Weekend Whats: Jackie Alemany

Jackie Alemany

The Washington Post writer shares her plans for the weekend, including a must-read book on crypto, and one ambitious dinner.

For Washington Post journalist Jackie Alemany, work is a nonstop calling. Alemany’s the author of Power Up, a daily newsletter from the Washington Post chock-full of insider knowledge about all things politics. It’s a must-subscribe — sharp, clever, and presents all sides of the biggest goings-on in Washington.

For Jackie, whose days start well before the crack of dawn, you’d think weekends would be a time to unwind, maybe nap for 48 hours straight. Instead, this Power Up powerhouse can be found reading a book about cryptocurrency, cooking an elaborate meal for her pals, and trying out a new workout class. Jackie, you’re putting the rest of us to shame.

What to Watch: I’m finishing Call My Agent on Netflix. Camille Cottin, who plays my favorite character on the show, Andrea Martel, is also starring with Matt Damon in Stillwater, so we’re going to try to squeeze in a masked visit to the movie theater to watch. I also just hatched big plans to start re-watching every season of Curb Your Enthusiasm

What to Read: I’ve recently fallen down the crypto rabbit hole because I think it’s such an interesting outgrowth of our society’s distrust of institutions. So I’ll be wrapping up The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-hackers Is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum, and then I’ll be diving into an advanced copy of Sophie Brickman’s prescient Baby, Unplugged: One Mother’s Search for Balance, Reason, and Sanity in the Digital Age.

What to Cook: I’ve got ambitious plans to imitate Momofuku’s Korean rice wraps for some friends on Saturday night, which I’ve had bookmarked for a while now. Wish me luck!  

What to Listen To: Heat Wave by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Spotify radio, and John August and Craig Mazin’s Scriptnotes podcast. Taffy Brodesser-Akner once recommended that podcast on Twitter, and I do anything Taffy tells me to do.

What to Do: A new workout class I’m obsessed with, The SoTo Method, started by my BFF Hilary Hoffman. I highly recommend the 45 minute burn instead of mindless online shopping!