Hello Tamia Talkers! Happy Friday! In the States, it’s a national holiday, so I’m delivering this newsletter with the hope that you can take a moment to read it while enjoying episodes of Love Island, backyard festivities, fireworks or whatever else your weekend brings.
This month’s collection is packed with star power, eloquently written reflections on friendship and love, and my quarterly Sabrina Carpenter stan essay.
I am so delighted that it is July. It is one of my favorite months of the year. I look forward to the anticipated joys it will bring, including: the Summer I Turned Pretty season three, another trip to the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit to see my Queen Mother Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour, and the celebration of my birth.
There’s much goodness ahead, despite the ever-present horrors. Let’s rewind.
in the news
Extreme Heat Is Exacerbating Air Pollution, a ‘Double Whammy’ for Health: During the recent heat wave that spiked temperatures across the United States, I read this story by Claire Brown and Christina Kelso in the New York Times. The story explains how heat safety risks are amplified by pollution, specifically, in areas where insufficient government regulations on pollution-causing industries contribute to heat domes and poor air quality. Recent Trump Administration rollbacks have raised concerns about the viability of addressing air quality concerns for individuals living in densely populated cities, low-income areas, and for sensitive groups like children or individuals with respiratory challenges like asthma. Experts say that, without considerable action taken to improve air quality conditions in the coming years, extreme temperature spikes will become unavoidable and harder to accommodate. Read here.
Journalists come under fire covering L.A. protests: This Washington Post story by Scott Nover and Jeremy Barr assesses an increasingly common phenomenon of police using “less-lethal” munitions to target journalists during demonstrations. Reporters across the country stated that while covering protests about immigration and recent “No Kings” protests in opposition to President Donald Trump, they faced heightened aggression from law enforcement officers. The less-lethal rounds, such as rubber bullets, plastic bullets, and pepper balls, shot at reporters at close proximity have imposed long-term physical consequences and injury. The targeting of journalists covering protests has heightened concerns about the protection of the First Amendment and a free, unfettered press. Read here.
“I Feel Invincible”: Dua Lipa On Turning 30, Finding Love And Her Reign As Britain’s Queen Of Pop: I adored this profile of Dua Lipa in British Vogue. She is undeniably one of my favorite pop stars, businesswomen, book club champions, and optimistic lover girls. I read it after seeing a fan account post a carousel of fragmented quotes from this story describing how Lipa and her partner, Callum Turner, met. One critical detail is that when they ran into each other a second time, they happened to be reading the same book, Trust by Hernan Diaz. While the description of their long history of “sliding doors” moments is far more beautifully articulated by Gaby Wood, I was giddy and on the verge of tears reading it. In every way, I felt so inspired to squeeze all the goodness and joy out of life after reading this. I want to take risks, I want to dance, I want to be a pilates princess! I’m humbly requesting a Dua Lipa summer from God and the Universe. Thank you. Read here.
How Sabrina Carpenter Dream Come-True’d Her Whole Life: If you subscribe to this Substack or have known me for more than one day, you probably know that I am a devoted Sabrina Carpenter fan. In this Rolling Stone cover story, Carpenter unpacks a seemingly never-ending cycle of being cast as a hypersexual villain in the pop culture conversation and her decade-long journey toward becoming a pop supernova. Her next project, “Man’s Best Friend,” is set to release August 29 and is expected to continue the stories of relationship disappointments and self-actualization that the 26-year-old singer explored in 2024’s “Short and Sweet.” In this story — between ice baths and non-alcoholic Aperol spritzes — Carpenter chats with reporter Angie Martoccio about her jam-packed past year of Saturday Night Live appearances, world tour, music idol meetups, and the process of penning her latest record. Over the past five years, Carpenter has been shoved into the spotlight numerous times at the center of controversies ranging from Disney star love triangles to nuanced conversations about femininity and subservience to men. She’s found her way through them by infusing honesty and humor into her writing and self-presentation. As someone who has watched the journey from her 10-year-old YouTube covers to now, I found it to be a deeply satisfying read. Somewhat unrelatedly, the photos from this shoot reminded me of her pre-2020 production company efforts to develop a live-action Alice in Wonderland for Netflix. But, I’ll take what I can get. More here.
