5SR - February 2, 2024

Today’s curator is the founder of #5SmartReads, Hitha Palepu. She’s a consummate multihyphenate - CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, author of WE’RE SPEAKING: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris and How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip, and professional speaker. Hitha is an unabashed fan of Taco Bell, Philadelphia sports teams & F1, romance novels, and is a mediocre crafter. She lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.

Tech firms court growing demand for male fertility services (Axios)

I have mixed feelings about this article and the male fertility industry in general.

On one hand, I’m grateful that the reproductive health discourse is finally including men & ejaculators (to borrow Gabrielle Blair’s term) and that the onus of contraception is no longer focused on those with uteruses.

On the other hand, to see it presented is a huge market opportunity when women’s health is already underfunded, under researched, and lacks the same level of insurance coverage as men is infuriating.

This sums up one of the greatest tragedies in American healthcare.

There are some advancements outlined in this article that I’m excited about (the male contraceptive hydrogel and events gathering men to talk about their own fertility).

But to see the male fertility market be recognized as a huge investment opportunity when women’s health is treated as an afterthought (if it’s considered at all by healthcare investors) frustrates me to no end.

Sarah J. Maas is BookTok’s reigning romantasy queen. All rise (TODAY)

If you spend any time online or in a bookstore, there’s no escaping the gilded, mysterious cover of House of Flame and Shadow, the third book in Sarah J. Maas’ Crescent City series.

Every Maas fan has their favorite series, and this sprawling, multiversal one is mine. I’m halfway through the latest book and I cannot get enough.

While social media is rife with detailed reviews and cosplay of Maas’ books, Maas herself has been a bit of an enigma - until this week. I personally have loved her press coverage over the past two weeks, if only to learn more about her and this incredible multiverse she’s created.

With Kate Kennedy’s One in a Millennial on my mind, I can’t help but analyze what millennial women are creating and consuming right now, and what elements from our teenage and early adult years influenced them.

These things are often derided by those who don’t belong to the brutal and beautiful collective of millennial womanhood - romantasy and Maas’ works included. But there’s a magic to be found in these books where women slay demons, ride dragons, and are deeply loved for their multitudes by brooding, complicated men who put them first - in every way, and often.

It’s certainly why I can’t stop and won’t stop reading this genre. And I, like millions of other readers, cannot wait to read what Maas writes next.

The IRS got $80B to help people and chase rich tax avoiders. Here's how it's going (NPR)

It’s rare that a government agency gets adequate funding to do what it already should be doing. And in the case of the IRS, it’s pretty impactful in such a short period of time.

With an additional $80B in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS has been able to adequately staff call and walk-in centers and process paper returns more efficiently.

They’ve also developed a free electronic filing system that will be piloted this year and collected nearly $200M in back taxes in a few short months.

I encourage you to listen to the entire interview (this piece is just an excerpt). It reaffirmed my faith in our institutions and our government, and what can happen when we vote for the leaders and push for the legislation that will make our lives better.

Sarayu Blue and Ji-Young Yoo Dissect Motherhood, Privilege, and Grief in Expats (ELLE)

I am weirdly grateful for a busy few months of travel simply so I can watch Expats with minimal interruptions. The trailer had me hooked. This interview has me obsessed with a show I haven’t even seen.

And perhaps it’s because it’s a rare time we see women’s multitudes be the central driver of a story - a rich, nuanced one at that.

Representation matters. For those who have seen their full selves in mainstream books, films, and shows, it’s something that they often take for granted. For those who had to accept the problematic Apu from The Simpsons or fleeting moments from stereotypical characters, it’s really powerful to see people who look like you, with names like yours, and the experiences you’ve lived represented so honestly and beautifully.

I’ve long been a fan of Sarayu Blue (a fellow Telugu bidda and the current obsession of my family’s WhatsApp) and I cannot wait to see her bring Hilary to life - and to see everything she does next.

Only the Middle East Can Fix the Middle East (Foreign Affairs)

No commentary on this one. It’s worth your time to read in full.

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