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Saul Austerlitz

@saulausterlitz.bsky.social
204 followers 290 following 43 posts
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 8h
I had the pleasure of talking to the cast and creators of "Friday Night Lights" about the show's indelible pilot episode for the @nytimes.com . I learned, among other things, about the real-life tragedy that inspired creator Peter Berg to tell the story of paralyzed star QB Jason Street.
nytimes.com
‘Friday Night Lights’ Oral History: ‘I Remember Watching and Bawling’ (Gift Article)
Twenty years after the beloved football and family drama premiered, Peter Berg, Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch and others look back on its legacy.
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Mary Anne Franks @maryannefranks.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Read @saulausterlitz.bsky.social on the all-too-often inverse relationship between power & courage: "Yale, as of last year, had an endowment of approximately $44 billion.If $44 billion does not qualify as literal and figurative fuck-you money, then what does?" www.liberalcurrents.com/bending-the-...
liberalcurrents.com
Bending the Knee at Yale
Why is it that Maurie McInnis and her fellow elites crumbled so instantaneously?
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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
"Powerful people will not save us. To reach a less dire future, we will actually have to fight all the Maurie McInnises of the world & her brethren, who insist on being sensible and cautious as the arsonists surround our homes and flick matches at the walls." www.liberalcurrents.com/bending-the-...
liberalcurrents.com
Bending the Knee at Yale
Why is it that Maurie McInnis and her fellow elites crumbled so instantaneously?
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Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 01/09/2026
Students and faculty want Yale to stand up for their campus, not sell them out to Trump. The Trump administration threatened to launch a DOJ investigation into Yale and instead of standing up and fighting back, President Maurie McInnis is actively trying to cut a deal.
liberalcurrents.com
Bending the Knee at Yale
Why is it that Maurie McInnis and her fellow elites crumbled so instantaneously?
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Jonathan Feingold @jpygold.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Superb @liberalcurrents.com from @saulausterlitz.bsky.social. why Yale & elite institutions are kissing ring of a fascistic government. One quibble: too much credit to Garber/Harvard. Professor/alumni organizing made capitulation politically untenable. www.liberalcurrents.com/bending-the-...
The other answer, I believe, is that people like McInnis who have entered the rarefied air of shareholder meetings and yes-man retinues retain the belief, unconscious or otherwise, that however much damage a force like Trump may inflict upon the country, they will personally be OK, and their institutions will be OK. They will still have their titles, their contact lists, their stock portfolios. They will be protected from harm. Memories are short and their institutions will carry on as if they had never held the door open for authoritarian goons.
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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Thank you to @saulausterlitz.bsky.social for this piece. Students, faculty and alumni at Yale are doing a teach-in on democratizing the university today. This piece is perfectly timed. @adamgurri.liberalcurrents.com www.liberalcurrents.com/bending-the-...
liberalcurrents.com
Bending the Knee at Yale
Why is it that Maurie McInnis and her fellow elites crumbled so instantaneously?
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Anna Kornbluh @annakornbluh.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
"American authoritarianism thrives on the feeling of hopelessness inculcated by a life without connection. People hunger for community. They strive to belong. They want to know who will fight alongside them when the shit hits the fan." www.liberalcurrents.com/rebuilding-c...
liberalcurrents.com
Rebuilding Community in the Age of Trump
Democracy cannot be salvaged as a solo mission.
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Mandy Keifetz @besecretandexult.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Great piece by my friend @saulausterlitz.bsky.social Join us!
liberalcurrents.com
Rebuilding Community in the Age of Trump
Democracy cannot be salvaged as a solo mission.
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Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱 @susankayequinn.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Where you find community can be anywhere -- at the protest, with your literal neighbors, with an online solarpunk bookclub or an offline crafting class -- the important thing is to find your people and build that resilience for each other. www.liberalcurrents.com/rebuilding-c...
liberalcurrents.com
Rebuilding Community in the Age of Trump
Democracy cannot be salvaged as a solo mission.
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Adam Gurri @adamgurri.liberalcurrents.com · 30/06/2026
This heartfelt essay by @saulausterlitz.bsky.social on organizing turning into community building is really worth your time.
