Best things I read this week July 3- July 10

Every week (or so) I want to share some of the best stories I read to enhance your Sunday.

“How do You like it now, Gentlemen?” — Lillian Ross for The New Yorker

“The half bottle of champagne is the enemy of man,” Hemingway said. We all sat down again.

To commemorate the 55th anniversary of Ernest Hemmingway’s suicide on July 2 The New Yorker dug this 1950 profile out of the archives. A little over 11,000 words, it is a bit on an invest but a great look at the author near the end of his career.

“Hell is Other People” — Ed Caesar for GQ

A bleak and comprehensive look at the war in the Central African Republic. It reads like a train wreck: tragic, horrifyingly beautiful but you can’t pull yourself away.

The second body lay within the courtyard of a trader’s house. It was as savagely mutilated as the first. The contrast between the coal-black of the victim’s skin and the lurid red of his opened skull was unforgettable. Nobody knew his name, either.

“A Generational Mandate” — Jon Favreau for The Ringer

The standard “Get-out-the-Vote” article plays out like a song you’ve heard too many times before. It hits the same notes, the melody is familiar and you pass it by without really listening. But in the capable hands of Obama’s former speech writer, the urgency is palpable. It reads more like “Get-your-goddamn-ass-out-to-Vote”. If you enjoy this, I highly recommend his weekly podcast, Keepin’ It 1600.

It’s hard to blame an older generation for stealing your future when most of the people your age declined to fight for it.

“Longtime Pancake Pantry waitress served order of sassy” — Brad Schmitt for The Tennessean

She offered new servers two big ideas for getting bigger tips:

Dress nicely and wear your best jewelry because, she said, “You want to look successful because successful people like to see success.”

Make a personal connection every time because, she said, “You have to give a piece of yourself to the customers.”

One of my favorite people in the newsroom is the Inside Nashville columnist. His piece on a lifelong server at Nashville’s Pancake Pantry will hit you across the face with the feels and remind you how important feature profiles are.