issue 59 by debbie stoller

TOMMY WISEAU VIVIAN GIRLS BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE EXENE CERVENKA

For Women With Something to Get Off Their Chests

EAT IT MAKE IT DRINK IT 24 fresh crafts & recipes to DIY for

NANCY DREW– INSPIRED FASHION OCT/NOV ’09 DISPLAY UNTIL 11/24

$4.99US $6.99CAN

Ellen Page & Alia Shawkat WHIP IT GOOD!

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FEATURES [OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ’09]

TOP LEFT: PHOTO: AMANDA BRUNS. ON ALI (LEFT): VINTAGE DRESS, CAPE, AND LOAFERS: RE-DRESS; GLOVES: LACRASIA. ON CASSIE (CENTER): TRENCH AND SOCKS: MANGO; SCARF: H&M; BOOTS: CAMPER. ON KATY (RIGHT): COAT: SNOFLAKE; CARDIGAN AND SKIRT: RUCHE; SOCKS: OZONE; SHOES: CAMPER; GLOVES: CA$HMERE. BOTTOM LEFT: YOS KRUTKLOM.

40 40 THE YOUNG ONES Real talk with Whip It’s supercool co-stars Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat. By Emily McCombs

48 MAD MEND Don’t throw that dress away because of a little tear! With a few ﬁx-it tricks, you’ll have it ready to wear. By Kelly Rand

52 SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT A high school feminist reveals what it’s like to work for women’s rights in a place where even teachers put up a ﬁght. By Carmen Rodi

56 UNREAD Old-school advice that will make you cringe courtesy of the thrift-store paperback bin. By David Rapp

58 REBEL, REBEL Folk legend Buffy Sainte-Marie is back with her ﬁrst release in 13 years, and it’s music to her famous fans’ ears. By Michael Levine

62 THE MYSTERY AT THE OLD BARN Nancy Drew– inspired looks that will make your hair curl, modeled by music makers the Vivian Girls. Photos by Amanda Bruns, styling by Cannon

ON THE COVER: ELLEN PAGE AND ALIA SHAWKAT PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL LAVINE IN N.Y.C. FOR BUST. ON ELLEN: TOP: ERIN FETHERSTON; JACKET: VINTAGE; BRACELETS: ALYSSA NORTON. ON ALIA: TOP: STEVEN ALAN; BELT: ZADIG & VOLTAIRE. STYLING: PRISCILLA POLLEY; HAIR: PETER BUTLER; MAKEUP: TINA TURNBOW; PROP STYLIST: STEPHANIE HANES; STYLIST’S ASSISTANT: TARA MARKS; PRODUCER: SALLY BERMAN.

// BUST / 03

CONTENTS

38 04 / BUST // OCT/NOV

Broadcast It’s a funnier world thanks to the Garfunkel & Oates girls; midnight at the BioFuel Oasis; feminists in Iran dodge the media ban; and more. 10 She-bonics Brody Dalle, Winona Ryder, Missy Elliott, and Emma Watson get their gab on. By Whitney Dwire 16 Pop Quiz Requiem for an Angel. By Emily Rems 17 Boy du Jour There’s still so much we don’t know about The Room’s Tommy Wiseau. By Callie Watts 18 Hot Dates Get into the groove with girly events for every mood. By Libby Zay

Real Life Treat your face to an embroidered pillowcase; children of the candy corn; customize the fabric of your life; and more. 22 Old School Grandma’s orange drop cookies. By Liza Eckert 25 Buy or DIY Attack of the killer-cute spice racks. By Lori Forty Weaver and Callie Watts

Looks Cynara Geissler’s got it goin’ on; shoes and socks that rock; DIY beauty prods fresh from your kitchen; and more. 32 Fashionista I love Witches. By Sara Graham 34 BUST Test Kitchen Our interns give lip balm, body lotion, and hand puriﬁer their trial by ﬁre. 37 Page O’ Shit Adorable baking tools that’ll make you drool. By Callie Watts

Sex Files An alternative if the Pill makes you ill; and more. 84 Ask Aunt Betty and Cousin Carlin Doin’ it, and doin’ it, and doin’ it well. 86 One-Handed Read Breaking News. By Ursa Davies

Columns 12 Pop Tart Barbie’s world is less pink than you think. By Wendy McClure 14 Museum of Femoribilia The lasting legacy of lipstick. By Lynn Peril 20 News From a Broad Female condoms hit the big time. By Laura Krafft 24 Nickel and Dined Our new vegan columnist dishes up the rice stuff. By Isa Chandra Moskowitz 30 Mother Superior The other awards season isn’t always pleasin’. By Ayun Halliday 38 Around the World in 80 Girls Reykjavík, Iceland, is grand! By Jenny Gottstein 95 X Games Birth Control Conﬁdential. By Deb Amlen The BUST Guide 71 Music Reviews; plus Exene Cervenka’s new album might surprise you. 77 Movies The Private Lives of Pippa Lee face Motherhood with A Wink and a Smile. 79 Books Reviews; from Lydia Lunch to Marilyn French. 88 96

BUSTshop The Last Laugh Home alone by the phone. By Esther Pearl Watson

FROM TOP: VERITY SMITH, SARAH ANNE WARD, SOFFÍA GÍSLADÓTTIR

Regulars 6 Editor’s Letter 7 Dear BUST

EDITOR’S LETTER

youthquake QUICK SURVEY: RAISE your hand if you’ve ever heard of Sassy magazine. OK, now everyone with your hands up, look around. See how many gals don’t have a hand raised? Are you surprised? I was too, when I first realized that our latest crop of BUST interns had never heard of the teen mag that became a cultural touchstone for so many of us (to be honest, one of them admitted to knowing Sassy “because it was in an episode of Fresh Prince, which I watched in re-runs”). But then again, why would these early-20-somethings be familiar with that magazine? They were just little kids back when riot grrrls roamed the earth. After all, Sassy folded in 1996, when most of today’s college-age women were— gasp—just 10 years old, or younger. Now that I’ve made those of you with your hands in the air feel old, don’t worry—the kids are alright; they’re sassy, even. In fact, what really surprises me is that, despite our varied cultural reference points, everyone who works here at BUST, whether Gen X, Gen Y, or Gen whatevs, shares a desire to change the world by taking women’s culture, history, interests, and achievements out of the sidelines and into the limelight. We tend to agree on which women in popular culture we’re most interested in knowing more about, whatever their age or era, and seem to have more similarities in our lifestyles and perspectives than we do differences (although I have to admit, I don’t think I’ll ever quite understand what it is you youngsters are doing on your texting machines all day). Perhaps we’re able to cross generational divides because there’s something timeless about being smart and aware enough to call yourself a feminist. Or maybe some of us are just experiencing arrested development. Either way, I’m glad that the magazine Laurie and I began when we were in our late 20s is still relevant to girls in their early 20s today, who were but wee babes when we started. Speaking of smart, young feminists and arrested development, we’re so excited to have Juno star Ellen Page, along with Alia Shawkat of the much-missed TV series Arrested Development, on the cover of this issue. In our interview with these two, who play pals in the Drew Barrymore–directed film Whip It, they reveal themselves to be a pair of bright, thoughtful, and funny ladies who you’re likely to find yourself wishing you could hang out with, whether you’re 16 or 66. They have no qualms about calling themselves feminists, either, which is refreshing, especially in light of our article “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” in which a teenage feminist details all the crap she, and others like her, have to put up with in high school just because they embrace that most misunderstood of F-words. The piece is both infuriating and inspiring at the same time. There’s plenty of other yoots in this issue, too, but here at BUST we’re not ageists, either, which is why we’ve brought you a story about the little-known but highly influential Native American folksinger Buffy Sainte-Marie, whose music career spans 47 years and who, at age 68, has just released a new album. Once you’ve read it, you’ll want to go out and listen to everything she’s ever made. The woman is amazing. We’re particularly excited about this issue’s fashion story, which is inspired by none other than Nancy Drew, the girl detective who’s been entertaining readers since 1930. When the idea first bubbled up at a BUST story meeting, we all—young’uns and old’uns—screamed with glee at how perfect it was. When the Vivian Girls agreed to be our models, the idea became even perfect-er. I think it’s one of our favorite fashion stories ever. All that, plus the usual creamy goodness, including recipes for vegan risotto and candy corn (we ate through the first batch of that stuff so quickly, Lisa B. had to make a second batch for the photo); fresh, new craft ideas, like a sweetly stitched pillow and a spice rack made from a suitcase; great dames you should know about, and lots more fun for girls of all ages. Hope you “dig it,” or whatever you kids are saying these days. xoxox

Debbie 06 / BUST // OCT/NOV

ISSUE 59, OCT/NOV 2009

FOR WOMEN WITH SOMETHING TO GET OFF THEIR CHESTS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Debbie Stoller CREATIVE DIRECTOR + FASHION EDITOR Laurie Henzel MANAGING EDITOR Emily Rems SENIOR DESIGNER Erin Wengrovius ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lisa Butterworth CUSTOMER SERVICE + CRAFTY LADY Callie Watts BOOKS EDITOR Priya Jain ASSOCIATE MUSIC EDITOR Sara Graham CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Molly Simms CONTRIBUTING STYLE EDITOR Tara Marks PUBLISHERS Laurie Henzel & Debbie Stoller DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING + MARKETING Emily Andrews 212.675.1707 x112, ads@bust.com MARKETING, PROMOTIONS + SALES ASSISTANT Susan Juvet, 212.675.1707 x104, susan@bust.com BOOKKEEPER Amy Moore accounting@bust.com INTERNS Devan Boyle, Celeste Kaufman, Anna Reilly, Hannah Taylor, Eliza Thompson, Dahlia Valle-Peterson, Sylvie Wang FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS Please email subscriptions@bust.com or call 866.220.6010 FOR BOOBTIQUE ORDERS Please email orders@bust.com

MEMBER OF THE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS OF AMERICA

WWW.BUST.COM ©2009 BUST, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the permission of the publisher. The articles and advertising appearing within this publication reﬂect the opinions and attitudes of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608 Canada returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2

DEAR BUST

Cheers to BUST I know it’s tough times for my favorite ou mag, but keep yer collective chin up! You have thousands of wonderful women and girls behind you, cheering you on and offering support (right, ladies?)! BUST is the only magazine I’ve subscribed to for the past six years, and I lit-erally read it cover to cover. I buy from BUST advertisers and from the Boobtique, and I love trying the crafts and recipes, like blood-orange infused vodka (“Infusions of Grandeur,” April/May ’09). So, hang in there, ladies, we need you! Amber Bouman, San Francisco, CA I’m a BUST subscriber, and I have to say it’s my fave ’zine! After every article I read, I feel like a more knowledgeable person, a more powerful woman, and like I’m ready to jump into my next adventure (unlike some magazines that make me think I should stop eating nachos so I can ﬁt into next season’s dress and pick up a second job to afford it). As the shop coordinator at Curl Up & Dye hair salon in Detroit, I brought in all my old issues for our clients. Anytime someone starts reading one, I can see they feel the same way I do, and we’ve had the whole shop chattin’ about some of your more controversial articles. So, thanks and keep up the awesome job! Christina Morgan, Detroit, MI Blow me: reading BUST at Curl Up & Dye

Gender Offender I appreciated that Laura Krafft’s article on gender segregation in Hankins Middle School (“Separate but Not Equal”) shone a light on the obviously craptacular approach that school district chose for separating their students, but I was less thrilled with some of her remarks that criticized the whole concept of single-gender education. Some singlesex middle schools turn out 14-year-old girls who are more conﬁdent, self-assured, and successful in math and science. I wouldn’t say that gender-segregated education is for everyone, but it can be feminist and empowering, especially for kids struggling with that most harrowing of developmental stages: adolescence. Vera Sloan, via email

Oops, We Did It Again In the story “The BUST Fall Preview” (Aug/Sept ’09), we should have listed the distributor of the ﬁlm Bright Star as Apparition. We regret this error.

Get it off your chest! Send feedback to: Letters, BUST Magazine, P.O. Box 1016, Cooper Station, New York, NY 10276. Email: letters@bust.com. Include your name, city, state, and email address. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. // BUST / 07

CONTRIBUTORS

Amanda Bruns, who shot the Vivian Girls for our fashion story “The Mystery at the Old Barn,” is a Brooklyn-based photographer whose work has been published in magazines around the world. After receiving her BFA in photography from VCU School of the Arts, she studied in Paris before moving to New York. Originally from Western New York, prop stylist and set designer Stephanie Hanes, who worked her magic on a number of shots in this issue, moved to N.Y.C. after attending SUNY Purchase for photography. After years of working in production, she discovered that styling— finding objects and arranging them to look pretty—was something she’d been unconsciously doing all her life. She loves the challenge of mixing vintage and modern pieces and has worked on a variety of shoots that have included tabletop settings and even a staged auto accident. Her collection of props is always growing thanks to thrift stores, antique markets, trash night, and her slight addiction to foreign housewares stores and supermarkets. Our new food columnist, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, whose “Nickel and Dined” recipes will appear in every other issue, is often flipping crepes with one hand and petting cats with the other. She is the author of lots of vegan cookbooks, including Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and Veganomicon. She thinks that veganism isn’t just for an elite few, it’s the diet of the people, and she’s out to prove it. Born in Chile, Carmen Rodi, who wrote “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” moved to the United States shortly after and has lived most of her 18 years in a suburb of Boston. In addition to being a young, outspoken feminist, Rodi is obsessed with Amy Winehouse and has a secret interest in physics. A recent graduate of Belmont High School in Belmont, MA, Rodi just began her first year at Colorado College, in Colorado Springs, CO. 08 / BUST // OCT/NOV

NEWS+VIEWS

folk yeah!

STYLIST: JAZZI MCGILBERT; MAKEUP: KERRI ANN LUEVANO; ON RIKI: NECKLACE AND SUIT BY GERONIMO; ON KATE: DRESS BY GERONIMO

GARFUNKEL & OATES ARE MUSIC TO COMEDY FANS’ EARS THE MUSIC VIDEO begins rather innocently: two pretty girls, a tall blonde with a guitar and a petite brunette with a ukulele, smile sweetly and sing an ode to blossoming romance. “And like can lead to like-like/And like-like can lead to looove,” they coo. “Sure as the stars above/I’d really like to fuck you, fuck you, fuck you.” Oh! But that’s as raunchy as it gets; the comedy folk duo, who go by the name Garfunkel & Oates, drop F-bombs and bon mots about life and love without shedding so much as a sweater vest. In their sardonic songs, Riki Lindhome (Garfunkel, left, 30) and Kate Micucci (Oates, 29) often poke fun at the pitfalls of dating, like one-night stands, “douche-baggy guys,” and third wheels (“It’s finally you and me and me and you/Just us…and your friend Steve”). “We get a lot of material from crazy dates,” admits Micucci. Both L.A.-based actors, the pair often spotted each other at auditions. They didn’t officially meet, however, until 2006, when they struck up a conversation at a comedy club and developed mutual “talent crushes” on each other. Lindhome wrote a short film for the two of them to act in, they decided to turn it into a musical, “and that’s how we started writing music,” she says. Since the duo formed in September 2008, Garfunkel & Oates’ videos have been viewed—and even covered— on YouTube by thousands of fans. They’ve attracted the ire of pregnant women (for their song “Pregnant Women Are Smug”), caught the attention of CNN (for their satiric pro-gay-marriage video, “Sex With Ducks”), and have become the darlings of the L.A. comedy scene as the only women making waves in a genre currently dominated by Flight of the Conchords and the Lonely Island boys. Lindhome says that their original goal for the band was simply to play at the legendary Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in L.A., “and that happened weeks later,” she says. “Then we were like, ‘Now what?’” “Now what?” turned out to be a lot. This past summer, in addition to what became monthly gigs at UCB, they played in Montreal and Seattle, produced an EP, and in July, the real John Oates invited them to perform with him—so they rocked the house with their cover of “Maneater.” Micucci says she wanted to include in their rendition of that song “a puppet who eats guys with giant jaws, but between Riki’s [mock] striptease and my trombone solo, well, the song isn’t that long!” G&O plan to join Oates again on stage soon and also want to take their act on the road. Until then, you can laugh along to their music at www.garfunkelandoates.com. [CORRIE PIKUL] PHOTOGRAPHED PHOTOGRAPHED BY BY VERITY JOHANSMITH RENCK

BUST/ /009 09 ////BUST

broadcast

tank girls

MANY OF US try to do our part for the environment: we recycle, bike to work, or buy eco-friendly cleaners. The ladies of BioFuel Oasis, however, have gone beyond what most of us would ever dream of trying in their war against pollution. Melissa Hardy, Margaret Farrow, Ace Anderson, Novella Carpenter, and Jennifer Radtke (whose ages range from early 30s to early 40s) have dedicated their lives to running the BioFuel Oasis, a Berkeley, CA– based alternative ﬁlling station that dispenses biodiesel, a non-toxic, renewable, biodegradable

she-bonics

fuel source that may change the way America drives. “We’re total scrappers,” explains Hardy of their crusade. “We do this out of the love in our hearts for this movement.” Hardy met her future BioFuel buddies in 2003 while volunteering for a group dedicated to finding petroleum alternatives. The most promising of these options, biodiesel, is an animal-fat- or vegetable-oil-based fuel that can power engines currently running on standard petroleum diesel. There’s no need to modify most diesel engines (found in lots of ’70s-era cars and new models from manufacturers like VW, BMW, and Mercedes) to accept the fuel, and it can be mixed with petroleum inside the tank. “You can make biodiesel in your own backyard,” Hardy says, “which totally appeals to our DIY personalities.” That year, the first incarnation of BioFuel Oasis appeared in a warehouse. It stayed open until February 2009, when the group realized their true vision, moving the business into a 1930s-era filling station in Berkeley. To renovate the space, though, the ladies had to pony up $250,000 for contractors’ fees, permits, and

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

other expenses. “We had no assets,” explains Hardy, “but we thought, ‘Our biggest resource is our community.’ So we launched a program asking people to donate $100 each to ‘Become a Solutionary.’” BFO raised close to $40,000 this way, then pieced the rest together with government grants and loans. “It was a big move to become legit, but we were hella creative,” says Hardy. The BFO’s pumps—which dispense biodiesel made from recycled cooking oil that their local suppliers collect from hundreds of restaurant fryers—are automated, but there are still ladies at the station six days a week doing mechanical work, doling out car advice, and selling products like chicken feed, beekeeping supplies, and mason jars for canning, inside the BFO store. Life in coveralls isn’t always easy-breezy, and many of the BFO’s owners have white-collar jobs to augment their meager incomes from the station, which typically ﬁlls up 60 vehicles per day. But this crew wouldn’t have it any other way. “We work at a gas station and make an hourly wage,” explains Hardy. “But we’re lucky. Our customers are incredibly dedicated.” [MOLLY SIMMS]

[COMPILED BY WHITNEY DWIRE]

“It’s the [music industry] system; they don’t allow more than one or two females on the radio. It’s insane—and that’s why it’s such a fuckin’ catﬁght. I wish there would be another female rock movement like in the early ’90s.” Brody Dalle in YRB “I thought it was cooler to be interesting than to be pretty. I must have gotten that from my parents, who felt strongly about being an individual and being your own person and that looks aren’t everything. I never wanted to be beautiful; I never wanted to be a cheerleader.” Winona Ryder in Elle UK “Being a producer has won a lot of respect for me beyond just being an artist, but it is hard. Lil’ Kim and I talk about it all the time: It’s all guys out there and only a handful of women. But I think it’s getting better. Look at Beyoncé—she’s doing it like a man!” Missy Elliott in Elle “There’s nothing interesting about looking perfect—you lose the point. You want what you’re going to wear to say something about you. About who you are.” Emma Watson in Teen Vogue 10 / BUST // OCT/NOV

PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHLOE AFTEL

FILL ’ER UP AT THE ALL WOMEN-RUN BIOFUEL STATION

broadcast POP TART [BY WENDY MCCLURE]

beyond the b-list WHAT KIND OF CELEBRITY IS BARBIE, ANYWAY? I HEARD THAT Barbie turned 50 this year and that her birthday was celebrated at a spectacular party where celebrities like Katy Perry, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, and half the cast of The Hills tripped around a Malibu mansion amidst ﬂamboyant décor and pink cocktails. And now she’s got a store, a Vegas suite, and a custom-de-

as much as anyone, I swear I can’t look at photos of the Real Life Malibu Dream House without wondering what kind of repellent VH1 reality show could take place there. It’s a Barbie world, all right, except now Paris lives in it, too. But I come to praise Barbie, not to bury her with comparisons to famous

Forget all that pink-drenched corporate crap— the Barbie we know lives a much edgier life. signed Volkswagen with rhinestone detailing. On the one hand, I thought, Good for Barbie! After all, she’s an old friend whom I’ve known for more than 30 years. On the other hand—well, I guess I used that other hand to cover my mouth while I gagged. Look, I don’t mean to rain on anyone’s pink, sparkly parade. It’s just that when her toy stardom gets blown up to lifesized dimensions, Barbie looks an awful lot like just another one of our recent celebrity dipshits du jour. Maybe Barbie hasn’t changed much over the years, but American fame sure has, and for the worse. While I love glitzy fantasy kitsch 12 / BUST // OCT/NOV

creeps. Because one thing is for sure: back when we were all little girls and got our Superstar Barbies, this tacky B-listcelebrity business wasn’t the kind of superstardom we had in mind at all. Which brings us to a very important question: what kind of career has Barbie really had? Answer: an awesome one. I don’t mean the phony vocations Mattel has given her. Everyone knows she was never a space-camp instructor or a veterinarian any more than Heidi MontagPratt is an event planner. No, I’m talking about the amazingly multifaceted life that Barbie has led in our imaginations,

the life she still leads every day in girlhood bedrooms, backyards, and basements everywhere. Here are just a few of the occupations she’s had: Stuntwoman: Need someone to make a bungee jump from the second-floor banister or a death-defying plunge into a bathtub? Barbie is up for it! Girlfriend loves danger, and in her swank automobiles (sold separately), Barbie can pull off anything the Dukes of Hazzard have ever done. Sex educator: Never mind that she doesn’t provide the most detailed instruction. Barbie was there for us the first time we heard there was such a thing as Doing It, and she was more than happy to demonstrate (or at least give us a general idea, which really was all we needed). Whether she was getting it on with Ken, other Barbies, or a couple of kinky Star Wars characters, Barbie showed us that it was all OK. Avant-garde artist: She’s famous for cutting off her hair, sporting Sharpie marker tattoos, and wearing bizarre outfits made out of Kleenex and rubber bands, all the while asking the provocative question, What is beauty? With her freakish feet and tiny waist, her controversial figure makes her, well, a controversial figure, but she always makes us think. Burlesque performer: If you’ve ever seen Barbie’s girly show, you know she gets naked for the sake of self-expression and not for crumpled dollar bills. You never know what she’ll do next—maybe a go-go dance, or perhaps she’ll cover herself in Post-It notes and peel them off one at a time to make a cheeky statement about our disposable culture. Whatever, she rules! Forget the doll in the toy commercials and all that pink-drenched corporate crap— the Barbie we know lives a much edgier life, full of danger and weirdness. Ordinary celebrities might think they’re hot shit for having a singing career, movie roles, and a line of leggings, but their lives can’t compare to the mind-blowingly crazy existence that Barbie’s led. Too bad her birthday-party guest list didn’t include folks like Karen Finley and Cindy Sherman. Then again, it’s never too late to throw Barbie the kind of party she deserves. Wanna come over next Tuesday? Bring your Barbie! We’ll rock out! ILLUSTRATED BY GRANT SHAFFER

MUSEUM OF FEMORIBILIA [BY LYNN PERIL]

totally tubular COLORING THE LIPS is an ancient habit: fashion historian Richard Corson noted that a 5,000-year-old sample of lip rouge was found in an Egyptian tomb. But what the ancient world found pleasing, Americans considered sinful until the turn of the 20th century. Nothing but “selfish vanity and falsehood of mind could prevail upon a woman to lacker [sic] her lips with vermillion,” opined A Lady of Distinction in her 1811 beauty manual. There was an erotic aspect as well; in both sexes, flushed lips are said to indicate sexual interest. As historian Kathy Peiss suggests, using cosmetics to mimic this state “trifled with bourgeois conventions” of passive female sexuality. Painted lips were thus believed to be a sign of wantonness. » 14 / BUST // OCT/NOV

PHOTOGRAPHED BY GLYNIS SELINA ARBAN

MAKEUP: CANDICE FORNESS; HAIR: BRIAN FISHER; MODEL: MISSY AT Q

HOW LADIES BEGAN THEIR LOVE AFFAIR WITH LIPSTICK

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broadcast “Nice” women, therefore, looked for discreet methods of making up. The author of The Truth About Beauty (1892) noted that many women bit their lips “just before entering a drawing room,” to bring up a rosy blush. Others used astringent liquids or mixed homemade pucker paints colored with alkanet root, strawberry and beet juices, or cochineal (a pigment derived from the powdered remains of a Central American insect). Prohibitions against cosmetics began to loosen around the 20th century; American women could buy commercially made lipsticks as early as 1915, and the now familiar swivel-up case debuted in 1923 (prior to that, a lever pushed the product out of the tube). By 1933, lipstick was so ubiquitous, Vogue declared the act of applying it one of the “gestures of the 20th century.” Peiss estimates that by 1948, 80 to 90 percent of adult American women used lipstick.

