Small Bites: Weekly Reading List (Issue No. 5)

The Double R Diner PHOTO BY ABC PHOTO ARCHIVES/ABC VIA GETTY IMAGES

In this issue: Rikers Island. Twin Peaks. Breakfast. Shopping Montages.

1. 4 Women Describe Life at Rikers
It might seem questionable to put this article on a list that will be followed by a discussion of breakfast in Twin Peaks and an op-ed about shopping montages, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be included. In fact, my favorite part about this series is that it seems to have a predictable scope (fashion, food, travel) but it is not meant to. Some weeks will be more lighthearted than others. But this article is important. The zoomed-out concept of "prison" tends to exist in our minds almost completely disassociated from  the prisoners who live inside them stripped of the humanity within. Mayor DeBlasio has even set a goal to close Rikers for good in 10 years time. Amid a political climate that has been drawing attention to the for-profit prison-industrial complex, recidivism rates, and pointing to model examples like Sweden's prison system, this article is an interesting read from a perspective we don't hear often. 

2. When Did Shopping Montages Die? 
Quick, name a movie with a shopping montage. Pretty Woman, Clueless and maybe Mean Girls were probably some of the first to come to mind. Name a film post-2012 with one. Not as easy, right? Why is that? 

3. How Twin Peaks Changed TV Breakfast Forever
I've actually never seen Twin Peaks, a fact that will change at 9 p.m. tonight when I tune in for the reboot on Showtime. If you're not already reading Extra Crispy, you totally should be for a few reasons, but particularly their deep dives into the intersection of breakfast and film. This feature goes on to discuss breakfast in shows like Frasier, Seinfeld, and others – and it all started in Twin Peaks.

4. See Celebrity Polaroids From A Legendary 1980s Nightclub
The newly launched LALA Magazine includes this feature about the Boys & Girls Nightclub in LA. No cameras were allowed inside, save for the club owner's polaroid. And with that followed plenty of snaps of celebrities like Anjelica Houston and Richard Gere. Check out the gallery.