Is the decline of reading poisoning our politics?: Vox writer Eric Levitz wrote this essay in June, examining a growing decline in “deep literacy” across the United States and how Americans’ lack of daily engagement with longform reading and writing could contribute to an increasingly fractured and damaged democracy. This article starts with an incredible callout to any and all readers, alluding to that nagging voice in our heads that tells us to click to another tab or pick up our phones while reading a book or news article. But the essay dives far beyond the shallow depths of most people’s attention challenges and asks readers to question whether or not our society is returning to the “orality” culture that defined the pre-written word era. Levitz highlights the research of historians and media theorists like Walter Ong, Katharine Dee and Adam Garfinkle who argue that reading grants humans the capacity to develop thoughts and break down information independently without their perspective being shifted by the bias of verbal presentation, facial expression or competition. Levitz further explores how information delivered orally, through platforms like TikTok and YouTube, relies on being memorable, pithy and repetitive, more than analytical and complex. Please read this! I found it so fascinating and valuable. More here.
How Trump Upended 60 Years of Civil Rights in Two Months: In a June issue of the New York Times Magazine, Nikole Hannah-Jones presents an argument for the ‘Second Nadir,” an era paralleling the Gilded Age in which excessive wealth, economic growth, and classism concurrently upend progress made toward racial integration post-slavery. Hannah-Jones writes about the Trump Administration’s sweeping cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion-related divisions of the federal government and details how the actions will dissolve civil rights protections in every sector of American life, from education and environmental protection to accessible housing and workforce development. The elimination and systematic abandonment of decades-old commitments to racial equality and integration, she writes, will plant the seeds for marginalized people’s erasure from American history and the professions and institutions they have occupied and contributed to for decades. Hannah-Jones describes the Trump Administration and Heritage Foundation’s colorblind, merit-based policy initiatives presented in Project 2025 and beyond as “an ahistoric interpretation that treats those who today try to use race to integrate as equivalent to those who once used race to segregate.” Read here.
on substack
bros, Alien Essence: In June, I got a text from my high school bestie and one of my dearest friends,
. It said “heyyyyy so i can’t think of a way to say this without sounding like a creep creep mc creepy pants, but the new substack I’m working on is…. kinda about you? and our friendship?” For most people, this might invoke a heart-racing burst of concern about how they could be portrayed and perceived on a publicly accessible social media platform. But I was mostly surprised. We had just seen each other the week prior when I visited L.A. for a journalism conference. We grabbed dinner with another one of my closest high school friends, who has ventured to L.A. to pursue a career in screenwriting, at a dimly lit, Instagram-famous Italian restaurant on the Miracle Mile. I knew in my bones that I’d only find beauty, truth and appreciation in the link that popped on my screen after receiving that initial message. I read it for the first time during a 10:00 p.m. Peloton ride (why?) and was teary by the time I reached the bottom. Below is a segment that especially knocked my socks off, because I simply forgot that it is possible to be ✨ perceived ✨ and written about, even though that is what I do for a living. Gaby called this essay and our text convo before its publication our very own “Girl, so confusing,” and I giggled. It does capture the trials and tribs of female friendship and evolving into the truest, most loved version of ourselves with great precision and honesty. She’s also just a fab writer, so subscribe to her stack! Read here.
how to get smart again, Postcards by Elle: On a late-night facetime with my friends Sarah and Maria, our conversation turned from talks about summer travel plans and the swampy heat of New York City to how incredibly detached from our intelligence we have felt since graduating from our master’s program in the spring of 2023. “I used to be soooo smart,” Sarah said, expounding on her undergraduate thesis about “America’s Fear of Appeasement” and how the Munich Agreement of 1938 amplified American pushes for war and aggression in the modern era. Maria and I — without the same justification — agreed that in our years since actively being in school, it felt more challenging to build a personal syllabus for enhancing our knowledge about world history, current events, art, literature, and more. Luckily, just days later, my algorithm blessed me with a wonderful guide to attacking this problem in a piece by
. “how to get smart again” doles out paragraphs upon paragraphs of advice for reinvigorating your critical thinking skills and actively nurturing your mind and its growth. I loved it, a must-read. Read here.The age old question: prude or whore?: After seeing Jensen McRae on tour last month, I’ve been super tapped in to her social postings. She shared this Substack essay by
that I enjoyed reading. My friends and I have been talking so much about dating and relationships recently. This essay perfectly resonated with so many feelings we’ve shared in those chats about contemplating what love means in the months and years preceding our frontal lobe development. Joshi unearths some incredibly vulnerable and beautiful evaluations of sexuality and self that were so well expressed. I love Substack, I love writers, I love hearts and thoughts worn on a sleeve! Read here.on my screen
I honestly didn’t watch much during June. I’ve hardly touched a TV remote. It was a big podcast, concert, and reading month for me. Even so, I acquired a new favorite film along the way.