Two years later, a survey of teenage girls found that two-thirds had used lipstick since age 14. But more than half of high-school girls fought with their families over it, because of its connotation of adult sexuality, according to a 1937 study. Teen guidebooks and articles from the mid–20th century often emphasized that boys preferred a natural face to a made-up one. Datebook’s Complete Guide to Dating (1960) asserted that while a group of male university students judged girls who wore lots of lipstick “most sexy,” girls with a more natural look were the ones they were “most likely to take home to meet the family.” The implication was clear: lipstick was for sluts; virgins wore little or none of it. On the other hand, because lipstick usage conferred femininity and, hence, “normality” on women, those who were uninterested in makeup or downright refused to use it might’ve been sus-

pected of mental illness—or lesbianism. An antidote was at hand for these “afﬂictions”: a spokesman for the cosmetic industry proclaimed in 1937 that, “many a neurotic case has been cured with the deft application of a lipstick.” In recent years, lipstick sales have waned in the face of a new generation of lip glosses. Gloss has been around since the 1970s but was largely considered a product for teenage girls—it was sticky and wore off quickly. Beginning in the 1990s, however, new technology led to shinier, slipperier, longer-lasting lip glosses. “Heavy lipstick is not a modern look,” declared an industry insider in 2006, whereas gloss was “like lingerie for the lips.” But don’t discount lipstick’s popularity just yet: sales are alleged to jump during economic recessions because cosmetics are considered an affordable luxury, an effect known as the lipstick index.

pop quiz REMEMBERING FARRAH [BY EMILY REMS] THIS JUNE, THE entertainment world lost a legend. An iconic beauty whose hairstyle kicked off a fashion craze and whose acting career ranged from campy to courageous, Farrah Fawcett battled cancer in the public eye and left behind a legacy of bravery even more dazzling than her pinup smile. Think you know the whole story behind her blond ambition? Then take the quiz!

2. There’s an urban legend that Farrah’s famous 1976 pinup shot became the best-selling poster of all time because her curls subliminally spell out what word? a. Fox b. Wet c. Sex d. Buy

7. Farrah fearlessly documented her battle with cancer in what May 2009 TV special? a. Farrah’s Story b. Farrah and Ryan c. Farrah’s Song d. Battle Royale

4. Farrah was married to this Six MIllion Dollar Man actor from 1973 to 1982, until his friend Ryan O’Neal stole her away and became her on-and-off lover for the rest of her life. a. Lee Marvin b. Lee Majors c. Lee Harvey Oswald d. Lee Ranaldo

8. Farrah died on June 25, 2009, the same day as what other celebrity? a. John Hughes b. Walter Cronkite c. Michael Jackson d. Ricardo Montalban

5. How old was Farrah when she first posed for Playboy? a. 18 b. 28 c. 38 d. 48 6. At the end of her life, Farrah was an avid sculptor. What was her favorite subject? a. Angels b. Female Nudes c. Male Nudes d. Unicorns

9. At Farrah’s funeral, whom did Ryan O’Neal famously ﬂirt with, because he didn’t recognize her? a. Farrah’s BFF Alana Stewart b. His daughter Tatum O’Neal c. Farrah’s physician Dr. Piro d. His ex-girlfriend Leslie Stefanson 10. Complete the following Farrah quote: “When [Charlie’s Angels] got to be number three, I ﬁgured it was our acting. When it got to be number one, I decided it could only be because _________. a. of the writing b. of my poster c. of bribery d. none of us wears a bra Answer Key: 1. b, 2. c, 3. a, 4. b, 5. d, 6. b, 7. a, 8. c, 9. b, 10. d

16 / BUST // OCT/NOV

PHOTOFEST

1.Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1947, Farrah was of French, English, and _______ ancestry. a. African American b. Native American c. Korean d. Jewish

3. Although the TV show made her a star in 1976, Farrah left Charlie’s Angels after _____. a. one season b. two seasons c. three seasons d. four seasons

BOY DU JOUR

a room of his own GETTING TO KNOW CULT-FILM AUTEUR TOMMY WISEAU RIDDLED WITH CRAPPY overdubbing, confusing dialogue, pointless supporting characters, embarrassing sex scenes, and plot holes galore, the 2003 film The Room is an unequivocal disaster. But thanks to the relentless determination of its enigmatic writer/director/producer/star Tommy Wiseau, it’s also enjoying new life on both coasts as a hot ticket that is singlehandedly reviving the lost art of the audience-participation midnight movie. The film has been playing for six years at the Laemmle Sunset 5 Theater in L.A., where a word-of-mouth fan base embraces it with a zest reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Picture Show: dressing as characters, reciting dialogue verbatim, and throwing plastic spoons (in response to a framed picture of a spoon that appears in multiple scenes). And now New York has gotten into the act, selling out monthly midnight showings where even comedian and Room fan David Cross once appeared dressed as Wiseau. Despite the growing hype surrounding the film, however, very little is known about the notoriously secretive Wiseau, so I have lots of questions when I get him on the phone at his office in L.A. True to form, he’s charming, elusive, and probably full of shit. Especially when it comes to defending his work from those who have come to reverently regard The Room as possibly the worst film ever made. “I created The Room to be different; otherwise, it would not be what it is now,” he tells me in an Austrian-sounding PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEANEEN LUND

accent. (Wiseau won’t say where he’s from but mentions time spent in Louisiana and France.) “No one in Hollywood or in the entire world wants to give me straightforward credit,” he complains. “But I’m just laughing here, because no matter what you do, you have to prepare for what might happen by accident.” These days, when not dodging questions from the press, Wiseau can often be found immersing himself in vampire-centric entertainment, including the books True Blood is based on and the movie Twilight. “It’s like you go into fantasy, but at the same time you go into realism,” he explains cryptically about his interest in the undead. And when asked what he likes to do on a date (sorry, ladies, he’s taken) he returns to this theme again. “When you’re in a relationship, you go the extra miles,” he says. “You drink the wine, you have fun, and you maybe become vampire!” Wiseau gets enthusiastic when discussing his passions, which he says include ﬁlms, the aforementioned vampires, and something else we can all relate to. “I’ll give you a little secret,” teases Wiseau. “I like to eat a lot. Don’t ask me why!” And what does he like to eat? “Well, my favorite actually is pasta, believe it or not,” he conﬁdes. “I like the penne pasta. I don’t know if you’re familiar with that.” Who’s not familiar with penne pasta? Seriously, where did you come from, Tommy Wiseau? It’s tearing me apart! [CALLIE WATTS] To listen to the full interview, visit www.bust.com. // BUST / 17

broadcast

hot dates THINGS TO SEE, PEOPLE TO DO

KEEPING TABS ON IRANIAN WOMEN IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE UPRISING DID THE AVALANCHE of news coverage featuring Iranian women marching with their fists in the air after June’s contested presidential election get you all excited? Well, it should have. These protests marked a watershed moment for Iran’s embattled feminists, giving outsiders a glimpse at what female activists look like in a country where strict laws have silenced women for decades. Thanks to the almighty Internet, however, it’s possible to catch up on what these brave girls are doing now. Due to government crackdowns on unauthorized reports from within Iran, many known sources for feminist news like www.dokhtarak.org and www. iftribune.com have sadly disappeared in the past few months. But there are others still available, if you know where to look. Take a quick peek at these subversive sites, then send the links to your homegirls so you can all share in the excitement of this nascent Iranian feminist movement. Because that’s what we’re seeing—nothing less. If you speak English, Farsi, French, German, Italian, or Spanish, Sign 4 Change (www.sign4change.info) has got you covered. This fantastic Web site will keep you up to date on what’s happening in the Iranian women’s movement, from profiles of political prisoners to petitions you can sign to help free them. Their “One Million Signatures” campaign won the 2009 Global Women’s Rights Award for petitioning Iran’s parliament to amend all laws unfriendly to women. Another site that’ll make you go “hmmm” is the independent online news source Tehran Bureau (www.tehranbureau.com), a site owned and operated by Kelly Golnoush Niknejad, an Iranian-born American woman. Although this page is not completely dedicated to feminist content, it regularly delivers great articles on the Iranian women’s movement, like “Iranian Feminism after June 2009: A Conversation with Zillah Eisenstein” by Golbarg Bashi. The best thing about IranDokht (www.irandokht.com) is that not only can you see what Iranian women are up to since the uprising, but you can also research their histories. An entire section is dedicated to Iran’s women and their powerful culture. Self-described as “an online media platform that connects the global community to Iranian women,” this nonpartisan site will have you hooked. [MARIAM ARYAI RIVERA ] 18 / BUST // OCT/NOV

October 23 – November 15 HELLO KITTY THREE APPLES CELEBRATION It’s hard to believe that Sanrio’s iconic creation is turning 35! And to mark the occasion, the Japanese brand is pairing up with Culver City, CA, gallery Royal/T for three weeks of fun exhibits, parties, and events. The fest will feature a gala, an art show, an apartment tricked out in Hello Kitty housewares, a pop-up shop, a Halloween bash, free movie nights, and more! For info and updates, visit www.sanrio.com/threeapples. November 6 – 8 ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOMEN’S FILM FEST Created in 1988, this three-day gathering in the foothills of the Rockies is the longest continuously running women’s film fest in the world. And you don’t have to be a mountain mama to get into the aim of the event: to celebrate the “drive, spirit, and diversity of women.” Over 250 films will be screened this year in Colorado Springs, CO, including documentary, feature, short, and animated works. Keep an eye on www.rmwfilmfest.org for all the latest deets. November 7 – 14 GIRLFEST HAWAII It’s ﬁtting that an event with a mission “to prevent violence against women and girls through education and art” is taking place in Honolulu; the city’s name means “place of shelter” in Hawaiian. Part multimedia-arts party and part conference, the fest allows visitors to attend a break-dancing seminar, experience the art of spoken word, watch a series of women-made ﬁlms, have a laugh at a comedy show, and get inspired at an empowerment workshop, among other things—all in the span of a week! Hula over to www.girlfesthawaii.org for the schedule and more info. [COMPILED BY LIBBY ZAY]

ILLUSTRATED BY HANNAH K. LEE

veiled threats

Through October 23 B-GIRL BE GALLERY EXHIBIT Part of a larger festival of international women in hip-hop, held by Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis, MN, this cutting-edge gallery exhibition will feature aerosol art, music videos, sculptures, and photographs inspired by the B-Girl aesthetic. These women-made works aren’t just supa-dupa ﬂy, but curators say they also demonstrate the ways in which women are “ﬁghting oppression and knocking down barriers to equal representation in hip-hop culture.” To purchase tickets, visit www.intermediaarts.org.

broadcast NEWS FROM A BROAD [BY LAURA KRAFFT] bringing their case all the way to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada. Unfortunately, they were rejected. An unlikely holdout for chauvinism, Canada’s Court found that while the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) was acting in a discriminatory manner, they weren’t violating the Canadian Constitution. According to The New York Times, Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon wrote in her decision, “The plaintiffs will be denied this opportunity for no reason other than their sex, but not every act of discrimination is a breach of the charter.” The ruling was a disappointment to many, including Anita DeFrantz, an American member of the I.O.C., who responded, “We’ve worked very hard to establish gender equity over these last 15 years. It seems to me we should ﬁnish the work.”

more gloves more love! FEMALE CONDOMS GET AROUND BIRTH CONTROL HAS always been unevenly weighted: while women can choose from either distorting their hormones or inserting a barrier (both of which require a visit to the doctor), all men have to do is swing by a pharmacy to get their packages packaged. This issue of accessibility is especially serious in developing nations, and it’s about time health organizations helped put the glove on the other hand. That’s where advances in female condoms come in.

that once cost up to $1.20 apiece. Bidia Deperthes, an HIV/AIDS technical adviser for the U.N. Population Fund, is hopeful that this drop in price will make a signiﬁcant difference in the worldwide ﬁght against HIV. “It is a woman’s issue, and our policymakers all over the world are mainly men,” she says, adding that public donors will be able to distribute 50 million female condoms this year. So though women may not actually

“With all public health organizations now able to buy [this] condom, prices could drop as low as 30 cents each.” This underutilized safe-sex device is ﬁnally gaining some traction in the manufacturing industry, and its effect can be felt on the world stage. The FDA approved a product last March called FC2, a female condom available at a lower cost than ever before. According to CNN, “With all public health organizations— especially USAID—now able to buy [this] condom, volume will rise, meaning prices could drop as low as 30 cents each.” A signiﬁcant improvement for a product 20 / BUST // OCT/NOV

be the ones taking a shower in a raincoat, now we can at least inexpensively put a shower cap on. Or is it in?

WOMEN’S OLYMPIC SKI JUMPING NIXED No Female Competitors in 2010 Ski jumping has been an Olympic event since the ﬁrst Winter Games of 1924, and all these years later, it remains exclusively male. A group of 15 female jumpers from 5 countries recently asked to be included in the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Games,

WAY TO GO W.A.S.P.S! Overdue Props For Female Pilots Cool-ladies-of-history alert! Congress recently signed a bill that not only recognized the service of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (W.A.S.P.s) during World War II but also awarded the surviving members and loved ones of the deceased who flew in this program the Congressional Gold Medal. According to The New York Times, these women were responsible for “flying a wide range of non-combat assignments: transporting cargo, hauling targets for shooting practice, flying drones, and even training other pilots, including men.” They flew missions until they were disbanded in late 1944, when Allied victory looked inevitable. Despite their awesome accomplishments, the women of the corps received little recognition. Because they were considered civilians, the lady fliers paid for their own training and transport. They also received no benefits or honors, and family members of the 38 pilots who died in missions received no burial funds or American-flag-draped caskets. It’s this recognition that pleases award recipients the most. As flier Deanie Parrish told the Associated Press, “Americans will hear about this, and they will be curious enough to try and find out who those women were.” Let’s hope so. ILLUSTRATED BY GABRIELLA GARSON

CRAFTS+COOKING+HOME+HEALTH

sleep talker STITCH UP THIS PILLOWCASE FOR A STYLISH SLUMBER

STYLED BY STEPHANIE HANES

WANT TO SEND a message when you’re not awake to say it? One of the ﬁrst just-for-me embroidery projects I made was to stitch these words along the edge of my pillow. What can I say? I’m a light sleeper and don’t like to be disturbed when catching my Z’s. It’s also the perfect project for a beginning embroiderer or for those who are after something quick and fun. Wondering about whether to stitch through both layers on the end of your pillowcase? If you are comfortable opening a seam and sewing it back up, it will mean you have to stitch through only one layer of fabric to embroider your project (easier on the digits!). Doing it this way will also hide the back of your embroidery when you sew the seam up, if that’s your preference. You also have my full permission to just grab any ol’ pillowcase, stitch it up as is, and not worry your pretty little head about sewing up a thing. »

PHOTOGRAPHED BY SARAH ANNE WARD

// BUST / 21

real life Materials Standard pillowcase Embroidery needle Embroidery ﬂoss in three complementary colors (we used: DMC 8080 dark coffee brown, DMC 731 dark olive green, and DMC 3765 very dark peacock blue) Wax-free tracing paper (available at sewing-supplies stores) Embroidery hoop (optional)

ﬁg. 1 hidden stitch

ﬁg. 2 stem stitch

ﬁg. 3 twinkle stitch

Instructions 1. Copy the embroidery pattern below, enlarging by 240 percent. Pin the pattern to your pillowcase with tracing paper in between, lightly trace over pattern to transfer design to fabric, and remove. 2. Embroider the lettering using a hidden (aka running) stitch (fig. 1). This is the good ol’ dashed-line stitch—simply leave a space between straight stitches as you make them. Pay attention to the amount of space between each stitch if you want your stitches to be even, or just go at it and surprise yourself with the results. 3. Use a stem stitch for the Z’s (fig. 2). The needle will push through the fabric next to the floss of the previous stitch, slightly behind the end of the stitch (3). Think of making somewhat diagonal stitches along the pattern line. And keep your exit point on the same side of each following stitch for consistency. 4. Embellish your design by adding what I like to call a twinkle

stitch wherever you like (ﬁg.3). Simply make an X, and then take a longer vertical stitch down through the center, where the stitches intersect. Bravo! A star is born. This style of stitch may snag if the top vertical stitch is longer than, say 1⁄4". To avoid this, you can make a tiny stitch in the center to secure it or work in a collection of straight stitches: work your stitches from the outside in, always entering the fabric toward the center of the star (1 – 2) and exiting at the star’s next point (3) in a clockwise (or counterclockwise, if you prefer) fashion. [JENNY HART]

E Excerpted from Embroidered Effects: Projects and Patterns to Inspire Your Stitching P by Jenny Hart (Chronicle Books, 2009). b

OLD SCHOOL

grandma’s orange drop cookies WHEN I WAS growing up, trips to my grandparents’ Central New York farmhouse always meant big meals, especially around holidays. My grandmother and great aunt always made dinner special, putting out a tablecloth and full settings every night of our visits. They learned everything they knew from their mother, who would get together with her friends, nicknamed “the girls,” to cook and share recipes. After my grandma passed away last year, my family cleaned out that big, old house, and in the process we found countless handwritten recipes. These delicious, iced orange drop cookies originated with my great-grandmother, and were introduced to me by my grandma. They’re the perfect recipe to pass along—not too difﬁcult to make and always a hit. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream 1 cup shortening and 13⁄4 cup sugar. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 whole ground orange (cut it up and throw it in a food processor, peel and all). In a separate bowl, sift together 4 cups ﬂour, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 11⁄2 tsp. baking powder. Alternately add the dry ingredients and 1 cup sour cream to the creamed mixture. Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 10 – 15 minutes. To make the icing, place 3 Tbsp. melted butter, 2 Tbsp. orange juice, 1 Tbsp. grated orange rind, and 4 cups confectioners’ sugar in a double boiler (or in a metal mixing bowl set on top of a small pot of boiling water) for 10 minutes. Then beat until the icing is cool and spreadable. [LIZA ECKERT] 22 / BUST // OCT/NOV

yard sale NEW SITES MAKE IT EASY TO CREATE YOUR OWN FAB FABRIC

i want candy SWEETEN YOUR HALLOWEEN WITH DIY CANDY CORN CANDY CORN IS the quintessential Halloween treat, and who knew you could actually make it at home? This DIY version is a bit time consuming, but the end result is well worth it. Best of all, it’s vegan, so all your pals can enjoy it (store-bought candy corn typically contains animal products like gelatin, egg whites, and beeswax). If you really want to get into the spooky spirit, host a candy-corn-making party, so you can assemble these little confections in the company of friends. In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar, 2⁄3 cup corn syrup, 5 Tbsp. vegan margarine (such as Earth Balance), and 1 tsp. vanilla to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. In a bowl, sift together 21⁄2 cups powdered sugar, 1 ⁄3 cup powdered soy milk, and a pinch of salt, then add this to the sugar mixture and stir until combined. Let the dough-like mixture stand until slightly warm to the touch, about 15 minutes, and divide into 3 equal pieces. Add several drops of yellow food coloring to 1 piece of dough; knead until smooth and the color is even. Make another piece of dough orange by adding a couple of drops each of yellow and red food coloring. Repeat kneading. Knead the remaining piece of dough until smooth. Roll each piece into ropes of equal length (no thinner than 1⁄4" or they will break), lay the ropes next to each other and push together to form one tricolor slab. Using a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts across the slab, alternating their angle to make triangles from top and bottom. Round the corners of the triangles to make candy corn shapes; they’ll be a bit larger than the storebought kind. The recipe should yield at least 100 pieces, and they’ll stay fresh for quite some time. Store on parchment paper in an airtight container, and enjoy them whenever your sweet tooth strikes! [MELISSER ELLIOTT, WWW.THEURBANHOUSEWIFE.COM]

THANKS TO A handful of new DIY-fabric companies, you can now take your handmade creations to a whole new level of customization. Are you obsessed with your pet bunny? Reupholster your favorite chair in fabric printed with her likeness. Can’t stand the holiday-inspired textiles at your local craft mart? Create your own neon plaid. The options are Illustrator Samantha Hahn used Spoonflower to endless; all you need is print custom fabric from her own drawings an Internet connection and a little creativity. The following resources let you turn uploaded photos, scanned images, or Photoshop designs into patterned fabric at totally affordable prices in runs as small as one yard. Each site walks you through the process step-by-step, so it’s easy as pie for even the non-tech-savvy. And since the turnaround time is seven business days or less, you’ll be personalizing your projects to the max in no time flat. The design-it-yourself fabric service offered by Spoonflower (www.spoonflower. com) is already a fave among crafters, probably because of the charm of the site’s interactive community that lets you see what other folks are creating. The prices range from $18 to $32 per yard for prints on all-natural fabrics like organic and upholsteryweight cotton, and Spoonflower employs eco-friendly production using pigment dyes. For kicks, check out their weekly fabric design contest, voted on and created by Spoonflower users—they even make the winner available for purchase. Looking for a broader spectrum of textiles? Fabric on Demand (www.fabricondemand.com) has an especially user-friendly site and offers more than twice as many fabric choices as Spoonflower to print on (including lavish textiles like fleece and suede) that will cost you $16.75 – $34.20 a yard to customize. If you’re not a sewer, Karma Kraft (www. karmakraft.com) is the company for you. In addition to offering base fabrics from polyester to pure silk at $20 – $32 per yard, for a little extra cash you can have Karma Kraft’s seamsters turn your fabric into a handbag, apparel, and even a pet bed. [JEN NG]

Chew on This Does the thought of homemade jam, backyard honey, or farm-fresh cheese make your mouth water? Then head over to Foodzie.com, a site that sells all sorts of tasty treats from indie food producers and growers, including baked goods, meats, produce, condiments, and candy—it’s like Etsy for edibles! // BUST / 23

real life

NICKEL AND DINED [BY ISA CHANDRA MOSKOWITZ]

rice, rice baby APPLE-PUMPKIN RISOTTO WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS JUST BECAUSE YOUR wallet’s hurting doesn’t mean your tummy has to. With the right recipes, you can make delicious, healthy meals on a budget, and risotto embodies everything that this new column, “Nickel and Dined,” is about: cheap, fancy eats. This version—which contains my penny-pinching tips throughout—makes the most of seasonal ingredients, so visit your farmer’s market to handpick the freshest specimens you can. It’s also vegan, as all my recipes are (see more at www.ppk. com), so everyone you know can enjoy a steaming bowlful.

INGREDIENTS SERVES 4, $2.31 A SERVING

3 lb. sugar pumpkin or any winter squash (butternut, acorn, etc.) 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 small yellow onion, ﬁnely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger 1 ⁄2 tsp. crushed red pepper ﬂakes 11⁄2 cup Arborio rice 1 ⁄3 cup dry white cooking wine 5 to 6 cups vegetable broth, kept warm on the stove top 2 green apples, peeled and diced into 1⁄4-inch chunks 1 ⁄2 tsp. salt 1 ⁄2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 ⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon For the caramelized onions: 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced 24 / BUST // OCT/NOV

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then prepare the pumpkin. Hack it in half and remove the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon. (Tip: clean the seeds, drizzle them with olive oil, and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes for a delectable snack.) Place pumpkin face down on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 35 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove, let cool, then peel off the skin and chop into bite-size pieces. While the pumpkin is baking, prepare the caramelized onions. Preheat a heavybottomed skillet over low heat. Add the oil and onions, and toss to coat. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, leaving a little gap for steam to escape. Stir occasionally. Onions should turn a mellow amber color. Remove cover and turn heat up to medium. Stir often for 10 more minutes. Onions should turn a darker amber, and some of the moisture should evaporate. Start the risotto right after beginning the

onions. Have broth warming on the stove before you begin. (Tip: packaged broth is pricey, so use a powdered or concentrated veggie broth mixed with hot water instead.) Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper ﬂakes in the oil for about 7 minutes, stirring often. Add the rice, and stir to coat. Add wine, apples, and 1 cup of broth. Stir until most of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step, adding 1 cup of broth at a time, stirring occasionally, until you have 1 cup left. It should take about 45 minutes. Add the pumpkin (it should be ready by this point) and the last cup of broth and stir. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, add the salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. (Tip: skip the overpriced jars, and buy your spices from the bulk bins at your local Indian market or health-food store. Cinnamon should never cost you $5—30 cents is more like it!) Cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Let sit for 10 minutes, then serve in bowls and top with caramelized onions. PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALPHA SMOOT

real life

BUY OR DIY

nice rack GIVE YOUR SPICES A NEW HOME IN AN OLD SUITCASE

STYLED BY STEPHANIE HANES

DECORATING YOUR KITCHEN is one of the sweetest parts of moving into a new apartment. It can also be a great way to update your current living sitch. Outﬁtting your mess hall with goodies from yesteryear creates instant character, so skip that Ikea trip and add some vintage ﬂare to your digs by making a super spice rack from an upcycled suitcase. »

PHOTOGRAPHED BY SARAH ANNE WARD

// BUST / 25

real life

BUY OR DIY

a spice odyssey First, find a suitcase made of hard material with flat sides, so it will hang flush against your walls, at your local thrift or vintage store. The “bottom” of the suitcase should be deeper than the top. If the inside of your suitcase isn’t too shabby, feel free to keep the original lining. If the interior is looking rough, cover it with fabric. On the reverse side of a piece of complementary fabric, lay the closed suitcase on its side and trace around it. Flip it over and trace again. Cut out the pieces; spread a thin layer of fabric glue on the inside of your suitcase and secure them in place. With the suitcase open, measure the height of the bottom half as well as the inside circumference. Cut a strip of fabric 1⁄4" wider and 1 ⁄2" longer than your measurements. Use fabric glue to adhere the strip around the wall of the suitcase. Tuck in 1⁄4" at the top and ends of the strip so the raw edge is hidden. To make the shelves, measure the width and depth of the bottom of your suitcase, and cut 2 pieces of 1"-thick wood to these measurements. I used a table saw, but a handsaw will work just as well, or find a hardware store that will cut the pieces for you. Paint or stain your shelves and let dry. To install my shelves, I lined them up on either side of the suitcase handle, but you may need to adjust the placement depending on the size, shape, or location of your suitcase’s handle and closures. Making sure the first shelf is level, hold it in place, then use a drill and 1⁄8" countersink bit to drill 2 guide holes from the outside of the suitcase into each end of the wood. Repeat for the second shelf. Switch to a screwdriver bit and screw 15⁄8" flat-top wood screws (8 total) from the outside of the suitcase through the guide holes and into the shelves. To hold your spices in place, cut 2 pieces of ribbon 1" longer than your shelves. Secure each one about 1" above the shelves by gluing 1 ⁄2" of each ribbon’s end to the interior sides of your suitcase. To hang your spice rack, use a drill to secure 2 picture frame hooks (you can get a frame-mounting kit complete with hooks and screws at most hardware stores) to the outside of your suitcase so that the screws enter into the back of your top shelf; use wire to hang. Fill with your fave flaves, and get to cookin’. [ LORI FORTY WEAVER ] 26 / BUST // OCT/NOV

SENSATIONAL HOLDERS FOR YOUR SEASONINGS ARE ONLY A CLICK AWAY [BY CALLIE WATTS]

You Spin My Spice Round, Baby

Zest Tube

This cooking carousel holds 12 removable dispensers that allow you to pour, shake, or turn a dial that doles out a 1 ⁄4 teaspoon for each click ($34.99, www.kitchenart.com).

