Vitality the Magazine: the preview issue

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THE MASTHEAD we are the cool kids behind the print MARKETING / PUBLISHING / PUBLIC RELATIONS Alexandra Ruffing EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Debbie Lechtman GRAPHIC DESIGN Alexis Quarles // Nicki Longsdon Elizabeth Tapper // Debbie Lechtman WEB GRAPHIC DESIGN Dana Bisett WEB MANAGEMENT Michael Habib PHOTOGRAPHY Deanna Smith // Debbie Lechtman // Caroline Hancox STYLING Alexandra Ruffing // Debbie Lechtman SOCIAL MEDIA Julie Sabo CONTRIBUTING JOURNALISTS Julie Kosin // Maddy Perez Megan Morat // Debbie Lechtman CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Ryan Pierson // Maya Champion // Nicholas Krapf Cristina Varela // Brian Dionne // Ariela Lechtman Julie Sabo // Julia Rosenthal // Elizabeth Scafuto Lexi Brooks // Brittany Leitner // Kenzie Weeks Zoe Jones // Lauren Friedman // Tessa Kennedy Danielle Quigley // Brittney Rutigliano // Kirstie Pena Mick Rivas // Liza Marie Martins // Erika Hoffman Peter Boskey MODELS Julie Sabo // Ali Dobbertin // Kristen Scirotto

INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH US? CONTACT US AT VITALITYTHEMAGAZINE@GMAIL.COM

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table

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contents

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little letters

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sewing kit

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art we like!

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urban runway

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fashion out loud

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a letter never said

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jams

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the art of giving

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a chat with the plume

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save the metal

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not all those who wander are lost

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toward pretension

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the night is young {in london}

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pen & paper 02


alex says...

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here’s a purpose, a place, a reason, a time; we all have passions and we all want to make our changes in the world. We want to create a place where we all have the ability and freedom to express ourselves and have it affect someone, something, anything. The passion Debbie and I have for enabling this expression lies at the very root of Vitality the Magazine. Consider this your outlet to express yourself in your artistic abilities and passions. The fact that someone doesn’t know or appreciate your amazing talents should not hinder your passion and drive to succeed. We’re here to represent the ordinary folk. Ordinary folk, with extraordinary talent. Without the expression of art, I believe the world would be a lot more dim and mundane. But you, the artists, bring light to this world, ignite imagination, and inspire the masses. Let Vitality be your stepping stone to spreading this light to the masses. Vitality wants to be the voice of the under served and start a community of artistic individuals who wish to be an agent of change and give back to the community. Keep the creativity alive, you beautiful souls.

...debbie says

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ike most good ideas, it all started over a bottle of wine (or two or three, but who’s counting, right?). See, here’s the thing: I love magazines. I always have, and I believe I always will. When I was around ten years old, I even put my very own magazine together with the help of a Microsoft Word document and armed with an outrageous amount of ClipArt (do we consider ClipArt vintage yet?) Every month - for the three or so months this magazine of mine lasted, anyway - I slid it under my younger sister’s bedroom door (the poor girl was my sole subscriber). But - isn’t there always a “but”? - I do have an issue with the magazine industry (an “issue”: Oh, the irony). Here’s the thing: Every single glossy that I find on the newsstand is either telling me about celebrities, Prada shoes that I will never be able to afford, or what to wear and what to do. In other words, everything in this industry is either unattainable or incredibly irritating (who wants to be told to splurge on brights because, shit no way, brights are in for the summer? Aren’t they always?). I don’t only love magazines, though. I love art, too. I also know that if you were to tell people that you plan to make a career as an artist, they would probably laugh in your face. The chances of succeeding as an artist are more like myths than real possibilities. And you know why? Because a little no-name artist will have a hell of a hard time getting enough exposure to promote his or her work. So here is where Vitality comes in: We want to give aspiring, underground, and independent artists - regardless of your specific field, be it art, music, literature, or fashion - a voice in the media, because half the time, your work is better than any celebrity’s could ever be. We are here for you as much as you are here for us. And so far, we’ve proven our theory right: Artists are desparate to get their incredible work out there. With that said, welcome to our preview issue. We hope you enjoy it and stay a while: There is much, much more to come. This isn’t even the beginning.