Roman Holiday (1953): I decided to watch Roman Holiday on a red-eye flight back to Milwaukee from L.A., and it was the greatest delight. In my opinion, this film laid the foundation for my favorite movies with journalism subplots, princesses, and perfectly sweet kisses at the end. I loved it so much. It is very Princess Diaries one and two mixed with Anastasia with a hint of 27 Dresses (in the sense that the reporter pursues a story without gaining the consent of their primary subject). It’s especially thrilling because Joe (Gregory Peck) kind of has moral responsibility and integrity while being down bad! I love that almost every Audrey Hepburn movie requires her to cut her hair into a cute pixie to move the plot forward. Absolute perfection, ‘tis a new comfort movie.
Hard Truths (2024): I thought this movie was so brilliant. If you are not familiar, “Hard Truths” follows the life of a tormented mother named Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) struggling with depression and anxiety following the death of her mother. Jean-Baptiste brings this character to life in such an authentic, humorous, and heartbreaking way, finding nuanced ways to portray the frustrations and triggers that cause this character to spiral. For a film that is so quiet in many moments, it finds comedy and sorrow through the most unexpected moments of normalcy. I thoroughly enjoyed my watch after too many months of waiting to see it and reading dozens of interviews describing the production and character development process. It’s a must-watch.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Season Four (2016): This month, I returned to watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine for the first time in a few months. Spoiler alert, this season Jake and Captain Holt are in witness protection after being threatened by a criminal mastermind who infiltrated the FBI. It’s fine, but I miss the New York squad, most importantly, Gina!
Ironheart (2025): I’ve only watched the first two episodes of Ironheart, but it is so wonderful to see Riri Williams back on my screen. I interviewed Dominique Thorne, who portrays Riri, back in 2022, ahead of the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. During that conversation, we chatted about the importance of bringing the story of the then-16-year-old Chicago science wiz to the big screen and the inspiring example it could provide for young viewers. Riri’s journey strayed far from Wakanda in the show, but I’m excited to watch the hero’s journey.
in my ears
My concert attendance this month certainly informed my “On Repeat” lineup for June. According to Spotify, six of my 10 most listened to songs are Kendrick Lamar, two are Jensen McRae, one is “The Largest” by BigXthaPlug (lol Beyoncé) and the 10th is Sunset Blvd….which I saw months ago. The other 293 (or so) are bangers that sustained my livelihood through the month. Let’s explore.
music
Novelty, Jensen McRae (2025): I listen to this every day. Since seeing it live, it is constantly on loop in my mind and so satisfying to sing in the car.
Brick By Brick, Say Now (2025): Girl bands! Also, such a fun music video for this one.
Adderall, ELIO (2025)
Money is Everything, Addison Rae (2025): I love singing the last 10 seconds of this song and letting it be my affirmation for the day.
Sunset Blvd., Tom Francis (2024): I’m sorry to be a theatre kid (not really), but the Tony Awards brought me back here. Tom Francis, I will miss you on Broadway, so much. Also, I just learned that he and Nicole Scherzinger are not only birthday twins, BUT CANCERS?! Another win for the crabs.
Houston Old Head, ASAP Rocky (2011)
Rich Spirit, Kendrick Lamar (2022)
You Can’t Hurry Love, The Supremes (1966): A perfect classic and so true!