Stylish spice racks aren’t just an herbin’ legend. This chic holder will have you feeling like Posh Spice even when you’re channeling Paula Deen ($24.99, www.kitchenkapers.com).

Rack of Love Spin the Bottle This rotating six-shooter created by Italian design studio Angeletti Ruzza will have you adding ﬂavor out of the blue ($19.99, www.wrapables.com).

Win the great spice-space race with this trio of drawers that pull out and down so you can read the labels with ease. It ﬁts 18 full-size or 36 half-size jars, so if you’re a girl for all seasonings, this rack’s for you ($24.95, www.spicestack.com).

real life

THESE HOT HERBAL COCKTAILS PACK A HEALING PUNCH

WHEN THE WEATHER outside requires piling on a hat, scarf, and mittens, there’s nothing better than warming up inside with a steamy cocktail. These recipes are perfect alternatives to that boring ol’ hot toddy, and they have the bonus of including natural herbs with healing qualities, so you can use them medicinally as well as recreationally. These little hotties taste so good, you’ll want to whip them up for your friends on a chilly evening or just for yourself, to make a night on the couch with a book even cozier.

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE Lavender and chamomile are strong calming agents, so drink this concoction when you’re ready for a snooze. To make, steep 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh lavender and a chamomile tea bag in 8 oz. boiling water for 15 minutes. Strain, then stir in a shot of St. Germain elderflower liqueur and 1 tsp. honey. Lavender is also thought to boost immunity and fight respiratory problems. Elderflower, the main ingredient in St. Germain, is commonly used by alternative-medicine practitioners to treat colds, flu, and hay fever because it fights mucus production; sounds gross, but you’ll be grateful for that when you’re knee-deep in used tissues. Adding a dollop of honey helps coat and soothe your throat. 28 / BUST // OCT/NOV

SAGE SALVATION This spin on the traditional hot toddy is perfect for whiskey lovers. To make, steep 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage in 8 oz. boiling water for 10 – 15 minutes, then strain into a mug. Stir in a shot of Jim Beam and 2 tsp. honey. Squeeze in 2 lemon wedges, then add them to the glass for garnish. In addition to giving this drink a delicious flavor, sage packs major healing power—its antiseptic qualities are excellent for a sore throat. Sage is also very aromatic, and brewing it helps clear the sinuses.

DOUBLE-MINT YUM The smell alone makes this drink worth mixing. Steep 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint, and a peppermint tea bag in 8 oz. boiling water for 15 minutes. Strain, then stir in a shot of gin and 2 tsp. honey. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Simply breathing in the aroma can give poor, ravaged nostrils some instant relief. Thyme is a powerful and versatile herb, known for its ability to soothe headaches, coughing, and bronchial inﬂammation. It also boosts the mind and spirit. Peppermint relieves allergy symptoms in addition to aiding digestion. So drink up! [MOLLY KINCAID] PHOTOGRAPHED BY SARAH ANNE WARD

STYLED BY STEPHANIE HANES

drink to your health

real life MOTHER SUPERIOR [BY AYUN HALLIDAY]

winner of discontent YEAR-END HONORS CAN BE A DOWNER

30 / BUST // OCT/NOV

through a June farewell ceremony with nary a summons from the stage. Our culture has deemed it distasteful for anyone outside the realm of professional sports to cop to caring about winning awards. That said, who really believes that Oscar nominees are indifferent when it comes to the gilded statuettes that can drive up their per-ﬁlm asking price by tens of thousands of dollars? And it’s more than just monetarily painful to lose.

Our culture has deemed it distasteful for anyone outside professional sports to cop to caring about winning awards. No one expects hastily Xeroxed certiﬁcates of merit to confer the same glamour as those ugly baubles stars clutch so avidly before even uglier vinyl backdrops, but provided one is not giving triage to a traumatized non-winner, they can provide observers with the usual gossipy delight in seeing the most deserving passed over in favor of a pet, or a schemer, or even a friendly accomplished kid whose mother won’t shut up about his or her achievements. I don’t remember my mom bragging about how I snagged that illustrated vol-

set, though I did resent the assertion that the honoree was “a friend to all.” Sometimes all that glitters is not gold. I’m trying to think if Milo has come home from school with anything besides the Good Attendance and Honorary Fireﬁghter distinctions that are doled out to pretty much anyone who shows up. I don’t think so, but there’s no doubt it’s on the horizon. Unless it’s a full-ride scholarship to the expensive university of his choice, it seems likely some reservations will be lurking behind his mother’s hearty congratulations.

ILLUSTRATED BY AYUN HALLIDAY

ANOTHER AWARDS SEASON has drawn to a close. No, not MTV or BET, the Emmys, the Oscars, or the Tonys. I’m talking about those end-of-the-school-year, juvenile laurels. I know these sorts of things are supposed to be fun, and should the golden child turn out to be you or a child dear to you, they frequently are. But even those happy moments can become fraught. On the last day of third grade, when Mrs. Knall presented me with a gift-wrapped book of haiku in recognition of my achievements in the ﬁeld of creative writing, I brought dishonor on myself by succumbing to emotion. I probably wouldn’t have choked up had it been a private ceremony, but it’s an intense experience to be called to the front of your class so all your peers can bear witness to the fact that your beautiful, young teacher considers you the best, better even than Chris Jeagan or Melanie Brooks, both of whose faces were frozen in rictuses of shell-shocked good sportsmanship. Before I continue, allow me to concede that Mrs. Knall may have been mistaken. Such admissions become necessary when one grows up and has children of one’s own, children who may well make it

ume of Basho. It’s her response to my fifthgrade paper-plate award that dogs me to this day. Mrs. Rogers had put a lot of time, effort, and comic flair into putting these things together, teasing notable traits from even the least remarkable members of our class. I shared the Inhale-Exhale award with my best friend, Anna. How could I have predicted that Mom, who harbored some mysterious grudge against her, would seize upon limp balloons stapled to a paper plate as an excuse to scorn our bond? “For God’s sake, your teacher thinks you can’t even breathe without her!” she said. No wonder I felt a twinge when my 11year-old daughter returned from school on the last day of the year, bearing a certificate lauding her as Best Little Sib. Knowing that the older student who had been her teacher-appointed Big Sib was the only one of her number who bothered to attend the non-obligatory mentoring-club meetings more than twice, I can see how this honor could feel slightly anemic. She was fairly bummed that the Best Artist and Best Actor awards went to friends whose abilities she considered equal, if not slightly inferior, to hers. Still, I’m grateful she has a fair-minded teacher who insists that every child be singled out for something. I feel no ill will toward this teacher for once picking as Student of the Week a girl who wasted no opportunity to let Inky know she was unwelcome to lunch with her and her

FASHION+BOOTY

cynara geissler GRAD STUDENT IN PUBLISHING How would you describe your style? I pull from a lot of seemingly disparate places. There’s a little bit of tough, Springsteen, working-class stuff going on and also a Claudia Kishi from The Baby-sitter’s Club kind of whimsicality. Let’s talk about this outﬁt. The denim jacket I thrifted here in Winnipeg for like $10. The dress is from a business-wear mall chain in Canada called Ricki’s that has a pretty wide size range, from 0 to 18. It’s an $80 dress, but I got it half-price on clearance. The tights are from Addition Elle, a Canadian plus-size retailer. The heels are from Hudson’s Bay Company; it’s sort of like Winnipeg’s Macy’s. I got those for like $10 because I waited for them to go on sale. So you have a lot of patience. Yeah, I think anybody who is my size has to have patience to build style, because you just don’t have as many options, and you really have to be resourceful. It’s like the Air Supply song “Making Love Out of Nothing at All.” [laughs] And your jewelry? I’m wearing about ﬁve necklaces. Most of them are vintage from my late grandmother, and one of them is from Claire’s. Where do you get your inspiration? From a lot of street style, places like Wardrobe Remix and Fatshionista on Flickr.com. I’m inspired by people who take fashion risks without spending the money that we normally associate with avant-garde looks. I think it’s important to be fearless and push yourself. In my 20s I really evolved stylistically. What spurred that? A large part of it was deciding to be OK with my body. A lot of people put roadblocks on themselves, and I hit a point where I was like, pardon my language, “Fuck it!” My life is now, so I might as well just go with it and experiment. Life’s too short to spend time hating yourself and following self-imposed rules about when you can wear a dress or when you can wear a tank top or whatever. Do you have a can’t-live-without wardrobe item? Well, probably my glasses because I can’t see without them! [laughs]. [LISA BUTTERWORTH]

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MANDY MALAZDREWICH

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FASHIONISTA

Gabby Applegate shows off her dark side

witchy woman THIS NEW LINE WILL PUT A SPELL ON YOU

32 / BUST // OCT/NOV

LOS ANGELES ISN’T exactly known for gothinspired fashion, but Witches, a brand-new label out of sunny So Cal, is setting the standard for black-and-gloomy chic. Founded in March by Gabby Applegate, a 19-year-old business student, and her childhood friend 26-year-old Lauren Alexander (half of the design duo behind cool basics label LNA), the line came out of the girls’ shared desire to create something their closets lacked. In this case, that includes lace leggings with leather cross insets, velvet jumpers, and tuxedo jackets. A self-taught illustrator who found her artistic side by spending hours drawing horses in her room, Applegate enlisted Alexander to lend the project some of the business savvy she’d learned with LNA. Together they created Witches’ first collection, which debuted this fall with Victorian-inspired floor-length gowns, lacy minidresses, spandex pants, and even a velvet cape—all in black, of course. With Alexander returning her focus to LNA, Applegate now flies solo, while still keeping the aesthetic of the ladies’ mutual love for edgy, flirty basics with a bite. She describes the line and its avant-noir look of head-to-toe black as everything a “mod-

ern witch” may need in her wardrobe. And what exactly is a modern witch? “The type of girl who is kind of like us,” she says. “She goes out a lot and has a lifestyle that stems from being very confident with who she is, yet she always has something mysterious about her.” Even with Witches’ shadowy overtones, Applegate insists the line isn’t specifically for goths. In addition to having oodles of hipster appeal, she says, investing in Witches’ pieces is a practical move for shoppers in a down economy, thanks to the line’s perennially in-style hue and lack of trendy patterns. “A lot of people are starting to turn to darker colors,” she says. “Black is just easier to wear.” Applegate, who speaks with beguiling confidence for someone so young and new to the fashion industry, advises that succeeding with a start-up line in these spooky economic times is all about creating goods that no one else has. “You have to offer people something that is not out there already so that they absolutely need your line in their closet. People are cutting down on a lot of what they want and spending on what they need.” She then adds, with a laugh, “And some girls, like me, can totally justify what they need going into their closet.” [SARA GRAHAM] PHOTOGRAPHED BY BRADLEY MEINZ

MODELS: SYLVIE WANG, DEVAN BOYLE, DAHLIA VALLE-PETERSON

oh my god. shoes. THESE LEGGY COMBOS WILL SWEEP YOU OFF YOUR FEET

[BY CALLIE WATTS]

1. FAITH HEEL BY OLSEN HAUS, $200, WWW.OLSENHAUS.COM; PINSTRIPE ORGANIC THIGH-HIGHS BY ECO CHIC CLOTHING, $29, WWW.ECOCHICCLOTHING.COM. 2. PENNY WEDGE BY 80%20, $138, WWW.FREEPEOPLE.COM; DEFINITION ARGYLES BY OZONE, $20, WWW.OZONESOCKS.COM. 3. STORMY WEATHER BOOTIE BY BC, $80, WWW.KARMALOOP.COM; VERTICALLY INCLINED STOCKINGS BY SOCK DREAMS, $10, WWW.SOCKDREAMS.COM. 4. SOLEIL HEEL BY DOLLHOUSE, $54, WWW.DOLLHOUSE.COM; ICE CREAM CONE SOCKS BY SOCK IT TO ME, $7.50, WWW.SOCKITTOMESOCKS.COM. 5. TEAPOT LADY GRAY BOOTIE BY JOHN FLUEVOG, $169, WWW.FLUEVOG.COM; OVER-THE-KNEE CRONERT ARGYLES BY SOCK DREAMS, $16, WWW.SOCKDREAMS.COM. PHOTOGRAPHED BY AMANDA BRUNS

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don’t get attached

gleaming the cube How do you solve a problem like bland pizza? Just put your mind to the grind with these Rubik’s Cube–inspired salt and pepper mills. One twist of the puzzle turns out some freshly ground ﬂavor (£12.50 each, www.npw.co.uk). [CALLIE WATTS]

test kitchen [ THEIR PRODUCTS, OUR INTERNS ] HissyFit Lip Service, $20, www.hissyﬁt.com

SYLVIE This balm made my lips gloriously shiny and luscious. It had a nice ﬂavor that wasn’t too strong. HissyFit’s Lip Service kept my kisser unchapped, but it wasn’t especially remarkable compared with other lip balms.

Alba Botanica Rainforest Cupuaçu Deep Hydration Body Lotion, $10.95, www.albabotanica.com

DEVAN HissyFit’s combination of balm and gloss is genius! The taste was a little weird, but this stuff is a winner in the nonsticky, paraben-free department. It also gets bonus points for cute packaging and sun protection.

If you’ve ever taken a deep inhale of lemon-scented Palmolive and sighed contentedly, we should be friends and this is the lotion for you. Although my hands felt like I’d just greased a pan until the salve sank in, it doubled as an excellent cuticle cream.

Alba’s tropical lotion was silky and light, though it took a long time to absorb— talk about deep hydration! The scent was fruity and intense. I would use it on my hands, but not all over.

This product is superbuttery smooth and soft, both in its texture and the way it made my skin feel. I liked the fresh rainforest smell; it was a nice contrast to the too-sweet scent of other lotions. I’m also no longer ridiculously ashy.

Clean George Mint-alyptus Hand Puriﬁer, $9.99, www.cleangeorge.com

HANNAH I’m retiring my hunting cap and saying sayonara to Sephora—my long pursuit of the best balm has ended with HissyFit, which gave me a lightly tinted, ﬂavored, sun-protected mouth. Thanks to this stellar Aussie brand, I’ve kissed chapped lips good-bye.

If I saw this product in a store, I would think about pinching Clean George’s cute cheeks before buying his lesscharming cousin, $2 Purell. But now that I own the BMW of hand sanitizers (that moonlights as moisturizer), it gets a surprising amount of mileage.

This hand sanitizer smelled fantastic— minty-fresh and herby. But even though I’m superdown with all-natural, toxin-free beauty products, I suspect that the audience for an organic germ killer is more hip helicopter mom and less grungy me.

Thanks to my years of gum chewing, I associate minty scents with fresh and clean things, which really worked to this hand sanitizer’s advantage. I liked that it was a two-in-one germ killer and skin softener and didn’t smell like rubbing alcohol.

34 / BUST // OCT/NOV

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE BLACKBURNE

Playa, please! Cut the cord and keep 4 GB of MP3s right at your ears. Just slip the included memory card into these Double Agent headphones’ trap door, connect them to your computer to upload music, then pull the plug and tap the buttons on the ear to pump up the jams ($89.95, www.skullcandy.com). [CALLIE WATTS]

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home body DIY BEAUTY TIPS FOR EASY-PEASY PAMPERING WITH HOUSEHOLD GOODS [BY JENNY ROSE RYAN] YOU DON’T NEED an arsenal of fancy beauty products to keep your hair healthy and your skin clear. Your house is full of everyday items that can provide all-natural alternatives to processed facial scrubs, hair treatments, teeth whiteners, and even perfume. These simple, eco-friendly recipes, tips, and tricks will have you lookin’ boss on a budget.

Whiten your teeth by dipping your toothbrush in a mixture of 1 tsp. hydrogen peroxide and 2 tsp. baking soda. Scrub away and rinse, doing your best not to taste the paste—it’s the opposite of scrumptious. Add some shine to your tresses by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil with a cup of dried chamomile ﬂowers or chamomile tea. Simmer for a half hour. Cool, strain, and use as a ﬁnal hair rinse the next time you shower. If your dry mane needs extra help, mash an avocado and rub it through your locks, leaving it in for about 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly so you don’t smell like a big bowl of guac. Alleviate oil-prone skin with…more oil! Dab a cotton ball with extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil, swipe it all over your face, and rinse with a hot washcloth daily. In a few weeks, your skin will be grease-free and glowing. Baking soda’s all you need to get rid of dry patches on your elbows and knees. Take a couple of big pinches and make a paste in your palm with a few drops of water. Rub gently on scaly areas and rinse away. This works great as a face scrub, too. Zap zits by steeping a few tsp. dried or fresh basil leaves in a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain and refrigerate the soothing concoction (it’ll keep for a few months), then use it to blot any brewing eruptions. For a relaxing soak, put some steel-cut oatmeal in an old sock or cheesecloth, tie the end, and throw it in the bathtub. Its soothing qualities help calm itchy, irritated skin, and it’s great for kids with chicken pox, too. Did you have a late night? Don’t let your eyes show it. Depuff your peepers by sticking a couple of spoons in the fridge, then placing the cool, curved sides on top of your closed eyes for a minute or so. Skip the expensive perfumes and dab a little vanilla on your wrists instead (make sure it’s real, not imitation). You’ll smell like fresh-baked cookies all day.

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ILLUSTRATED BY SAMANTHA HAHN

PAGE O’ SHIT

bake on me A BIG BATCH OF AWESOME TO GET YOU COOKING [BY CALLIE WATTS]

1. Too Hot to Handle If you can’t stand the heat, don’t get out of the kitchen—get a potholder with a sizzling stud to protect your precious paws ($8 each, fussygussy.etsy.com). 2. Can’t See the Icing for the Trees This 73-piece Woodland Cupcake Kit contains assorted toppers, baking cups, chocolate jimmies, candy rocks, and labels—everything you need to turn your baked goods into a frosted forest ($12, www.layercakeshop.com). 3. One Nice Stand Sometimes you need a mushroom of one’s own to properly display your sweets, so grab this toadstool cake stand and let your work take center stage ($85, www.huset-shop.com). 4. Dessert Sessions If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a giant cupcake! This supersized aluminum pan makes a treat that can feed a whole party, so let them eat cake ($30.99, www.wilton.com). 5. Timing Is Everything Sound the alarm and start burning up for your love of this soft-serve ice-cream kitchen timer ($10, www.shopplasticland.com). 6. Cook With Love You’ll ﬂip for this handmade heart-shaped spatula; it’s the perfect way to toss your cookies ($48, www.beehivekitchenware.com). 7. Cookie Stackhouse This stackable set has everything you need for a batch made in heaven—large and small mixing bowls, a colander, a sieve, and four measuring cups ($54.50, www.delight.com). 8. Give ’em the Finger There is no batter way to get all the ﬁnger-lickin’ goods from the bottom of a bowl than with this supercute rubber spatula ($7.99, www.perpetualkid.com).

5 PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHRISTINE BLACKBURNE

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AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 GIRLS [#40]

Come on in, the water's ﬁne

This old town square has Icelandic ﬂair Vintage rules the racks at Nostalgía

reykjavík, iceland THIS ARCTIC ISLAND IS COOL AS ICE [BY JENNY GOTTSTEIN]

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ICELAND MADE HEADLINES last October when, almost overnight, the country tripped and tumbled into a spectacular economic collapse. Since then, the world has watched, horrified, and speculated about the fate of this little Nordic island, home to both awe-inspiring glaciers and active volcanoes. But while Iceland may appear sweet, modest, and fragile, it’s still the land of the Vikings. Don’t be deceived by the soft twinkling lights, misty harbors, cobblestone streets, and charming houses—Icelanders are feisty, strong, and creative, not to mention progressive (Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, the country’s prime minister, is the first openly gay head of government). These qualities have helped make Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital (and perhaps more important, the birthplace of Björk), a hotspot for fashion, music, environmental sustainability, and design. This city looks like a sleepy seaside village, tucked along the shore of Faxafloi Bay and boxed in by steep, white mountain ranges. It has a population of just 120,000, but since that’s approximately one-third of the country’s total citizenry, Reykjavík is the very heartbeat of Iceland. Most tourists flock here in the summer months, when the country enjoys 22 hours of sunlight a day. But fall, the season of adorable

wool sweaters and brilliant Northern Lights, is also a great time to visit. The four-day Iceland Airwaves Music Festival takes place in October, when venues in downtown Reykjavík open their doors to over 200 local and international indie pop acts. If you miss the fest, fear not. Reykjavík is always bursting with live music, DJs, and potential drinking buddies most nights of the week. Nothing gets started until well after midnight— and bars stay open till 4 or 5 a.m.—so take your time and savor a long dinner at one of the following hipster hangouts. Við Tjörnina (Templarasund 3) is known for its unpretentious seafood dishes and fresh baked bread—the handwritten menus are as delightful as the restaurant’s oldfashioned décor. As an appetizer, try the famous Icelandic specialty hákarl (fermented shark). For veggie-friendly food options, try Segurmo (in Boston Bar, Laugavegur 28), a trendy eatery inside a popular bar on Reykjavík’s main drag. Once fed, head to Kafﬁbarinn (Bergstaðastræti 1), a small pub that’s always packed with the who’s who of Reykjavík. Sample some Icelandic beer, aptly named Viking, and rub shoulders with the local musicians, artists, designers, and fashionistas who pack this wood-paneled bar. Next, visit Prikið (Bankastræti 12) to experience Iceland’s hip-hop scene, head to NASA PHOTOGRAPHED BY SOFFÍA GÍSLADÓTTIR

Reykjavík's street style

Dress for success at Naked Ape

Eat a snack at the Sea Baron shack

Cafe Oliver has dance ﬂoors galore

Creatures from the Blue Lagoon

Go from dining to dancing at Prikið's cafe-cum-club

(Thorvaldsenstræti 2) for a live rock show, or dance the night away at Cafe Oliver (Laugavegur 20a). For the best insider tips, check listings at Nightlife.is, or grab the free entertainment guide, The Reykjavík Grapevine, located in retail shops around the city. At the end of your nocturnal tear, crawl back to bed at 4th Floor Hotel (Laugavegur 101), an apartment-like guesthouse located in the heart of Reykjavík. Clean, simple, and easy on the wallet, suites range from $60 to $100 per night. In the morning, a cup of strong, hot Icelandic coffee is essential. Cop your brew at local favorites Grai Kotturinn (Hverﬁsgata 16a) or Kafﬁ Hljómalind (Laugavegur 21), where baristas with arty haircuts and warm smiles will help ease you into your day. But don’t pull an “American” and order your cup to go—here coffee is to be enjoyed with company. Both cafes are bright, cheerful, and full of activity, often hosting poetry readings, music shows, screenings, and lectures. While you sit and sip, take a moment to observe the city’s famous street fashion. Ballsy and titillating, Icelandic style embraces frocks, fringe, wool, polyester, and plaid with equal abandon. If you want to keep

pace with these bold looks, start your shopping marathon at Spúútnik (Laugavegur 32), the city’s best vintage store. Then run over to Saumagallery (Laugavegur 70) and score a custom batwing sweater made by local designer Chaemsri. For more secondhand superiority, comb the racks at Nostalgía (Laugavegur 30). And to round out your throbbing neon, nu-rave wardrobe, stop by Naked Ape (Bankastræti 14) for leggings and hoodies bright enough to direct traffic. Music junkies should also visit 12 Tónar (Skólavörõustígur 15)—a local record store/ homegrown indie music label where sonic giants such as Björk, múm, and Sigur Rós used to meet and collaborate. At this point, you might need to rest and refuel. For a delicious and unforgettable snack, make your way down to a tiny shack on the harbor called Saegreifinn, or Sea Baron (Geirsgata 8). The menu is minimal— lobster soup, whale-meat kabobs, bread— but the flavors will make your knees weak. Often you’ll share a table with the old Sea Baron himself, eating in his rubber overalls before he heads back to the boat. If it’s Saturday or Sunday, walk along the docks to Kolaportid (Tryggvagötu 19), a mas-

sive indoor flea market where you can find secondhand clothes, homemade knitwear, rare vinyl, jewelry, antiques, and fresh fish. Nearby is the Reykjavík Art Museum (Tryggvagata 17), housed in a sleek white building converted from a 1930s fishing warehouse. Here you can gawk at contemporary work from the country’s best and brightest. No trip to Iceland would be complete without a public bathing experience. Toss a stone in this country and you’ll hit a geothermal pool or an old man in Speedos. Many tourists visit the iconic Blue Lagoon, an iridescent resort-like hot spring located between Reykjavík and the airport. But if you’d like to experience everyday Iceland, join the locals at Laugardalslaug (Sundlaugavegur 30a), a swimming megaplex with an Olympic-size pool, hot tubs, water massagers, and slides. With its cinematic landscapes, spirited lifestyles, and startling contrasts, Iceland lives up to its reputation as the land of fire and ice. Reykjavík, too, is defined by a great paradox: even in the midst of an economic crisis, the city radiates a wealth of wonders. So pack your long johns and head north. This arctic gem is not to be missed. // BUST / 39

