Friday Finds: Late May Updates

So much to see in this late May edition of “Friday Finds!” (once again on a Thursday)

#1. HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE IN A JANE AUSTEN NOVEL

The article “How to Tell if You’re in a Jane Austen Novel” by Mallory Ortberg on The Toast made me smile. I especially loved this example: “You have five hundred a year. From who? Five hundred what? No one knows. No one cares. You have it. It’s yours. Every year. All five hundred of it.”

#2. A BIT OF A JEWISH CONTROVERSY: “Are Jews Too Concerned With Seeking Out Other Jews?”

So, I wrote an article for Kveller last week called “Are Jews Too Concerned With Seeking Out Other Jews?” that has started some really honest conversations on Facebook. And then I made a related discovery: Seth Meyers from Saturday Night Live is NOT Jewish. He had a funny bit explaining that almost every Jewish person thinks that he is. I definitely did!

photograph of Jennifer Weiner and Nina Badzin
Jennifer Weiner was as friendly as she looks!

#3. AUTHOR JENNIFER WEINER CAME TO TOWN

I went to see Jennifer Weiner speak at Adath Jeshurun synagogue in Minnetonka, MN. I was going to write a post on my blog with all the fantastic anecdotes and writing wisdom she shared, but my friend and writer Galit Breen wrote such a thorough one that I’m just going to point you in her direction. Fun little tidbit was that I got there early, heard she was in the hallway, and—classy gal that I am—ran out after her yelling her name. She was super friendly and lovely and told me to take a picture. Then she took one with Galit and both of us left even bigger fans than when we got there. She’s no dummy, that Jennifer Weiner!

#4. ANNA QUINDLEN WITH GRETCHEN RUBIN

I loved Gretchin Rubin’s interview with Anna Quindlen on The Happiness Project about Quindlen’s writing, exercise, breakfast and lunch habits and  routines.

#5. ON WEARING MAKEUP

In last week’s column in Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers, I share my thoughts on makeup, women, kids, and ask for your thoughts on all of that, too. If your kids want to wear makeup, when do you think is an appropriate time to let them? Do you remember when you started? Come discuss it with me at Brain, Child. I reminisce a little there, too, on my own love of buying makeup starting with Clinique in 7th grade and through the transitions to MAC, then Bobbi Brown, and so on.

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Nina Badzin hosts the podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She's been writing about friendship since 2014, co-leads the writing groups at ModernWell in Minneapolis, and reviews 30+ books a year on her website.

21 Responses

    1. And both Weiner and Picoult have been great about supporting other female authors. It’s been fun to watch them come to other authors’ side on Twitter.

    1. I really liked that book, too. I think I read it before I had kids. Now with four kids, I would appreciate it even more. I’m amazed by how prolific she is–about a book a year. Incredible!

  1. I always love these Friday Finds, but this one is my favorite–such fun stuff. And what an adorable photo. (And hey, did you notice I left off exclamation marks? That was for you. : )
    Diann recently posted..The Art of SmallMy Profile

    1. These posts are fun for me to write because not every single thing I come across needs to become an entire post– or maybe I liked something I want to share with others and it’s fun to have a forum for that. Good job on the lack of exclamation. But I still must do this, too– 🙂

  2. Ack! I loved the make-up piece and at first I was thinking thank goodness I don’t have to worry about this for a while…but realizing that my daughter is turning 7 in a few months makes me realize that that window is closing sooner than I think (I think!). She wasn’t much of a jewelery person until just this past month when she started befriending (looking up to, really) some of the more feminine girls in her class. I’m sure lip gloss is not too far off into the distant future!
    Kristen recently posted..Me + Her, Then + Now (A Miniseries): ArtMy Profile

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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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Hi, I'm Nina

DEAR NINA: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast and newsletter about the ups and downs of adult friendship. I’m the host, Nina Badzin, a Minneapolis-based writer who accepted a position as a friendship advice columnist in 2014 and never stopped. DEAR NINA, the podcast, started in 2021, and has been referenced in The Wall Street JournalThe Washington PostTime Magazine, The GuardianThe Chicago TribuneThe Minneapolis Star Tribune, and elsewhere

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