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not in the mood for america
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July! My birthday! That means it’s time for my annual exercise in self-indulgence, where I recommend a bunch of stuff I like. Not an endorsement of consumerism, just something silly. Back to regularly scheduled links next week!
I wouldn’t call this a recommendation, because it is that devastating, but this excerpt from Blake Butler’s book, Molly, in The Paris Review WRECKED MY SHIT (bright red flashing trigger warning for suicide). All that said, I cannot stop thinking about it since I read it a month ago.
I saw a young woman backing into a parking spot the other day, which made me smile because you don’t see that enough these days! The woman noticed this, clocked it as support, and gave me a beautiful babka. It was crazy delicous (not too sweet, flaky, but soft) and a 10/10 interaction. So, support Navad Bakers if you’re in MA or RI (Ink Block Whole Foods and hopefully Pemberton soon!) because they are woman-owned and can back into a parking spot like an absolute boss.
New hack for feeling like a little French prince - eau de toilette. I’m not a big perfume person, even though I aspire to that level of glamour, but I got this recently and spray copious amounts all over my body each morning. An eau de toilette is nice because it’s so much lighter and fades nicely, and has a high alcohol content to kill the stinkies that natural deodorant can’t handle (at least I like to tell myself that). This scent in particular is giving Provinçal surf town, but I also like this one (very green and bright) and this one (citrus, iced tea vibes).
Another fancy suggestion - Laurel Pantin’s Substack. I’ve had a parasocial relationship with her for YEARS and kind of copy paste most of the stuff she wears in an effort to look like I have my own sense of style. Laurel is insanely cool in an earthy, intellectual way. She links to some pretty pricey items (lots of The Row & Dries), but her general vibe is so much easier to execute than the ultra-complicated, post-Y2K, dumpster diving, e-cig, nihilism chic that the kids are doing these days. She also has a mom blog that I don’t subscribe to (moms deserve their own special stuff), but can imagine is a real delight.
Keeping in theme, my summer reading has mainly consisted of upper crust gossip. D.V., a sort of rambling diary of a memoir by Diana Vreeland, has so many juicy high-society stories, from back when the rich had some panache. Vreeland herself is nuts, and squarely from another era, so there’s some jaw-dropping racism, sexism, etc., but I try not to let that stop me from learning the secrets of long dead dilettantes. Similarly, I really liked Seduction: Sex, Lies and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood by Katrina Longworth, a excellent film critic and historian. Howard Hughes was fucking nuts!
If Julie Byrne has no fans, I’m dead. I loved this piece on her in the NYTimes and I’m psyched for her new album. She makes the most ethereal, gorgeous music and I’m forever obsessed.
Those are all my favorite things right now! I wish I could give them to you Oprah-style, because my number one favorite thing is anyone who subscribes to this newsletter. I feel super lucky to have you read my silly little words each week. Thanks for being here!
xx