Off the Record: Chapters 11–24

by Camryn Garrett
During a multi-city press tour sponsored by her favorite popular culture magazine, seventeen-year-old aspiring writer Josephine Wright uncovers a scandal.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–24, Chapters 25–44
35 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. strew
    spread by scattering
    After I’ve grabbed my drink, I turn back to see that Alice has somehow snagged a table, our bags strewn around it to claim our territory.
  2. solemn
    dignified and somber in manner or character
    “Excellent.” Maggie nods, solemn. “A great plan.”
  3. indulge
    give free rein to
    Maggie has always indulged my crushes too much. Every time something doesn’t work out, she says, “They knew you were better than them and they couldn’t handle it.”
  4. profound
    showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
    But I can’t deal with her saying all of these profound lines about love that worked for her.
  5. swag
    products that are free (usually for promotional purposes)
    First, they gave us both bags of swag, even though Alice didn’t have a press badge on and I had to explain to the security guard that she was my chaperone.
  6. swagger
    walk with a lofty proud gait
    He wears a big black cowboy hat, blue jeans, and a strand of leather around his neck. He actually swaggers over to the chair.
  7. scrawl
    write carelessly
    I glance down at my notebook, questions scrawled for Marius.
  8. dwindle
    become smaller or lose substance
    My five hundred dollars has already dwindled to three hundred and we’re not even halfway through the tour.
  9. junket
    journey taken for pleasure and often funded by someone else
    “Well, just, um, how are the press junkets? On your end, anyway.”
  10. deadpan
    speak in a deliberately impassive or serious manner
    “The Lonely Hearts Club,” Penny deadpans. “Only emotionally stunted teen prodigies allowed.”
  11. misogyny
    hatred of women
    OBVIOUSLY #notallmen are horrible but if we are discussing all the ways women suffer at the hands of misogyny maybe now is not the time to remind me of that
  12. hail
    praise loudly and forcefully
    He shouldn’t be able to go to award shows and get hailed as this great genius when he’s hurting people.
  13. ramble
    continue talking or writing in a purposeless manner
    “You’re being quiet,” Alice says. “You’re not gonna ramble on about that guy?”
  14. discretion
    power of making choices unconstrained by external agencies
    We’re at the beginning of the second week of the trip, and most of the days say, “Up to your discretion.” It’s weird, going from being super scheduled to having to figure out what to do on my own.
  15. gauge
    judge tentatively or form an estimate of
    She’s inches away from my face, like she’s staring into my head, analyzing every thought to gauge my response.
  16. bask
    derive or receive pleasure from
    My eyes are shut and I’m basking in the moment. The moment when I don’t have to worry about anything.
  17. prodigy
    an unusually gifted or intelligent person
    Her performance as an orphaned prodigy in Touch of the Heart catapulted her into the public eye.
  18. intimate
    marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity
    This conversation feels too intimate, too revealing, for us to be having over the phone.
  19. casually
    in an unconcerned manner
    There’s a TV mounted so we can see what’s being broadcast to TVs across America live: the hosts, Amy and Mike, sitting at a table and chatting casually with each other.
  20. haphazardly
    in a random manner
    I maneuver around haphazardly placed tables and chairs.
  21. entranced
    filled with wonder and delight
    He could just talk to me and I’d stand there, entranced.
  22. brusque
    rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner
    “Isabelle can be a bit brusque, I’m afraid. Sit, sit, don’t just stand there. I am Henri. We know your name. Marius says it often.”
  23. existential
    relating to or dealing with the state of being
    do you ever look back on things that happened to you and realize they weren’t okay and then, like, have an existential crisis
  24. cathartic
    emotionally purging
    “How did talking with Julia go? She said it was cathartic to have someone listen.”
  25. blanch
    turn pale, as if in fear
    “If he gets lawyers involved, he’s practically admitting his guilt.” Her face blanches and she swallows.
  26. paparazzo
    a freelance photographer who pursues celebrities
    Outside, a camera flashes, a lone paparazzo taking pictures.
  27. valiant
    having or showing heroism or courage
    “I respect what you’re trying to do and would love to talk with you. Julia told me about your project at brunch the other day. I think it’s a really valiant effort you two are making.”
  28. curate
    select and present content or information
    “He definitely knows how to curate his image,” Eve says.
  29. disclosure
    the act of making something evident
    “What was in the contract?”
    “A very intense nondisclosure agreement,” Eve says. “Actors sign away their right to mention anything that happens on set or during production. If they do, Lennox will definitely sue for everything they have.”
  30. allegation
    a formal accusation against somebody
    “Do they know? About the allegations?”
  31. clause
    a separate section of a legal document
    If you see that clause in your contract, you’re going to have some questions.
  32. fathom
    come to understand
    It’s hard to fathom how many people know and haven’t tried to stop it.
  33. consistently
    in a systematic or steady manner
    Sure, not everything is black and white, but there’s a difference between working with someone who might’ve done something normal bad—like made a nasty comment—and someone who consistently harms other people.
  34. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    Tallulah Port has just plucked a cocktail shrimp from a waiter’s tray when I finally reach her, taking the biggest steps I can muster.
  35. composure
    steadiness of mind under stress
    Her face drops, just for a second, before she regains composure.
Created on Mon Feb 12 10:01:09 EST 2024 (updated Mon Feb 12 12:24:05 EST 2024)

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