Offa Me, Davido and Victoria Monét (2025): I danced to this song in a dance class earlier this month, and it really cemented it as a summer classic. It is most certainly on repeat.
People Always Change, Tiny Habits (2024): I am deeply obsessed with Tiny Habits. Listening to this band is another one of my rare dives into calm, sad music. I am so grateful to have found my way to this album last year and fully incorporated it into my regular listening this month. They were recently in Milwaukee for a music festival, but I didn’t get to see them, my sorrow of the month!
Hello, Erykah Badu (2015)
I Wanna Be Down, Brandy (1994)
Gemini Feed, Banks (2016): I always return to “Gemini Feed” during Gemini season and in November when I’m feeling angsty. The bassline is addictive. The lyrics are heartbreaking and rough, and I think it is so satisfying to listen to.
Sunshine & Rain…, Kali Uchis (2025): My listening experience with this song was enhanced tenfold by experiencing the flavor-wonder of Kali Uchis $23 Erewhon smoothie. Yes, it was worth it.
Praying On Your Downfall, Jensen McRae (2025): Yuh!
podcasts
Jason Reynolds loves being a “crybaby,” Wild Card with Rachel Martin: Jason Reynolds, the author of a collection of critically-acclaimed young adult novels and poetry, was featured in a June episode of “Wild Card.” There was one moment that stood out to me in which Reynolds discusses his dad‘s terminal cancer diagnosis, and the last time that he remembers seeing him “alive.” In Reynold’s description, alive wasn’t intended to mean that this moment was the last time he saw his father living and breathing rather the last time he saw his father express fully embodied excitement and joy. It was during a drive that they took through the countryside after Reynolds purchased a Porsche and drove 150 miles an hour with his father down a country road. The scene was so vivid and beautifully articulated. There’s another moment when Martin asks him, “What is an activity that feels like praying to you?” and he discusses the ritualistic nature of bathing his mother, who is dealing with health challenges. Reynolds details that his mother experienced cancer when he was in his late teens and early 20s, and, though her experience was challenging, he learned a lot from it. At his stage in his life, he explains, bathing his mom is the closest experience that he will ever have in coming into connection with God, as she is his first and only true creator. It’s such a beautiful conversation, and I’d highly recommend giving the full episode a listen here.
Session 76: Lorde, Therapuss with Jake Shane: I’ve had “Virgin” tracks on repeat for the past week and this episode of Therapuss was the perfect pregame to an album listen. At one point, Lorde discusses how challenging it was to re-emerge into the public eye for the release of her last album, “Solar Power.” At one point she says, “Your public persona can calcify and rust, and you can get stuck in that and it doesn’t feel good.” I resonated so deeply with it, because I think this is what being in your 20s feels like or maybe just being a human entirely, constantly hesitant to make drastic shifts or wild changes out of fear of judgment or misperception. When she was able to shake that judgment though, is when she says she became completely free to create again. Watch here. (This is one of the few podcasts I will accept in a visual medium.)
Maggie Baird on the One Thing You Can Do for the Planet Every Day, Atmos: Billie Eilish and Finneas’ mom, Maggie Baird, joined the Atmos podcast “The Nature of with Willow Defebaugh,” to discuss how food consumption and plant-based eating can transform our health and relationship with the environment. Throughout the conversation, Baird talks about guilt-free plant-based eating and the shame often associated with imposing the idea of harm to animals upon other people. She also discusses how animal welfare and industrial agriculture can intersect to support and bolster the livelihood of farmers while also allowing for more justice-minded approaches to food accessibility and consumption. Listen here.
Egg Cleansing, ft. Cynthia Erivo, The Comment Section with Cynthia Erivo: Just plain fun. I don’t have much more to say. I’ve become such a fan of this podcast!
