We had our first official Girl Crush: Vol 2 production meeting last night, listening to bluesy, summery music in the backyard of a bar in Brooklyn while we brainstormed. We looked through submissions, talked about our latest girl crushes and made wishlists of dream contributors.
Have an idea for a piece, photo montage, list or piece of short fiction to contribute? There’s still time! Submit! — Jenna
RIP Nora Ephron. Where would I be without Sleepless in Seattle or When Harry Met Sally (one of the first movies I saw where I knew I had to move to New York)? We will miss you dearly. —Thessaly
This Friday, I’ll be at Momofuku’s Má Pêche to kick off a new series they’re starting with The New York Public Library called the 56th Street Round Table. Buy a ticket, eat delicious Momofuku food, and talk your heart out about zines. You can read more about it over at Long Play. —Thessaly
inspired by the algonquin round table of the 1920s, má pêche and the new york public library, one of our favorite midtown institutions, are hosting a series called the 56th street round table. we’re bringing together our favorite writers, editors, curators and artists to discuss current issues and topics in arts & culture at the mezzanine of chambers hotel. after each talk, guests will continue the conversation with the speakers over lunch, prepared by chef paul carmichael and the má pêche team.
in the 1920s, a group of writers, critics and actors met daily for lunch at the algonquin hotel in midtown to collaborate and share ideas. the algonquin round table were one of the most celebrated literary circles in american literature. think of them as the og tastemakers. above are photos from the nypl’s digital archives of some of the more notable members. join us for the first 56th street round table on friday, june 29: renaissance of zines in the digital age.
As many of you probably know, Sheila Heti has a new book out. It’s called How Should a Person Be? It was reviewed last week in The New Yorker by James Wood. It was reviewed as well as by Chris Klaus in the LA Review of Books and Emily Witt in the Observer. I recommend Klaus’s and Witt’s reviews if you haven’t read the book—Wood seems a bit unsure how earnestly to read Heti’s novel.
I also had a chance to interview Sheila about her book. I met her maybe a year ago at a reading at Powerhouse Arena for The Chairs are Where the People Go. She is total girl crush material.
We Gchatted for the interview. I was sitting in my bathrobe at my desk, and I kept feeling nervous that I was taking up too much of Sheila’s time. I would offer signals, like telling her this one of my last questions. Or apologized for belaboring or lingering on a point. But by the end of it, that wonderful thing happened where I relaxed, and realized that my politeness was a guard against my insecurities that she was not having fun, or finding my questions lame, or was bored by this entire event, and that if Sheila had anywhere to go after this, it wasn’t horribly urgent, and that she was probably enjoying herself too.
One of my favorite moments was when we talked about Girls—whether or not its a fair comparison to make with Sheila’s book is your decision—but I especially admire the way both are unafraid of the ugly or the wretched. So many books I read seem to have characters who are morally good, who don’t dwell on their own perversions or vanity, and I find it inauthentic:
—ThessalySheila: I like when Adam admires her pencilled eyebrows in another episode and says, “You look like a Mexican teenager,” and she’s like, “I’m NOT here to talk about that.”
Me: There is a curiosity she has about being wretched, of not desiring the pure or innocent life. And I see that in your book, too.
Sheila: Yeah. But also, that’s something very normal to go into.
Me: But I think some people are repulsed by wretchedness. Others want beauty. Which I think that doesn’t interest you or Lena as much. But maybe I’m wrong.
Sheila: But there’s beauty in what’s real. I perceive much more beauty in her show than shows featuring “beautiful people” living “beautiful lives.” Showing that kind of beauty doesn’t create beauty. It creates awful feelings. In my book, Sheila’s big problem is related to that: she wants a perfect, beautiful, ideal self. That turns out to be ugly.
Thess and I found our unofficial anthem for Girl Crush, Vol 2. You reddy? WE REDDY!
- Jenna
When we first decided to make Girl Crush zine, we thought it would be a one-time affair, an ephemeral celebration of our favorite women and writers. Of sharing secrets and stories from the sisterhood. The idea had been born out of a lazy afternoon; by nature, it felt impulsive. We had liked the idea of a special edition, of making something that you could only read in print. But after we shipped out the very last copy, we realized it wasn’t over. Far from it, in fact. New girl crushes abounded, and to our surprise, submissions and requests for copies still trickled in.
Now it’s summer again, and all we know is that we want to do it again. That’s right!! Girl Crush, vol. 2. But this time around, we’ve got a little more experience and a little more know-how, so we’re interested in broadening the scope of this zine and who our crushes are and how they develop. And we want your input! Tell us what you want to see! Is it a three-part essay on Kitty Pryde or a series of drunken texts from Gertrude Stein? Who do you want to see in the next edition of the zine, writers and crushes alike?
If you want to contribute, that’s even better! Check out our submissions guide and drop us a line with your ideas, questions and thoughts!
We can’t wait to hear from you.
Love,
Jenna and Thessaly
Lately, French beauty has become an obsession between me and my friends—I think as your life gets busier, and you start to work hard at what you love, then the minutia of looking good starts to feel too costly. Girls I know who used to straighten their hair in college now don’t. Friends who obsessively painted their nails maybe do it a couple of times a year. And make-up—well, I don’t know too many friends who would want to spend more than ten minutes in front of the mirror before dashing off to work. It may sound silly, but I think all women understand the mental tax it takes to constantly be thinking of *how* they look.
Which is why there’s something about French women—take Charlotte Gainsbourg, for example—that I find admirable and worth emulating. The tussled, unwashed hair. The fresh skin. The subtlest touch of make-up. Less is more. I dig it. —Thessaly
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I never posted on here a short essay I wrote for W Magazine about my enduring girl crush on the wonderful Leanne Shapton. Leanne was someone I admired from afar, and who eventually turned into someone I would consider a mentor and a friend. She has impeccable taste, as is evidenced by her studio, which I visited about a year ago. And her new book, Swimming Studies, will be published this July. Here’s a beautiful quote from Leanne about swimming that I just loved:
You know the experience of being late for a train? And you know how aware you are of one minute—just one single minute? That was my entire teenage life. It must be an athlete thing, not just a swimming thing, because training has everything to do with time and repetition. It’s probably a musical thing, too. Your body knows time, your body knows time better than your head.(Illustration from Swimming Studies.) —Thessaly
3So many girl crushes in one place! The Atlantic reports on the rise of Rye Rye, Azealia Banks, Brianna Perry, Angel Haze and the next generation of female rappers. — Jenna Wortham
7 SWOON: Tavi reads Girl Crush zine! Fast-forward to 4:35 for the cameo!
— Jenna
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