Lux Lotus

Love, American Style

I can't decide who's the better anti-chic postergirl:

Bambi? [via The Smoking Gun] ...

...or Chloe? [via Go Fug Yourself]

Trends (or, The Ridiculous and The Sublime)

Every morning I check my horoscope on Style.com. It's one of those frivolous things that I adore taking faux-seriously shortly after I wake up and still feel rather solemn. Occasionally, I peruse the "trends" just to make sure that I am still as unfashionable as possible. Sometimes, I am pleased. For instance, while "Edie's Sixties" and "New Frontier" are vying for the main stage in the theater of the absurd, I am positively tickled noir by "Back in Black," which is basically all I wear anyway.

Another positive trend is that the impossibly chic Emma Garman and I have managed to keep our agreement to see one new independent film per week going, and the selection for later today is Gus Van Sant's latest, Last Days. Last week we saw The Beat That My Heart Skipped, which I regret not discussing at greater length in this space yet (it's excellent). The other films that we've seen (also v.v. good) are Lila Says and My Summer of Love. Marcy Dermansky's review of the latter is absolutely revelatory: that film was shot without a script? oh. my. god.

Today is a beautiful day in New York, but I can only tell from looking out the window so far. Currently listening to Sade's Lover's Rock and drinking my third cup of black tea, which is just perfect.

Well, it's ciao for now, darling; I hope that your weekend is as stellar as you are...

On The Days/Nights/Weekend Job

Dan Wickett of the excellent, extremely fabulous (and free to join) Emerging Writers Network, was kind enough to ask me to participate in a recent group email interview about literary publicity, e.g.

Dan: We keep hearing how much more responsibility is being put on the writers themselves in terms of publicity. How do see that this has changed in recent years?

Lauren Cerand: It does seem almost comical that authors are expected to be self-directed specialists in high-stakes areas that they may no expertise in whatsoever, but I do try to frame things in a positive light: technology can be an incredibly empowering tool to level the playing field when publishers choose to spend their resources on other projects instead of yours.

The full conversation is archived online at the new Emerging Writers Network blog, and you can also subscribe to receive periodic updates by email.

Related from the LL Archives: Snakes and Earrings, & More.

Hey New Yorkers, Green Space Lovers

The Liz Christy Garden requires your immediate attention.

New Trends in Floral Arrangement

It's not that I am not a social person -- I am, of course, a Gemini -- it's just that the last few days have been a rather strange, blurred amalgam of demanding quasi-social professional situations ("A subscription to your magazine costs $1,800 a year? How fascinating!") and resolutely odd purely social circumstances, e.g. "going out", which I don't do much of ordinarily, somehow found its way to the top of last weekend's agenda. And then I was in DC for a few hours, really (more on that here), which left me feeling rather exhausted after driving back to New York yesterday morning.

Quite relieved to be back at my desk today, I am working in a most refreshingly uninterrupted manner, and catching up on important professional concerns that I only had intermittent time to attend to Monday and Tuesday. What this means for you: I do love coming up with the fresh original content ideally posted daily in this space, but this week doesn't look so good for regular posting. Although: I have two engagements tonight, something special planned for tomorrow, and I am pretty close to buying a beautiful painting for my next apartment. So yes, theoretically, there is news on every front, as usual.

Last night, as I was walking home from an event, I decided that instead of stopping for a solitary drink at a friend's bar, what I really ought to do was buy myself some flowers and cigarettes at the nearest bodega and then hail a taxi home. Which got me thinking about the exquisitely high-end flower arranging lessons at Jane Packer Flower School that I received as a birthday gift from a v. generous admirer last year.

Although I prize the fantastically useful skills I picked up in my two days of courses, they are sort of under-developed yet formal, and so in order to put my own spin on the modern bouquet and combine it with my sad little heart's desire, I started thinking about a gorgeous flower arrangement with a smattering of cigarettes actually in it (fastened to lush, leafy fronds with antique hat pins?) for the casual social smoker who may be feeling slightly sorry for herself at the moment.

If I weren't so busy today, I might whip it up for you (me). At any rate, things in general are freakishly good, and I shall pop in with more details soon -- maybe even tonight if my usual insomnia prevails...

[Note: image nicked from here]

Related from the LL Archives: Clandestine Smoking + Nostalgic Glamour,Tulips, to Kiss You.

My Favorite Links Today

• Grand Grilled Cheese [The Food Section]
• This Must Be Designed By Idiots [We Make Money Not Art]
• Lingerie Gone Literary: Six Inch Heel [Venus]
• Author2Author: Rene Steinke + Susann Cokal, Part One & Two [Beatrice]
• Litblogs Provide a New Alternative for Readers [Rain Taxi]
• Experience the Experience![Monochrom]

The Smart Set: July 18-24

In this week's edition: a late bloomer, an egyptologist, and a pop star. all walk into a bar. well, different bars, different nights.

Not Quite A Frock, But Still...

This hot little handbag is most definitely the deal of the day, and on its way to yours truly (legwarmers sold separately).

See also: Swan-Maidens, Leda & The Swan (just one example in art), this for sure, and oh my god, yes.

Someone get this man his own celebrity weekly (which I'd immediately subscribe to, natch)

This is flat-out brilliant commentary.

Related from the LL Archives:Sparkle and Fade.

See also: Disinfo's Glitter & Greed.

A Halo Effect with a Silver Lining

I'm working on an innovative online campaign right now, which works like this: MJ Rose, author of a smart, sexy, urban (set in NYC, natch) thriller called The Halo Effect, has enlisted a consortium of friends and supporters to pledge $5 to the nonprofit literacy organization Reading Is Fundamental for each site that links to the animated online promotional film for the book through July 26. Do check it out, and if you have a blog or website, please join the campaign - we're hoping 500 blogs will link, raising $2500+ in the next few days. More.