other listens (aka the michelle obama podcast world tour)
Michelle Obama on embracing her own ambition and fighting despair, Wild Card with Rachel Martin
“Thought Starters” (w/ Michelle Obama + Craig Robinson) Las Culturistas w/ Matt Rogers & Bowen Yang
“Michelle Obama,” Good Hang with Amy Poehler
on stage
Grand National Tour: I text my friend Chelsea the night before Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s Grand National Tour show in Chicago, curious if she listened to either of the artists and wanted to go. “But we don’t have tickets!” she replied. And we didn’t have them until 7:36 p.m. when we strolled up to the box office and secured shockingly affordable floor seats for one of the best concerts I have ever seen in my life. I’ve dreamt of seeing Kendrick for years and was so impressed by his live performance and thoughtful weaving of imagery, costuming, and set pieces that could enhance the story of GNX for a concert audience. At one point, they shined blinding lights on our section of the audience and he said “real ones, let’s see if you remember these” and proceeded to play hits from “good kid, m.A.A.d city,” “To Pimp A Butterfly” and “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” When he looked me in the eye, I forgot all the words, but it’s okay because I loved it. Also, this was my third time seeing SZA in the past 16 or so months, so, obvi, I love the woman. She’s so beautiful up close!
Natasha Beningfield: Summerfest, Milwaukee’s annual music festival, is heavy on the 2010s nostalgia this year, and Natasha Beningfield’s appearance on the Briggs and Stratton festival stage was no exception to that trend. Though this concert was about 75% random covers, including songs like “Purple Rain” by Prince and “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish, there is no denying that Miss Natasha still has the powerful voice and joyful spirit that entranced listeners in 2007. Listening to this woman sing “Unwritten” live felt so uplifting and blissful, I can’t even explain it. She’s so fun and seemed truly delighted to be on our cute little Wisco stage. I’m grateful for her, and, as I said sometime last year in my ins and outs, for her TikToks.
Japanese Breakfast: I’m a JBrekkie stan and this is no secret. Michelle Zauner, the princess of only children, and the band came to Milwaukee this month and performed songs from “For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)” and the rest of the JB songbook. They were so stunning live. Zauner was shredding the guitar, then flouncing around the stage in a flowy white button-up fit for a prince or chic pirate. Her vocals were clear, gong chimes powerful, spirit soaring. This was such a fun show. Also, I went with my coworkers (turned sweet friends), and sat in the second row, so I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Megan Thee Stallion: My final concert of the month was Megan Thee Stallion. I had the pleasure of dragging my parents to this show, because I love bonding, and I think they respect the work. While sitting in the audience of a Megan Thee Stallion show, you can’t help but stand in awe at the beauty of this woman. Not only did I enjoy the performance, but I just kept thinking, “God, I need to stretch and go to the gym.” She’s so iconic. The set was too short, though. She released two albums last year, and I have no idea how many songs she performed, but it wasn’t enough! No “Whenever” live?! Girl. Also, there was no merch, so I can only commemorate this through the bad videos I took and the power of my mind. All that said, I still loved it.
on my shelf
The Berry Pickers, Amanda Peters (2023): I read “The Berry Bickers” by Amanda Peters for book club this month. I had no idea what to expect because I generally refuse to read the back cover of any book before I read it. I like to let the story take me by surprise. The novel follows an Indigenous family that works on a berry-picking farm in northern Maine during the summers, whose youngest daughter disappears after a long day in the field. The story is told in dual perspectives and has tons of interesting twists, turns, and social commentary along the way. I loved the read. It is also great for book club discussions, so consider this a rec!
Abundance, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (2025): I started Abundance during the last week of June, so I do not have much to say about it yet. The book is all about reforming American institutions, redefining Liberalism, and embracing innovation in areas of climate policy, housing affordability, and lifting regulations for expanding technological development. More thoughts to come.
Matriarch, Tina Knowles (2025): I started Tina Knowles’ memoir on one of the final days of June at the recommendation of my mom, who read the book the week it was published. Since Ms. Tina is the mother of Beyoncé, I know the book will be filled with some interesting insights on the upbringing of one of the most legendary performers of the century. Beyond that, I anticipate the story will be a beautiful reflection of Southern Black women’s unique understanding of what it means to make a name for oneself in America. The first few chapters were filled with some delectable prose about Knowles picking pecan trees and growing up in Galveston, Texas. I’m excited to keep reading!
Vibe of the Week
For those moments when life feels fun but dark, this cursed version of “Sneakernight” by Vanessa Hudgens. Until next time, ciao!
Thank you so much—made my whole day! So good to hear it resonated. <3