 7th year of publishing Kazoo. If we were a kid, we'd be as old as our readers. So, I can't really say we're a NEW kids magazine any more, either. (What should I call us?) Through these 7 years of deadlines and packing envelopes, I've had more than a few sleepless nights, but we've also earned 7 ASME nominations and love from readers all over the world. I'm proud we've been able to spread so much joy, and grateful to you all for reading. Here's more of what I've discovered this March: • How old are you, really? In The Atlantic, Jennifer Senior unpacks "The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are." Without hesitation, I'm still 27. • She’s beautiful when she’s angry: Meet the witches, lesbian separatists, and other brave feminists who shook up the ’60s and ’70s in Mother Jones. Maybe Trump was right to be so afraid of a witches hunting him all this time?• It's a magical world: Calvin and Hobbes fans rejoice as Bill Watterson publishes his first work in decades. We're big fans, but this seems really weird ?? What do you think? • Only in Ohio: We love Ohio because buckeyes are delicious and fishing on Lake Erie is superb. Not as fond of these actual homeschooling Nazis of Ohio, though! This story is insane, but it is pretty funny that they were sussed out because they mentioned their dog's name on Facebook. (And yes it was named Blondi--not-so-coincidently also the name of Hitler's dog.) • Is that even a word? Because of our ongoing relationship with Amazon (who is no longer selling subscriptions to Kazoo, or any print magazine for that matter) we've been thinking a lot about how platforms die. Cory Doctorow says, "First, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die." Read all about Tiktok's enshittification then go tweet about it if twitter is still there (and if you have the emotional energy). • Elegant: This dinosaur had a 50 ft long neck!!! • Let's Get Involved: Over at McSweeneys, Kathryn Baecht jokes that we do need a Parent's Bill of Rights so we can Ban More Books: "Even though I personally have received so many texts, emails, newsletters, parent portal messages, and Remind App push notifications from my kid’s school last week that my phone melted, we have absolutely no idea what is happening in our kids’ classrooms." It's funny because its ... well its actually really very sad. • Can't Stop Won't Stop: Katherine Applegate, author of one of our all-time family favorites, The One and Only Ivan, talks with PW about her newest book(s). "I have been busy." she admits. She's written over 150 books! • Sing Out Loud!: The Resistance Revival Chorus (who you might remember from Kazoo #14), made an award-winning film. Watch it here.
Some stuff we scrolled into this month:
• What we're reading: Our 12 yo has been absolutely immersed in Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk (who you might remember as the author of our short stories in Kazoo #4 and #25). And, our 7 yo is lost in Harry Potter #3, which we are reading because it remains magical, even though many find the author herself problematic. We have struggled with how to handle this. Have you given her up entirely? • What we're seeing: I lucked into a lottery from Broadway Direct so got to take the 12 yo to see Six for her birthday, and we had FRONT ROW SEATS. Very catchy tunes and outrageously fun costumes. It was a night to remember for us both! And I took the 7 yo to a Thierry Mugler show at The Brooklyn Museum which we both loved. I always say I live in NYC to do more things like this, but weeks fly by with swim lessons and soccer games. What should we make time to do next? • 50% Off Sale: We're having a big spring sale! Half off all back-issue bundles starting April 1-5 (while supplies last).
50% off Back-issue Bundles, April 1-5. Use code SPRING FUN
Subscribe or Renew anytime. Use Code AWESOME for 10% off
•Thank you for reading. It has still been absolutely freezing in NYC, but the sun is starting to peek out and signs of spring are here. I hope you get out to enjoy it. If you see anything wonderful this month, please send it my way. You can always find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com. xo,ErinKazoo magazineFounder & Editor-in-Chief