40 / BUST // OCT/NOV

BY EMILY MCCOMBS

ON ELLEN: MODIFIED CONVERSE BY BESS; PHONE SWEATSHIRT BY JEREMY SCOTT; VINTAGE JEANS; BRACELETS BY PHILIP CRANGI. ON ALIA: DICE DRESS BY JEREMY SCOTT; BOOTS BY BESS.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL LAVINE

Sporting beauty, brains, and buckets of talent, Whip It co-stars Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat are already Hollywood forces to be reckoned with, and they’re not even old enough to rent a car. Here, the on- and off-screen best friends get candid about fame, female directors, ﬁrst kisses, and much more

ET’S JUST GET this out of the way right now: Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat have both kissed Michael Cera (Shawkat in her definitive role as Maeby Fünke on the Emmy-winning TV series Arrested Development, and Page as part of her Oscar-nominated turn in Juno). Like us, you may need to wrap your mind around that factoid before considering anything else about this awesome twosome. Of course, there’s plenty more to love about this pair of young actresses, who recently wrapped their roles as best friends in the Drew Barrymore–directed comedy Whip It, a cartoonish girl-power confection that takes place in the hard-hitting skates, skirts, and scars world of competitive roller derby. This Hollywood rendition—featuring a fantastic female supporting cast including Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Kristen Wiig, Zoe Bell, and Eve—is one of many reinventions for derby. Originally a flashy form of athletic entertainment from the ’30s through the ’70s, it has been revived in recent years as more of a sport by DIY feminists with a grassroots aesthetic and a high tolerance for pain. It’s the latter version Page and Shawkat are channeling in Whip It, which is based on Shauna Cross’ delightfully frank young-adult novel Derby Girl, about a small-town Texas misfit who finds her place in the local derby league. In real life, both Page and Shawkat seem better adjusted than their teen characters, but their BFF status isn’t just on film; it’s genuine. The pair likes to travel together (they’ve taken trips to Mexico and Amsterdam),

STYLED BY PRISCILLA POLLEY // HAIR BY PETER BUTLER MAKEUP BY TINA TURNBOW // PROP STYLING BY STEPHANIE HANES // BUST / 41

What do you think of the whole rollerderby resurgence? Ellen: What’s rad about it is that girls who never in a million years thought they’d ever play a sport have become phenomenal at it, all shapes and sizes. Alia: I met a girl once when I was in Nashville, and she was talking about how when she first joined a roller-derby team, she was with an abusive boyfriend who didn’t let her do much. She was a really timid girl. And she left her boyfriend right away and started doing what she loved, and it made everything more clear to her. She felt like they were a family. Yeah, roller-derby teams seem to be very close. And there’s also a lot of drama, which is lovely and juicy. A: I think they start to question the male sex, ’cause they’re like, “These girls are so hot and strong, why the fuck would I want to sleep with a guy?” Ellen, what kind of physical training

did you go through for this film? Had you skated before? E: I knew the general idea of skating, but I’d never, ever had roller skates on. I learned, though, and I did 99 percent of my own skating in the movie. I was training with the L.A. Derby Dolls, and the trainer’s name was Axles of Evil. Once I got decent, I would scrimmage with the actual Derby Dolls, which was terrifying. A: They had this thing in the hair and makeup trailer called “the wall of pain” and it was just pictures of these unbelievably grotesque bruises. E: I had one wound, which was like a burn. There’s a scene where, it’s not like I fell hard, but my ass just went “eeeeeeeeeeeeee” on the ground, and that was nasty. What were you guys like in high school? E: I wasn’t a dweeb, but I think I was a bit of a perfectionist. I couldn’t deal with bad grades, which now I’m kind of embarrassed about, because it’s like, what was the big deal? A: I got a B once in French and I started crying. But then junior year came along and I discovered marijuana and I stopped caring about anything. E: I played soccer really competitively. But then in high school, I couldn’t do that as much because I was working [as an actor]. A: I went to a very private school in Palm Springs with only 12 other kids, and I was acting, so I’d leave for 6 months and come back and they’d all talk shit about me. I literally was the girl who, at recess, would just futz around in her locker, doing nothing. I was just, like, moving my books around, trying to look busy. Then I’d have lunch in the bathroom by myself. I was doing Arrested Development at the time, and nobody had ever heard of the show, so they were always saying, “What are you doing all the time when you’re leaving?” And I was like, “I’m doing this show. Actually, its really good, you should try to watch it.” Do you have any advice for all the misfit high school girls out there? A: That you’re cool. High school has noth-

ing to do with real life. E: I know it sounds cheesy, but be yourself. If you don’t like French new wave movies, you don’t have to pretend that you do. Do you make conscious decisions to play more realistic female characters? It doesn’t seem like either of you ever play the girlfriend. E: I just try to play roles that are honest and well rounded and well written and three-dimensional. It’s a drag that [roles like this are] a rarity. I wish that it wasn’t a special thing. A: I can’t act well if the role is bad. I have done bad stuff, and when you see it, you can obviously tell that I’m not acting. You can see through my eyes that I’m like, “Help me.” E: It’s soul-destroying. It eats away at you. Do you still get some of those scripts with awful parts for women? E: My agents and my manager obviously know what I want, but sometimes I’ll read something and I just can’t do it. A: We’re in slightly different positions. Not to make [Ellen] uncomfortable, but Ellen’s gotten to a point where she gets to pick, whereas I still have to take a chance with something horrible sometimes. So what comes across your desk? A: Some bad shit. A lot of horror movies. Like, there was this one where they described the character as “very frail,” which, first of all, is not going to work, ’cause I’m a little too voluptuous. And then it was like, “This is the first scene in the movie—why is she crying?” And then she runs around in an apron, and then of course the apron comes off pretty soon after that. Another thing that’s great about the characters you two tend to play is that they’re really realistically sexual. E: It’s nice to have that being spoken about, especially now that there’s this weird new Palin abstinence [campaign]. The harm that [teaching abstinence-only sex ed] can cause is obvious and, I think, proven. And it just doesn’t make any sense. That was one amazing thing about the school I went

“Be yourself. If you don’t like French new wave movies, 42 / BUST // OCT/NOV

ON ALIA: DRESS BY RACHEL ANTONOFF; BLUE VELVET JACKET BY LOVER. ON ELLEN: JACKET BY CURRENT/ELLIOTT. VEGAN CUPCAKES BY MELISSA LOVE.

and they also enjoy hitting up concerts, catching bands like Peaches, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Amazing Baby. Hailing from Nova Scotia, Canada, Page, 22, is the older and more reserved of the two, perhaps reflecting her greater experience with the media; she sometimes looks chagrined by the tendency of Shawkat, a 20-year-old California girl, to overshare. But Shawkat’s profile is about to get a whole lot higher, with the Arrested Development movie finally in production, and her role as the bass player in the hotly anticipated Runaways biopic on the horizon. When that happens, she can definitely take lessons from Page in gracefully weathering sudden “It” girl status like the kind bestowed upon the starlet after 2007’s Juno became a smash hit. Despite their successes, however, when Page and Shawkat get together, they seem truly un-Hollywood as they discuss the derby, what it’s really like for young women making their way in the biz today, and, oh, yeah, a certain lusted-after co-star.

you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to pretend that you do." ~ Ellen

// BUST / 43

to: our health class was unbelievable. And I’m sure teachers would be fired for talking about it in public schools, but is it really that big a deal to talk about female orgasm? And for kids to be excited about it? What an awesome part of our lives! A: I think girls need to focus more on their own orgasms, ’cause there are so many girls I’ve met who never orgasm. There’s a crazy percentage of women who don’t. A: It’s unbelievable. And they just accept it. I’m like, “No, lady, you gotta work on that shit. It will change your life.” Girls gotta focus on themselves. It’s about time. E: I think there’s an idea that teenage girls aren’t interested in sex like teenage boys are. A: And that’s not true! I was masturbating all the time in high school! I remember I discovered it straddling a couch and my friend wanted us to leave the room and I was like, “I’m gonna wait here for a little while.” She was like, “Ali, let’s go!” But 44 / BUST // OCT/NOV

once you discover it, you want to do it all the time, ’cause it’s an amazing feeling. E: And it’s a drag if you’re made to feel like its wrong or that it needs to be suppressed. It’s just this weird religious and moralistic intrusion that is so detrimental. If girls don’t think that they’re in control of their own sexuality, that’s when 11-year-olds start giving blow jobs and shit. A: Exactly, to be liked by boys. E: Young girls are just totally sexualized. You’ve got people on blogs calling Miley Cyrus a slut, and it’s like, “She’s 17 years old, for chrissakes!” A: She is kind of a slut. E: Come on…. A: Kidding! I’m just kidding. Speaking of boys, how do you feel about the fact that you’ve both kissed Michael Cera? A: Oh! I didn’t even realize that. E: I never thought of that. A: Yeah, we kissed, but we were so uncomfortable with each other that we wouldn’t

talk the whole day. E: I had a sex scene. A: Yeah you had to straddle him on an awkward couch. We once kissed so badly in the episode where we’re getting married that the director grabbed the script supervisor and kissed her and was like, “This is how it needs to look.” It was so embarrassing. When you watch it today, our mouths, like, miss. We were so uncomfortable for some reason. E: How old were you? A: The first kiss I ever had in my whole life was with him on the pilot. I was 14, and then it seemed like we kissed every other week after that. E: I think the first boy I kissed was in a photo booth at the mall. A: It was your dad, but…. E: That’s not funny at all. So we both kissed Michael. A: Yeah, but yours was with tongue. E: I’m sure he really preferred mine. A: Well, we’re getting married.

ON ELLEN: MODIFIED CONVERSE BY BESS; DENIM SKIRT BY GENETIC DENIM; TIGHTS BY FALKE; TOP BY SONIA BY SONIA RYKIEL. ON ALIA: CREAM BLOUSE BY STEVEN ALAN; BELT BY ZADIG & VOLTAIRE; SHOES BY LOEFFLER RANDALL; VINTAGE JEANS.

The ladies are really into him. E: Maybe it’s like a nonthreatening thing, like, “Whew, I’m not gonna get raped.” So there was no chemistry there at all? E: I think he’s a sweetheart. He’s an awesome guy, and I love hanging out with him. I’ve done a lot of movies where I’ve been sexual, and it’s a different thing. There are tons of people around; you have a camera right in your face…. Do you ever feel pressure as young actresses to be sexualized and do Maxim-type photo shoots? E: I just don’t remotely feel like I’m one of those girls who’s sexy like that. A: I don’t either. E: It’s about openness and being honest and feeling good in your skin. To me that’s sexy. I don’t feel pressure to look that way. But sometimes I feel weird pressure, because if you’re not that kind of sexy, then that means you don’t want the boy to kiss you because you’re not wearing the thing for the boy. But then, I know a lot of guys who don’t find that sexy. Drew Barrymore directed Whip It. Is there a different vibe working with a female director rather than a male one? E: I find there is. I do notice they get treated a little bit differently. A: There’s a little more pressure on them, for sure. E: It seems like there are more supervisors around. Three of the women that I did movies with, it was their first feature, and it’s kind of blamed on the fact that it’s their first feature. But I’ve worked with guys doing their first film and they’re not treated that way. A: I definitely notice that too. This woman I did the film Amreeka with [Cherien Dabis], it was her first film, and she’s unbelievable. She’s winning all these awards and doing so well, but when we were on set… people question female directors more. E: Or they feel threatened. Which of the amazing women in Whip It was most fun on set? E: Kristen Wiig, oh, my God, are you kidding me? Do you remember when that unidentified beast washed up on the shore of Montauk? We started creating a whole musical about it. Do you think that was a real monster?

A: I think it was the government messing with animals trying to make clones or something. E: The thing is, if it wasn’t, then they immediately would have been, like, “Look, it’s not real!” But the fact that there’s, like, one picture online, that’s what makes me more suspicious. It’s just like UFOs— they’re totally fucking real, you know? Ellen, I read that you also enjoy the work of Daniel Pinchbeck, author of 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl. Are you into all the 2012 stuff? E: I am, and I just did an interview for his documentary coming out about 2012. It’s not like I’m one of those people who thinks the world is gonna end in 2012. That’s not the point. [But there may be] some kind of

cosmic transition. We’re very quickly running out of water, and the world is completely overpopulated, and we’re running out of oil, and most of the food that’s eaten is imported from other areas of the world. We’re not growing food. There’s no diversity in our crop culture. Eighty percent of seeds are owned by four companies. That’s insane! Getting back to your own life, how did you weather the huge hype that came with Juno? E: I don’t know if I did it well or not. If anything, it made me more self-deprecating. You just feel like, obviously you don’t deserve all the stuff people are saying, so in a weird way it makes you feel a little bit shitty about yourself.

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“Girls are really funny.

Although a lot of female comedians are just like, ‘I said cock and that’s funny.’ ~ Alia

46 / BUST // OCT/NOV

up. I experienced some of that. My little brother got threatened a lot, and people are just so stupid and called him a terrorist and shit like that. The thing I love about Amreeka is, it doesn’t choose sides. It’s a nice family story. It’s not heavy or preachy. But people try and pretend like [Americans] don’t look at Middle Easterners differently, but we do. So it was nice to connect to it. And after this film, I want to do more to speak about Arabs and what they really stand for. Do you consider yourselves feminists? E: Yeah, sure, of course, definitely. Wouldn’t you think everybody would be a feminist? A: Do you get nos? You’d be surprised. E: It’s annoying there has to be a label for something like that. Ultimately, I’m a humanist. But if someone asks it as a yesor-no question, I’d have to say obviously. I hope that everyone would be. What’s the biggest issue you see young women dealing with today? E: I think absolute media saturation is just horrifying. Making young girls feel like they’re not good enough to propel them to consume more is so sad. You see girls who just don’t like themselves or feel like they need to be prettier or skinnier. Being in such an image-focused profession, do you have to struggle with those same kinds of issues? E: To be completely honest, yeah. I’d like to think that I’m on top of it and I don’t have to worry about stuff like that, but it’s just amazing how powerful that is and how it can totally, pardon the pun, penetrate you. A: I think it’s hard because films, especially comedies, have been so male-driven lately. They’re all about guys and the plots are always, “We’re the underdogs who are coming to get laid!” And the girls are not even funny. E: Alia’s the funniest person I know. Alia and Kristen Wiig.

A: Girls are really funny. Although a lot of female comedians are just like, “I said cock and that’s funny.” That’s not funny! Ellen, what is your favorite thing about Alia? E: From the moment we met, I’ve felt so lucky to have her in my life. I consider her one of my best friends. She just has this energy that selfishly gives me more life. I’m crazy about her. And Alia, what’s your favorite thing about Ellen? A: She smells good. She smells real good. E: Aw, come on. A: She’s introduced me to so many things. She’s probably the smartest person I know. Literally, every day I’m like, “What’s that? Who’s that? What about that?” And she’s not protective with her information. She’s just so open and she doesn’t judge, and I want to discover the world with her. We traveled together to Amsterdam, and it was one of the best times ever. Did you guys get hookers? E: We went to the red light district ’cause that’s what you do, and I think legalized prostitution is fantastic, but at the same time, it’s not something I want to go look at. It doesn’t make me feel very good. A: The girls were very pretty, too, which is almost more upsetting. E: I do think these women should be safe and it should be regulated…. A: They should have nice lotions by their bedsides, and good lighting. Actually, the rooms looked kind of cozy. Last thing. If you guys were really in the roller derby, what would your derby names be? E: Mine would be Hurt Vonnegut. But Drew [Barrymore] always calls me Small Newman. A: There’s so much pressure because everyone on the set had one, and I just never thought of one. E: You could be Hate Winslet. B

ON ELLEN: DENIM SKIRT BY GENETIC DENIM; TOP BY SONIA BY SONIA RYKIEL. ON ALIA: BLACK AND WHITE BLOUSE AND BLACK HIGH-WAISTED SHORTS BY RACHEL ANTONOFF. STYLIST'S ASSISTANT: TARA MARKS.

That’s not funny!"

A: It’s like that [Groucho Marx] thing, not wanting to be a part of a club that would have me as a member. Any time I get a job, I’m like, “Yes!” And then 10 seconds later I’m like, “They must be losers.” Alia, what are the Arrested Development fans like? A: They’re really nice. Not to bring Michael into this again, but he was saying how after Superbad, all these people would hassle him and yell, “McLovin!” and that’s not even his name in the movie. But the Arrested fans are always honest fans. E: We were in Mexico, and we were sitting somewhere, and this woman was like [whispers] “Um, Maeby?” It was really sincere and gorgeous. It was really nice to watch. Sometimes, though, you see it and you’re like, “Come on, my friend’s just trying to eat.” A: It’s never the case with [Arrested Development fans]. They’re really nice. E: But that show’s one of the greatest things that’s ever been on TV. A: Once Tony Hale, who played Buster on the show, was approached by a guy who told him he dressed up like him at home. So that’s kind of creepy. But at the same time, it’s all very genuine. And it’s usually brief. What’s up with the Arrested Development movie? A: It’s one of those things where I won’t know till we’re on set. But it looks good. Hopefully [I’ll be working on it] by the end of this year some time. E: I definitely will go see it. Alia, tell me more about making Amreeka. I don’t think I’ve seen you do anything before this that acknowledges your ethnicity. [she’s half Iraqi] A: I’m playing a Palestinian in that movie, which is a little different, but us Arabs are trying to stick together at the moment. The director, Cherien Dabis, is a Palestinian-American woman who experienced a lot of racism in Nebraska, where she grew

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DRESS: RACHEL PALLY; BELT: GENEVIVE; BRACELETS: CURVE; RINGS AND EARRINGS: LOREE RODKIN

48 / BUST // OCT/NOV

MAD MEND Calling all recessionistas: don’t toss that skirt just because it has a tear; instead, bring out your needle and thread. ’Cause when the going gets tough, the tough get sewing BY KELLY RAND • ILLUSTRATIONS BY YOSWADI KRUTKLOM

IN THESE CRAPPY economic times, you’ve probably stopped eating out, skipped that summer vacay, and made two-buck Chuck your official wine of choice. Now it’s time to apply those thrifty ways to your wardrobe as well. All you need is a needle and thread and a few basic sewing techniques to extend the life of your clothes and save a wad of cash in the process. Wear any treasured piece of attire long enough and it’s bound to succumb to holes, tears, and other such maladies, but that’s no reason to toss it out. Mending was second nature to our grandmothers

and great-grandmothers who knew that rips, holes, missing buttons, broken zippers, and even a favorite bra could all be repaired with some simple stitching and a little patience. Replacing your threads less often isn’t just good for your wallet: since nearly 5 percent of the solid waste in the U.S. is made up of clothing and textiles (meaning 53 pounds of fabric are thrown away per person per year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency), it’s good for the environment to boot. So why not heed the old adage “Make do and mend”?

LET ’ER RIP: Fix a torn seam When it comes to wardrobe wear, a seam tear is one of the most common problems, but luckily, it’s also one of the easiest to fix. To do so, you’ll need a needle of appropriate weight—sturdy enough to go through the fabric easily, but thin enough that you won’t struggle—and thread in a coordinating color. Turn the item of clothing inside out. Press where the seam has come apart so the two sides of fabric line up, and pin. Cut an arm’s length of thread, insert it through the eye of the needle, and make a 3" – 4" tail on one side. Knot the end of the longer tail by wrapping it once around your index finger; using your thumb on the same hand, roll the loop slightly farther down your finger (in order to tangle it a tad), then roll it back the other way and off your fingertip, pinching the looped thread between your thumb and finger. Pull the thread with your other hand to tighten the knot, easing it toward the end of the tail. Working from right

to left on your garment, insert the needle, back to front, approximately 1⁄4" in front of the hole. Pull the thread all the way through until the knot stops it. Then make a small diagonal stitch up over the edge of the fabric, reinserting the needle directly under where the thread crossed over the top of the edge. This is called a whip stitch. Continue making diagonal stitches that are evenly spaced, approximately 1⁄16" apart and the same length as the rest of the stitches of the seam you are repairing, usually between 1⁄8" and 1⁄4". End your stitches approximately 1⁄4" beyond the tear. Tie off your last stitch by inserting the needle through to the back of the fabric, leaving a small loop on the front of the fabric. Insert the needle from the back to the front of the fabric and through the loop to create a knot. Pull the thread taut and repeat. Cut the remaining thread. Turn right side out and voilà! Good as new. // BUST / 49

FASTENATION: Reattach a button Losing buttons is inevitable, so you should deﬁnitely know how to attach one. To do so, you’ll need a button, a needle, and a length of matching thread. Thread the needle, making the two tails even, and knot the ends together with the method above. Using double thread will make your stitches stronger and able to withstand the strain of a working button. Place the button over the appropriate place on your garment. If your button has two holes, push your needle from the back/inside of the garment to the front/ outside and through the ﬁrst hole. Re-enter through the second hole to the back/ inside of the garment and repeat until you have the same thickness of threading as the other buttons. Make your stitches slightly loose so the button isn’t directly against the fabric (you’ll need a little bit of room to be able to fasten the garment once the button’s reattached). On the last stitch, pull the needle through the second

buttonhole, but don’t go through the garment. Take the thread and wrap it around the stitches on the underside of the button, three to ﬁve times, creating a shank. Pull the needle through to the back/inside of the garment, make a knot, and cut the remaining thread. For a button with four holes, you can stitch it up a couple of different ways. Take your cue from how the other buttons on the item of clothing are sewn. First, assign each hole a number 1 – 4, going clockwise. To make the button look like it has two separate stitches,

start by coming up hole 1, down 2, up 3, down 4, and repeat. To make crisscross stitches on a four-hole button, start by coming up hole 1, down 3, up 4, down 2, and repeat. For both methods, remember to keep your stitches a little bit loose. Continue stitching until you have the same thickness of threading as the other buttons. Then wrap the thread a few times around underneath the button to make a shank, and pull your needle through to the back/inside of your garment as before. Make a knot and cut the remaining thread.

POKY LITTLE CUPPY: Fix an underwire bra

GLOSSARY

It always seems to happen to your favorite bra, the one you wear over and over again: that sneaky underwire starts to poke right through the fabric. Next thing you know, you’re at lunch with your boss and look down for your napkin, only to ﬁnd your bra’s underwire sticking ever so slightly out of your blouse. Well, with a few stitches, you’ll be back in your favorite underthing lickety-split. The ﬁrst step is to put the wire in place. Do this by snaking it back into your bra, pulling the fabric up while

pushing the wire down a small portion at a time until the wire is well below the hole it came out of (or, if it won’t go any further, far enough so that you have room to close the hole). Next, thread your needle with a matching color of thread, knot one end, and make small, tight stitches, stacking them side by side across the hole until it is completely closed; one pass over the hole should secure it sufﬁciently. Tie off your stitches, cut the remaining thread, and the girls are back in business!