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 14/06/2026
Door-to-door canvassing can be intimidating – but it’s also a source of hope | Saul Austerlitz
theguardian.com
Door-to-door canvassing can be intimidating – but it’s also a source of hope | Saul Austerlitz
Questions about the efficacy of door-knocking feel valid. But I see it as a weapon against autocracy – and a spiritual workout
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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 11/05/2026
"It is time for men like me to organize spaces where men can take a tentative first step toward participating in the communal and organizing work that is the lifeblood of a country under terrible strain," writes @saulausterlitz.bsky.social.
theguardian.com
How do we get more men to join the anti-Trump resistance? | Saul Austerlitz
My activist group is about 80% women. Where did all the men go – and how can we get them back?
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 11/05/2026
How do we get more men to join the anti-Trump resistance? | Saul Austerlitz
theguardian.com
How do we get more men to join the anti-Trump resistance? | Saul Austerlitz
My activist group is about 80% women. Where did all the men go – and how can we get them back?
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Ian Kremer @wolverinebear.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
How do we get more men to join the anti-Trump resistance? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... by @saulausterlitz.bsky.social
theguardian.com
How do we get more men to join the anti-Trump resistance? | Saul Austerlitz
My activist group is about 80% women. Where did all the men go – and how can we get them back?
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Where have all the men gone in anti-Trump activism, and how do we bring more of them in? My new story @theguardian.com.
theguardian.com
How do we get more men to join the anti-Trump resistance? | Saul Austerlitz
My activist group is about 80% women. Where did all the men go – and how can we get them back?
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
I loved getting to celebrate Shabbat and May Day with our crew and with Brad Lander in Prospect Park! Here’s to beautiful things blooming in the spring.
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
So glad to be supporting @bradlander.bsky.social for Congress right now! Thanks again for coming out to our event yesterday. We were thrilled to have you with us.
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J.J. @patacon-pisao.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
attended a great conversation with @cmalexaaviles.bsky.social, awesome zine maker @meganpiont.bsky.social, Molly Sandley w/ @indivisible.org & @saulausterlitz.bsky.social, hosted by the Center for Brooklyn History @bklynlibrary.bsky.social about building movements!
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
In the war between doing something and nothing about the state of the country, let “something” win. A brief segment from my great conversation with @davidlitt.bsky.social about my new book HOW TO ASSEMBLE AN ACTIVIST.
dlitt.substack.com
AfterLive: The War Between Something and Nothing
And two other lessons I learned from my conversation with Saul Austerlitz on his book "How to Assemble an Activist"
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 29/03/2026
I’ve spent a decade fighting Trump. Here are six lessons I’ve learned | Saul Austerlitz
theguardian.com
I’ve spent a decade fighting Trump. Here are six lessons I’ve learned | Saul Austerlitz
A decade ago, I knew nothing about organizing. But ordinary people are essential to fighting the rise of authoritarianism
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Which 21st century TV casts have had the most successful careers? Check out the first part of our (semi-) definitive list at Ministry of Pop Culture, including crowning of a cast MVP for each of the 25 shows on our list.
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
The Best TV Casts of the 21st Century (Pt. 1)
A definitive list based on which shows have created the biggest stars.
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Come hear me moderate a panel at the Center for Brooklyn History on “How Movements Are Built” with @meganpiont.bsky.social, @cmalexaaviles.bsky.social, and Molly Sandley of @indivisible.org April 15 at 6:30 PM! Use the link below to register (it’s free!).
bklynlibrary.org
CBH Talk | How Movements Are Built | Brooklyn Public Library
Take your pessimism and your conviction that there is little you can do to alter the state of the country, and acknowledge this reality: you and two friends can change the world. All it will take is e...
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
While elites flail or capitulate, it has been left to ordinary Americans to fight for democracy with everything they have. For @theguardian.com, six brief lessons gleaned from my near-decade of accidental activism for everyone looking to fight back against galloping authoritarianism.
theguardian.com
I’ve spent a decade fighting Trump. Here are six lessons I’ve learned | Saul Austerlitz
A decade ago, I knew nothing about organizing. But ordinary people are essential to fighting the rise of authoritarianism
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Indivisible Brooklyn @bkindivisible.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Make art with us for NO KINGS 3! Host an art party, Build community, fight f*scism. Art is the antidote to anxiety! Go to Freedom Art Builds (FAB!) on YouTube for how-tos @indivisible.org @riseandresist.bsky.social @50501newyork.bsky.social @handsoffnyc.bsky.social @50501movement.bsky.social
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Megan Piontkowski Illustration @meganpiont.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
"Everyday Resistance" is an updated zine for #NoKings3! It gives tips and ideas of things everyone can do, from starting a Visibility Brigade on an overpass, to folding zines, to talking with your neighbors about the state of things. drive.google.com/drive/folder...
illustrated cover of a black and white zine. A man holds up a sign reading "Everyday" and a woman holds up a sign reading "Resistance" underneath.
