Welcome to the inaugural edition of Subscription Saturday. This is a way for me to keep track of the print and digital articles that I’ve read and, in most cases, recommend, this week.

Justice

“Staying With Children, and Out of Prison” by Liz Robbins
The New York Times, September 21, 2011

This unusual halfway house has piqued my interest in alternative punishment.

“Attica Is All of Us” by Ian Frazier
The New Yorker, Remembrances, September 26, 2011

On September 11, 2011, the Attica Correctional Facility remembers a different anniversary. Forty years ago, an ill-fated uprising that resulted in violence encourages observers to reflect on race and discrimination.

Beauty

“Skin-Deep Beauty? It Looks Like Chicken” by Kerri MacDonald
The New York Times‘ Lens blog, September 28, 2011

The sexiest chicken in show biz!

“Survival of the Fitted” by David Owen
The New Yorker, Dept. of Invention, September 26, 2011, p. 69

Owen examines the “rise of bulletproof couture” by visiting the shop of Miguel Caballero–and being shot at in the Colombian clothing designer’s innovative “mystery fabric.”

“Precarious Beauty” by Rebecca Mead
The New Yorker, Profiles, September 26, 2011

A fascinating profile of the daughter of the Guinness beer heir, Daphne Guinness, and her “art of looking interesting.” This article’s skillful visual images were reinforced by an accompanying video:

I mean, just look at those shoes!

Business

“Why We Bought a Bookstore: Progress Report” by Patrick J. Kiger
SecondAct.com, August 29, 2011

I’ve been keeping up with the new owners of Politics and Prose, and I was delighted to learn in this piece that “they’re setting up a new section in the store that focuses on books by local authors.”

“A Literary Accounting: How I Made My First Million” by Marion Winik
Poets & Writers, July/August 2011

Who knew keeping the books could be so rewarding?

Adventure

“Sweet Home… Chattanooga?” by Chuck Thompson
Outside, October 2011

The unlikely subject of an amusing profile of Outside‘s reader-voted “Best Town Ever,” Chattanooga does seem pretty attractive to outdoors enthusiasts.

Politics

“Sex and the Married Politician” by David Greenberg
The Atlantic, October 2011

An in-depth history of politicians’ muck and those who rake it.

Life

“Why We Write: No Ordinary Bird” by Annam Manthiram
Poets & Writers, July/August 2011

This is a touching essay on roots and the hopes placed on the children of immigrants.

“Truth and Consequences: Mortenson, Krakauer and the Three Cups of Tea Controversy” by Christoper Keyes
Outside, July 2011

I’m a little late in reading this one; I thought I’d seen every major article related to this controversy already. But Keyes offers a refreshingly balanced view of both Mortenson’s and Krakauer’s stories, ending up “in that journalistic sweet spot—the one where both sides hate our guts.”