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SEWING KIT

COOL NEW DESIGNERS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

TESSA KENNEDY, NEW HISTORIES JEWELRY

WHAT: Kennedy’s line includes one-of-a-kind rings, necklaces, broches, and other stunning - and handmade - pieces. WHERE: Kennedy works out of Syracuse, N.Y., but you can order her jewelry online via Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/NewHistoriesJewelry) or visit her website at www.newhistoriesjewelry.com WHY: To put it simply, Kennedy thinks outside the box. Way, way outside the box. After all, her favorite ring (always on her finger, she says) has a piece of her daughter’s hair in it. Yes, you read that right. INSPIRATION: “I am inspired by old Victorian pieces,” Kennedy says. And elephants. Kennedy loves elephants (but then again, who doesn’t?).

1 photo by John Dowling/New Histories Jewelry

NATALIA GORDIENKO, RHAPSODICAL NATURE

WHAT: Unique jewelry inspired by natural surroundings. Feathers plentiful. WHERE: Gordienko just recently started selling her work to her fellow students at Duke University, but you can find her line on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Rhapsodical-Nature/293701150693437) WHY: The line is deliciously hippie. Who doesn’t love some good oldfashioned Flower Power? And get this - Gordienko is not a sellout. “I treat it like art instead of a marketeable product,” she says. INSPIRATION: Nature, of course. She is also a huge fan of the “peace and love” mentality. Told you her stuff is deliciously hippie.

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photo by Sylvie Spewak/Rhapsodical Nature

BRITTNEY RUTIGLIANO, THE ALYSE COLLECTION

WHAT: In Rutigliano’s own words: jewelry made from natural semiprecious stones and a touch of vintage charm. WHERE: Rutigliano’s line sells at J-Michael Shoes in Syracuse, N.Y. and at Curious in Syosset, N.Y. She also takes online orders through her website, www.thealysecollection.com and via email at TheAlyseCollection@gmail.com WHY: It is rare that you will find jewelry that complements any personality, but The Alyse Collection does that. There is something for everyone - even men. And even better? Rutigliano uses her revenue to donate to her favorite causes. INSPIRATION: Rutigliano’s work screams 1960s and 1970s hippie chic.

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shop across the pond acrossthepond.storenvy.com


art

like

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(1) Ryan Pierson (2) Maya Champion (3) Nicholas Krapf (4) Cristina Varela (5) Brian Dionne (6) Ariela Lechtman

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urban runway

IMAGES BY CAROLINE HANCOX (TOP LEFT, TWO BOTTOM RIGHT) AND DEBBIE LECHTMAN

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A COMPILATION OF FILM & DIGITAL STREET STYLE IMAGES FROM SYRACUSE, NEW YORK CITY, AND CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND

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fashion

illustration by Julie Sabo

out loud

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BY JULIE KOSIN

ow do you define fashion? Our grandmothers found it on the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, in small snippets of glamour and intrigue provided by the lenses of Penn and Avedon. Our mothers witnessed the birth of the modern industry on a runway inhabited by those otherworldly denizens, the supermodels. But us? Our generation really hit the fashion jackpot. Thanks to the Internet, we have access to an industry that until a few years ago hid behind curtains more impenetrable than Karl Lagerfeld’s sunglasses. We Tweet about Fashion Week as live videos of the shows stream to our laptops. We dissect the latest Grace Coddington-styled shoot on our blogs hours after the newest issue of Vogue hits newsstands. We scour the racks at H&M and Zara to recreate runway looks, adding in a Salvation Army score or DIY-ed

