Spring 2026 Issue 1 XOXO Main Feature Art by Jodie Baek Everyone seems to be outraged and I, a naked spec trapped in a waiting room, am dumbfounded by the darkness of the U.S. In the wake of the release of the Epstein Files, any and all of Trump’s heinous decisions, and ICE acting essentially within the same framework as slave patrols of the 18th and 19th centuries, it is made abundantly clear that protection is afforded only to the elite, and weaponized against women and

March 30, 2026 Newsletter Dearest Prattlers, This week’s newsletter features Junior Writing major Sydney Brewer’s insights on music streaming platforms and how they alter our relationships to music. Sydney Brewer (she/her) is a third-year writing major. She writes prose-poetry and fiction about diasporic experiences, language, and memory. Without further ado, here is Sydney’s newsletter, The Cost of Streaming @donaldoivanbarber/TikTok / Adobe Stock / @miss.mia777/TikTok Follo

March 16, 2026 Newsletter Dearest Prattlers, Happy Spring Break <3 I hope you all get the chance to take a break this week, even though I know thesis deadlines are approaching for my fellow seniors. On a slightly-unrelated note, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to “go analog” as a kind of creativity-inducing lifestyle, especially when it comes to generating enough inspiration for my thesis. I’ve been collecting cassettes, CDs, and vinyl for a long time now becaus

March 2, 2026 Newsletter Dearest Prattlers, I hope I am finding you well amidst a troubling time in foreign policy and a rather chaotic midterm season. Now is a good time to keep our eyes on Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, and all others affected by Trump’s neo-US Imperialism. Now is also a good time to give ourselves and our communities some additional care in whatever form feels right. I’m opting for movie nights with friends and a heavy Zadie Smith reading rotation. Here’s some readi

February 16, 2026 Newsletter If you’ve taken the train at least once in the past two months, chances are you’ve seen a particular ad glued to the walls: plain white background, Times New Roman font, and an air of mystery. The actual product being advertised is not easily deciphered. Although you may be thinking of the infamous Friend.com campaign that inundated quite literally every blank surface of the MTA for the last four months of 2025, I am talking about Meeno.com’s “Rej

February 2, 2026 Newsletter Andres Kudacki for The New York Times Dearest Prattlers, I wish that I could be welcoming you all back to Pratt on better terms, but the fact of the matter is that ICE is ravaging our communities and will stop at nothing to terrorize us into complacency. As Pratt’s widest-reaching publication, it is our duty to use our platform to spread information that is beneficial to our community. Instead of blandly-wording an email about the “challenging mome

December 9, 2026 Newsletter Spotify Wrapped 2025 It was in 2015 that Spotify users were first subjected to the digital summary of their year’s listening habits now known as Spotify Wrapped. Since then, Spotify Wrapped has marketed itself into a semi-global cultural event, dissected in the Op-ed section of the New York Times, advertised on the Paris metro, and endlessly re-posted on social media. This year, I even heard someone refer to the planned release date of Spotify Wrap

As anthropologist Anna Tsing says, grains domesticated us. The development of sedimentary agriculture roughly 10000 years ago ushered in the establishment of new social hierarchies, reinforcing what we now refer to as classism and “othering”. Cultivation has allowed the exercising of power over others, more commonly known as “feudalism”. This system enabled the creation of a food surplus, increasing the size of society manyfold. Conventional evolutionary theory has explained

I read an article that estimated it would take about 23 years to eat at every restaurant in New York City. The discovery of this instantly led me to feel pure pity for anyone who hasn't started planning their birthday. Unlike these common idiots I’ve had my birthday, coming up next July, planned since last August. Thankfully for my forward thinking and superior planning skills, I decided as a profound act of service for all the Scorpios of New York City it only made sense t

Artwork by Vasu Arora A few years have passed since my grandmother died, but her house in Whitestone, Queens, still feels alive with her routines. The faint smell of espresso lingers in the kitchen, and her large wooden rosary beads hang from the portico, just where she left them. On my last visit, while opening the junk drawer to find Werther's Originals, I came across a stack of old restaurant menus. They were soft at the edges, creased from years of use, and marked with he

There’s a saying that goes something like, “I’m eating sleep for dinner.” I must admit I’ve tried my hand at this cuisine. It’s not my first choice, it’s not a punishment, and it’s not abnegation. I am merely easily distracted in the evening. By nine or ten, I lack the energy to cook, an appetite for cereal, and interest in take-out. Stomach grumbles disturb my rest, and in the morning, I’m emotional. I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d rather recommend a more literal approach. You

Artwork by Ruby Mae Colson @ruby__doll Ever since I can remember, I have been drawn to fake desserts. As strange as it is, there’s something desirable about an object that looks delectable when in reality it’s made from plastic and clay. I I’m not the only one who is drawn to fake foods as there are many fashionists that incorporate desert motifs, chimes and accessories into their wardrobe. I am inspired by the Japanese craft sweets Decoden. What is Decoden? Originating in J