Big families? Plus geniuses & more

A source request and some recent writing

Hi readers,

First, a source request. I’m working on a feature about families with more than four children. It’s connected to recent conversations about the declining birth rate and the politicization of pronatalism (the project of incentivizing more people to have more children).

My suspicion is that while some large families are motivated by political ideology or religious conviction, plenty of others…just like having kids? Happened to have a few sets of multiples? I’m interested in talking to these parents about logistics (sports drop-off schedules, snacks, etc.) and also how closely they actually align with some of our cultural narratives about big families.

So: Know any families with four or more children, preferably school age? Reply to this email and let me know.

Now, some recent writing.

• First: A review of the most recent season of The Chosen, the immensely popular show about the life of Jesus and his disciples. (Now streaming on Prime.)

• Second: A review of a new book about “geniuses”…and how annoying they can be.

• And finally: My own take on what pronatalist proposals (like the National Medal of Motherhood) miss about being a parent.

Take care,

Kate

Reading recommendations

• “Less Burnout, More Babies: How Conservatives Are Winning More Women” from The New York Times (pair with “An Unexpected Argument From the Right” from The Atlantic)

• “Against Self-Optimization” from Plough