Caroline Donofrio

Currently Reading

All Grown Up

by Jami Attenberg

True story: I used to live in the same apartment building as Jami Attenberg. I'd sometimes encounter her in the elevator, where I'd do something awkward, like bite into an enormous scone while offering up a neighborly smile. Now I look back and think, I should have yelled, "I LOVE YOU, JAMI! One Day All Grown Up will make me laugh and think and cry real human tears!" But due to a pesky combination of adhering to social convention and an inability to see the future, I never did. So now I'm doing the next best thing: telling the internet. Read this.

Uli Beutter Cohen

Currently Reading

Hurry Up and Wait

by Maira Kalman and Daniel Handler

No one has enough of it. You can’t ever have it back. And when you don’t use it wisely, you feel kind of awful. I’m not talking about dignity, though it does apply. I’m talking about time. Hurry Up and Wait by Maira Kalman and Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) will make you ponder and laugh about the daily rhythms of life. I frequently pick it up to read one of the delightful reminders about what really matters, like this one: "When you run for a bus and miss it, you’re humiliated. When you run for a bus and catch it, you’re on a bus.”

“Words are events. They do things, change things.” — Ursula K. Le Guin

Oliver Jeffers

Edited By

Caroline Donofrio

Upon entering Oliver Jeffers’ studio, it’s hard to know where to look. There are books and paintings and globes galore. The walls are emblazoned with lists and quotes. There’s even a potted plant with “Jesus” written upon it in Jeffers’ signature scrawl. “Because it keeps coming back,” he deadpans. It’s everything you might expect from a man whose work spans the gamut from paintings to performances to bestselling books. Meet the incomparable Oliver Jeffers…

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Jessica Siskin

AKA Misterkrisp

Edited By

Uli Beutter Cohen

We have been longtime followers of @mister_krisp, because we love unicorns and Rice Krispies as much as the next person. What you might not know is that Jessica Siskin, the woman behind the krisp, is a writer and serious book lover. We talked about feminist must-reads, life as a reaction to pop culture, feel-good politics, and of course, Rihanna.

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Ten Spring Reads

This season boasts so many exciting new releases it’s making our heads spin. Here are ten reads we’ve loved or can’t wait to get to…

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Giveaway

Virtual Vacation

We don’t know about you, but everyone we’ve encountered lately seems to be on vacation. So today, we’re offering the next best thing — a virtual vacation! You’ll get your very own copy of the Atlas Obscura book, filled with the world’s hidden wonders, and 500 Hidden Secrets of Havana (because Cuba). You’ll also receive two hotly-anticipated titles: Into the Water (from the bestselling author of The Girl on the Train) and Sympathy, perfect for real or imagined beach reading. Last but not least, the lucky winner gets to choose one pair of sunglasses from Pared Eyewear (approx. $200 value). To enter, leave a comment below telling us where you’d love to travel next. The winner will be chosen on Friday, April 7th at noon EST. Good luck!

187 Comments

  • Gabby •  May 4, 2017

    I haven’t traveled much, probably more than others but not enough for me. I would like to have a few new books to transport me to somewhere new.

  • Angela •  April 25, 2017

    There is so much of the US that I haven’t seen, particularly the Pacific Northwest, that I’d love to visit.

  • Rinette •  April 21, 2017

    Believe it or not, I am 44 and still have not been left North America….Iceland and anywhere in Europe or the UK are the dream for my next trip…

  • Whitney •  April 19, 2017

    I’m traveling to Amsterdam, Belgium and Paris this summer and am really looking forward to it. After that I’d love to go to Argentina or Cuba.

  • Dawn •  April 18, 2017

    I would love to travel around Ireland with my husband. 🙂

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Hey, Reader:

Moira Morel

@cinematologist

#heyreaderhey

Where do you live? Los Angeles, California

What do you do? I’m a filmmaker, cinematographer, photographer, writer, casual skateboarder and full-time lesbian baby-daddy

Name one book that has been meaningful to you: The entire “Las Locas” collection in Love and Rockets by Jaime Hernandez. It was the first time I saw queer, punk Latinx represented in media and literature. I was about 17 when I found the first book, and upon reading it, I immediately felt like I had finally found a place where I belonged. Even in a fictional world, it was better than nothing.

Reading Ritual: I have always been and will forever be a “before bed” reader. Unfortunately, this means that when I’m completely engrossed in a book, I won’t actually get to sleep until one or two in the morning.

Guilty Pleasure: Lana Del Rey. I’m a sucker for melodrama! I blame it on my Latino roots.

Person You Admire: I am very lucky to be friends and collaborators with Devon Kirkpatrick, Marvin Lemus, Suzi Yoonessi, Beth de Aráujo, and Thalia Marvos. They are all writer-directors who are passionate about putting POC, LGBT folks and women at the center of the films that they are telling and putting out into the world. Look out for big things from these folks.

Must-Follow: @mcdazzler, for those that need a dose of hilarity in their day and aren’t afraid of the weird side of things.

Something you’re proud of: I’m very proud of my short film Vámonos for being a Latinx LGBTQ film that was well-received by audiences outside of the Queer community. But I’m even more proud that it was loved and appreciated by the very audience it was aiming to represent.

Currently reading: Clarice Lispector’s Complete Stories

Words to live by: Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work. —Flaubert

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