the kiss

"Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing." Sylvia Plath

Photo from The Selby.

clingstone

Photo by Erik Jacobs for NYT via Jonathan Bliss' beautiful Rooms.

the approach

ReadyMade: How do you approach your subjects?
Scott Schuman: Well, I usually shoot them with some kind of sedative from across the street and they fall asleep. Then I prop them up and make their eyes open. It's like they're awake.

From August/Sept 2008 ReadyMade. Photo: The Sartorialist.

balance and stealth

Renee, NY Mag.

amagoya

From the ugly earring.

dank en

Loving this blog right now.

my perfect day

Looks a little like this. "Oranien Sunday" from Berlin guide.

bernalization

I used to think that the moment for Bernal Heights was when the Karate school became a Yoga studio, although it certainly happened before that. But last month, when Cortland Studios, the world's smallest film studio; where dozens of terrible independent films were made, and at least one good one, where aspiring grips sewed their first sandbag and carried their first c-stand, became an eco-boutique carrying bamboo lingerie, I thought—perhaps the bernalization is complete.

climbing vines

Porter Hovey Polaroid Project. Beautiful.

the knitting factory

NYT.

lover the label

"You've got to get a cat!" Briand jokes. "You get 10, 12 years into a relationship, and you need something else to talk about." From an interview with Susien Chong and Nic Briand of Lover the Label in Nylon, August 2008.

Photo from Refinery29.

proceed with abandon

"In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth." Patti Smith

Photo by Kevin Hagen, Oak NYC editorial

the kick inside

I Love Cat Party found a rare book of childhood photos of Kate Bush, taken by John Carder Bush. More here.

I put this moment, over here

Nightwood, reincarnated furniture, textile and home via A Cup of Jo; Nightwood by Djuna Barnes: "When she fell in love it was with a perfect fury of accumulated dishonesty; she became instantly a dealer in second-hand and therefore incalculable emotions ... she appropriated the most passionate love that she knew, Nora's for Robin. She was a squatter by instinct." Fitting.

I put this moment here

Alexander Wang in WWD via Sleep Deprivation and Stories of my Bullshit Youth.

won't laugh if you trip

oakley hall

Great reading Sunday night to memorialize Oakley Hall. The lovely Sands Hall sang St. James Infirmary Blues. Beautiful.

I went down to the St. James infirmary, I saw my baby there

She was stretched out on a long white table, so cold, and fine, and fair.

Let her go, let her go, God bless her, wherever she may be

She can search this world over, never find another man like me

When I die Oh lord please bury me in my high top Stetson hat

Put gold coins over my eyelids, so the boys will know I died standing pat

david and bill

"I am getting so far out one day I won't come back at all." William Burroughs

buenos aires

My papa and Lidia are in B.A. I could be drinking coffee with them, and Perli and Chino, right now. Nate Williams has spent a bunch of time in Argentina, and from the looks of it, his family is as goofy as mine.

T-Shirt design for Suba by Nate Williams

sleeping

Painting by Gerhard Richter, Schlafende (Barbara N.), 1970

pattern which was weaving

Humanoid via grijs. My imaginary self is sitting on that couch right now.

the writers' model

I'm old now, but when I was young you could talk me into anything. I had an open mind. So when I saw the ad saying some "professional writers" needed an "adventurous girl" to "interview for fictional purposes," I was intrigued, especially when the ad went on to say that by simply answering questions, I could "make an important contribution to American Literature." I had always wanted to make an important contribution to something, so I threw on my coat, grabbed my purse, and went straight to the address listed in the paper.

From the story, "The Writers' Model" by Molly Giles
Albino sword swallower at a carnival, Md. 1970.
Copyright © 1972 The Estate of Diane Arbus

this is one day

I wouldn't mind doing over. The Unmade Bed, 1957, by Imogen Cunningham.

on wine on poetry or on virtue, as you wish

Your Cover is Blown said some terribly kind things about RQD. I didn't know what to say, now I do: Smosch, now voyager., Berlin guide, STNF, le vestiaire de clé, unruly-things, and simplyolive.

Photo by Sandra at Smosch.

clogs

un fille comme moi

the bear and the bomb

My friend Ally is reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Here are Eugenides and Jonathan Safran Foer in BOMB Magazine,

JSF: As long as we’re talking about contemporary writing… Who’s your favorite contemporary writer?

