My first hardcover copy of THE BRIGHTWOOD CODE arrived today! On sale May 14. Pre-order now, and then come see me on the 14th at Politics & Prose. https://t.co/yElPsBorgU

And I am so sorry for the pregnant women who woke up today to a confusing and confused country that has now found a way to place even more blame at their swollen feet. (4/5)

There is a creep in American motherhood, whereby women are expected to sacrifice 100% of their physical and emotional wellbeing for even a whiff of a chance of a .001 improvement for their pregnancies. (4/5)

Did I drink coffee? Do yoga? Not do yoga? Eat the wrong cheese? Did I, for one minute, prioritize my splitting head over my theoretical child? (3/5)

But I wasn't afraid that the occasional Excedrin would actually harm my baby, which I knew was a statistical unlikelihood. Rather, I was afraid that if I had another miscarriage (I'd had three), there was a chorus of voices who would be waiting to ask me how it was my fault (2/5)

I have chronic migraines, and the only thing that has ever worked is Excedrin, and when I was pregnant I gave it up entirely because of the aspirin and the caffeine, though not the Tylenol. Nine months. Agony. Knowing headache relief was right there and refusing to take it. (1/5)

4/ It went on for so long. I wanted to prove to People that I could interview the hell out of a red carpet. Robert Redford could not have been nicer about it. He tried so hard. I walked away, found the right questions, and wanted to flush myself down a toilet.

3/ So when Academy Award winner Robert Redford came up to me on the red carpet, I pulled out my list and started asking him questions about…American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar. Just, question after question about how Robert Redford felt about Sanjaya Malaker.

2/ Except they had actually given me a couple lists, for various celebrities, and I didn’t realize that.

1/ Just tonight I remembered that I have a Robert Redford story. Which is: nearly 20 years ago I had just graduated from college and I was freelancing for People magazine at a Kennedy Center event. They gave me a list of questions to ask Redford on the red carpet.

The main secret of parenting is that every single time your kid hassles you for a Fudgesicle and Doritos for dinner, you also want a goddamn Fudgesicle and Doritos for dinner.

I'm chatting at 1 over on Washington Post about [gestures broadly] all of this, and I hope you'll come join me.

The Washington Post is giving me a bi-monthly live chat, to talk about [gestures vaguely] all of this. It starts today (Tuesday) at 1 p.m. I'd love to see you there.

“It’s ICE raids+Dr. Phil, it’s vaccine skepticism+fresh-squeezed MAHA influencers, it’s insurrection +Bass Pro tourists threatening to hang Mike Pence. It’s a joke, but it’s not, but it could be, but just when you think it is, ICE might deport your uncle.”

“The first woman to hold an executive office in the United States was brought to you courtesy of angry, resentful men who severely underestimated the power of organized voters and a capable woman.” “Do with that what you will.” ⁦~@MonicaHesse⁩

A statement from Post Guild leadership on the Washington Post's decision to not endorse a presidential candidate

Well done, America. Whatever anyone else might say about us, 97 percent of us can look at a random amalgamation of letters and say, “Fart.” #spellingbee

Some of these responses are really "tell me you've never had close female friends without telling me you've never had close female friends."

Since #TamponTim is trending I'll point out that in high school, any boy who casually was like "Oh you got ur period? I stashed a pad from the bathroom in my backpack in case one of my friends needed it" -- that boy would be king stud. That boy would be drowning in prom invites.

I don't ever want to hear "liberal women hate white men;" literally every one of them I know would swim through boiling lava to protect Tim Walz.

THE BRIGHTWOOD CODE (@LittleBrownYR @lbschool) by @MonicaHesse will receive a starred review in the September/October 2024 #HornBookMagazine. Congratulations! #HBMag #HBStars https://t.co/zmYRYvuu6S