WHIP STITCH:

DARNING NEEDLE:

RUNNING STITCH:

ZIPPER FOOT:

BACK STITCH:

BASTE:

short, diagonal

a long, thicker

short, evenly

a special foot that

a stitch sewn one stitch

tack fabric together

stitches that run up

needle with a large

spaced stitches that

can be moved

length backward on

temporarily with

and over a seam

eye, perfect for

weave in and out of

right to left, when

the front side and two

long, loose stitches

thicker thread

fabric in a line

sewing a zipper on

stitch lengths forward

a garment

on the reverse side

50 / BUST // OCT/NOV

to form a solid line of stitching on both sides

DARN IT: Patch a hole in your sock When they aren’t being mysteriously eaten by the washing machine, socks tend to sprout holes. To save them from the rag pile, darn your socks by using a combination of weaving and sewing to patch the holes. You’ll need a darning needle, embroidery ﬂoss or wool yarn in a color that matches your sock, and a darning egg or a light bulb. Pull your sock onto the bulb so that the hole is directly over it. Your needle will glide along the glass surface making it easier to darn; just be careful not to break the bulb. To start, clean up the hole by trimming any loose threads. Thread your darning needle with a short tail, but don’t knot the ﬂoss. Starting 1⁄2" to the right of the hole, make a series of vertical running stitches that extend 1 ⁄2" above and below the hole. Repeat this line of stitches, working toward the hole in parallel rows as close together as possible. When you reach the hole, make a long run-

ning stitch across the hole and continue making short stitches as before. Work in this fashion, running long parallel stitches close together until they cover the hole. Continue making parallel rows of running stitches until they extend 1⁄2" to the left of the hole, ending at the top left corner. Next, turn the sock 90 degrees clockwise. Insert the needle at the bottom right-hand corner of the stitches you’ve just made. Use the needle to weave the ﬂoss over and under the now horizontal running stitches, in and out of the sock. When you reach the top of the horizontal stitches, work a new row of stitches down directly to the left of the one you just created. Continue, working inward toward the hole as before. When you reach the opening with the long running stitches, just weave your ﬂoss in and out of those stitches, as there is no sock to work in and out of. Continue weaving until you reach the oth-

er side of the hole where you can now weave and stitch in and out of the sock. End your stitches when you reach the left-hand side of the horizontal running stitches, 1⁄2" beyond the hole. You should now have a tightly woven patch where the hole was. Knotting the ﬂoss will create an uncomfortable bump, so simply trim and leave as is; the weave should be tight enough that a knot is unnecessary.

fabric. Inspect the seams to make sure no further mending is needed. Zippers can be purchased at most fabric stores in a variety of colors and lengths. Measure the old zipper and buy a new one as close to that length as possible. If you can’t ﬁnd an exact match, purchase one that is 1" – 2" longer and shorten it. To do this, open the old zipper and lay it next to the new one. See where the slider and the pull tab of the old zipper rest, then use a marker to note that spot on the new zipper. Using a needle and thread, repeatedly stitch over the mark across the zipper teeth, building up the stitches to the same height and width as the original bottom marker. Tie off and trim the thread. Cut the zipper 1" below the stitches you just created. Working on the inside of your garment, line up the right zipper tape with the original

seam opening away from you and pin. Line up the left zipper tape to the garment and pin in place. Close the zipper carefully, and inspect it. Does everything line up? Does it look similar to the original placement? If not, now is the time to make adjustments by repinning to get the proper alignment or even trimming the zipper to get the right length. If the zipper looks good, carefully open it and baste both sides of the zipper tape to the garment. Close the zipper and turn the garment right side out. Inspect it again to make sure it’s still aligned. Working on the outside of the garment, use a zipper foot on your sewing machine to stitch along the original seams down one side of the zipper and around to the other side. Be careful when sewing over the zipper itself. Trim the loose ends, and enjoy your handiwork. B

ZIPPIN’ OUT: Replace a broken zipper A broken zipper may seem like the most daunting task of all, but actually, it’s relatively easy to replace. You’ll need a seam ripper or razor blade, a needle, coordinating thread, pins, a replacement zipper, and a sewing machine with a zipper foot. These instructions work best for pants, dresses, or skirts in a lightweight fabric. The trick is to remember how the original zipper looked, then to re-create its placement with a new zipper. (Tip: use your digital camera to take a pic of the broken zipper so you can reference the original stitching and placement as you mend.) A zipper can be replaced by hand, but it won’t last as long; using a sewing machine is highly recommended. If you want to replace your broken zipper by hand, use small back stitches where a sewing machine is called for. First, turn your garment inside out, and carefully remove the old zipper with a seam ripper or razor blade, taking note of where the stitches were. Be patient and methodical— you don’t want to damage the area you’ll be working with. Once you’ve removed the zipper, gently pull the broken threads out of the

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You think your high school experience sucked? Try being a teenage feminist these days. Girls who want equality are getting more crap than you can imagine, but are fighting harder than ever to have their voices heard. Eighteen-year-old Carmen Rodi reports from the trenches

I AM HAPPY to call myself a teenage feminist. And thankfully, there are others out there like me. But it is by no means an easy ideal to uphold. In high schools all across the country, feminism is met with apathy, misunderstanding, or worse—ridicule and animosity—from both students and teachers. That is not enough to stop us, though. Despite the negative reactions we often get, young feminists are fighting to make a difference in a number of inspiring ways, whether it’s maintaining clubs, starting magazines and blogs, or organizing events that support women’s rights and gender equality. I’ve been a feminist since the eighth grade, when I first learned in history class about the limited number of women in politics. My resolve was only strengthened when I took up skateboarding that same year and experienced gender stereotypes first-hand. (“Oh, cute, a girl trying to skateboard” was a classic comment.) As a high school freshman in 2005, I entered a world that was exactly like the Mean Girls cafeteria, where the words “slut” and “whore” were thrown around every day. Outside of school, the media sets unrealistic standards that are targeted toward girls, making me feel pressure to look like a stick-thin clone. As a teenager especially, I encounter these types of challenges every day, but as a feminist, dealing with them is that much easier. “So many girls don’t even realize how scrutinized they are in high school, that however they dress or act marks them socially in some way or another,” says 17-year-old feminist Chiara Graf. “Women are always marked, but high school is when the slut/ 52 / BUST // OCT/NOV

prude, girly/tomboy, nerd/ditz dichotomies are so prevalent. Once you learn to defy them, the entire high school experience changes.” Eugenia Plascencia, a feminist who just graduated from Community Charter Early College High School in Lakeview Terrace, CA, agrees. “At school, nobody else seems to care as much as I do. Girls walk around blissfully ignorant to the fact that most of the guys see them as just a good lay.” “Feminism is believing that discrimination and differentiation based on gender, which is itself only a cultural construct, is not OK,” says Dare Brawley, 17, a senior at Poughkeepsie Day School in Poughkeepsie, NY. She spreads the word about women’s issues as a contributor to her school’s feminist magazine, Scarlet, that’s written and distributed by girls in grades 7 through 12. Brawley believes being a feminist is important because it allows young women, who become especially vulnerable during their teen years, to reject the modern cultural definition of what it means to be female. Yet, despite the self-confidence that feminism can give girls just when we need it most, raising awareness about women’s rights is often met with criticism. Unfortunately, I know this from experience. In 2006, halfway through my sophomore year at Belmont High School in Belmont, MA, I saw a flyer for a new group called Feminist Alliance Belmont, or FAB. FAB’s mission proved it was exactly the kind of group I was looking for: “a student-run organization dedicated to changing the social stigma of feminism in our community and making a difference in the

This is what a teen feminist looks like: author Carmen Rodi

nation.” I quickly signed up and loved our meetings where we talked about various subjects including the lack of comprehensive sexual educational resources at our school and how female musicians are represented in the mainstream media. It was also a great outlet for simply sharing personal stuff in a secure, comfortable, and nonjudgmental setting—a rare ﬁnd in high school. Other students didn’t see FAB this way, however. Allysa Gore, 18, who joined the group when I did, says, “The Feminist Alliance is associated with man-haters. I personally have been asked if I was a lesbian just because I’m part of this group.” The “aversion to using the word ‘feminist’ was deﬁnitely FAB’s biggest challenge and persisted throughout my time at BHS,” says FAB co-founder Kate Moore, now a sophomore at Smith College. “A lot of liberal boys who were active in Amnesty International, Diversity Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, and other organizations that we worked with and shared a lot of values with refused to get involved with FAB because they were ‘too liberal for feminism,’” meaning that they considered feminism to be overly radical for any real liberal thinker. Seventeen-year-old Martha Wechsler, a senior at Belmont High and a member of Feminist Alliance, agrees that the club is seen as more extreme than other school groups like the Gay-Straight Alliance. It’s hard for people to take women’s rights seriously because “feminism is still perceived as a dirty word; it’s about man-hating, not equality,” she says. FAB member Hank Broege, a senior at Belmont High, believes that feminism recognizes everyone, regardless of gender, as “equal PHOTOGRAPHED BY HEATHER MCGRATH

human beings,” but most of his male peers don’t understand feminism as he does. Because of his involvement with the group, Broege says, “I get crap from guys like, ‘You’re so gay.’” Having to deal with people’s misperceptions is totally discouraging, and what’s worse, it makes it hard for us to support the issues we care about. In 2007, Feminist Alliance launched our ﬁrst major event, Love Your Body Day, a nationwide campaign put on by the National Organization for Women to reject and raise awareness about the unrealistic body-image standards put out by the media. We arranged for local speakers to talk, a couple of high-school bands to play, and different organizations to have tables present, including Planned Parenthood. But the event was not easy to set up after the school received a complaint from a parent about Feminist Alliance and the alleged prochoice agenda of Love Your Body Day. The administration had to review all of the information that was going to be distributed and was hesitant to allow Planned Parenthood to participate. On the day of our event, our principal stood by the whole time, but it ran smoothly and attracted a good crowd of students. Unfortunately, the event didn’t change anyone’s attitude toward the club. The Feminist Alliance is now in its third year, and while it seems we’ve gained a tad more credibility with our school’s administration (the principal didn’t watch over Love Your Body Day this year), as far as the students go, the response to feminism is still the same. If not mysteriously taken down, signs announcing club meetings receive angry comments // BUST / 53

It’s hard enough when classmates don’t understand what feminism is, but sometimes even the teachers can be clueless. Graf, a member of Newton South High School’s Feminist Club in Newton, MA, says the founder had a difficult time trying to form the group during the 2007-2008 school year. “When she approached our school’s club counselor about starting a feminist club, he responded that Newton South already had a feminist group, called Project Presidency. Project Presidency was a group formed to educate people about candidates in the November 2008 elections; it had nothing to do with feminism whatsoever,” she says. “It just goes to show how people are often oblivious to what feminism even stands for, which is why there was deﬁnitely a need to form this club.”

hardcore, man-loathing feminist who wanted to further her cause of misandry through the new club. “It takes longer than it should to try and show people that, underneath all of the stereotypes and media misinformation, they really are feminists even though they might not want to admit it,” she says. Julie Zeilinger, 16, dealt with a feminist’s bad rap, too. Now a junior at Hawken High School in Gates Mills, OH, Zeilinger gained interest in women’s rights after reading an article about female infanticide in India and making the connection between violence against women worldwide and gender problems within our own culture. Though she was only 13 years old at the time, Zeilinger “carried the feminist label with pride,” she says. “I tried to give it the positive spin that it

The fabulous members of FAB

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PHOTO BY HANNAH COHEN

scribbled on them, such as “Anti-Feminist Alliance.” In class, students complain about the “crappy feminist” literature we read and never pay much attention to any of the historical female figures we learn about. One classroom discussion about ideal American women ended with talk of Jessica Alba (my first consideration had been Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—apparently, I was alone on that one). At last year’s activities fair, an event that promotes extracurricular activities by publicizing the different student groups, the Environmental Club had a table next to Feminist Alliance, and the contrast in student support was huge. In terms of its cause, the Environmental Club is widely accepted and had pages and pages of students signing up. Feminist Alliance, on the other hand, mostly received only curious looks and filled up less than a page of sign-ups. Many people asked ridiculous questions about the group, and a few approached the table just to launch a debate. A couple of students even tried to argue the justice of the wage gap.

It says a lot that while her group’s active members are few, the club’s email list is long. “Though lots of people are interested in feminism, there’s a stigma against appearing feminist and seeming ‘radical’ and ‘angry,’ so people aren’t as eager to come [to meetings]. In fact, lots of people wrote their email addresses on our signup sheet but asked if they could not write their names, I suppose because they didn’t want to carry around that reputation,” Graf says. “There have also been people who are just really immature and disrespectful, writing down joke emails on our signup sheet or vandalizing our posters. Those acts aren’t tragic within themselves, but it’s so sad to think of how people are creating an environment where wanting equality is something embarrassing.” Club coleader Persephone Hernandez-Vogt, 17, adds that it’s difficult to garner support and that being outspoken leads to condescension. “People tend to laugh off the Feminist Club,” she says. “When I ask people to come to meetings, they roll their eyes. It’s a similar reaction to the one I get when I bring up the role of women in the stories we read in literature class. People think I’m making a big deal out of nothing.” If only eye-rolling were the worst of it. It’s amazing how ridiculous people’s reactions to feminism can be. Last year, when Ashley Marini was a senior at Cedar Springs High School in Cedar Springs, MI, she was inspired to take action after seeing Eve Ensler’s performance of The Vagina Monologues. Her school administration denied her request to perform the monologues, so she began a women’s studies club with the help of one of her teachers. “I wanted to create a place where people could come and talk about their experiences with gender inequality and be able to talk through the stereotypes of men vs. women. I wanted to spread knowledge and conﬁdence throughout my school,” she says. Instead, Marini was perceived as a

PHOTOS BY SOPHIE BURKE

deserves, but popular culture permeated its way through my words, as it always does, and the ultimate effect wasn’t what I would have liked. Mainly, people saw me as a militant bitch— and weren’t afraid to tell me so.” Not every teen feminist’s experience is quite as negative, but stereotypes still abound. Seventeen-year-old Jen Wang, a senior at Winchester High School in Winchester, MA, began the Winchester Feminist Alliance in 2008. Despite the mixed response from her school community, Wang thinks most of the comments are made in good humor. “There are serious matters, but there’s a certain lightheartedness when you joke about things like burning bras and never-ending rage,” she says. The backlash against feminism is deﬁnitely a bummer, but don’t think for a second that we’d quit the cause. Winchester’s Feminist Alliance has only nine members, but despite its size,

march once a year in the pouring rain and those signs are so heavy—but we have inﬁnite energy and hope.” She believes her experience in high school was vital not only for her persistence in raising awareness of women’s issues but also for gaining a new perspective of the world. At Wellesley she is a trained ﬁrst-responder for sexual assault and rape victims, as well as a sexual-health peer educator. FAB co-founder Moore adds that “taking such a visible role related to a topic about which many students felt uncomfortable probably compromised my social life in high school. I frequently felt called upon to defend my ideas. It was often not a comfortable position to be in, but I felt so strongly about equality for women that I was willing to take this stand.” Wang agrees that it is worth the battle. “Identifying as a feminist comes with this funny sense of self-assurance and

the group has already worked to promote global women’s rights with a school presentation on the crimes against females in South Africa and has set up a bookshelf with feminist literature in the school library. They are currently planning a service activity for a women’s shelter in Boston. Similarly, Zeilinger didn’t let the haters get her down. Instead, she simply shifted her approach and took her cause to the Internet, launching F Bomb (www.thefbomb.org), a smart, outspoken feminist blog that she hopes will also become an online community for young feminists. Rather than being “angry” and giving in to the urge to “tell it like it is,” she now expresses herself in a way she feels is more progressive and head-on. “Feminism is never just about being angry, or just about trying to change the world; it’s about both,” she says. In addition, she’s involved with a group called Expect Respect that teaches high school students about dating violence, and she helped start a feminist book club at her school. Despite the crazy amount of antagonism we have to deal with, or maybe even because of it, one major characteristic teen feminists share is our perseverance. Being an outspoken feminist in high school takes so much energy, and it can be completely draining to just try to get other students to listen or in some way comprehend our beliefs. The disappointment is almost overwhelming, but we never give up. “We felt so alienated and powerless and frustrated when it seemed like the world was against us, and what was the use anyway?” says FAB co-founder Anna Weick, now a sophomore at Wellesley College, about her high school experience. But in the end, she says, being a young feminist is rewarding and amazing. “You meet webs and webs of people, adults and other teens, who make it all worth it even when you only see each other for a

makes me feel a little more certain about myself,” she says. “We’re not deterred by the stigma of being feminists, and that’s something I’ve come to admire and adore from everyone involved in the group.” At my school, students continue to contest and question feminism. I could easily argue endlessly with peers who would love to defeat feminism for all it’s worth, but I have no interest in doing so, because justifying your beliefs in that way serves no purpose. Progress is made only when you don’t react to the overwhelming negativity that exists toward feminism in high school and simply continue working for equality through any means you can. It has taken me four years to learn this, but I am so glad I have. B FAB member Amanda Alvarez in action

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UNREAD The best bad advice from the thrift-store paperback bin By David Rapp Photographed by Sarah Anne Ward Styled by Stephanie Hanes

IDWAY THROUGH THE 20th century, paperback publishers came up with a new category of books designed to ﬁll drugstore racks across America: quickie advice guides aimed at women. Now easily found in your local thrift-store paperback bin, these titles can be viewed today as time capsules, forever capturing past notions about the roles women were expected to play. By modern standards, some of the advice these books doled out comes off as naïve, stupid, hilarious, or even downright scary. Honestly, it’s amazing our moms survived. Then, as now, there were books for every phase of a woman’s life: high school, marriage, childbirth, divorce, career—these authors covered it all. Let’s start at the top, shall we?

Betty Cornell’s All About Boys By Betty Cornell (Pocket, 1960) As you blossom into womanhood, you may want some tips on how to make it through those tough teenage years. Well, look no further: former teen fashion model Betty Cornell was quite the authority. She not only wrote this treatise on boys and “what makes ’em tick”—she also wrote Betty Cornell’s Glamour Guide for Teens, Betty Cornell’s TeenAge Popularity Guide, and Betty Cornell’s Teen-Age Knitting Book. The main theme of All About Boys seems to be: sublimate your personality, and do whatever a boy wants—except make out. “He’ll remember you a lot better than he does all those other girls who said ‘yes’ just because it was expected of them,” she writes. The end of the book is a ﬂurry of advice that Cornell calls the “diary.” In reality, it’s a cartoon guide to the ABCs of being female in the early 1960s. A good portion of the alphabet, as might be expected from a fashion model, is devoted to anorexia: “A is for appetite, keep it under control.” “C is for calorie, cake, cookies, and chocolates—all fattening.” “G is for girth, keep it in proportion.” And what happens to the misguided girl who dares ignore the alphabetical dictates of Betty Cornell? “Z is for zero, what you rate if you don’t learn your alphabet.” Also, you will be fat. All this is part of Cornell’s grand two-part strategy—land a husband fresh out of high school, and get pregnant as quickly as possible. Which brings us to the next book on our shelf. 56 / BUST // OCT/NOV

The Case Against “Natural Childbirth” By Waldo L. Fielding, M.D., and Lois Benjamin (Avon Books, 1962) So you want to have a kid, do you? Dr. Waldo L. Fielding and Lois Benjamin want to clue you in on the greatest evil that has ever befallen our great nation: so-called “Natural Childbirth.” Yes, Dr. Fielding is so strongly opposed to the chicanery of natural childbirth that he is compelled to capitalize the term and put it in quotes, over and over again. Fielding was ahead of his time: he perfected the loony Internet rant decades before the Internet existed. At least the whole book isn’t in all-caps. Fielding is damn suspicious about this “Natural Childbirth” fad. Women want to give birth without any anesthetic? They want to be awake and alert the whole time? Like godless, communist, Soviet women? If so, then Fielding wants you to know: YOU ARE NUTS. Good lord, don’t you know that childbirth hurts? Drugs are your friends! “There are many women who say, ‘Doctor, I don’t want to know anything about what’s going on,’” Fielding explains. And he can fulﬁll this understandable wish. After all, the use of powerful anesthetics and analgesics during labor is “far from dangerous,” he insists. And if your kid ends up with birth defects like extra ﬁngers, it “can be corrected with simple surgery.” Better than having a beatnik pinko hippie “Natural Childbirth.” Next you’ll be wanting an “Open Marriage.”

Open Marriage: A New Life Style for Couples By Nena O’Neill and George O’Neill (Avon Books, 1973) The swinging O’Neills want you to know that marriage doesn’t have to be so conﬁning. If a wife wants to go to a museum without her husband, that just makes her a more complete person! And if a husband wants to take a class without his wife, it will simply enrich him as an individual. Both partners should be open to experiences outside the relationship, say the O’Neills. Sounds good! By the way, did you also know that “sexual ﬁdelity is the false God of the closed marriage”? “Man is not naturally monogamous,” they advise, and besides, nothing strengthens a relation-

ship more than random hookups with neighbors. That’s much easier than, say, you and your husband communicating about each other’s sexual needs. “Although good sex grows out of a good relationship,” say the O’Neills, “that is not to say you can’t enjoy sex with someone you only recently met.” They also advise that “Jealousy is a learned response, determined by cultural attitudes.” In Eskimo society, they point out, there’s practically no sexual jealousy at all! Why can’t we all be more like Eskimos? Naked, horny, Eskimos…. But what if your open marriage isn’t working? Well, when it comes time for the lawyers to decide who gets the igloo and who gets the dog sled, then we have the book for you.

The Divorcée’s Handbook By Louise Rohner (Bantam, 1968) “You’ve lost the man—but, lady, you can win the game!” So promises the jacket of The Divorcée’s Handbook, juxtaposed with a hazy photograph of a stubbed-out, lipstick-stained cigarette. How’s that for inspirational? One rule Rohner sets down right away, in all-caps: “QUIT TALKING ABOUT YOUR DIVORCE.” If only she had. Then we would have been spared such passages as, “The ﬁrst sound a divorcée hears, after the sound of the judge’s voice, is a chorus of doors closing. The couple world no longer wants her. She does not understand or belong in the single world. She has lost her place. She has lost her purpose. She must still function...but how? As what...?” That’s right, sister. Rohner tells it like it is: a woman without a man is like a ﬁsh without a bicycle—that is, smelly and going nowhere fast. You can just imagine her sitting across the kitchen table, huskily dispensing cynical advice while smoking Parliaments, drinking Sanka, and coughing. But wait! All is not lost! Rohner’s been there, and she’ll give you the straight dope. The post-divorce dating world, she writes, is divided into three types of men: boys (“men considerably younger than yourself”), boobs (married men, “always unhappy, always misunderstood, always looking”), and bachelors (who “make love like you know Charlton Heston makes love”). Because nothing is hotter than that right-

wing gun nut from Planet of the Apes. The best advice of all: put down this book before pills and razor blades start looking attractive. Better just throw yourself into your career.

Networking: The Great New Way for Women to Get Ahead By Mary-Scott Welch (Warner Books, 1981) Looking to move ahead in your career? There’s an innovative new way to be a success in the workplace, and Mary-Scott Welch wants to clue you in. It’s called networking, and men have been doing it for years. You can, too! Apparently, networking—which consists primarily of meeting people and talking to them—can lead to economic success. Some women are already doing it. But Welch knows that you might have some questions about this newfangled networking business. So she’s got you covered: “Are women networking only with other women?” Heavens, no! “A good networker uses every resource available to her, and that includes men.” That’s right, you not only have to talk to women, but you have to talk to men, too. “But aren’t women supposed to mistrust each other?” You’d think so. But Welch says women can get along with each other and even “become a part of the new female buddy system.” How? By talking! (You can even use a thing called a telephone to do this talking business.) But stay away from what Welch calls the Three C’s: never Criticize, never betray Conﬁdences, and never mention Children—after all, do you ever hear successful men talking about their kids? À la the great Betty Cornell, Welch also includes her own advice alphabet: D for Disappointment, E for Expectations, I for Ideas...ideas...ideas! Most importantly: Z is for ZAPS! Which are deﬁned as “answers to have ready so you can zap the person who tries to put you down with a sexist remark.” The one example she gives: “If someone says you’ve ‘lost your sense of humor,’ you can ZAP! them by laughing long and hard.” Zing. And for God’s sake, you better have a ZAP! ready when the subject of “Natural Childbirth” comes up. I hear there’s a book about it. B // BUST / 57

PHOTO BY DAVID GAHR

Buffy at the Newport Folk Festival, 1969

Known best for her antiwar anthems and work for Native American rights, folk music legend Buffy Sainte-Marie has inﬂuenced everyone from Elvis Presley to Courtney Love. Here, she talks to BUST about the ’60s, her songs, and Sesame Street

TOP RIGHT PHOTO BY TREVOR BRADY

BY MICHAEL LEVINE

BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE could arguably be called the first really challenging woman in pop music. Born on a Piapot Cree Indian reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1941 and orphaned as an infant, she was adopted and raised in the U.S., where she burst onto the Greenwich Village folk scene of the early 1960s like a bolt of lightning. Sporting long black hair, tight colorful dresses, high heels, and an unforgettable vibrato, she forged a career not only as one of pop’s first successful female singer/songwriters, but also as an artist, educator, activist, and electronic-music pioneer. And thanks to her provocative antiwar lyrics and rabblerousing on behalf of Native American civil rights, she was even blacklisted from the airwaves during the Nixon/Johnson years, giving her time for a memorable career shift as a cast member on Sesame Street from 1976 to 1981. Throughout her 47 years in show business, Sainte-Marie has always done things on her own terms, and she has piles of awards to show for it, including an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her most widely recognized songwriting credit, “Up Where We Belong,” which she penned for the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. And despite her unwillingness to fit into the rigid girl-pop mold of the ’60s, she was a success from the very beginning, nabbing Billboard’s Best New Artist award for her first aptly titled album, It’s My Way! in 1964, which famously featured her playing the mouth bow. As the ’60s progressed, she wrote iconic protest anthems like “Universal Soldier” and had hits with “Co’dine” (one of the first pop songs to openly reference drug use), and “Until It’s Time for You to Go,” a love bal-

lad unabashedly written from the point of view of a woman in a noncommitted relationship. The latter was covered by Cher, Barbra Streisand, and Elvis Presley, and her material is still being performed by such varied artists as Courtney Love (“Co’dine”), Neko Case (“A Soulful Shade of Blue”), Dean & Britta (“Moonshot”), and Oakley Hall (“Co’dine”). Sainte-Marie met with me in New York recently to discuss her ﬁrst release of new material in 13 years, Running for the Drum (Appleseed Recordings). It’s a collection of powwow, protest, club remix, rockabilly, and, of course, love songs, packaged together with a DVD documentary that will knock the socks off of fans and Buffy newbies alike. Dressed in a black top, black stovepipe jeans, pointy boots, a white jacket, and a beaded breastplate necklace (given to her by photog Annie Leibovitz), Sainte-Marie looks so amazing, it’s impossible to believe she’s actually 68. But she is, and she’s still rocking.

In Vancouver, 2008

You’ve said that you grew up “a tan girl in a white community.” What was it like growing up with your adoptive parents in Massachusetts in the ’40s and ’50s? It was bad. There were predators in the neighborhood. There were predators in the house. Sexual predators and bullies. So I kept to myself. When I ﬁrst saw a piano when I was about three, that became my toy. I didn’t play Barbie dolls, didn’t play ball, none of that. Music and art were my toys, and I think that’s true of a lot of kids. Some of your songs feature you playing an unusual instrument called a mouth bow. Can you explain what it is and how it’s played?

