Every week, The Lemur’s editors-in-chief handpick a few things worth holding on to. Consider this your quick break from the incessant pull of Instagram Reels.

🎬 Watch

Mamdani’s America 250 Address —  NYC Office of the Mayor

With a little distance from America’s super-special landmark anniversary, now’s a good time to consider Mamdani’s (surprisingly short) re-framing of what that means. You’ll find no grand rhetoric concerning American exceptionalism here. A holiday bummer or vital message? You decide. — CE

“Democracy with American Characteristics” — Johnathan Bi’s Substack

To play Devil’s Advocate a bit, I think we ought to gloat and revel in America’s exceptionalism for at least a moment. Though, what is more patriotic than criticism? Bi’s long discourse on American identity, inherent inequality, and why that unsettles us today cuts through the binary “is America a democracy?” conversation and eventually proposes a nuanced perspective. Toast to America and all her faults and glory. — AND

📖 Read

“There’s Nothing Wrong With Wanting Men” — NYT Opinion

Are you interested in heterosexuality, at least in the cultural and anthropological sense? Recent demonstrations of grand heterosexual love—namely, the Swift-Kelce wedding bonanza and the couple who scaled the Empire State Building to propose—prompted me to return to this article. Author Magdalene Taylor shoots down heteropessimism (a cultural movement of which I was previously unaware) and attempts to counsel beleaguered straight women, including those of us unaware we were supposed to be beleaguered. Whatever you think of her ideas, it’s a fascinating read. — CE

“Progressives Don’t Understand Masculinity” — LastBlueDog on Substack

I often find myself bored and frustrated with gender politics. I’m tired of the constant mudslinging on both sides and the strain of heteropessimism (which Cara just taught me), especially in the NYT opinion section. But to understand one another, you need to know how to understand one another. I believe the author LastBlueDog offers an honest, unfiltered view of men and of how their relationships with women and other men matter in this conversation. Whatever you think of his ideas, it is an intriguing read to untangle and critique. — AND

There’s your Sunday. Keep an open mind and let us (or, better yet, a friend!) know if anything resonates. No Lemur is an island. We’ll see you next week.