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
I’ll be moderating a great panel on grassroots activism with @meganpiont.bsky.social, @cmalexaaviles.bsky.social, and Molly Sandley of @indivisible.org on April 15 at @bklynlibrary.bsky.social, pegged to my new book HOW TO ASSEMBLE AN ACTIVIST. Register here: www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/cbh...
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
"Kate and Julie describe it as “social proof,” visibly demonstrating to others that authoritarianism can and must be resisted, however humble the means. I prefer to think of it as courage begetting courage….Giving up is the only unforgivable sin." www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/03/o...
bostonglobe.com
In a frightening time, finding refuge — and strength — in a street corner protest - The Boston Globe
Where courage begets courage.
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Megan Piontkowski Illustration @meganpiont.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
I illustrated the cover for @saulausterlitz.bsky.social's new book "How To Assemble an Activist." The publisher said that his wife, "who has a history of not holding back her opinions on book covers immediately loved it!" It's also a great read! www.unsungvoicesbooks.com/sausterlitz-...
book cover, looks like a hand drawn blueprint with a few pink highlights, title "How to Assemble and Activist" by Saul Austerlitz. Drawing of a man surrounded by some of the objects one needs to be an activist, including a laptop, snacks, comfortable shoes, a rain jacket, a phone charger
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
"Real things are happening in America. And ordinary people just like you—men who selected hoodies out of their dressers that morning, women who answered a knock at the door—are being challenged to insist on the safety and well-being of others.”
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
Nice vs. ICE
Watching the impossibly brave people of Minneapolis fight off Trump’s masked killers, one video at a time.
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Megan Piontkowski Illustration @meganpiont.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
I had the honor to illustrate and design the cover for @saulausterlitz.bsky.social’s latest book “How to Assemble an Activist.” It’s part memoir and part instruction manual, and Saul is such an engaging writer. Also, he’s a mensch. www.unsungvoicesbooks.com/sausterlitz-...
Hand holding paperback book titled “How to Assemble an Activist” by Saul Austerlitz. The cover evokes a hand drawn blueprint with a man and items he needs to be an activist, including a laptop, backpack, umbrella, snacks and sticky notes.
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Nine years ago, after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States for the first time, I panicked. How would we carry on as a country?
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
I’m so thrilled to have had the good fortune to have the brilliant @meganpiont.bsky.social design the cover of my new book “How to Assemble an Activist”
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Kevin Smokler @weegee.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
The good people at the Ministry of Pop Culture ( @ministrypopculture.bsky.social ) have named my book BREAK THE FRAME: CONVERSATIONS WITH WOMEN FILMMAKERS as a top pop culture book of 2025. Thank you all!
substack.com
The Best Pop Culture Books of 2025
Our staff of pop culture authors pick their top reads of the year.
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Saul Austerlitz @saulausterlitz.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
It was a real pleasure getting to speak with @sepinwall.bsky.social about all things TV for Ministry of Pop Culture. Read it to find out his favorite character on TV. (Spoiler alert: it’s Mel.)
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Could 'Magic Mike XXL' Cure Our Heterofatalism? As Sabrina Carpenter bemoans manchildren, a 10-year-old popcorn flick shows us a better way. ⤵️ #music #filmsky #sabrinacarpenter #authors ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/could-magi...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
Could 'Magic Mike XXL' Cure Our Heterofatalism?
As Sabrina Carpenter bemoans manchildren, a 10-year-old popcorn flick shows us a better way.
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Kevin Smokler @weegee.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
The Ministry of Pop Culture is one of my favorite newsletters, intelligent, zip bam boom writing about pop culture old and new. Tre menchy of them & @saulausterlitz.bsky.social to include an excerpt of my talk with Amy Heckerling, director of FAST TIMES and CLUELESS as part of their lineup.