At the Heart concert, 1994 In her backyard, 1995

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Showing off her mouth bow on the Johnny Cash Show, circa 1969

On Sesame Street, 1978

What was it like when you first came to New York in the early 1960s? Well, I had just graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. My major was in Oriental philosophy, and I also got a teaching degree from the University of Massachusetts and later, a Ph.D. in fine arts. Around 1962, I came to New York figuring that I’d just get music out of my system. The early ’60s were about coffeehouses. They made it possible for students to go out at night and hear each other’s music. The scene had everything—Joan Baez was singing genuine folk songs, Bob Dylan was writing his own songs. Then there would be flamenco players and blues players, so it was everything at once. That was one of the reasons I’ve always felt comfortable making all different kinds of music. It comes out of that broad perspective, instead of being like the Supremes with songs that are all a certain style. Usually that’s the way it’s done. It makes it easy for record companies to figure out what bin to put you in. I mean, who the heck knows what bin to put my music in? 60 / BUST // OCT/NOV

It comes up as folk on iTunes…. That’s it. They call it folk. [laughs] Anyway, in the ’60s, I started playing my songs at the Gaslight, and everybody liked it, and Robert Shelton of The New York Times came down and heard me play. He gave me this great review, and the Gaslight blew it up into this big sign and put it outside. So, how did you get signed to Vanguard Records? Well, they heard me at the Gaslight and they wanted me to record. The ﬁrst time I got an invitation to go to Florida in February, [I thought] “I love show business!” For me it became about the travel. Something that made me different from the other singers of the time was that I’d use my airplane tickets to get me to indigenous areas and then I’d hang out. So if I had a concert in Sydney, Australia, I’d be out with aboriginal people. If I had a concert in Stockholm or Copenhagen, I’d be up in the Arctic with Sami people and of course with Native American people in North and South America too. But I was kicked out of the U.S. [market] pretty early, when Lyndon Johnson came along, and recently, I found out that I was on Richard Nixon’s enemies list. Were you blacklisted by the government more for your anti–Vietnam War views or for being vocal about the mistreatment of Native Americans? I don’t know much about that. They don’t

tell me. Lyndon Johnson had FBI surveillance on me, probably because of my [antiwar] song “Universal Soldier.” And during the Nixon years, it would have been about Indian rights because we were kicking up a lot of truth. That was when native land was being transferred in secret to the U.S. government, especially the parts that included uranium, and I was out there talking about it on television. But I didn’t ﬁnd out about my FBI surveillance until the ’80s, and I only found out about Nixon a couple of years ago. I got my FBI papers and they’re all blacked out. I continued to do concerts in the rest of the world. I just thought the U.S. didn’t care anymore. What role does feminism play in your life and philosophy? When I came to Greenwich Village in the ’60s, I was really green. I was afraid of men, really. I didn’t know that it was customary to kiss a businessman on both cheeks, and it creeped me out. I didn’t drink so I didn’t hang out at bars. The only reason I’m even on the peripherals of show business is because of coffeehouses. I was uncomfortable with men drinking because I knew what came next. Feminism wasn’t happening in those days. When I was hanging out with the founders of the American Indian Movement, they were pretty disrespectful to young women. I really loved them, but they didn’t have their heads together, and certainly, show-business people didn’t. Especially around a young woman look-

PHOTO OF BUFFY AND JOHNNY CASH COURTESY OF PHOTOFEST

I make them. You ﬁnd a bent stick, and you attach a guitar string to both ends. The mouth bow is probably the oldest string instrument in the world. It’s based on a hunting bow. You put it up to your mouth, and your mouth becomes a resonating chamber like a guitar. As a matter of fact, you know Mick Jagger’s ﬁrst movie, Performance [1970]? I multitracked mouth bows in that.

ing like I did, because I looked really unusual, and I got a lot of attention and I had a figure. You know, the first singing dress I had, I ordered from the Frederick’s [of Hollywood] catalog! [laughs] I thought that’s what pretty was. But feminism didn’t start until a little bit later. I can’t say that I was a part of it, but I loved it. In your travels, meeting with various aboriginal people, which culture do you think offers women the most equality? I think I’ve learned the most about femininity and the effectiveness of women from my friends in the Iroquois Confederacy from upstate New York, on the Canadian border. That whole Iroquois Confederacy was made up of matriarchies, and their government used 100 percent of the brain power available, not just male, sexually aggressive, testosterone-based brain power. They used the feminine side as well, and there’s a big difference in legislation by women. In the Iroquois Confederacy, the clan mothers make many of the important decisions, including who gets to be a legislator. A lot of the U.S. government’s [etiquette] probably comes from the Iroquois Confederacy’s idea that one diplomat speaks at a time. That’s very female, and that’s very, very Native American. You know in Europe, you can watch Parliament and those boys are still yelling at each other, “Blah! Blah! Blah!” It’s just silly, old-fashioned, and immature. [The Iroquois Confederacy also developed] the whole idea of a caucus, where people get together at home so when you meet you’ve already come to a consensus. Caucus is not a Latin word; it’s a Mohawk word. So there’s a lot of influence still from women in the Iroquois Confederacy. Ovation Guitar Ad, 1967

In 1974 you released an album called Buffy with a revealing photo of you on its cover. Was this shot approved by you, or was it the label using a sexy picture to sell records? No, I wanted it. It was about feminism. I was standing up for a woman’s right to take her own shirt off. Everybody said, “No, you can’t do that!” Of course, Sears put a pastie on it. Some of the people I was involved with thought it was a terrible thing to do, but I feel as though breasts are personal and sexuality is personal and I have a right to talk about it. There were a lot of people burning bras in those days, and there were a lot of women going topless. I think breasts are beautiful, and I don’t like the idea of them being considered smut. Also, a couple years later, I was breastfeeding on Sesame Street, so they kind of go together. It’s the same attitude. That’s right, you actually breastfed your son Dakota in front of Big Bird! What a thrill that must have been! Big Bird was just sitting in his nest and I’m alongside him breastfeeding my baby, and Big Bird says, “Whatcha doin’ Buffy?” And I say, “I’m feeding the baby.” And he says, “Well, that’s a funny way to feed a baby.” I explained to him that the baby was getting everything he needed and I got to cuddle him, and [Big Bird] went back to playing, which is what children really would do. No titillation factor at all. For me, to move from being gagged and thought suspect for speaking out about Indian rights to getting a job on Sesame Street was perfect. I was being denied an adult audience because I couldn’t get airplay, but I got to speak to kids before they got into stereotyping and could speak to caregivers and tell them the simple message: Indians exist. B The controversial cover of the 1974 album Buffy

TESTIFY!!! Famous fans of Buffy Sainte-Marie speak up about her musical legacy “I hear Buffy’s inﬂuence in the macabre lullabies of Diamanda Galas and the sagacious song stories of Mariee Sioux. She’s the archetype of the unwavering warrior, the protector, the mother.” Devendra Banhart “When I was a little boy in kindergarten in the late ’60s, my teacher brought in a Buffy Sainte-Marie record and asked us to watch Ed Sullivan that night because Buffy would be on, which I dutifully did. It was the ﬁrst and most informative instruction in my memory.” Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth “When I attended a Buffy Sainte-Marie concert, I observed a vibrato technique which had the timbre of an intensely and rapidly bowed viola.” Jarboe of Swans “Buffy Sainte-Marie somehow reconciles a true believer’s folkie sincerity with this really bonkers experimental side, particularly on her album Illuminations. That voice is so expressive and indelible, and she can really scream! ‘Co’dine’ is undeniable. With its incessant refrain, it’s one of the best songs about addiction there is.” Pat Sullivan of Oakley Hall “‘Moonshot’ is a protest song that juxtaposes the hubris of space travel with the celestial wisdom of Native Americans. I love the line, ‘I know a boy from a tribe so primitive he can call you up without no telephone.’” Dean Wareham of Galaxie 500, Luna, and Dean & Britta “Buffy is one of my favorite songwriters and singers. ‘He’s a Keeper of the Fire’ off the album Illuminations has got a wicked groove, and the way she belts it out on the vocals is truly unhinged and inspiring!” Amber Webber of Black Mountain

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ON KATY: BLACK JACKET WITH BELT BY MANGO, WWW.MANGOSHOP.COM; HIGHWAISTED GREEN PLAID SKIRT BY MOON COLLECTION, WWW.SHOPRUCHE.COM; CRYSTAL SOCKS BY MANGO; BROWN OLDEN OXFORDS BY JACOBIES, WWW. SHOPRUCHE.COM; WHITE LEATHER STUDDED BRACELET BY JUKO, SUPPLEMENTS, N.Y.C., 800-631-3844; LIGHTNING BOLT BANGLE BY TARGET, WWW.TARGET.COM.

62 / BUST // OCT/NOV

ON NIKKI: JEAN JACKET BY SEVEN, WWW.7FORALLMANKIND.COM; BUTTON-UP SHIRT BY MATIX, WWW.MATIXCLOTHING.COM; JEANS BY J.CREW, WWW.JCREW.COM; BOOTS, NIKKI’S OWN.

THE MYSTERY AT THE OLD BARN THE VIVIAN GIRLS—ALI, CASSIE, AND KATY— MODEL FABULOUS FALL FASHIONS INSPIRED BY NANCY DREW, OUR FAVE TEEN SLEUTH PHOTOGRAPHED BY AMANDA BRUNS STYLED BY CANNON • ASSISTED BY HALEY MEEKER HAIR BY ELSA FOR KERASTASE/UTOPIA MAKEUP BY MARTIN SCHMID AT JUMP MANAGEMENT // BUST / 63

ON KATY (LEFT): CREAM WOOL COAT BY SNOFLAKE, WWW.SNOFLAKEFASHION.COM; LIBRARIAN TIENECK CARDIGAN BY MYSTREE, WWW.SHOPRUCHE. COM; GRAY HIGH-WAISTED SKIRT BY LAPIS, WWW. SHOPRUCHE.COM; TIGHTS BY KUSHYFOOT, WWW. KUSHYFOOT.COM; OLDEN OXFORDS BY JACOBIES. ON ALI (CENTER): VINTAGE CAPE FROM RE-DRESS, WWW.REDRESSNYC.COM; AMY ADAMS VINTAGE DRESS FROM RE-DRESS; VINTAGE PUMPS FROM RE-DRESS; ON CASSIE (RIGHT): TRENCH COAT BY MANGO; PURPLE SCARF BY H&M, WWW.HM.COM; CRYSTAL SOCKS BY MANGO; ARIADNA BOOTS BY CAMPER, WWW.CAMPER.COM.

ON CASSIE: INSPECTOR ROMPER BY SAMANTHA PLEET, WWW.REVOLVECLOTHING.COM; NECKLACES BY DLC, WWW.DLCBROOKLYN.COM; TWINS IN LEATHER SHOES BY CAMPER, WWW.PLANETSHOES.COM.

// BUST / 65

ON KATY: DARK GREEN EMBROIDERED BLOUSE BY SALT & PEPPER, WWW.MODCLOTH.COM; SEMICONDUCTOR PANTS BY B.B. DAKOTA, WWW.MODCLOTH.COM; ARGYLE SOCKS BY OZONE, WWW.OZONESOCKS.COM; TWINS IN SUEDE SHOES BY CAMPER; SCARF BY DAVID FOOTE FOR TIMO WEILAND, WWW.REVOLVECLOTHING.COM; WWII SILVER CITY MEDALLION RIBBON BY MIANSAI, WWW.MIANSAI.COM; GLOVES BY LACRASIA, WWW.LACRASIA.COM.

66 / BUST // OCT/NOV

ON NIKKI: SHIRT BY URBAN RENEWAL, WWW.URBANOUTFITTERS.COM; NECKLACE, VINTAGE; SHORTS BY DOLLHOUSE, WWW.DOLLHOUSE.COM. OPPOSITE ONBLOUSE NORA (LEFT): SWEATER I.D.I.,WWW.URBANOUTFITTERS.COM; WWW.EYEDEYE.COM; ON CASSIEPAGE: (LEFT): BY FLETCHER BYBY LYELL, BLACK SKIRT IN LOVE BY PEPPER + PISTOL, BLUEBERI, BROOKLYN, 718-422-7724; JEANSTIGHTS BY MARC WWW.MARCJACOBS.COM; PLATFORMS BETSEY GRAY BY JACOBS, KUSHYFOOT; ORANGE COCKTAIL RING BY NOIR,BY WWW.NOIRJEWELRY.COM; TWINS SHOES BY CAMPER. ON ALI (CENTER): HEADBAND BY D. CARUSO, WWW. JOHNSON, WWW.BETSEYJOHNSON.COM. ON NIKKI DRESS BY 55DSL, DCARUSODESIGNS.COM; HANDMADE VINTAGE SUIT(CENTER): DRESS FROM RE-DRESS; CRYSTAL BOW CUFF BY JUKO; LAYERED NECKLACE BY TARGET; PEEP-TOE PUMP IN FOSSIL WWW.55DSL.COM; STYLIST’S OWN;WEITZMAN, SHOES BY L.A., JESSICA SIMPSON, WWW. SUEDE BY STUART BELT, WEITZMAN, STUART 310-860-9600. ON KATY (RIGHT): BUBBLE MOSS SLEEVELESS SHIRT BY MISS SIXTY, WWW.MISSSIXTY.COM; HIGHJESSICASIMPSONCOLLECTION.COM. ON JOSEPH (RIGHT): SHIRT AND BELT, WAISTED NAVY BOW-TIE SKIRT BY MOON COLLECTION, WWW.SHOPRUCHE.COM; CAPE OF GOOD HOPE CAPE BY TULLE, WWW.MODCLOTH.COM; MISMATCHED KNEE-HIGH VINTAGE; JEANS BY JBRAND, WWW.JBRANDJEANS.COM; JOSEPH’S OWN. NECKLACE BY NIXON, WWW.NIXONNOW.COM. ARGYLE SOCKS BY OZONE; BROWN OLDEN OXFORDS BY SHOES, JACOBIES; GOLD WATCH

// BUST / 67

ON CASSIE (LEFT): GREEN MOMAS COAT BY MISS SIXTY; PLAID JOY DRESS BY MISS SIXTY; “CAPONE” BROWN FEDORA BY VICTOR OSBORNE, VICTOR OSBORNE, N.Y.C., 212-677-6254; PURPLE GLOVES BY LACRASIA; BROWN TIGHTS BY KUSHYFOOT; BROWN OLDEN OXFORDS BY JACOBIES. ON ALI (RIGHT): YELLOW FLORAL CARDIGAN BY TORRID, AMELIA CAMISOLE BY FREMONT; WWW.TORRID.COM; BOOT-CUT JEANS BY TORRID; TWINS IN LEATHER SHOES BY CAMPER; BLACK SCARF BY H&M; TOTEM “IN THE CHIPS” NECKLACE BY THEA GRANT. WWW.ACHACHLIEBLING.COM; TURQOISE COCKTAIL RING BY NOIR. AND TABOO NECKLACE BY ACH ACH LIEBLING,

68 / BUST // OCT/NOV

ON EVA: NECKLACE BY DISAYA; SHIRT BY FRED PERRY; JACKET 7 FOR ALL ON CASSIE (LEFT): DAY TO DINNER DRESS BY REBECCA TAYLOR, WWW.NEIMANMARCUS.COM; PEARL BY NECKLACE BY MANKIND; LARUICCI, BY COTELAC; SKIRTGLOVES BY CHEAP MONDAY; WWW.LARUICCI.COM; BLACK BELT BY 213 INDUSTRY, WWW.213INDUSTRY.COM; BELT OXFORDS BY JACOBIES; BY LACRASIA. HUE,RE-DRESS; WWW.HUE.COM; HIGHTOPS ON ALI (CENTER): LANE BRYANT VINTAGE DRESS FROM RE-DRESS; VINTAGE SOCKS PUMPSBY FROM NECKLACES BY DLC; BY VANS; SHIRT RING BY BINGBY BANG; OLD DUTCH PINK FLOWER COCKTAIL RING BY NOIR. ON KATY (RIGHT): GERANIUM OVERTURE VICTORIAN DRESS MOON COLLECTION, BIKE BATAVUS. MODELS: BRE @ FORD, EVA @ Q WWW.SHOPRUCHE.COM; BIG BOW NECKLACE BY ACH ACH LIEBLING; PEEP-TOE PUMP IN BY BROWN LEATHER BY STUART WEITZMAN. MODELS, ANDREW @ VNY, ZAKIVA LEWIS-GRUSS.

// BUST / 69

the bust guide

MUSIC

A FINE FRENZY Bomb in a Birdcage (Virgin) A Fine Frenzy, aka Los Angeles–bred pianist Alison Sudol, made quite an introduction in 2007 with her debut LP, the introspective One Cell in the Sea. However, the flamed-haired songstress embraces her unruly side for Bomb in a Birdcage, having apparently taken her own advice: “You should be wilder/You’re not fun at all,” she sings on “Electric Twist,” one of the many crazysexy-cool tracks found on this poprock collection. From “Blow Away,” the album’s charming first single, to fiery piano-driven dramas like “World Without” and “Stood Up,” Sudol explores a spectrum of raw emotion. Simple pop moments such as “What I Wouldn’t Do” and “Happier” showcase her songwriting chops as well as her artistic confidence. This album will appeal to fans of Sudol’s contemporaries, like Regina Spektor—especially those who wish Spektor would crank up the rock a few notches. Bomb in a Birdcage is as mighty as A Fine Frenzy’s namesake suggests. [MACKENZIE WILSON]

PHOTO BY ELAINE CONSTANTINE

AIR Love 2 (Astralwerks) With more than a decade in the game, sensual French duo Air has done more to boost the birth rate than all the ruptured condoms in Pennsylvania combined. Toggling between electronic pop and psychedelic yacht-rock as smooth as an opening line at a bar, Air can sometimes be too opaque and lightweight for full-on eroticism. But those concerns evaporate on Love 2, the closest thing to a hormonesoaked greatest-hits collection since Moon Safari. Take your pick: “Sing Sang Sung” is sweet nectar for neckin’, “Do the Joy” echoes their Floydian work on The Virgin Suicides soundtrack, and some titles (“Tropical Disease,” “Night Hunter,” “African Velvet”) are playful evocations of romantic adventures. Somewhere, Barry White is smiling, jealous, and just a bit turned on. [ERICK HAIGHT]

ﬂorence and the machine LUNGS (UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC) NARY A FEMALE pop singer would admit that she writes her best songs drunk or hung over—with the exception of Amy Winehouse, perhaps. But that’s exactly what Florence Welch recently did. The 22-year-old South Londoner can afford to be brash: After being discovered in a club bathroom, she recently won Britain’s coveted Critic’s Choice Award without even a proper full-length album. On her Mercury Prize-nominated debut, Lungs, she deﬁnitely uses hers. The opening song, “Dog Days Are Over,” features handclaps and a choral call-and-response to Welch’s unhinged vocals. She gets support from her seven-piece backing band—dubbed the Machine—and its everything-but-the-kitchensink instrumentation (“harps, choirs, drums, and elevator shafts,” according to Welch). Lungs carries a hopeful tone, even when the darker edges of Flo’s pop and aluminum folk suggest otherwise. “Kiss With a Fist” is a somehow joyful anthem about domestic violence, and on “Between Two Lungs” she sings, “We are all too young to die,” a perfect message for any young, drunk songstress—and the rest of us, too. [DYLAN STABLEFORD] // BUST / 71

the guide MUSIC BETTY Bright & Dark (BETTYRules) Just try to listen to BETTY’s sixth album, Bright & Dark, without dancing. The rock group—formed by ladies not named Betty but Amy, Alyson, and Elizabeth—has come a long way since its a cappella days in the ’80s. At once hardhitting and melodic, fierce and heartfelt, Bright & Dark is rife with disco-inspired beats as the trio sings about banging a Jesus lookalike and taunting the girlfriend of a recent sexual conquest. But these gals aren’t all bawdy brass knuckles. They raise millions of dollars with their performances and record sales for women’s rights and breast-cancer research. In fact, Elizabeth is a survivor—check her out standing proud in a bikini with only one boob on the album’s cover. In BETTY’s world, anything goes, so turn these tunes up and venture over to the wild side. [CELESTE KAUFMAN]

DODOS Time to Die (French Kiss/ Wichita) Despite its ominous title, the Dodos’ third album, Time to Die, is a vibrant follow-up to the San Francisco band’s powerful 2008 release, Visiter. With the addition of Keaton Snyder on electric vibraphone, the Dodos are no longer a guitar-and-drum duo, but their disjointed folk dynamic still revolves around rhythm and strings. Time to Die shares the sleek, organic sound of other Phil Ek–produced bands like Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses, but the refinement eliminates some of the expressive rawness that made Visiter so engaging. After all, the Dodos are at their best when hummingbird-paced finger picking flies around the turbulent, blooming beat of the drums. While Time to Die doesn’t kill with every track, it’s hard to get catchier than the beautifully sprawling sequence of “Longform,” “Fables,” and “The Strums.” [ ALISON MEIER ] 72 / BUST // OCT/NOV

THE ENTRANCE BAND Self-titled (Ecstatic Peace!) There always seems to be an endless string of bands— Dead Meadow, Stephen Malkmus, the Mars Volta, et al.—paying tribute to late-’70s progressive rock. Luckily, there’s plenty of prog to go around. Enter the Entrance Band, formerly the solo project of singer/songwriter Guy Blakeslee and now a traditional guitar-bassdrums trio. On the L.A. group’s self-titled debut, there’s Clash-like immediacy on opener “Lookout!” with Blakeslee doing his best Joe Strummer. Though his voice may struggle to ﬁnd a higher register on “You’re So Fine,” his guitar solo completely shreds. Solid tracks like Bloc Party–tinged “Still Be There,” anthemic “Lives,” and sludgy rocker “Sing for the One,” make room for “M.L.K.,” a balls-out sincere yet corny, riff-heavy tribute to the slain Civil Rights leader. With lyrics like “Hey there’s a reason I sing/’Cause I want to hear freedom ring/And I’ll remind you all of one more thing/ remember Martin Luther King,” it’s not perfect, but it’s progress. [DYLAN STABLEFORD]

THE ETTES Do You Want Power (Take Root) The Ettes are a spirited garage-rock trio from Nashville via Los Angeles and New York. While their approach is simple, their sound is as diverse as the web of cities they’ve called home. Many of the songs on their third album, Do You Want Power, pay homage to the garagerock gal groups of the ’60s, with reverb-soaked production, pounding drums, snakelike guitars, and singer Coco’s sweet but gnarly howl. Other times, like on “Modern Game,” they channel ’90s rock mavens Liz Phair and PJ Harvey. Some of the songs here are repetitive in their musical structures, but the Ettes work in a few surprises, like when they pull out gorgeous country ballad “Love Lies Bleeding,” and tough-talking track “I Can Be Your Lover (But I Can’t Be

Your Baby),” which showcases Coco’s vocal charisma. Overall, it’s a grand old time. [MILENA SELKIRK]

ORENDA FINK Ask the Night (Saddle Creek) Orenda Fink is a busy woman. Having tackled dream-pop as one half of Azure Ray, indie rock with her band Art in Manila, and ethereal art-pop with O+S, the Alabama-born singer/ songwriter is in a pensive, homebound mood on her second solo effort. Ask the Night is Fink’s love letter to her southern folk roots, and its 10 songs brim with gentle mandolins, ﬁddles, and banjos. Stirring girl-power waltz “Sister” (“Now that he is gone/We’re back to laughing all night long”) is the perfect showcase for her honeyed vocals, which fall somewhere between Jenny Lewis and Gillian Welch. Other highlights include the melancholy opener “Why Is the Night Sad,” the goth-tinged “High Ground,” as well as the layered atmospherics of “The Mural.” Much of the rest lacks the songwriting prowess of some of Fink’s nu-folk peers, but Ask the Night is as undeniably lovely as a late-summer breeze. [LUIZA SAUMA]

FLAMING LIPS Embryonic (Warner Bros.) With Embryonic, the Flaming Lips have abandoned the dreamy, melodic landscapes of 1999’s Soft Bulletin and 2002’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots for a discordant, unpolished tenor. The band’s 12th album—a double disc—pulls the uncles of modern psychedelic rock farther down the rabbit hole, trading bouncy, joyous pop songs for meandering guitars, background screams, furious drumming, and straight-up noise. Whereas earlier Flaming Lips lyrics had the ability to induce beautiful, swelling tears of joy (e.g., “Do You Realize??”), this scattershot of songs might inspire an existential crisis or a drug-addled meltdown. Take the third track, “Evil,” where lead singer Wayne Coyne’s defeated voice sighs over suspenseful, minor-chord key progressions. “I wish I could

go back, go back in time,” he whimpers. Consider Embryonic to be the band’s White Light, White Heat—like the Velvet Underground classic, it’s a dark, unpredictable journey with high highs and low lows, but a dinner party playlist this is not. [ERIN GRIFFITH]

GOSSIP Music for Men (Columbia) G o ssip’s f o u rth record delivers what loyal fans might expect: sparse guitar, a driving dance beat, and Beth Ditto’s powerhouse pipes. But the title, Music for Men, could quite possibly reference the band’s growing mainstream appeal. While previously, Ditto left each track dripping with rich soul and angst, she now unleashes a disco-diva cool, and the change of pace only intensiﬁes her outbursts. Music for Men is more polished than prior efforts as well, marking the Gossip’s move to Columbia Records and their collaboration with megaproducer Rick Rubin, famed for his bare, stripped-down production style. The soon-to-be-omnipresent single “Heavy Cross” has all the makings of a pop hit. It opens with an eerie, palm-muted guitar and mysterious keys before Ditto’s nearrabid voice rips the song to shreds with the uncontrollable scream, “I checked you!” Requisite disco beats follow, resolving the tension into a sweaty explosion of energy. We dare you to passively listen to this track; it’s like a gauntlet from the band that says, “Dance, or die.” [ERIN GRIFFITH]

THE GRATES Teeth Lost, Hearts Won (Thirty Tigers/Dew Process) Call them crazy, silly, quirky, or childlike, but there’s one thing this Brisbane-born, Brooklynbased power-pop trio is not: subtle. Teeth Lost, Hearts Won—the band’s second full-length but the ﬁrst to mark them as Stateside darlings—is a raucous foot-stomper from the start, with openers “Burn Bridges” and “Carve Your Name” exploding into instant sing-alongs (think That Dog on speed with a way more intense singer). Front-

the guide

MUSIC {INTERVIEW}

Even though the songs sound innocent, Somewhere Gone still packs a lyrical sting. Any chance you’ll ever write a happy song? All my songs are happy songs! [laughs] But no, I don’t ever think of myself as a cynic; I actually think of myself as more commenting on the human condition. Like, [the song] “Honest Mistake” to me is about—if the best thing you can pull out of a relationship is saying, “Oh well, I did my best,” that’s at least pulling something out of it. Your song “Insane Thing” has a similar theme. Yeah, it’s about complaining about someone doing something crazy to you and then asking them to do it again. I love to write songs about relationships. I grew up in the ’50s and ’60s, so I heard nothing but girl groups and Ray Charles. I’ll always write unrequited love songs.

