Kazoo News: March Update
March Update:
Hello Spring! Goodbye arguments about shorts: In our house, we came up with a genius rule to put an end to any cold-weather clothing fights: If it's over 50 degrees, wear what you want. The Tiny Editor, who just turned 11 (!), has somehow programmed her ipad (with this app) to tell her the temperature with emojiis, so every morning, I hear her calling, "Hey Siri, what's the weather today?" and her ipad answers: “It is not over 50, face with big pleading eyes, huffing with anger face.” or "It's 50. Happy face, happy face." Why kids want wear shorts in the freezing cold (or listen to an ipad) is still beyond me, but it turns out that kids really do run hotter than adults and here's why. Still, looking forward to the warmer weather and the end of this particular daily convo.
Better Things: We binged so much TV during the pandemic winter, and the grown-up shows I liked most reminded me of anything that was not-the-pandemic. Ted Lasso made me wish for spring soccer. Station 11—counterintuitively—made me hope for the future. Ozarks made me want to be as fearless as Ruth. And Pamela Adlon's Better Things made me want to throw a huge, fantastic dinner party and invite everyone I love. I'm happy the covid numbers in Brooklyn are low right now, and though I've not had a big dinner party yet, I hope to one day soon. This Spring Greens and Pancetta Grilled Cheese, which we call The Better Things Sandwich, is a taste of it. (Recipe here: 5-stars, delicious, a keeper.) If you've got any other binge-worthy recs, send 'em my way! I'm keeping a list.
Young, Scrappy & Hungry: Meanwhile, my daughters binged on everything Lin-Manual Miranda. The Tiny Editor has learned so much real history between Hamilton tracks and the Teeny Editor, 6, knows every word of Encanto. If your kids can't get enough LMM, try old Sesame Street clips. Or this Jimmy Fallon/Roots "Helpless". Or see what the original Eliza, Phillipa Soo, had to say to us about Daydreaming in Kazoo #17.
What to Read: I guess it's horses all around. The Teeny Editor is loving Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse. She studies every page so carefully to find the horse and is delighted when she does. Meanwhile, we just finished reading Pony with the Tiny Editor and I probably don't have to tell you how wonderful R. J. Palacio is, but this one...well grab some tissues. It's great.
The Magic Issue est Arrive!: Issue 24 has already landed in some subscribers' mailboxes. We heard from one Dad that his daughter and her friend put on a magic show for them this weekend. If yours hasn't arrived yet, keep an eye out or check here to see if you need to renew.
Run, Erin, Run!: So when the Tiny Editor's school asked for volunteers to help out with a new Girls on the Run team, I raised my hand, thinking I'd walk them to the park occasionally and bring some oranges when needed. But it turns out, I accidentally became the coach. Seven hours of training later, I got a T-shirt and everything! Practice starts this week, and in June, our team of 8- to 11-year olds is gonna crush a 5k. Wish us luck!
Rise Up!: You don't hear much good news, but these students managed to overturn a book ban at their school, and now they are pushing for a more inclusive curriculum. We've followed the so-called CRT debates with well, confusion, honestly. It's not CRT, but our (white) kids learn about Black History at school, and it's great. At home, we read the excellent 1619 Project's Born on the Water and were glad for the opportunity for even more discussion. (Born on the Water co-author Renée Watson also wrote the wonderful short story, "Diving In" in our Big issue, Kazoo #21.)
But why Girls?: We heard there was a heated discussion in a private Facebook group about our magazine's tagline: "For Girls Who Aren't Afraid to Make Some Noise." (The issue was not the noise part, but the girls part.) And you know, you never really want to hear that you're the subject of a discussion in a private Facebook group. We don't know exactly what was posted, but we received a number of emails from upset parents who want us to explain ourselves. We worried over how to respond, or if we even should. When we decided to make a magazine "for girls" we did so intentionally and believe it's important for a ton of good reasons. Can boys read Kazoo too? Of course! What about non-binary or gender expansive kids? Sure! But, as much as we'd like to, we can't be all things to all people, and we can only be the best magazine we can be. So, we're going to try to keep doing just that. (PS: We also got a ton of new subscribers from that FB post, so if you are here now because of it, Hi!!! Welcome. We hope you like our magazine and stick around for a while.)
March Madness: What you missed if you were smart enough to stay off Twitter this month.
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(The octopus news isn't new, we were just searching for octopus videos, because, isn't that what Twitter is for?)
Surprise & Delight:
When I was 23, I interviewed for a job at Righteous Babe Records with Ani Difranco herself. I was a little starstruck and though I didn't end up working there, I've always been a fan. Ani's now releasing a 30th anniversary vinyl of her debut record, and I'm so happy for her (and surprised at the number). Time is surprising, isn't it? And, this year, the first signs of spring are even more so:
Looks like we maybe made it through something wild
I can hardly even let myself believe it, inside
Yesterday, I even heard you laugh
Took it like a bird bath
It has been a long, long, long, long time
Since it felt like that
—Ani Difranco, singing "Crocus." She shared advice for young songwriters in our Music issue, Kazoo #5 (Step 1: Forget every song you've ever heard. They have nothing to do with you and you can make a cooler one!)
I hope you make it through Spring with the patience, power and grace of Ketanji Brown Jackson, and even get to enjoy some flowers this Spring. If you come across anything surprising or delightful, please send it my way. You can find me at erin@kazoomagazine.com.
xo,
Erin
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