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
How Amy Heckerling Brought 'Clueless' and 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' to Life
An excerpt from Kevin Smokler's new book of interviews with female directors, "Break the Frame."
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
In a stunning take, Saul Austerlitz dives into Andor—exploring resistance and the politics of endurance in the sci-fi spy thriller drama. @saulausterlitz.bsky.social #filmsky #starwars #andor ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/one-drop-a...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
One Drop at a Time
"Andor," resistance, and the politics of endurance
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
Scene Study: 'The Studio' In search of one perfect take on Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's Apple series. ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/scene-stud...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
Scene Study: 'The Studio'
In search of one perfect take on Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's Apple series.
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
What a restless camera and a pair of outbursts tell us about violence and despair in the acclaimed Netflix drama. #Adolescence ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/scene-stud...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
Scene Study: 'Adolescence'
What a restless camera and a pair of outbursts tell us about violence and despair in the acclaimed Netflix drama.
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Some thoughts on Season 3 of The White Lotus. ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/show-thera...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
Show Therapy: 'The White Lotus'
Before we leave Thailand, we have some lingering questions about Season 3.
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
It is kind-of hilarious that no one is like, “whoa, our luxury vacation ended in multiple rounds of gunfire!” #thewhitelotus
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
Our deep dive on Season 3 of The White Lotus, a particularly death-obsessed season that offered a resolution that included poisoned smoothies, jaw-dropping direct deposits, daddy issues and flying bullets. ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/show-thera...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
Show Therapy: 'The White Lotus'
Before we leave Thailand, we have some lingering questions about Season 3.
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Do You Have to Be Smart to Play Dumb? From Henry Fonda and Betty White to Amanda Seyfried and Paul Rudd, some of our quickest wits have given stand-out performances as airheads. #tvrecs #actors #film #parksandrec #meangirls ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/do-you-hav...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
Do You Have to Be Smart to Play Dumb?
From Henry Fonda and Betty White to Amanda Seyfried and Paul Rudd, some of our quickest wits have given stand-out performances as airheads.
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
Today, we are talking all matters Severance after the season 2 finale, in which camcorders worked magic, drumlines drummed, and we took up residence in the windmills of Mark S.’ mind. Let us know what you think! :)) ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/show-thera...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
Show Therapy: 'Severance'
In which we gather to praise Kier.
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
“These environments give the actors some semblance of reality... they can feel like they're in a place where they can be relaxed, where they might go and have a drink." - Steve Rostine, set decorator for #TheOffice, on building Poor Richard’s.
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Ministry writer Thea Glassman spoke to the production and set designers behind beloved fictional eateries to find out how they brought these deliciously memorable worlds to life. Check it out! ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/building-a...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
Building an Iconic Fictional Eatery
From "Pulp Fiction" to "The Office," here are the stories behind some of your favorite pop culture hangouts.
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Kevin Smokler @weegee.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
The COVID Pandemic in pop culture, a brilliant retrospective by @saulausterlitz.bsky.social ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/covid-in-7...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
The Pandemic in Popular Culture, Five Years Later
The story of COVID in 7 scenes, from "How to with John Wilson" to "Station Eleven."
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
A new story by @saulausterlitz.bsky.social is up! It’s a great read that examines COVID pop culture from *half a decade ago*🤯 ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/covid-in-7... #booksky #covid
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
The Pandemic in Popular Culture, Five Years Later
The story of COVID in 7 scenes, from "How to with John Wilson" to "Station Eleven."
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Washington Post Opinions @postopinions.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Trump has now indefinitely suspended the Welcome Corps program, which had settled more than 4,000 refugees in two years, along with the country’s entire refugee-resettlement program, Saul Austerlitz writes. wapo.st/41zUOZS
wapo.st
Opinion | I sponsored a refugee family. And it was an honor.
The president has indefinitely suspended the Welcome Corps and the refugee resettlement program.
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Ministry of Pop Culture @ministrypopculture.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
Variety journalist Daniel D’Addario on his debut novel “The Talent,” taking readers behind the scenes of awards season, and this year’s Oscars scandal. ministryofpopculture.substack.com/p/the-talent...
ministryofpopculture.substack.com
And The Award for Best Actress Goes To...
Go behind the scenes of awards season with "The Talent."
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