EXENE CERVENKA GOES FOR FOLK ON HER NEW SOLO ALBUM

Do you consider yourself a feminist? Feminism is a term that’s demonized by people like Rush Limbaugh and even me, to some extent. I think feminism is a great concept, and I respect, admire, and am eternally grateful to all the women that worked under that banner. But there’s a faction of feminism that wants women to be more like men—sexually promiscuous— and I don’t see that. I’m more of an old-fashioned feminist if I could be considered one at all.

THIRTY-TWO YEARS after forming the legendary L.A. punk band X, Exene Cervenka, 53, is as prolific and outspoken as ever. Between exhibiting her collage art, performing spoken word, touring with the original members of X, and making albums with her other bands, the Original Sinners and the Knitters, she found time to create a solo album. Somewhere Gone (Bloodshot) departs wildly from her punk-rock roots—perhaps a reflection of her current Missouri digs—with countrified, Glen Campbell–inspired folk ditties. Cervenka may be strumming sweet, unassuming melodies on an acoustic guitar, but even in a polar-opposite genre, her flinty, honest voice shoots into your head with cold truth, bitterness, and a touch of playful sarcasm. When I caught up with the icon over the phone, she answered my questions in much the same way. In June, Cervenka released a statement announcing that she’s been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, but she’s obviously not letting it slow her down.

I was sorry to hear that you were recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. How has the diagnosis, and also your decision to go public with it, changed your outlook? I gotta say, it’s given me a pretty great outlook on life, because I can’t believe how many people have said to me that they’re praying for me, sending me love, and thinking of me. So many people have given me advice and shared their stories. It’s made me a much better, more positive, stronger person. I wish I wasn’t diagnosed, but if you have to look at the bright side, it’s that people come to your aid and offer you support. It’s an uplifting experience that you can’t buy. [ERIN GRIFFITH ]

the x-ﬁles

74 / BUST // OCT/NOV

PHOTO BY J EDGE

How have women’s roles in the music industry changed since you got your start? Well, there was a terrible phase in the ’90s and 2000s when women were more interested in liberating themselves from being women and just turning into men and the music reﬂected that. I think it’s a position of strength to be a woman, and you have to remember that.

woman Patience Hodgson is the definition of wild abandon, shrilling and trilling with an unintelligible flair that only adds to her charm. You’ll dig the ultrafun party tracks first, but don’t ignore mid-album slow jams like the sugary “The Sum of Every Part” or the dark-as-night “Storms and Fevers”— that’s where the Grates really shine, and you’ll come back to those songs over and over. Promise. [MOLLIE WELLS]

THE HEAVY The House That Dirt Built (Counter) If you’ve wondered why the Northern Soul revival of the last few years never evolved beyond reductive trombone loops and divas’ absurd soul contrivances (foot-tall beehives, anyone?), take note: a record with overt ’60s samples you will not be ashamed to play at parties has ﬁnally arrived. The House That Dirt Built, the sophomore release from self-described “musically schizophrenic” English rockers the Heavy, features on-point lo-ﬁ production that makes every track sound like it was archived from a warm 45, and collective chops tight enough to create some serious arrangements. Lead single “Oh No! Not You Again!” (featuring Noisettes frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa) is a Cramps-meets–Arctic Monkeys stomp, while the funk of “How You Like Me Now” is downright sexy. To boot, “Short Change Hero” and “Long Way From Home” are infused with surprisingly successful and cinematic spaghetti-western elements. All in all, the project comes off like a snarky jazz-club jam session gone unexpectedly credible. And danceable. [DEVIN ESTLIN]

SONDRE LERCHE Heartbeat Radio (Rounder) Norwegian-born Sondre Lerche has a doe-eyed look that makes hearts pitter-patter and a supersweet voice that could make a gal swoon. Adorability factor aside, Heartbeat Radio, Lerche’s ﬁrst effort since collaborating with Regina Spektor on 2007’s Dan in Real Life soundtrack, packs a loaded punch of pop. Although some of the tracks border on bubblegum, stay tuned for more nuanced songs like “Pioneer,”

which gives a nod to early Beatles. Not just a pretty face, Lerche intersperses this album with a dash of seriousness and some cleverly sarcastic lyrics. “Tell me what’s the deal with this static/FM has become automatic/I wanna know did the DJ drown,” he sings on the title track. As fall fades into winter, this album harkens back to the sunny days of summer while playfully challenging listeners to keep their wits about them. [HANNAH TAYLOR]

{heavy rotation}

LIGHTNING DUST Inﬁnite Light (Jagjaguwar) Though both of Lighting Dust’s key members, Amber Webber and Josh Wells, come from Vancouver’s heavy psych-rock quintet Black Mountain, the two bands are incomparable. On Lightning Dust’s sophomore release, Inﬁnite Light, Webber and Wells show that they do, indeed, have a softer side. Webber’s distinctive voice has a quiver that rivals Grace Slick, and a soothing quality that could ease a screaming baby to sleep. Wells provides backing orchestration pulling out everything from electric piano and acoustic guitar to bossa nova drums and strings. What come out of this collaboration are moving and emotional tracks that sound sweet and gritty at once. Listen for the drum-heavy anthem “The Times,” moody electro-goth track “Never Seen,” haunting orchestral jaunt “Wondering What Everyone Knows,” and even a cameo of Wells’ voice on country-tinged duet “Honest Man.” [MARY-LOUISE PRICE]

JEMINA PEARL Break It Up (Universal/Ecstatic Peace!) Jemina Pearl, exfrontwoman of now defunct teenpunk sensation Be Your Own Pet, emerges with shorter hair, tinier skirts, and just as much sass with her solo debut, Break It Up. The album is a 13-song collection of snot rock, all backed by punky guitar riffs, superfast drums, and a vibe that pays homage to great rockers of the past. Pearl channels the Clash with the bouncy bass and funk guitar on “Ecstatic Appeal” and Thin Lizzy with the mes-

KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS Self-titled (SUNDAY BEST) ARE YOU READY for something old-school? I mean, like, seriously old-school? Kitty, Daisy & Lewis—Londoner sibs ages 16, 21, and 19, respectively—joined powers with their mum and dad to create their self-titled debut, which features awesomely archaic instruments (a wheeze box and a squeeze box!) along with bongos, steel guitar, upright bass, and ukulele. This bluesy collection of covers and originals rekindles a classic, ’50s rock ‘n’ roll reminiscent of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. Every track is unrelentingly rhythmic and yields nonstop foot tapping. Original tracks composed by the family members themselves are my faves, such as the summer crooner “Swinging Hawaii” and “(Baby) Hold Me Tight,” complete with a xylophone that melts my pants. While the album is easy to appreciate, the recording itself doesn’t quite capture all the excitement of the music; I’d murder to see them live. [WHITNEY DWIRE]

merizing, soft-metal sound of “Retrograde.” Even Iggy Pop approves—he drops in on the duet “I Hate People,” a track that sums up Pearl’s MO well. She sings, “I hate everything I see/ It’s a different city with the same old scene,” presumably about her new digs in N.Y.C. Ever the hater, the girl’s got all the swagger to back up her shit-talk. Last time I saw her play live, she heckled her own opener during their entire set. Bottom line: Break It Up is a spunky solo effort perfect for your inner bitch. [SARA GRAHAM]

THE RAVEONETTES In and Out of Control (Vice) With their Scandinavian cool, sticky-thick mix of Phil Spector “wall of sound” and Jesus and Mary Chain squall, the Raveonettes were pretty much an instant buzz band upon appearing on U.S. soil. The duo’s fourth full-length, In and Out of Control, however, reminds us why they’re still around. Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo continue to live where the candy harmonies of countless ’60s // BUST / 75

the guide MUSIC girl groups coexist with the dirty children of the Velvet Underground. Nowhere is the dichotomy more striking than on “Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed),” which features an impossible syrupy chorus repeating the (certainly inarguable) title, a fuzzy backing like a rusty barrel under a torrential downpour, and a honey-dripping solo straight out of Twin Peaks. The whole album’s mood, in fact, is similar to a David Lynch version of the ’50s: clean and pretty, but with some truly bizarre dirt and darkness underneath. [TOM FORGET]

LANGHORNE SLIM Be Set Free (Kemado) Langhorne Slim’s music is a throwback to earlier days, evoking images of smoky honky-tonks and empty bottles of bourbon. He has a ﬂat-picking style as fervent as the snarl and bite of his love songs, and if you catch him live, you’ll see he has dance moves to match. On Be Set Free, Slim’s third full-length, tracks like “Back to the Wild” and “I Love You, but Goodbye” are so sincere, it’s hard not to place yourself in the gutwrenching stories he tells. Other songs, like “Cinderella” and “Say Yes,” have that get-on-the-stage-and-dance vibe, which have made Langhorne’s shows legendary. With dramatic string ar-

rangements, melancholy lyrics that are still ever-hopeful, and vocal harmonies that will haunt you for days, Be Set Free is Langhorne’s most cohesive album to date. [DAWN MAUBERRET]

THE SLITS Trapped Animal (Narnack) Decades ago, the British all-female punk/reggae legends the Slits sang about feminist, social, and political subjects in an era of cheesy ’70s pop starlets. After disbanding in the early ’80s, two original members, vocalist Ari Up and bassist Tessa Pollitt, returned in 2006 with the Revenge of the Killer Slits EP. Now with three new additions, including rock royalty Hollie Cook (daughter of Sex Pistol Paul Cook), this latest incarnation delivers the fantabulous effort, Trapped Animal. The electronic-ska opener “Ask Ma” has Up calling out misogynistic mommies’ boys and declaring, “Mothers, make some noise!” Pop-reggae stomper “Pay Rent” protests working dull day jobs over doing what you love, and “Reject” has the classic Slits’ offbeat tempo and makeshift punk sound, complete with Up’s jungle yelps. The Slits are back, with a message to all those fashion-punk

posers out there—your 15 minutes are ofﬁcially up. [MICHAEL LEVINE]

SPINNERETTE Self-titled (Anthem) Former Distillers leader Brody Dalle has been somewhat MIA since the dissolution of her popular L.A. punk act, but having played on husband Josh Homme’s projects and given birth to a daughter, she’s re-entered the fray with Spinnerette. Fans who crave the raw street punk of Dalle’s previous jams may be dismayed to ﬁnd her slowing things down, but the distinctive bass-driven hip swing of Spinnerette offers delights aplenty on its own. Despite some birthing pains, including Dalle wriggling out of her major-label deal in exchange for artistic control, Spinnerette is an album that plays to the Aussie siren’s strengths, using her scorched voice to full effect on songs both seductive and menacing. Opener “Ghetto Love” is all handclaps and rumble-ready fuzz bass, a street ﬁght still gestating behind a drunk’s eyes, and “Baptized by Fire” incorporates sizzling New Wave synths and a propulsive backbeat like stomping black leather boots. [TOM FORGET]

JAQEE Kokoo Girl (ROOTDOWN) IF YOU’RE CRAVING some sugary sweetness, eccentric songstress Jaqee has got the goods. This selfidentified “musical nomad’s” fourth release, Kokoo Girl, embodies the diversity of both her varied influences (count first-wave reggae and children’s songs in the mix), and her Ugandan-Swedish-German roots. Jaqee’s voice sounds like a girlier version of legends like Nina Simone or Billie Holiday, the latter of whom inspired Jaqee’s last album, A Letter to Billie. While many of Kokoo Girl’s tracks have a distinctly dancehall sound, the string instruments on “Moonshine” and “Take It or Leave It” add an Old World flair to straightup pop tunes. “Letter to Samson” is a genuine blues track where the singer’s quirky voice drags on lyrics like “But who am I to judge you, my dear?/I thought that’s what the cross was meant for.” Jaqee’s cheeky, cutesy style will make you feel like frolicking across the globe, so you can be a kokoo girl too. [ERICA VARLESE]

76 / BUST // OCT/NOV

WOLFMOTHER Cosmic Egg (Interscope) Four years after their self-titled debut, Aussie retro rockers Wolfmother return, sans two original members, plus three new ones, and every bit as Zeppelin-esque stoner-rock as you’d expect. Lead guitarist/vocalist Andrew Stockdale—who undoubtedly puts the “fro” in frontman—carries the torch with Cosmic Egg, and his sleazy-sexy vocals and consummate shredding are in top form. Opener “California Queen” sets the stage, with metal-tinged guitar licks easing into a sludgy breakdown and back again—a formula used throughout the album, but if it ain’t broke, there’s no point in ﬁxing it. With track titles like “New Moon Rising,” “In the Castle,” and “Phoenix,” the whole album sparkles with trippy imagery, giving a nod to eras past. “10,000 feet” is reminiscent of ’80s L.A. scuz à la Guns N’ Roses, and my personal fave, “White Feather,” is a slithering bluesy rocker (note the cowbell) featuring blissful, elastic vocals. So sit back, take a bong hit, and prepare for a trip that’s out of this world. [SARA GRAHAM]

YO LA TENGO Popular Songs (Matador) It’s hard for a band with 15 albums to still seem fresh, but somehow Yo La Tengo does just that. Tracks that sound part jam band, part sensitive-guy indie rock, make up Popular Songs, Yo La’s latest addition to a beloved body of work. If anything, this album is proof of the band’s ability to merge lengthy instrumentals with upbeat pop songs. The mufﬂed, dreamy vocals of “By Twos,” which would be at home on a Soﬁa Coppola movie soundtrack, may have you thinking, “Oh, man, I’m getting kind of sad,” but then “Nothing to Hide” follows, which is all good-times guitar. Building on this emotional rollercoaster, “Periodically Double or Triple” will have you pulling two pens from your desk for a knee drumming sesh. The end of the album is mostly instrumental, and you may wonder if you’ve been listening to the same song for, like, 24 minutes. But don’t question the destination; just enjoy the ride. [KELLY MCCLURE]

the guide

MOVIES

Uma Thurman hoofs around her ‘hood in Motherhood

Robin Wright Penn and Keanu Reeves break free in Pippa Lee

Miss Indigo Blue has style for miles in A Wink and a Smile

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FIRST RUN FEATURES, JOJO WHILDEN, AND GENE PAGE FOR SCREEN MEDIA FILMS

A WINK AND A SMILE Directed by Deirdre Timmons (Golden Echo Films) Burlesque has been around for more than a century, but its recent resurgence can be attributed to a creative new generation of selfstyled performers who, over the past decade, have taken the club world by storm. In the wake of this latest crop of stripping superstars has also emerged a growing group of women who want to be like them. The documentary A Wink and a Smile (now out on DVD) showcases all of the above—giving a brief history of burlesque, proﬁling modern headliners, and following a Seattle class of prospective peelers. The class is taught by Miss Indigo Blue, a performer who has been instrumental in establishing Seattle’s burlesque scene. Blue is articulate and passionate about her art form, and her body-positive spirit is contagious. In many ways she’s like a therapist, helping her students overcome their fears on their way to creating their own divalicious personas and debuting in a showcase. But Wink’s most compelling clips are the ones featuring professional performers, particularly those who aren’t “typical” burlesque dancers, such as Ultra, a male performer who lipsynchs to electro-punk in futurist costumes, and Ernie von Schmaltz, a cheesy male Vegas lounge-lizard character performed by a woman. If this ﬁlm has a weakness, it’s

that it tries to pack so much into so little time. Focusing on the class, the history of burlesque, and the current Seattle scene all at once doesn’t allow the audience to deeply conect with any one facet of the story. But overall, this is a feelgood doc that will make you want to grab some fringe, get on stage, and shake what your mama gave you. [ERRIN DONAHUE]

MOTHERHOOD Written and directed by Katherine Dieckmann (Freestyle Releasing) In the time we spend with Eliza Welsh (Uma Thurman) in Motherhood, she faces every hassle an upper-middleclass mom in N.Y.C. can come up against—having to throw a coat over her nightgown to walk her daughter to school, circumventing snotty neighbors, trying to ﬁnd a parking space while negotiating around the needs of a half-present husband (Anthony Edwards). In thoroughly modern style, everything gets documented on her mommy blog, until oversharing about her pregnant and single best friend (Minnie Driver) gets her in hot water. Once an up-and-coming writer, Eliza desperately wants to win a contest whose prize is a regular column on a parenting Web site. But ﬁrst she has to write an essay on what motherhood means to her, all while rushing around the city preparing for her kid’s birthday party. At first it’s hard to see past a

few of this film’s more annoying elements: the attempt at making Thurman look like a harried mom by giving her glasses and brown hair; the luxury problems of eco-conscious parents; the adjoining, book-filled apartments (“They’re rent-controlled!”); and the preciousness of the mommyblog phenomenon. But even if the outer trappings of Eliza’s life feel like a bit much, Motherhood should be applauded for giving a voice to an audience that deserves to have their story told. It’s a story of women who want to be read and seen, who feel silenced in their everyday lives, and who seek community and creative fulfillment in the minutes they sneak blogging during naptime. Writers who are also mothers have been juggling parenting hassles with their creative careers for a long time. Only now they’re able to do it online and with the support of other moms. So while some might find Motherhood a little unrelatable, there are many others who will undoubtedly recognize Eliza’s problems as their own. And if neurotic singles can have scads of movies depicting their trials and tribulations, moms who blog should get their films too. [ JENNI MILLER ]

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE Written and directed by Rebecca Miller (Screen Media Films) In writer/director Rebecca Miller’s latest ﬁlm adaptation of one of

her novels, Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) is the dutiful wife of an influential New York publisher (Alan Arkin), more than 30 years her senior. Their children grown, the couple move to a suburban retirement community where they can take it easy. But in this new environment, Pippa begins to scrutinize the path she has taken in life. “I want to be known,” her inner monologue informs the audience, and so begins a series of flashbacks that cut into the present-day story that unfolds. We witness the events that molded young Pippa (Blake Lively): her speed-addicted mother; the sex, drugs, and violence of her youth; and her love affair with Mr. Lee that led to a quiet existence of loving servitude. But this rehashing of the sordid details of her life before marriage is only the beginning of Pippa’s journey. In the present-day story, a neighbor’s grown son deep in a midlife crisis (Keanu Reeves sporting a hot tattoo of a swordtoting Jesus on his chest) comes to stay with his mom and dad, and Pippa finds an unlikely ally as her life begins to fragment. A film full of grace and wit, Pippa Lee also features lovely performances by an impressive supporting cast, including Winona Ryder, Julianne Moore, Monica Bellucci, Maria Bello, and Robin Weigert, and is sure to resonate with mothers, daughters, and Keanu Reeves–obsessives alike. [ANNA BEAN] // BUST / 77

the guide

BOOKS

LITPICK

will work for drugs BY LYDIA LUNCH [AKASHIC] THE TITLE OF Lydia Lunch’s recently published compilation of new and classic writing is a hilariously ironic misnomer. There are plenty of drugs consumed in this tome, but the hard-working author is nothing but lucid in these autobiographical essays, performance pieces, and interviews with other artists, all of which document her life on the margins: of suburbia, the counterculture, and the patriarchy. For those unfamiliar with Lunch’s history, artist Karen Finley lays it out in her terrific foreword. They’re somewhat kindred spirits, Finley and Lunch; both are art-world provocateurs who burst onto the scene in New York City’s post-punk No Wave movement of the late 1970s and have taken their respective experiences of abuse and turned them into difficult, angry, funny work. But whereas Finley’s fame has come from her infiltration of the mainstream art world, Lunch has actively shunned it. For more than 30 years, she has rejected both institutional and commercial affiliations, publishing her own writing and releasing her own recordings, collaborating prolifically but without strings. Will Work for Drugs brings together a cross section of her work from the past decade or so, all bound by the overarching themes of abuse and redemption. The collection is a bit of a grab-bag quality-wise; thumbnail character sketches like “Dead Man” or the punk burlesque of “Assume the Position” (about her lifelong cop fetish) seem terribly slight alongside poignant, incisively observed essays and conversations about motherhood, addiction, and organized religion, many of which she refined through years of spoken-word performances. However, the eclectic approach of Will Work for Drugs also provides a useful portrait of a restless, promiscuous artist who, like this volume, refuses to be pinned down. [MARIA ELENA BUSZEK]

A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY By Lauren Grodstein (Algonquin Books) Dr. Pete Dizinoff, the narrator of this melancholy and emotionally suspenseful novel, shares an amicable partnership and a so-so sex life with his loyal wife, Elaine, in an impeccably upscale suburb of New Jersey. For his whole life, Pete has worked hard to meet his immigrant parents’ expectations for his success, and demands in turn that he and Elaine’s son, Alec, do the same. For his only child to “ﬁnish a degree, meet a nice girl, and forge a career,” followed by grandbabies, is Pete’s “truest, most deeply longed-for fantasy.” Alec rebels, of course, and in Pete’s effort to control him, his ethical boundaries begin to blur. Pete pens and posts Alec’s successful college application essays, then becomes violently overprotective when Alec begins dating Laura, a beautiful 31year-old redhead whose presence in his son’s life arouses overwhelming feelings

of both desire and repulsion in Pete, in ways that he is unable to articulate or fully justify. Though he’s eager to be seen as a mensch, Pete is marked by a repressed vindictive streak that breaks out in nasty ways at unpredictable moments. In the flashback sequences that make up most of the 300-page story, Pete recollects the ups and downs of his 30-year marriage to Elaine, trying to assess where and why his life went so monumentally wrong. Grodstein’s prose is intense, measured, and sincere. Though dark and harrowing at times, the book is difficult to put down. What emerges is a disturbing portrait of a flawed human being struggling with his emotional limitations in the throes of midlife. [RENATE ROBERTSON]

A GATE AT THE STAIRS By Lorrie Moore (Knopf) A Gate at the Stairs starts out as a touching, fresh take on family, rife with Lorrie Moore’s gift

for making the mundane fascinating. Tassie is a college senior in the Midwest who, out of desperation, takes a job as a nanny for a couple adopting a biracial child. As Tassie accompanies the parents through the process of creating their new family, we’re given shockingly honest insight into the intricacies of human relationships and the realities of the business of adoption. The experience forces the family to confront issues of race, not only in adoption but also in society. Yet despite the heavy subject matter, Moore keeps us laughing. Her sharp observations and biting humor move the story along at a rapid clip, and she manages to accurately portray the voice of a college student, which is a rare feat for writers of any age. Her other characters, all quirky and relatable, are wonderfully painted as well. But about halfway through, Moore seems to grow tired of her plot. The story loses focus, unraveling into a series of pointless vignettes, and she succumbs to cheap twists that fail to liven things up. And while her commentary on race, gender,

and politics is subtle and brilliant in the beginning, she starts to bombard the reader with it by the end. If only this had stayed on track and skipped the paperback-mystery ﬂair, it would have been a charming, worthwhile tale. [CELESTE KAUFMAN]

GIRLDRIVE: Criss-Crossing America, Redeﬁning Feminism By Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein (Seal Press) Both 22 years old at the start of their mammoth task researching this book, authors Aronowitz and Bernstein set out on the open road, sans fellowship or grant, to try to capture the organic identity that feminism has now. To mimic this trip, the book is organized geographically, carving up the American landscape into 12 regions. The authors interviewed many women along the way, from plussized burlesque dancers to Christian conservative photographers, and asked each of them what feminism // BUST / 79

the guide

BOOKS

means to them. One conclusion is clear: whether it’s the actress in Boston who feels it helps fight the subordination of otherness or the queer hip-hopper from Seattle who asserts, “I’m not a feminist, I’m a person,” there is no agreed-upon definition of the word. Compelling as the interviews are, the authors’ stories enrich the book as well, marking each chapter with their own narrative reactions. They document their drug use, their frustration with one another, and most bravely, their uncertainty about the success of their project. One can’t help but pay particular attention to Bernstein, who tragically took her own life before this book was published—knowing this, her questions and insights lend the work an unexpectedly urgent context. Girldrive is gutsy in its endeavor and gives agency to emerging feminist voices. In the prologue, Bernstein mentions that no one would give these young authors a book deal without seeing proof of their effort first. This work’s very publication

shows how far you can go if you only have the drive. [TAYLOR ORCI]

GRUNGE By Michael Lavine and Thurston Moore (Abrams Image) The aesthetic of the underground music scene has been co-opted endlessly over the past few decades, straying further and further from its roots each time a pristine Sex Pistols T-shirt appears in the window of a Hot Topic. Grunge, a collection of photographer Michael Lavine’s work, is the antidote to all that fakery, a brash photo-documentation of the alt-rock street kids and musicians who’ve been mimicked endlessly since the 1980s. In the book’s foreword, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore tells the story of how Lavine rose from Seattle college kid, snapping pictures of eyelinered punks and grimacing skaters, to shooting promo photos of most of the bands on the burgeoning late-’80s Sub Pop

label, including Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana. While on set, he effortlessly got inside the heads of these music pioneers, creating eye-popping images and earning a steady stream of progressively higher proﬁle assignments. Many of the photos he’s since produced (of artists like Hole, Pearl Jam, and even Notorious B.I.G.) are now a part of the cultural canon, like the shot of Courtney Love kissing a pink-haired Kurt Cobain on the cheek. Grunge arranges Lavine’s output chronologically, starting with gritty images of 1980s counterculture teens and moving into shots of then-baby-faced rock idols like Billy Corgan and Chris Cornell. Moore discusses the roots of these rock legends in the foreword, and their role in the unfortunately named “grunge” scene. Lavine’s envelope-pushing style—with its inventive angles, distorted backgrounds, and candid joyfulness— helped deﬁne and expose that genre, and the gonzo shots he’s captured prove that while punk style can be bought and sold, attitude and imagination aren’t for sale. [MOLLY SIMMS]