piece here and there to make the style our own. Gone are the days of passive admiration. We can actively contribute to and formulate the fashion conversation in ways our mothers and grandmothers could never have dreamed. We create trends just as much as we follow them. Nowhere is this seen more than on the streets, where ordinary people with amazing style are dictating trends just as much as the runways and pages of the glossies. As the industry continues to diffuse to the masses, today’s technology allows us to derive inspiration from the diversity and uniqueness of the people on the streets. Even though street style photography has existed for years - Bill Cunningham has pioneered it since the 1970s, when his images of intriguing looks began running in The New York Times’s Style section - the concept really gained prominence through blogging in the mid-aughties. Scott Schuman’s The Sartorialist became the standard for street portraiture, while Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil gravitated towards impromptu images of the fashion set on the street at fashion week. Now, dozens of street style sites seek to capture the extraordinary amidst the mundanity of everyday life. Of course, individuals with great style existed long before Canon was there to capture them and WordPress to show the world. But now, this individuality and creativity can be preserved and shared with the masses. After all, at its core, fashion is an art form. One could even argue that it’s the best kind of art, because unlike the paintings hanging on the walls of a cold museum, fashion adorns the body and expresses the individuality of the person wearing it. The streets are our museums, and we’re not charging a fee.

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a letter never said BY ERIKA HOFFMAN

It’s not the time without you that hurts, It’s when I pick up and smell the memories off your shirts. I sat and waited looking for anything I could, To fill that emptiness, that vacant hole as I stood, Alone Because that’s what I was, My very essence my very being, No longer was I seeing. You and me were everything and nothing at all, but I felt it, I counted, till the day you’d eventually fall. Was it worth it? Was she good? Did she do you the way she should? You didn’t need to say what you told me that day, I already knew and there was nothing I could do. The untainted trust, the love that was anything but pried, all boiled down to tears upon your lie. So that was it, like a ghost with a figure, you entered, destroyed and left without rigor. Sometimes I lay there staring again and again, Asking if we’d still be together if you’d just hadn’t put it in? No, that wasn’t just it, It was the punches, the chokes, the way you held my throat. But stupid me, I just couldn’t let you go, even after the yelling, the beatings, every punch you’d throw. It’s been two years and it feels like today that I last kissed your lips thinking you were here to stay. But now two years later I can honestly say, your apostasy was a gift that put my mind at bay. So thank you for abandoning the only thing you ever had, I am me without you and that’s a good thing, not bad. I hope you’re doing well but this is as close as I’ll get to telling you and your lie goodbye Sincerely,

A girl you once met. 10


illustration by Ariela Lechtman

BY MADDY PEREZ

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nd its name is The Avett Brothers. Hailing from Charlotte, N.C., banjoist Scott and guitarist Seth Avett joined together with bassist Bob Crawford in 2001, eventually becoming The Avett Brothers we know and love today. If you haven’t heard of them, they are known for their rock-pop- bluegrass-folk style. The harmonies and melodies the brothers and bassist create combine with beautifully written lyrics that leave listeners wanting more. From “Head Full

so there’s this band I love... of Doubt/ Full of Promise” to “Kick Drum Heart,” the songs run the gamut with lyrics that speak to the heart of sadness, love, and life. The instruments have more variety too, with piano adding in to the mix of banjo, bass, and guitar. Released in 2010, this album continues to gain the Brothers popularity, urging their fans to listen to their works before and after the release of the album. The most recently released album is The Avett Brothers Live, Vol. 3, which captures the pure energy The Avett Brothers are known for at their live performances. This album features crowd favorites including “When I Drink” and “Pretty Girl from Matthews.” If you want to check out The Avett Brothers live, you can go to a show on their current tour, which runs through the fall. I recommend going to a show, because that’s how I personally found out and fell in love with The Avett Brothers last fall in Baltimore. The band is part of the lineup at Bonnaroo in June so if you’re going, you can check them out there. No matter how you are introduced to the band, however, just make sure to put this alternativecountry band on your radar. They are definitely worth a listen.

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GIVING BY DEBBIE LECHTMAN

Say hello to our selected nonprofit organization for the preview issue, Syracuse, N.Y.’s Downtown Writer’s Center.

