Lux Lotus

In other news

Here's the latest on my beyond smashing literary publicity projects:

If you want to see what a post-retreat glow looks like, come on out tonight (Monday) for "Art & Activism: Writers on Politics Now," which I've put together with authors Stephen Elliott (My Girlfriend Comes to the City and Beats Me Up), Janice Erlbaum (Have You Found Her) and Nick Flynn (Another Bullshit Night in Suck City). I came back for this irresistible happening, so please join us if you're in the neighborhood! Janice is the subject of a fantastic profile running in the downtown papers this week.

Min Jin Lee's nationally bestselling debut novel, Free Food for Millionaires, was praised (again!) in this week's edition of The New York Times Book Review.

Rudolph Wurlitzer's The Drop Edge of Yonder was reviewed by David Ulin in The Los Angeles Times, noting the consistent theme in a body of work that has "merged a Beckett-like sense of ennui with the cool irony of the counterculture to explore the territory between what we perceive and what we are." See also: the current issues of Arthur and The Brooklyn Rail.

The Bardot States

Last night I got home from ten days at an ashram, aka "hippie camp," aka Sivananda Yoga Ranch, upstate in the Catskills. In short, it was the most personally illuminating period of my life, and the eight hours of meditation daily (two two-hour yoga sessions, two hours each in the morning and the evening of seated meditation/devotional chanting in sanskrit) might just have blown my mind. Everything feels... better. And looks better, too. On my way back, I strolled by a park and was like, "are those tulips glowing?"  I'm sure I'll have more to say later about my usual enchanting escapades, although most of the highlights were internal rather than external. Except for that cute backpacker. Hahaha.

{image source}

RadioLux: By Request

I am touched that you miss me already; I miss you too! If you're in New York tomorrow (Wednesday), join me for a glass of wine and a glimpse into the dark world of addiction, in a cafe. It's all v. belle epoque, no?

UPDATED, elevenish: the universe had other plans for me than a blogging break-- I went for a late bite at Bacaro and the first face I saw there was effortlessly soigne Lux Lotus reader Marina of The Fifth Day of May!

La Nouvelle Smart Set + Further Afield

...est arrivée, and it's a doozy. I have so many things to do this week before I leave on a little (busman's) holiday Friday evening. I wanted to go somewhere exotic and glamorous but then I did the opposite. Just like a woman (or better yet). I'll be off smelling the roses and counting the stars (and only checking my Blackberry once or twice daily) until May 5th. Be good, doves! XXXXX.

P.S. guestblogging is so, no. While I'm away from Lux Lotus, why not read a book instead? May I suggest: The Drop Edge of Yonder by Rudolph Wurlitzer, Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee, Have You Found Her by Janice Erlbaum. They are all, to quote a friend, brazilliant. I am a big fan of creative visualization and daydreaming (see: my entire life), so let me know what you'd dress the protagonists in for your dream film version in the comments. I'll go first: Zebulon = Martin Margiela (MM's steadfast refusal to be photographed or interviewed suggests to me that he'd understand Rudy's brand of outlaw chic perfectly); Casey Han =  Doo.Ri, Ports 1961, Pippa Small, Eugenia Kim; Janice = Tiffany, Prada plus downtown designers like Daryl K and Built by Wendy, natch. Or better yet, how would you style the film version of your story? As always, do tell...

IMAGE SOURCE: STYLE.COM.

ART CRUSH OF THE MONTH: Eliza Fernbach

Ah, memento mori-- an artist after my own heart. Check out Eliza Fernbach's "Rushing to your death?" project. And take a moment.

Butterflies, Redux.

Pictured: Yours truly + Tayari Jones, nicked from her brilliant blog.

Today I had lunch with the eminently stellar Tayari Jones. Tayari's latest novel, The Untelling, was one of the first books I represented as an independent publicist. The other was Quinn Dalton's Bulletproof Girl, and they both came out on the same day in April 2005 (on that day, I think I was in Amsterdam). Even then I knew I wanted to work with authors whose talent I was so awestruck by that I could keep talking about it for a lifetime. Today though, Tayari and I just chillaxed in style, as always, at a table in front of Cornelia Street Cafe, which I suggested because I like supporting writers' establishments. When we reluctantly parted ways, I, to my delighted astonishment, ran into Anne Landsman (The Rowing Lesson) and Rachel Cline (My Liar) on Bleecker Street. It was that kind of an afternoon-- all the stars were out! And then as I was crossing Spring at Lafayette, who should cruise by me on her bicycle (again) but Dilettantsia's #1 girl crush, supermodel Agyness Deyn. Lovely day.

Butterflies

Pictured: Yours truly + Jami Attenberg (Instant Love, The Kept Man) and Janice Erlbaum (Girlbomb, Have You Found Her) at Sunday Salon at Stain Bar last weekend (credit: Nita Noveno). I ran into Jami again tonight at PRINT's party for its New Visual Artists issue, "a showcase of 20 top designers under 30" at Groupe 16 sur 20 in Nolita. She was with some friends, including Emily Flake of These Things Ain't Gonna Smoke Themselves fame. I met up with my pal Paddy Johnson of Art Fag City and from there she and I decamped to the far less crowded confines of Xicala, one of my favorite bars in the city for myriad reasons. New York is stellar, but flitting off this summer somewhere sunny, breezy and on water -- Monterey? Isn't that where they go? -- sure sounds nice. As does the night skiing scene at Saint Sauveur! How chic. As usual, I Feel It All.

Windowlicker

As I was walking home an hour ago, a man said to me, "Look at those legs-- I wish I had a red carpet to roll out for them. God bless you!" And there you have it: my new philosophy.

[Fornasetti "Bacio" Rug, $8100 at Neiman Marcus]

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST-ish.

Things I Love Re: My Job (& Friends)

...That "work" tonight included dinner at Centolire (where I go so often I don't need the menu-- you can't miss with the artichokes prepared "Roman-Jewish style" to start, after that, depends on the evening) and a nightcap afterward at Bemelman's (where I haven't been in ages, since my last memorable visit). And sending an email on my Blackberry (by request) with the subject line: "I WANT TO GO TO BERLIN" to someone who can make it so. And sleeping in tomorrow!

P.S. Not about work, but it does remind me of another memorable meal... one of the first bloggers I met, when I was in Los Angeles a few years ago, and we had Argentinean food and crepes and it was the best and I couldn't believe someone I met on the internet could be so charming, erudite and cool. Well not only is he all of those things and more, but my friend Mark Sarvas is a published author as of today! Pick up a copy of Harry, Revised (which British hipster publisher Jamie Byng termed "the hottest debut novel on the planet") tout suite.

La Nouvelle Smart Set

...est arrivée.