JE : Right now my favorite writer is A. A. Milne. Let me give you a sample of why:

Rabbit leant over further than ever, looking for his [stick], and Roo wriggled up and down, calling out, “Come on, stick! Stick, stick stick!” and Piglet got very excited because his was the only one which had been seen, and that meant that he was winning.

“It’s coming!” said Pooh.

“Are you sure it’s mine?” squeaked Piglet excitedly.

“Yes, because it’s grey. A big grey one. Here it comes! A very . . . big . . . grey . . . Oh, no, it isn’t. It’s Eeyore.”

And out Eeyore floated.

“Eeyore!” cried everybody.

Looking very calm, very dignified, with his legs in the air, came Eeyore from beneath the bridge.

“It’s Eeyore!” cried Roo, terribly excited.

“Is that so?” said Eeyore, getting caught up by a little eddy, and turning slowly round three times. “I wondered.”

The Bride and the Bear by Two Sarahs.

ohmymilky

A man mourned from ohmymilky.

good swim

Saline is good, but I love the old-school smell of my neighborhood pool. Photo by Sally Gall via Hollister Hovey.

they are the dreamers

"We all need somebody to look at us.

We can be divided into four categories according to the kind of look we wish to live under. The first category longs for the look of an infinite number of anonymous eyes, in other words, for the look of the public...The second category is made up of people who have a vital need to be looked at by many known eyes. They are the tireless hosts of cocktail parties and dinners...Then there is the third category, people who need to be constantly before the eyes of the person they love. Their situation is as dangerous as the situation of people in the first category. One day the eyes of their beloved will close, and the room will go dark...

And finally there is the fourth category, the rarest, the category of people who live in the imaginary eyes of those who are not present. They are the dreamers."

The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera.
Photo by Heji Jin in Kid's Wear via A Kid Blog.

writing YA

"I thought I’d been condescended to as an Indian — that was nothing compared to the condescension for writing Y.A.” Sherman Alexie.

blue pants

From Stil in Berlin.

bagdad cafe

The girl in the video store said I could find it in the Middle East section.

fashioned by what we love

My goddaughter's beautiful designs.

hats and pants

From Dazed & Confused via about some things.

good morning

For Me, For You just posted a place I'm going to go instead of where I need to be this morning, The Selby. And this girl, Georgie Greville, is so ridiculously cool that words escape me.

Photo by photographer and The Selby proprietor, Todd Selby.

don't you know who I am

Next to the jumpsuits, the best thing about 1980 was Fame.

half-life of a dream

Half-Life of a Dream: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Logan Collection at SFMOMA through October 5. Lots of reasons to go to SFMOMA right now.

Painting, "Music-Fan Fan" by Yu Hong

working class hero

In 1990, Marianne Faithful taught a workshop at Naropa with Hal Willner. She was just about to perform in The Seven Deadly Sins in London, and she sang for us: Working Class Hero, Strange Weather, and Ballad of the Soldier's Wife (link is Lennon). Thanks to UE for reminding me.

Photo by Robert Mapplethorpe

quite a few things

"There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them." Sylvia Plath.

Photo: Mathew Milman for NYT.

but then again

Sometimes you tire of wearing grey (in Brazil, in the 80s, we called these our pants of the cobra). Photo from Face Hunter.

tender buttons

I miss Fortysixth at Grace.

Y's

ESPRIT of desire. From Pixie and Ivy.

grey

Emmanuelle Alt.

couple's skate

If my beau asked me to couple skate today, what would be the perfect song?

Photo of my beloved Oaks Park from Pfeiffer Photos.

friends

Today's inspiration via the terrific Childhood Flames.

I wonder

Does she change her clothes 3 times in the morning, as I do? From un fille comme moi.

royalty needs no introduction

From UPPERCASE.

allure

I just downloaded "Volver," sung by Estrella Morente, after hearing it on Allure's site. I can't wait to see the film again (although all I really want to do is walk around with a copy of The Gleaners and I and ask people if they've seen it).

louise du toit

I am not alone in my affection for the style of Acne brand manager, Louise du Toit. Here she is featured on La Garconne; here, by the lovely Dreamecho; and in this incredible dress, by Un Fille Comme Moi.

needle & use

My friend Holly says, "All the beautiful things, we don't need to own them all." Needle jeans and Use top from Acne.