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b'During months of pandemic isolation, Wesley Morris, a critic at large for The New York Times, decided to grow a mustache.\\n\\nThe reviews were mixed and predictable. He heard it described as \\u201cporny\\u201d and \\u201ccreepy,\\u201d as well as \\u201crugged\\u201d and \\u201cextra gay.\\u201d\\n\\nIt was a comment on a group call, however, that gave him pause. Someone noted that his mustache made him look like a lawyer for the N.A.A.C.P.\\u2019s legal defense fund.\\n\\n\\u201cIt was said as a winking correction and an earnest clarification \\u2014 Y\\u2019all, this is what it is,\\u201d Wesley said. \\u201cThe call moved on, but I didn\\u2019t. That is what it is: one of the sweetest, truest things anybody had said about me in a long time.\\u201d\\n\\nOn today\\u2019s episode of The Sunday Read, Wesley Morris\\u2019s story about self-identity and the symbolic power of the mustache.\\n\\nThis story was written by Wesley Morris and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publishers like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.'