Bustle's Samantha Leach on "looking the part" of a writer & our founder on what she's most excited to do in NYC
monthly recs #37
Each month, we ask a writer to speak about what’s on their mind and share their tabs for our monthly recommendations. This April’s guest curator, Samantha Leach, is the entertainment editor at large at Bustle. She is also the author of The Elissas, her first book, an exploration of the troubled teen industry, the secrets of suburban girlhood, and the divergent paths taken by her and her childhood best friend. She’s also written for NYLON, New York Magazine, Harper’s BAZAAR, and many other publications.
2023 was the year I tried to shape myself into a Writer. (Emphasis on the capital W.) My first book, The Elissas — which I’d been working on for over a decade, dating all the way back to my college creative writing classes — came out in the spring and I felt it was high time I started looking the part. So, I traded my Zara wares for GANNI blazers, DÔEN dresses, and Issey Miyake pants that I could only scarcely afford through a mix of promo codes and seasonal sales. I took my author photo on film and paid extra for additional shots, just in case any outlets might want to include a picture of me doing my best attempt at “scholarly but still sexual.” I thought far too much about Instagram captions, talking points, and who was talking about me. And along the way, I got so caught up in my self-presentation that I forgot to actually check in with myself. I forgot to focus on the one thing that truly “fills up my cup” — which is having f*cking fun.
So, for the past few months, I’ve been focusing on just that. I’ve been writing trend pieces dunking on the men I date. (See: The Thirstiest Thing A Man Can Do Is Read and The Rise of the Lowercase Boys.) I’ve been reading “slutty books” — like Megan Nolan’s Acts of Desperation, Annie Ernaux’s Getting Lost, and Susanna Moore’s In the Cut — and writing about them for the newsletter I share with NYLON culture writer, Sophia June. (DM if you want to get added to our listserv.) And of course, I’ve been watching Bravo until my eyes bleed. (Also, DM if you want to talk Reality Von (Tea)se. IYKYK.)
1. You’ll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again: Julia Phillips’ tell-all memoir embodies my three pillars of personal fascination: Hollywood, hard drugs, and Judaism. But I promise you there’s something for everyone in this 688-page, take-no-prisoners tome.
2. Vesper Martinis: I’ve never watched a James Bond movie — nor do I plan to, unless they cast Dev Patel in the next iteration — so I was very surprised to learn that I share my new favorite drink with 007. It’s three ounces gin, one ounce vodka, ½ ounce Lillet Blanc (my favorite aperitif) and just heaven. The best one I’ve ever had was at Horses in LA, pre-cat drama.
3. Such Brave Girls: This criminally underrated dramedy premiered on Hulu over the holidays and was a revelation. Centered on two narcissistic sisters and their even more narcissistic mother, it feels like the love child between Girls and Bad Sisters.
4.
‘ "Gossip Time": Celebrity gossip is my drug of choice, and there's nobody's dissection of it that I'd rather inject into my veins than Allie Jones'. Whether she's putting a couple on "divorce watch" (currently Meghan & Harry), going back into gossip herstory (like her deep dive on the many women Billy Crudup has scorned), or analyzing how Bradley Cooper uses the ladies in his life to fuel his Oscar ambitions (from Laura Dern to his daughter), nobody is more on the money, or makes me laugh harder than Allie.5. The Marlton Hotel: I’m a sucker for writing in a hotel lobby and between the Marlton’s fireplace, oversized velvet couches, and solid Vesper martini, this is currently my favorite in New York City.
*paid subscribers can scroll down for more recs from Samantha, including the dessert that’s better store-bought and the “crown jewel” of Bravo shows*
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6. In light of Earth Month, we’re sharing second-hand options in our recs this month (and shopping second-hand is something we’re trying to do more year-round). We’ve shared our offline go-tos for vintage in Brooklyn and Paris and second-hand bookshops in NYC, so we wanted to take this opportunity to share some of our online favorites. We love The Real Real (a tip: look at their new arrivals, then filter for everything under $50. You’ll be surprised at the gems you find) and, if you’re in Europe, Vinted. We also love good old Craigslist and, if you’re in France, Leboncoin. And if you need a little inspiration for your secondhand finds, spend some time on Aesthetics Wiki, where you will not only find large categories like emo, Y2K, VSCO, academia, or the perennial goth, but also categories so specific that their nicheness begins feeling like an Escher staircase of references.
7. More important than buying secondhand, though, is caring for and wearing the clothes you already have.
has great advice on not only finding a tailor (in NYC/LA), but also what a tailor can do (we have our own recs for the best tailors in NYC here).8. It’s a big month for holidays — Easter and Nowruz just passed, Ramadan is coming to an end, and Passover is coming up. It’s a time for hosting friends and loved ones. We shared some of our best advice for hosting in December, and it’s just as relevant now. This season, we’ve been thinking about dishware and vessels used for gatherings of all kinds, inspired by our founder’s work on a project focused on Iranian women’s haft-sin tables. 1st Dibs has beautiful Sedar plates (this one is a classic
Things I Would Buy If I Didn’t Have To Pay Rent) and Etsy is full of beautiful Murano glass dishware. And if you want to impress someone for Eid tomorrow, we’d suggest giving them the traditional gift of money with an Elsa Peretti money clip.9. For fans of Criterion and Metrograph, Cinemagoer is a new project that curates films through interviews with filmmakers of the likes of Tilda Swinton and Michel Gondry. The perfect site for when you’re looking for something to watch and want recommendations a little more thoughtful than Netflix’s. For more recs we have our own essential watchlist here.
10. The MEP show on Annie Ernaux’s writing in relationship with photographic mediums is an exhibition not to be missed (if you’re in Paris). Exteriors — Annie Ernaux and Photography, couldn’t be more passerby: the gaze, the observations, the admirations. If Paris is a no-go, we still recommend diving into the works of photographers Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, Marie-Paule Nègre, and Dolorès Marat, our highlights from the exhibition. The exhibition book is actually almost as good as the exhibition itself, but we’re not recommending it because we can’t find a second-hand one ;)
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#maps “You can try to get a reservation at Kjolle, it's the sister restaurant to Central - run by Virgilio Martinez's wife. It's awesome and they have an ala carte option which is nice. You can find amazing ceviche all over Peru, the best food is found in Barranco and Miraflores. I would do most of my shopping in Barranco, but you can find antique items in Miraflores if you want. The Mercados Indios in Miraflores are hit or miss, lots of touristy crap but there are some good silversmiths inside as well. Peruvian silver is very high quality. Just look for the more boutique style shops (the difference is obvious)”
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