Are you having a bad day when you want to quit work, turn it all on and go completely offline? In Courtney Maum Alan refusessomeone finally does.
When Alan Anderson bombards the biggest move of his career, he does the only sensible thing: quits the rat race entirely and moves into his daughters’ playhouse in the backyard of their beautiful Greenwich, CT home.
One person who – shockingly – isn’t excited about this development? Who is Alan’s dream wife, Vivian? this close to joining the city’s elite women’s club, Queen Anne’s. All she needs is an expensive swimming pool, a few more social checks to nail down, and a husband who acts like a normal person. (And don’t get him started on their daughters.) Expect a sharp, funny, and very timely tale about ambition, consumerism, and the value of holding on.
We asked Maum some questions. Here’s what she had to say…
Q: If you could be the world’s leading expert on one subject, what would it be?
Mother: Why rebranding is a mistake. If I could spend the rest of my life lecturing you about why Dunkin’ Donuts dropped the wrong “Donuts” from their logo, I would be happy to do so.
Q: What’s your shortcut to relaxation?
Mother: My acupressure pad is Shakti. When inner peace is (elusive), 20 minutes in those dreaded spikes forces me to find it.
Q: What is your one unpopular opinion?
Mother: Greek yogurt is like cardboard.
Q: What’s the last thing you read that you can’t stop thinking about?
Mother: Lauren Howe Khochi Mirza. It looks at current wealth inequality in America with something rare these days: nuance and empathy.
Q: One thing everyone should watch?
Mother: DTF St. Louis. I think this slow, weird and powerful show about male friendship is the antidote to the manosphere.
Q: What is your favorite indulgence?
Mother: Horseback riding is the most effective and meaningful way to regulate my nervous system. I have anger, but if I ride with anxiety, the horse senses it and they buck. So I have to overcome the worst aspects of my character in order to be a good horseman. Horses are my food, to be honest.
Q: What’s a corner of the internet you’ve discovered recently?
Mother: Facebook Market. I check it every morning before I come to work, not because I need anything, but because it brings me joy to see the silly, hyper-intimate things that people (neighbors) want to part with. That’s how I follow the trends and where the nation is headed. Like, nowadays, there are too many chicken houses. I think a lot of people got chicken during the pandemic, but it proved too much for them.
Q: What’s one thing you can’t leave home without?
Mother: My weekly Moleskine notebook. I’m an analog girl, so I’m completely lost without my planner.
Meanwhile, on the internet…
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If you’re still confused about Amanda Batula’s new hairstyle, her stylist came out. You can decide if it changes things.
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No, you’re not imagining it – unexpected type of influencer there is water left in everyone’s food.
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RIP to the least useful phrase in all of human history. You will not be missed.
