Jennifer Keishin Armstrong is a New York Times bestselling author specializing in culture and entertainment. Her new book is When Women Invented Television. She is the author of Seinfeldia: How the Show About Nothing Changed Everything, Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted, and When Women Invented Television. Her new book is So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (And Why We’re Still So Obsessed with It.)
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
Recent Articles
Very Mindful, Very Demure: The Joy of Jools Lebron’s Playful Mindfulness
Pop culture writer Jennifer Keishin Armstrong unpacks the joyful wisdom behind Jools Lebron’s viral “very mindful, very demure” TikTok trend.
The Shape of Emptiness: David Provan’s Life & Art
Shortly before the acclaimed artist David Provan passed away on April 18, 2024, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong interviewed him at his studio. Now, recounting their meeting, she explores the Buddhist concepts at the heart of his work.
El camino de Barbie hacia la iluminación
En la película de Barbie, dirigida por Greta Gerwig, la icónica muñeca se embarca en un viaje color de rosa hacia la iluminación, no muy diferente al del Buda. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong explora cómo la película sirve como meditación sobre la conciencia, la impermanencia y la verdadera naturaleza de la realidad, atractiva tanto para los buscadores espirituales como para los psiconautas.
Barbie’s Journey to Enlightenment
In the Greta Gerwig-directed "Barbie," the iconic doll embarks on a pink-hued journey toward enlightenment not unlike the historical Buddha’s. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong explores how "Barbie" serves as a meditation on consciousness, impermanence, and the true nature of reality.
Dakini Energy: Feminist-Buddhist Artist Michela Martello
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong profiles the inspiring feminist-Buddhist artist Michela Martello—her life, her work, and the dream that put her on the spiritual path.
Psychedelic Insight
Psychedelics and spirituality—including more than a few Buddhist concepts and practices—are reuniting with science after decades of estrangement. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong on this new frontier in the study of mind.
The Healing Power of Pop Star Goddesses
Behind the glitz and fame, says Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, are inspiring stories of real women facing real challenges.
Hero for Our Time
TV character Ted Lasso embodies what we need right now: goodness. In a world of antiheroes, says Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, he just wants to make us better people.
The Middle Way of Abortion
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong reports on how Buddhist teachings could transform the abortion debate — and benefit women.
The Zen of Peter Coyote
Actor, writer, narrator, and one-time radical — Jennifer Keishin Armstrong on the many roles of Zen priest Peter Coyote.
How Mr. Rogers Taught Us to Love
While he was changing his tennis shoes, Mr. Rogers was quietly changing children’s lives — and ours as well.
Dan Harris is 10% Happier
Network anchor Dan Harris keeps his Buddhism real. His bestselling book and popular app offer down-to-earth wisdom and achievable goals. As Harris tells Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, he wants to help bring meditation from the fringes to the mainstream.
Robert Thurman, Buddha’s Champion
Renowned activist and scholar Robert Thurman can translate sutras, joke with the Dalai Lama, and call in a favor from George Lucas. Retirement, says Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, won’t slow this man down.
A Buddhist Chaplain Disrupts Suffering in Rikers Island
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong profiles Justin von Bujdoss, the first-ever Buddhist chaplain in Rikers Island — America’s most notorious jail.
Review: “A Ghost Story” contemplates impermanence and eternity
The new indie film "A Ghost Story" is a tender meditation on Buddhist themes like impermanence and bardo. And, it’s also boring.