Hello, and congratulations to all those who have made it through their first weeks back at work or school. Welcome to Five Great Reads, your summertime, morning tea wrap of brilliant writing and insightful analysis, selected by me, Alyx Gorman, Guardian Australia’s lifestyle editor.
Today we have a moving tribute to a life lost to Covid-19, and explainers on some of the week’s big news stories. What we do not have is breaking news; the live blog has that. Meanwhile, if you just want a feelgood break this weekend, may I suggest you watch Palm Springs?
Now, onto the reads.
1. Sue Rees was so much more than a statistic
A clotheshorse with a great fondness for big pearls and bright colours, Sue Rees was kind and playful. She loved musical theatre and acted as the flower girl at her own daughter’s wedding. A cancer patient and a survivor, she checked into hospital for a burst eardrum – then the Omicron wave claimed her life.
Notable quote: “It feels heartless and faceless for all of the victims when [other victims] have stories given to them, photos shown of them, they were memorialised, they were remembered,” says Sue’s daughter Bec. “These Covid victims had a face and a story, and right now they’re just a statistic.”
Further reading: This piece is the latest in our series Lives Lost to Covid, which aims to share the stories and faces behind the numbers. Those numbers are crucial, “but it is important that human stories are not diminished or obscured by the numbers.” writes Guardian Australia’s editor in chief Lenore Taylor. “Stories inspire compassion. They force decision makers to take responsibility.”
Further listening: On today’s Full Story podcast, listen to Lenore Taylor discuss the difficulties we face when confronting Covid-19’s human toll, with Gabrielle Jackson.
2. US sympathy for Israel waning
The United States is Israel’s most important ally, providing the Jewish state vast sums of mostly military aid (the largest given to any foreign nation). But even before the publication of Amnesty International’s report this week, which declared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians an apartheid, public and political approval for the close relationship was declining.
Notable quote: “People can see for themselves what’s happening in a way they didn’t before,” says Sarah Leah Whitson, the former director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East division. “It’s made it harder, particularly in the United States, for the emotional defenders of Israel, who’ve had this mythology about Israel … confronted with the reality of what they see in front of their faces.”
How long will it take me to read? Two minutes.
3. Autism: a secret superpower for mental health workers
From open-mindedness to tenacity to an ability to handle distressed clients calmly, many mental health experts believe their autism gives them vital on-the-job skills. However, for fear of stigma and discrimination, many of these specialists have not disclosed their autism status to colleagues.
Background fact: In the United Kingdom, only 22% of autistic adults are in paid employment. For those who do work, the pressures to mask their neurodiversity, and adapt to environments that can feel hostile, leads to significant stress.
Notable quote: Steph Jones, who has chosen to publicly disclose her autism status for the first time in this piece, is a psychotherapist who has mirror-touch synaesthesia, which allows her to vicariously experience the emotional and physical sensations of those around her. It is an invaluable asset as a clinician, she says. “Once I explain what it is [to clients] and it makes rational sense to them – rather than it seeming frightening or paranormal – they usually feel completely elated that someone gets them on that kind of deep level.”
How long will it take me to read? Six minutes
4. Why is Facebook’s stock price plummeting?
This week shares in Facebook’s parent company, Meta, fell by the nearly incomprehensible sum of US$ 220bn. Here, global technology editor Dan Milmo outlines the reasons for the sharp decline.
What kind of reasons? Well, for starters, Facebook’s global daily active user numbers fell for the first time in, um, ever.
How long will it take me to read? Only a minute or so.
5. The Pixies’ frontman answers your questions
Guardian readers are quizzing Black Francis this week, and your questions do not pull punches.
Oh! What did we ask? “Are you friends with Kim Deal or do you guys hate each other?” From one interviewer to another, that’s a bold one.
How long will it take me to read? Five minutes.
