#355: It’s August! Let’s read and discuss “Revolt of the Delivery Workers,” by Josh Dzieza
#355: It’s August! Let’s read and discuss “Revolt of the Delivery Workers,” by Josh Dzieza
I am inviting you to join our discussion on Sunday, August 28, 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT
Welcome to August, loyal readers. Hope you’re closing out the summer strong.
Today’s issue is dedicated to this month’s Article Club selection, “Revolt of the Delivery Workers,” by Josh Dzieza. It’s an outstanding piece about the 65,000 people who hurtle through the streets of New York City on their electric bikes, weaving through traffic to get late-night slices of cake to stock traders in skyscrapers just minutes after making their order on DoorDash.
The job was tough even before the delivery apps began exploiting them with lower pay and horrific work conditions. It was tough even before thieves began stealing their bikes. It was tough even before the police ignored their pleas for protection.
And then the pandemic made things even worse.
Here’s what I wrote about the article last October when I highlighted it in Issue #314:
Juan Solano doesn’t want to be called essential. Dignity is his goal. One of New York City’s 65,000 delivery workers, Mr. Solano is tired of being attacked at night, with thieves stealing his bike, police turning a blind eye, and lawmakers dilly-dallying on change. He wants a decent wage from DoorDash, a way to charge his electric bike, and a place to go to the bathroom. Mr. Solano is part of a growing group of workers fighting to protect themselves from danger and demanding respect in our inequitable economy. (34 min)
This article definitely caught my attention, bringing up a range of issues, including how late-stage capitalism, the rise of technology, and our obsessive desire for convenience promote the dehumanization of marginalized people, in this case immigrants from Mexico and Central America.
⭐️ Sound interesting? My hope is that you’ll read it. Click the button below!
A bit about the author…
My second favorite thing about Article Club (after you, its kind and thoughtful participants) is that talented authors participate, too. They answer our questions, record podcast interviews, and sometimes even join our discussions. It’s pretty great. This month, I’m happy to announce that journalist Josh Dzieza of The Verge will be joining the conversation. Here’s a little bit about him.
Josh Dzieza is a writer at The Verge, where he covers technology and science. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, Pacific Standard, MIT Technology Review, and other publications. Mr. Dzieza’s story about migratory beekeepers and the pollination industry for Pacific Standard received the 2016 Science in Society Journalism Award from the National Association of Science Writers. His piece about sea level rise and the growing market for beach sand was a notable story in 2017’s Best American Science and Nature Writing. His most recent article, “The Great Fiction of AI,” explores how authors are using Sudowrite, a writing assistant that uses GPT-3 artificial intelligence, to churn out fiction for their readers.
A big thanks to Mr. Dzieza for saying yes to Article Club!
Want to dive in? Join this month’s discussion!
If “Revolt of the Delivery Workers” intrigues you, I encourage you to dive in by joining Article Club this month. Article Club is a community of kind, thoughtful people who read, annotate, and discuss one great article every month on race, education, or culture. Everyone is welcome!
Here’s how it works:
This week: We sign up below and begin reading the article on our own.
Next week: We annotate a shared version of the article.
Week 3: We listen to an interview of the author.
Week 4: We discuss the article together on Zoom.
More than 100 of you have participated in Article Club. Many of you — like VIPs Summer, Jennifer, and Elise — participate month after month. If you’re interested, it’d be great to have you! — whether this is your first time or your 29th.
We’ll be discussing Mr. Dzieza’s article on Sunday, August 28. There are two options for this month’s conversation:
In person in Oakland: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm PT (for paid subscribers)
Online on Zoom: 2:00 - 3:30 pm PT (for all subscribers)
⭐️ Want to sign up? Just click the button below! After you sign up, I’ll follow up with more information, plus answer any questions you have.
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