Baby-Mama Drama

The Wally and the Beave of newsletters chin-scratches the dickens out of one of life’s biggest questions—to spawn or not to spawn—with the lit women of the moment.

We’re here to reclaim the “women’s magazine.” Every week, two veteran editors read it ALL to bring you everything we believe women’s media should be: juicy yarns, big ideas, deeply personal essays, hot goss, and the odd shopping tip—aka, the full Spread. Plus: original interviews, podcasts, and more. Come hungry!  

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Dear Spreadbabies,

Apparently this lovely high-90s weather we’re having is causing something of a summer story drought. While we can (and did) talk for days about the pressures raised by “medium” friendships, with the big mags’ double and triple summer issues behind us and so many editors having the gall to take summer Fridays—how dare they, really?—our reading list is running as shallow-shallow-sha-ha-low as Jackson Maine’s songwriting skills in A Star Is Born. (Not to overthink it, but if we’re far from the shallows now, why are we dwelling so hard on them? Just a little question we’ve been harboring for six-odd years.) 

Thank the gods we had already planned to chat with the writers of this summer’s hottest intellectual exercise. In What Are Children For?¹, the Point editors Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman walk us through The Question: whether or not to procreate. They approach this decision not with the standard personal-essay hand-wringing but rather as a rigorous and worthy philosophical expedition—nudging aside standard cultural roadblocks of how we “should” feel and what we ought to do, to help us really tackle the anxiety maze of do I really want this and what will this do to me? and arrive at a place of resolution—without placing a value on yes vs. no. 

Look hot, stay cool, 

Rachel & Maggie

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Rachel Green living the ole whoopsie fantasy.