Shaken & Stirred #3
Skis, strong preferences, and Eusexua
I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty easy-going gal. But I realized, somewhere around 2022, that I actually have quite strong preferences—and I like to plan life accordingly. Being picky can be a good thing: it is proof of self-knowledge, a reflection of the distance we’ve come and the things that shaped us along the way. Or it can make things difficult.
For instance, I’m in the market for new skis this year, and I’ve tested nearly a dozen sets. Some are too short, some too long, some too supple, some too stiff. Skis are like magic wands in Ollivander’s shop in Harry Potter: you want the sticks that set off sparks. Everything so far, though, is simply serviceable.
In the past, that would have been good enough. But time has given me this: the clarity to know what is best for me, the confidence to know how to communicate it, and the patience—at least in this small thing—to aim for a type of perfection.
It’s not just skis, though. Lately, I’ve been struggling to detach from the onslaught of depressing news—and I’ve realized maybe my bad mood is because I’ve become picky about the world we live in, too. I want it to be so much better, kinder, safer than it is. I want to go back to the shop and ask for something different, because this one isn’t working out for me.
Except there is no shop. Which, I suppose, is where getting creative comes in. Make art to make do.
Links:
I have long loved FKA Twigs, an artist’s artist whose music is stacked with layers of narrative and design, ranging from the baroque to the rave scene. Her new album, Eusexua, is excellent. I like her ballads most: the meandering “Keep It, Hold It” and lovely letter-to-myself closer “Wanderlust.” (If you’re new to Twigs, it’s worth watching her “Cellophane” video. I wish I could find better coverage of her Magdalene show at the New York Armory in 2019, the single most haunting musical performance I’ve ever seen.)
Family money, two ways: (1) NYMag’s depressing confessions of adult children receiving (necessary) parental support; and (2) Billionaire heirs trying to give away their money because they feel guilty! It’s a juicy story. (If you hit a paywall, pop the URL into 12ft.io.)
From the former founder of BuzzFeed: “In 2017, I met with ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming before he created TikTok. He explained to me that he wanted to launch an app in the US, but he needed a source of video content. I asked what kind of content and he said it didn't matter… He just needed raw tonnage of content so the AI could create a personalized experience and get the flywheel going… It turns out when an app company doesn't care about content and asks an AI to maximize usage the result is a service that incentivizes content that maximizes addictiveness.” This “BuzzFeed Island” Manifesto explains (at length) how that end goal has shaped contemporary society—and then suggests a set of alternatives, including a new social media platform from BuzzFeed itself. (I’m not sold, but the memo is a good read.)
Why a luxury high-rise in downtown Manhattan has been abandoned for five-plus years: The Leaning Tower of New York.
Saw A Complete Unknown last week. Timothée nails Bob Dylan’s enigmatic allure/casual caddishness, and Monica Barbaro shines as Joan Baez, but my favorite line is a perfect parting shot from Elle Fanning. (You’ll know it when you see it.) For a trip into celebrity coverage of the past, check out this 1961 TIME profile of Joan. (Side note: I was chuffed to learn that I lived for nearly 3 years in the building right next to Bob Dylan’s 1960s apartment on West 4th St. in Manhattan, during my own bohemian era.)
Might be worth popping to Paris this spring for the Louvre’s first-ever exhibition focused on fashion. “Louvre Couture” is running through end of July. Finding delight in beautiful things always matters.
When AI takes on local news, it… is kinda sketchy. But it also provides a service that doesn’t otherwise exist. How can we reap the positive potential without cannibalizing real newsgathering?