This photo-booth shot of Buddy Holly and his bassist Waylon Jennings was taken at New York’s Central Station on Jan 23 1959. That’s 11 days before Holly died in a plane crash. Did you know that Don McLean’s song American Pie is about that accident?
The day the music died…
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I always read that in New York you can always find something fabulous, inspiring – and often free – to do, on any night of the week. It’s true! (Read TimeOut NY for suggestions or sign up for nonsensenyc.)
One of the events I made it to was a lecture by fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo. With his wife Isabel accompanying him, Ruben spoke about Art: From Fashion to Literature at FIT (as part of their museum program) one Thursday evening in October.
In particular the conversation explored his recent work for Penguin Classics – he created the covers for the recently reissued versions of Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights and The Scarlet Letter.
Toldeo’s Pride and Prejudice cover reflected the strong fashion siholheuttes of the time. He mentioned he thinks in shapes and form, while Isabel is more partial to colour.
Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights took on a soft gothic look. Ruben mentioned he took great pleasure in drawing burning buildings as a child, and in fact Wuthering Heights encompasses one of those.
The Scarlett Letter - with a bright A for adulturey entangling our protagonist. Rueben said he was really inspired by her job as a seamstress:
I was too busy looking at the couple’s work – in awe – to make extensive notes, although I wish I had! The Ruben and Isabel have such a fascinating creative relationship – they have 20 years of collaboration behind them.One cute moment I do remember was when Elda Rotor (the editorial director for Penguin Classics who moderated the discussion) charmingly confessed she used to rip Ruben’s drawings from the back of early issues of Interview magazine and keep them.
For a little peek into their world, check out this Harper’s Bazaar profile and lookbook; and for a comprehensive review of the event, The Fashion Informer took the time to do a lovely write-up.
2010 will see reissues of Jane Eyre, Dracula and The Picture of Dorian Gray published by Penguin, with the artwork also to be drawn by Toledo. I can’t wait to see them.
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Inspired by Charley, here is a list of consumption and thoughts regarding my trip to the US. I visited Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York – 7 flights in all. It was a trip of museums, tattoos, wonder, good friends, new friends, chowing down, coffee, writing, listening, dancing, breathing… and pinching myself constantly.
BOOKS
FOOD OF NOTE
MOVIES
STORES
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
Oh, be still my wistful heart. I loved everything about it. It’s a pretty safe assumption I’m going to go back as soon as possible…
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You are bombarded with messages when you cross the threshold of a super city. Some inspirational, some persuasive, some provocative. Some shout from 30ft billboards to make their mark, others subtly wait for you to discover them in a grimy nook.
Here are a few of the words that took my fancy in New York (and some of the typography is brilliant to boot).
Also, no photos, but I loved the multilingual nature of NYC – the signs in Chinese at the Chinatown subway stations, the Dominican butcheries – Carnicero, the Polish enclave filled with bakeries. It makes me wish I wasn’t such a monoglot!
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Emma and I had a lovely lunch one Saturday afternoon at Five Leaves on Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn. We ended up there on the epic search for good coffee. People tell me it was dreamed up by Heath Ledger, and is named after “Swan cigarette papers that tell you when there are just five left in a package”.
The interior is nautically divine, the staff are a bunch of friendly Aussies and yup, the coffee is pretty damn nice. We also feasted on some tasty burgers and fries (chosen from a typographically decadent menu), that made our 15 minute wait in the drizzle outside more than worth it.
18 Bedford Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
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This day was marked by a visit to the Museum Of Natural History, where I had a grand time, wandering the halls for hours.
There was an epic dinosaur and “extreme extinct mammal” display, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before… They even had an ancient narwhal skeleton!
Flocks of taxidermied owls and packs of stuffed beasts…
I was a little disappointed to miss out on an epic maritime battle (as seen in the film The Squid and The Whale) but nonetheless they were both to be found:
And finally, on they way out, more fantastic subway mosaics – including this little New Zealand fellow:
It’s details like this that make my heart beat faster for the city, I tell you.
They had an ancient narwhal skeleton! It was so much bigger than I imagined.
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When Harry Met Sally is a 1989 film directed by Rob Reiner. And this is the infamous faked orgasm scene. This important piece of cinema history (a total precursor to Sex and The City, I say) took place in the real life Katz’s Delicatessen. The staff there are surly – “Naw you can’t keep your ticket”, the coffee will decompose your spoon faster than you can stir it and the sandwiches are the size of your forearm. It’s a bit of a classic… “Senda salami to your boy in the army!”
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Hello! My name is Amber Parkin. I'm a New Zealander living in London. I'm a writer obsessed with fondue, chesterfield sofas, vintage dresses, foxes, and 35mm.
Here I like to talk about fashion, design, food, travel, writing & books, and culture. Everything else (including my photography) goes into my digital notebook.
If you'd like to email me the address is amber@codeforsomething.com
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