Issue #1

We don't have a motto, but we do have a mission

Y’all Weekly

Sam Spencer

Adrian Singerman

, and 2 others

Oct 24, 2022

Welcome to the first issue of Y’all Weekly.

Every week, we hope to bring you content ranging from the hyperlocal to the universal. While we’re proudly based in Charlotte, North Carolina, many of our pieces will touch on national or international trends. For example, this week’s articles include:

Sarah’s review of Phở Quỳnh, an unpretentious Vietnamese restaurant in east Charlotte;
Adrian’s rumination on the end of an era in tennis, describing the different paths Serena Williams and Roger Federer had to take to change the game; and
Jesse’s story of losing his job at Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, which like many post-COVID cultural institutions is closing its doors.

As I write in my introductory piece for this publication,

We don’t want [our cultural] institutions to disappear. So, as writers, we often support places we love, especially on our social platforms. I’ll admit the purpose of a post is sometimes different - a keepsake of time with friends, a way to make people jealous, boredom - but it can also be a powerful tool to build connection through new experiences.

Especially after the worst of a pandemic, the institutions we care about need your support. Our team may still be debating the best motto, but we know what we want this publication to do: create connections and encourage experiences.

Hence the name: Y’all Weekly. The word “y’all” embodies everything we’re about - it’s a touchstone of southern patois, our very own deep-fried second person plural pronoun. It’s pluralistic, it’s inclusive, it’s southern - all things that define us.

In the coming weeks and months, we hope we can encourage folks to experience local culture in a way they never have before. We’re always looking for new content and new perspectives, so if you have an idea, please reach out to us.

Thanks for giving this newsletter a chance. I hope y’all enjoy it.

Sam

This Week’s Stories

In “I Just Lost My Dream Job,” Y’all Weekly’s senior staff writer Jesse Boykin Kimmel explains why one of Charlotte’s cultural institutions is closing its doors, and what our community must do differently going forward.

In her review of Phở Quỳnh, a Vietnamese restaurant on Central Avenue in Charlotte, Sarah Sheldon describes congee as the baby of phở and grits, and goes into detail about why it’s one of her comfort food cravings.

In “Match Point for Tennis Legends,” sport columnist Adrian Singerman tells the story of two ruthless, emotional competitors who retired from the sport of tennis earlier this year.

Free Stuff

This week, we’ll be giving away four copies of Elena Botella’s new book Delinquent: Inside America's Debt Machine to our subscribers and our followers on social media. Elena grew up in Charlotte, graduated from Duke, and spent the early years of her career at Capital One before exploring the dark side of debt. It’s a great read.

If you haven’t already, click the subscribe button below, follow @yallweekly on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Shoutout

I want to give a big shoutout to Ryan Pitkin of Queen City Nerve for giving me the chance to write professionally this year. Starting in March, I followed Charlotte FC’s inaugural season and turned in 18 pieces about the soccer club, ending with final grades for the campaign.

Y’all Weekly wouldn’t be happening without that experience, so make a point to visit the Nerve and don’t forget to cast a vote in their yearly “Best in the Nest” awards.