THE LOVE CHILDREN By Marilyn French (The Feminist Press at CUNY) Marilyn French’s first novel, The Women’s Room, embodied the women’s movement of the ’70s with its depiction of a submissive housewife who divorces her husband to find her own life. The Love Children, her last, picks up where that feminist classic left off, exploring the lives of the daughters born to the women who achieved liberation at that time. Unsurprisingly, French shows that many limitations exist for these women, even with their generation’s newfound freedoms. The book focuses on Jess, a girl trying to find herself while growing up in the late ’60s and ’70s. When her feminist mother divorces her overbearing and self-absorbed father, Jess is thrown for a loop. She struggles to etch out her own sense of identity, experimenting with drugs, sexuality, and career paths in a bid to find a fulfilling existence. After being 80 / BUST // OCT/NOV

mistreated in college by male sex partners and patriarchal professors, she abandons school, hoping to ﬁnd a more suitable life in a commune, only to ﬁnd that even the men inside this supposed utopia see women as lesser beings to be used for their sexual whims. Though Jess is from a different era, her struggles resonate today. The Love Children is valuable in its exploration and depiction of the many ways in which gender can still be a limitation, even within a supposedly more enlightened society. [ADRIENNE URBANSKI]

MEAN LITTLE DEAF QUEER: A Memoir By Terry Galloway (Beacon Press) When Terry Galloway was but a fetus, her mother was injected with an experimental antibiotic by a German military doctor. Her mother felt her feet grow cold and the baby roll over, and before Galloway was even born, her life was ﬁxed to be different. The drugs caused permanent deafness and sporadic hallucinations in her childhood, and her young adult life was marked by Galloway coming to terms with both her disability and her queerness. Though the author’s path was threaded with struggles, this is a memoir where tragedy is spun into quirky hilarity. When Galloway was just a kid she left a doctor’s appointment with glasses “as thick as a cow’s tongue” and a “boxsized” hearing aid that wrapped around her head and tucked into her training bra. Looking in the mirror, she thought, “This next part of my life is gonna suck. I bet I can milk it for every tear it’s worth.” And that’s precisely what she did. From proud reenactments of scenes from The Miracle Worker in her front yard to staging her own drowning at a camp for crippled children, Galloway channeled her trauma into drama and pioneered a life in theater. Like discovering a lost Sedaris, this is the kind of writing that encourages laughing and reading out loud. While the book addresses serious and personal life

good enough to eat THREE HOT PICKS FOR A BITCHIN’ KITCHEN THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PRESERVING FOOD AT HOME By Janet Chadwick • (Storey Publishing) Last spring you eagerly planted a vegetable garden, and now the fruits and veggies of your labor are too abundant to eat in season. Luckily, Janet Chadwick is here to walk you through the multiple steps for freezing, drying, or canning your crops. These are not quick-and-easy procedures. Nothing is that difﬁcult to execute, but the processes take time and require speciﬁc equipment. Chadwick includes an overview of the supplies needed along with a list of retailers. She also includes recipes for pickles, jams, and even entire meals that can be frozen and reheated for a busy night. One multitasking tip Chadwick offers: chop veggies with a cutting board in your lap while watching TV. The Beginner’s Guide is aimed toward those with the space for a root cellar or a chest freezer, but it also can be used by city dwellers with access to a farmers’ market. Either way, you’ll learn how to have the ultimate local food long after the harvest. [HEATHER MUSE]

FORKING FANTASTIC! By Zora O’Neill and Tamara Reynolds • (Gotham Books) Writers Zora O’Neill and Tamara Reynolds like to party. The friends, who met while working at famed N.Y.C. resto Prune and started an underground supper club together, also like to cook, and in Forking Fantastic they tell you how to do both at the same time. For gals scared to death of throwing a dinner soiree, this is a good place to start. The book gives menus (fall’s includes ham with bourbon brown-sugar glaze, potato and turnip casserole, roasted fennel, and an apple spice cake), easy-to-follow recipes (though hardly any photos, boo), and perhaps most helpful, plans of attack. But what they really want to impress throughout is that dinner parties should be less about matching silverware, linen napkins, and perfect place settings, and more about good wine, good food, and good company, which makes throwing one seem like way more fun. [LISA BUTTERWORTH]

SHE-SMOKE By Julie Reinhardt • (Seal Press) Maybe barbecue is the domain of men in cultural memory, with their love for courting danger and all that silliness. But She-Smoke author Julie Reinhardt, who co-owns Seattle’s Smokin’ Pete’s BBQ, points out that in hunter-gatherer days, it was the women who threw the beast over a pit of smoking embers. In a conversational voice, Reinhardt’s barbecue bible breaks it all down: history, equipment, the important distinction between barbecuing and grilling, regional variations, meat and ﬁsh cuts, marinades and sauces, and party planning. The recipes demonstrate different techniques on foods such as the expected beef and chicken, as well as duck, veggies, cheese(!), and a chapter called Paciﬁc Northwest Salmon Bake. So, ladies, it’s time to take back the Match Light. Kidding: Don’t use such chemical nastiness! Reinhardt also takes a strong environmental stance on meats and materials throughout this guide, discussing grass-fed beef and lamb, and the distinctions between terms like “organic,” “naturally raised,” and “free-range.” Holy smokes! [COLLEEN KANE]

issues, at its core it is a funny and colorful tangle of episodes that anyone can enjoy—mean, little, deaf, queer, or not. [HANNAH TAYLOR]

MOONLIGHT IN ODESSA: A Novel By Janet Skeslien Charles (Bloomsbury USA) Odessa, a beautiful, deadly seaport in Ukraine, is the setting of Janet Skeslien Charles’ debut novel and serves as the ballast to a plot that spins pleasingly out of control as it winds its way across countries and cultures. Daria, the whip-smart narrator, leads an engrossing tour of the collisions and collusions of money, sex, power, and romance she encounters—both in her job under a Western boss and in her foray as purveyor and participant in the world of email-order brides. While Daria identifies with the desperation of Ukrainian women to escape the host of financial and cultural burdens they shoulder, she also slowly becomes aware of the stifling and often abusive arrangements the service actually perpetuates. The choices she faces as she decides whether to become the bride of a Western man or stay with a compelling but dangerous suitor in Odessa form the central conflict, but it is Charles’ moving exploration of the intricate sacrifices of male-female relationships that resonates as the novel’s emotional core. The pace and language falter at points, becoming repetitive as Daria expounds on her feelings about her every decision, but the richness of Charles’ imagination and the breadth of her narrative ambition make up for much of the shaky ground. The forgiving reader will be rewarded in spades with a satisfying and original ending, an admirable fidelity to place, and a set of wholly realized, achingly human characters. [DEVAN BOYLE]

THE SOUND OF WINGS: The Life of Amelia Earhart By Mary S. Lovell (St. Martin’s Grifﬁn) The Sound of Wings is a gripping biography about a

record-breaking aviator, a true dare devil, and a good-lookin’ lady—once you get past the first 11 chapters. The volume begins with the childhoods of both Earhart and her husband, George Putnam. And readers may find this initial portion of the book about as fun to navigate as a hearse, especially since a large chunk is about Putnam exclusively. Beyond that, though, the book is riveting. Lovell is quick to point out that Earhart challenged conventional norms of the time—she kept her hair short and “unruly,” always wore pants (because she had cankles), and kept her maiden name after marrying. Perhaps surprisingly, Earhart was a terrible aviator. Despite her constant practicing, Earhart’s flights were of the wobbly variety, and she crashed many, many times, even during the first attempt of her trip around the world. Because Earhart was not a natural pilot, “it is to her great credit that she was subsequently able to achieve as much,” writes Lovell. The book contains multiple appendices, which present evidence on Earhart’s fate, including her radio communications from the day she vanished and various disappearance theories. Lovell supplies several theories as to what may have happened to our hero while coming to no final conclusion of her own. The possibilities will leave you with goosebumps and a sudden desire to find Earhart yourself. [WHITNEY DWIRE]

WAKING UP IN EDEN: In Pursuit of an Impassioned Life on an Imperiled Island By Lucinda Fleeson (Algonquin Books) Single 40-something woman craving a change leaves behind her seemingly picture-perfect life in Philadelphia to move to Hawaii? The setup oozes romantic possibility, and the moment Fleeson says she can’t escape the feeling that a solitary woman is a “dried-up celibate,” I started praying this memoir of her time in Kauai wouldn’t involve a trip to the altar. The good news is that, despite the fairy-tale setting, Waking Up in Eden isn’t about living happily ever after. The bad news: in the absence of romance, the book lacks a compelling central narrative // BUST / 81

the guide BOOKS thread. Fleeson grasps at storylines—she recounts the history of Kauai’s National Tropical Botanical Garden, where she works; she compares her Hawaiian adventure to Victorian female traveler Isabella Lucy Bird’s; and she explores the challenges to survival facing so many of Hawaii’s endangered indigenous plants. She also joins a competitive women’s canoe club, restores a plantation cottage, assists at a traditional luau, adopts a stray cat, and plants a garden of her own. Fleeson deﬁnitely comes across as a strong, independent woman who was invigorated by her stay in Kauai, but unfortunately, her myriad anecdotes about island living pair only roughly with the tome’s sections of reportage, making the book feel slightly unfocused. Yet, Fleeson’s writing succeeds in evoking Hawaii’s exotic grandeur, as well as the efforts to preserve the state’s unique botanical attributes. If nothing else, the book will have you obsessively checking ﬂight prices to the tropics. [ERICA WETTER]

WELL ENOUGH ALONE: A Cultural History of My Hypochondria By Jennifer Traig (Riverhead) Picking up where her 2004 girlhood memoir, Devil in the Details, a chronicle of wrestling with obsessive-compulsive disorder, left off, Well Enough Alone has Jennifer Traig scratching a new itch. Or rather she describes, often in excruciatingly exact detail, a whole array of itches and potentially fatal illnesses that you’ve probably never imagined. As a young adult (mostly) suppressing her OCD urges, Traig developed a handful of medical problems: rash-inducing eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, and extreme hypochondria, which invoked a different category of obsession. Her unrelenting phobia of getting sick prevented her from feeling healthy, as she fell victim to one invented malady after another. By the time she had her ﬁrst (false alarm) heart attack, at 18, she’d already suffered from boy-who-cried-wolf bouts of “skin cancer, meningitis, pancreatitis, and blood poisoning.” Interwoven with her own medical (and mental) crises is the fascinating history of hypochondria itself, which provides a rich cultural context for her personal story. Traig’s unﬂinching 82 / BUST // OCT/NOV

honesty and self-deprecation, combined with meticulous research and dashes of laugh-out-loud humor, render her chronicles surprisingly cinematic. Though the work is framed with a scattershot structure, at its best Traig’s writing is thoroughly engaging. And for readers afﬂicted with short attention spans, this book’s liveliness, along with a hilarious appendix featuring health horoscopes and hypochondria haiku, serves as the perfect—and contagious—antidote. [SARAH NORRIS]

A WOMAN AMONG WARLORDS: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice By Malalai Joya (Scribner) Malalai Joya was elected in 2005 as the youngest member of the new Afghan parliament. Her strident criticism of the very government she was a part of soon got her suspended; she has yet to be allowed to return. In this book, she tells her personal story, recounting growing up amid civil and international warfare, and her rise to activism. Joya paints a bleak picture of contemporary Afghanistan, describing the dominance of criminal warlords, the oppression of women, widespread poverty, and the continual threat of violence from all sides—the Taliban, the warlords, and the occupying NATO troops. Though she denounces the Taliban and hopes for democracy, she accuses the U.S.backed Karzai government of being a corrupt and ineffectual sham democracy. Her book is both an inspiring story of an extremely brave and dedicated woman and an informative short history of Afghanistan in the 20th century. As the U.S. continues to step up its military presence, Joya’s book shows how the NATO occupation looks through Afghan eyes and questions whether this presence is legitimate in any of its stated aims, such as controlling the rise of militant jihadists and improving the lives of citizens. Joya makes a strong case for the withdrawal of foreign troops as one of the crucial steps toward establishing a true and independent democracy in Afghanistan and returning some stability to a country that has lacked it for so long. [EMMA HAMILTON]

sex ﬁles

a bitter pill CAN BIRTH CONTROL BE AU NATUREL? HAS A GYNECOLOGIST ever looked at you like you’re an alien when you told her the Pill wasn’t for you? Well, mine did recently—and I was totally annoyed. Wasn’t there a birth control alternative that didn’t involve sore boobs, greasy spermicides, or painful surgery? As a matter of fact, there is: Natural Family Planning, or its secular cousin, Fertility Awareness Method. The first has a religious bent, while FAM has a more hippie, holistic motivation, but the two are virtually the same: they’re based on a scientific process that allows a woman to get daily fertility updates by monitoring body signs and charting her menstrual periods. When a woman is ovulating, her morning basal temperature rises, and her discharge is slippery and stretchy. So to prevent pregnancy, she won’t have sex approximately three days before and after ovulation. And it actually works. Unlike the unreliable “rhythm method,” which assumes every woman ovulates 10 days after her period, NFP and FAM are based on physical changes rather than day counting and can have a 95 – 98 percent effectiveness rate when done correctly. So why are most women unfamiliar with these methods? Despite side effects of hormonal birth control ranging from yeast infections to lack of libido, many gynos are hesitant to diss the Pill. In addition to the fact that it’s allowed women to easily take control of their ILLUSTRATED BY HAWK KRALL

own procreation, it’s also a billion-dollar industry. Plus, some women really like it. But those who don’t often aren’t presented with natural options, not only because they don’t protect against STDs, but also because doctors assume their patients won’t put in the effort, especially when it comes to getting intimate with their bodies. “A lot of patients feel weird about using condoms,” says Tammi Kromenaker, the director of Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo, ND. “You think they’re going to stick their ﬁngers in their vaginas?” This reluctance may be an unfortunate result of the “ewww, gross” reaction our culture has toward the vadge. Even as the media ﬂings sex at us at ever-earlier ages, “there’s so much that discourages our society from talking about sexuality,” says Joan Schrammek, a sex educator at Cedar River Clinics in Washington state, a facility that advocates fertility awareness. But practitioners of FAM and NFP insist the effort is worth it. Megan, 33, loves FAM because “I’m in touch with exactly what my body is going through.” Kara, 25, who just started NFP classes, puts it like this: “Why didn’t we learn about this in eighth-grade health class? It’s not just about sex. It’s about appreciation of your body.” To learn more, check out the FAM bible, Toni Weschler’s Taking Charge of Your Fertility, and her Web site, www.ovusoft.com. [NONA WILLIS ARONOWITZ] // BUST / 83

sex ﬁles

ask aunt betty and cousin carlin DR. BETTY DODSON AND CARLIN ROSS TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX BUT WERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO ASK

I recently started dating an awesome guy, and we just became “ofﬁcial.” Sex with my new boyfriend is great, but I’d like to introduce my handy-dandy vibrator into our bedroom romps, and I don’t know how to broach the topic. What do you think is the best way to introduce a vibrator into your sex life with a new partner? Avoiding Bad Vibes

I’m a 25-year-old woman who has had a number of sexual partners. I consider myself an open-minded and free-spirited individual and believe women should have as much sexual pleasure as men, but I cannot reach orgasm with anyone but myself. I am ﬁnally with a partner who only gets off if I do, so the pressure is on. I guess it must be a mental thing, because I sure can come when I’m by myself. I’ve tried masturbating with him as well, but I get stage fright. Any suggestions? Lonely O’s

Betty says: If you feel good about your vibrator, be sure to project those feelings. Just tell him you discovered this great sex machine and you want to share it with him. When you bring it out, let him feel the vibes on his arm. Then suggest you try it on his dick. If he is open to the experience, he’ll discover the vibes feel good to him, too. Although I don’t know what kind of vibe you have; if it’s hard plastic, be sure to soften it by wrapping it in fabric so you don’t freak him out.

Betty says: Your new partner is putting undue pressure on you that will prevent you from sharing orgasm with him. Men often have this need because they judge their own sexual performance by how a partner responds. It’s the source of why so many women fake orgasms. Whatever kind of clitoral stimulation you use when you masturbate is what you need to do during sex with your new boyfriend. Your ability to incorporate masturbation into the sex you have with him will depend upon you getting over your stage fright. Even if you have to blindfold yourself or him, it’s worth it, so go for it.

Carlin says: I like to keep sex toys in my bedroom environment. I have my Hitachi plugged in, resting on my nightstand next to my favorite lubricant. I also have finger vibes, anal beads, and my Water Dancer in the nightstand drawer. “In the moment,” I just reach for a vibe and whisper in my partner’s ear how I’d like him to use it or what type of sex play I’m fantasizing about. It’s worked every time so far.

Carlin says: When you’re in a new sexual relationship, there’s so much to be anxious about: how you look, ﬁguring out what gets him off, knowing how to communicate your sexual needs. Forget about the pressure to orgasm. That makes it feel like a performance. I ﬁnd that engaging in parallel masturbation is a good way for both people to learn about each other’s bodies and orgasms. Watch him as he masturbates to understand how he likes his penis to be stimulated. Have him watch you masturbate to understand how to play with your clitoris. It’s exciting and it shortens the learning curve.

84 / BUST // OCT/NOV

Got a question for Betty and Carlin? Post it at www.bust.com/auntbetty

MARCELLUS HALL

sex ﬁles ONE-HANDED READ

breaking news A GAL GETS SOME HEADLINE-WORTHY LOVIN’ FROM A HOMETOWN HOTTIE [BY URSA DAVIES] I GREW UP in a small town and don’t go back if I can help it. But when Mom decided to move, I took a week off to empty out my childhood home that she’d already abandoned. My first night back, the air was hot and sticky and a couple of beers left me feeling sultry. I dragged a chair to the newspaper-littered porch and curled up, wishing I’d brought a boy. I awoke in the morning dry-mouthed and startled. In the bright light, a man stood on the porch step, watching me wake up. “Allie?” Only relatives call me Allie anymore. This wasn’t a relative. “Remember me? Paul Flinn.” Someone had glued my eyes shut and sandpapered my tongue, but I knew Paul Flinn. We’d kissed at a high school party, and he’d gone straight for my boobs. It was a semisteamy memory despite its PG rating. I smiled, squinting up at him. His dark hair flopped to one side, and glasses slid down his nose. “It’s good to see you,” he said, staring. “You too.” I tried to smooth my shirt, realizing the cups of my discarded bra were pointing at me from a nearby shrub. He smirked. “Thought I’d see if your mom was around. I heard she’s moving, and I’m working on a story about folks who’re leaving town. I run The Bugle now, which I notice she isn’t reading,” he said with a laugh as he toed one of many slender newspapers obscuring the welcome mat. God, he was cute. SMALL-TOWN BOY GROWS UP GOOD, I thought. When I offered to drop by the office with Mom’s new info, he said he’d have the place to himself and wouldn’t mind a visitor. “You’ve still got great tits,” he added with a smile, and turned to go. CITY GIRL LEFT SPEECHLESS. Soaping my breasts in the shower a little later, though, I couldn’t help but agree with him. Wrapped in a towel, I read The Bugle, absentmindedly teasing my clit as I flipped past photos of townies holding big fish to Paul’s articles, which were good. I wanted more. I closed the paper and dipped two fingers into my pussy, working up some juice. Thumbing my clit, I came quickly. I composed myself and picked out cute underwear, put on a fresh, tight T-shirt and my one pair of perfect-fitting jeans and walked “downtown”—three quaint blocks of small shops and eateries. Through the window of The Bugle’s empty office, I saw Paul on the phone at his desk. He looked competent, handsome, Gregory Peck–ish. I whispered, “I’m gonna fuck you good” and let the screen door slam behind me. NORMAN ROCKWELL SPINS IN GRAVE. He waved, offering me the run of the place while he talked, but I walked straight to his desk and didn’t waste any time. His eyes popped when I opened the drawer above his crotch and helped myself to a pen and paper. I bent over, ass up, and scrawled Mom’s number. GIRL TAKES REINS IN COME-ON GAME. He hung up and swiveled to face me, our knees touching. 86 / BUST // OCT/NOV

“Wanna get some lunch or something?” he asked. “No,” I said, smiling. He knew what I wanted and pressed against me as he stood. I felt the heat of his thighs and his alreadyhard cock. When he sighed I tasted it, hot and sweet. “Umm,” I said, glancing toward the window. Paul crossed the room to pull the blinds, flip the sign to CLOSED, and click the lock. “I hoped you would come,” he said, returning. “I said I would.” He pulled me close and kissed me, using just the tip of his tongue. I let mine travel deeper, filling his mouth, and his groan vibrated on my lips. I rubbed his crotch as he pushed my shirt up so the lacy little bra I’d planned for him was exposed. His jaw went loose, and then the phone rang. Pushing me gently onto his desk, he unplugged its cord. He pulled off my shirt, kissed my shoulders, unhooked my bra, and sucked my crazy-hard nipples. I shivered, wanting him immediately. He brought the phone cord taut under my breasts. Breathing heavily he raised it, forcing my breasts up. Then he pulled it lightly, side to side, teasing my nipples. ALLISON WON’T WAIT, CAN’T. I whipped his belt off, undid his pants, and finally greeted his cock, holding his balls as I admired his package. I tilted my hips to him, begging, and he quickly undressed me. Papers rustled to the floor as he grabbed my ass and let his cock rest on the edge of my pussy. We stared at each other, silently agreeing not to move. I could have come right then. When he pushed in, I felt faint and tried to hold back, contracting my pussy and prolonging the sensation. Burying his cock in me, Paul pressed his forehead to my collarbone. I pushed him back and pulled his shirt up over his head so I could take a turn at sucking his nipples. Ready for more, I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper. He jerked out, then slowly pushed all the way back in before pulling out again till I thought I’d lose it, saying my name each time he thrust. He pulled out and rested the tip of his swollen cock against my wetness as he gathered enough composure to dip in again. I couldn’t wait. I started to tremble, so he gave my pussy the whole thing to clamp down on as I came with a shudder for what felt like minutes. When I was nearly done I felt him start to throb and release and the look on his face made my legs shake all over again. LOVERS LOCK EYES IN PLEASURE, DISBELIEF. Stretched on the floor afterward, pinching my nipple, Paul said, “I have always loved your tits.” “Newsman Is Breast Man From Way Back,” I said. “That’s good,” he said. “Want a job?” BUST (ISSN 1089-4713), No. 59, Oct/Nov, 2009. BUST is published bi-monthly in Feb/Mar, April/ May, June/July, Aug/Sept, Oct/Nov, and Dec/Jan by BUST, Inc., 78 5th Avenue #5, New York, NY, 10011-8000. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices, payable in U.S. funds, are $19.95 for one year (6 issues). Additional postage: In Canada add $10 per year, and in all other foreign countries add $20 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BUST, P.O. BOX 16775, NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA, 91615.

88 / BUST //OCT/NOV

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X GAMES [BY DEB AMLEN]

birth control conﬁdential

65. Boston hoopster, brieﬂy 66. Knot-tying locales 67. Bottle-uncorking sound

Down 1. iPhone program 2. ___ Lanka 3. Scandinavian capital 4. Cell carrier T-___ 5. Key shade 6. Casting director’s dismissal 7. Satisﬁed sound 8. When repeated, a Latin dance 9. Aromatic compound 10. Purim month 11. Stocking supporter 12. Drops acid? 13. Vintage-clothing-store transaction 18. Rear Window villain Thorwald 22. Good ___ (ﬁxed)

Across

23. Going around and around

23. ___-Croix, Que.

1. Blond shade

25. General activity

24. Tuesday in Hollywood

4. Dangerous person

27. Unagi, at a sushi bar

25. “Because ___”: parents’ declaration

10. Teen ending?

28. It may be perfect

26. Sketcher’s eraser

14. Before, before words

29. In ___ Shoes: 2005 ﬁlm

29. Strapped (for cash)

15. Jamaican witchcraft fetishes

30. Edie Falco Showtime series ___ Jackie

31. “Home of the brave”

16. Go out after a pass

32. Antlered animal

33. Third degree?

17. Millinery place to stash a birth-control device?

33. Headlight hiders?

34. Trickster

19. Left and right parentheses, essentially

35. Architectural place to stash a

36. In the past

20. John, Paul, and George, but not Ringo 21. Catwoman ___ Kitt

birth-control device?

38. Groovy light source

41. AOL’s chat app

39. Sex, ___, and Videotape

43. Lake name meaning “big water”

42. ___ Dalloway (Virginia Woolf novel)

46. Leathernecks, initially

43. Altoid alternative

47. Patio stone

44. Get one’s juices ﬂowing

49. Boiling blood

45. Like some supplements

50. Guitar accessory

47. Small kitchen knives

52. Ride, so to speak

48. Middle Easterner, perhaps

53. Curve enhancer

51. Bamboozled

55. Hearing-related

52. More colossal

56. London subway, with “the”

54. Back-to-school mo.

57. Cleansing place to stash a

55. Plays Sookie on True Blood

birth-control device? ANSWERS TO “FIGHT THE POWER” FROM THE AUG/SEPT ‘09 ISSUE. FOR ANSWERS TO THIS ISSUE’S PUZZLE, SEE NEXT ISSUE OF BUST.

37. Gun, in police dramas

40. Holler to a horse

58. Pay___, online money-exchange vehicle

62. “I need it yesterday!,” on memos

59. Morsel

63. Bread maker?

60. “I’m Gonna Love You ___”: 1978 Blondie hit

64. Me, in Marseilles

61. Turning point? // BUST / 95

thelast the lastlaugh laugh {BY ESTHER PEARL WATSON}

96 / BUST // OCT/NOV