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ord on the street is that around ten - give or take - publishers rejected J.K. Rowling’s original Harry Potter manuscript (God knows why, but that is another story for another time). Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book was rejected no less than 27 times - 27! - before it was taken seriously. And so the moral of the story is simple, really: Writing is an art, and making it is nothing short of impossible. Meet Syracuse, N.Y.’s Downtown Writer’s Center, which was founded in September 2001, and is an extension of the city’s YMCA Arts Branch. The Center provides aspiring writers with helpful workshops, classes, intensive graduate-level programs, visiting author readings, and networking opportunities for a negligible price. To this day, it is the only literary arts community in Central New York. The Center currently serves around 200 students, ranging from recent college graduates to 80-yearolds to everything in between. Over the past eleven years, the organization has been successful in helping aspiring writers publish fiction novels, books, and even poetry journals. In the winter of 2012 alone, two Center students published their first poetry books and one published a fiction novel. Phil Memmer, founder and executive director of the Downtown Writer’s Center and an author of several books himself, says that the Center’s success has been absolutely unexpected - and incredibly thrilling. “We started out thinking that we’d have around ten to 12 workshops a year,” he says. “But now we host over 40 different workshops and have around 20 to 25 authors come visit the Center annually.” Memmer explains that he originally decided to create the Downtown Writer’s Center because there really was no place around for people to take

classes on the literary arts. As a writer and a poet, that saddened and frustrated him.The Downtown Writer’s Center became a part of the YMCA’s National Writer’s Voice (there are around 30 community centers similar to Memmer’s across the country, some bigger and more popular than others), and it is currently considered one of its leading entities in the United States. “The point of our programs is to provide access to arts education,” Memmer says. “You don’t have to be a member of the Y to take classes. In fact, most of our students aren’t.” YMCA members do get to take one free Downtown Writer’s Center class a year, Memmer explains. Aspiring writers of all ages have a place at the Downtown Writer’s Center. The Center not only offers classes for adults, but there are after-school programs for children, teenagers, and even college students. “Everyone can take a class here,” Memmer says. “We’ve got veteran writers and people who have never picked up a pen in their life before. We’re here to help everyone develop their writing skills, which is why we offer beginner and advanced classes.” Classes are also inexpensive, ensuring that no writer or aspiring writer is denied the opportunity to learn. “An eight week class costs between $80 to $100,” Memmer says. “And a two-year certificate program, which is similar to a graduate school class, costs less than tuition at the Onondaga County Community College.” For those writers and aspiring writers in the Central New York area interested in the Center’s services, you can visit its website at w w w. y m c a o f g r e a t e r s y r a c u s e . o r g / a r t s or visit the building, which is located at 340 Montgomery Street in Syracuse, N.Y.

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A CHAT WITH THE PLUME Independent jewelry designer Jillian Lukiwiski from thenoisyplume.com talks to Vitality about the tricks of the trade. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR JEWELRY. WHY AND WHEN DID YOU START DESIGNING, AND IS THIS YOUR FULL-TIME JOB? DID SOMEONE TEACH YOU HOW TO CREATE JEWELRY, OR ARE YOU SELF-TAUGHT? Well, howdy! I live in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Idaho with my husband and all our animals. I’m originally from Saskatoon, Canada. I make jewelry and art jewelry in my 800 square foot studio space, right behind my little farm house. I started making jewelry five years ago when my husband and I were living on a remote US Fish and Wildlife fish hatchery station on an Indian reservation in Arizona -- I was actually a librarian at the time. I began selling what I was making on Etsy and Rob told me when I started selling 100 pieces a month I could quit my real job. I hit that magic number, went full time with metalsmithing and haven’t really looked back! While in Arizona I took two metalsmithing classes at a community college which basically taught me how to solder. Most of the techniques I employ in my current work are techniques I have taught myself so with that in mind, I do claim I am self-taught. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? I spend a lot of time in the mountains or just outside in general. I’m originally from the great northern plains of Canada so I like to be out in space, in big country. While I’m out there, I’m absorbing everything I see. The shapes of plants. The sound of rolling mountain water. The movement of wind in cheat grass. The colors of bugs, the size of a mule deers ears and they way they flicker to collect sound, the clouds against sky against mountain, against sagebrush. I’m recording all of those details and sometimes those details make their way into what I’m making. I like geometry. I like music. I like abstract expressionist art. I love bison, jack rabbits and

photos courtesy of Jillian Lukiwiski

BY DEBBIE LECHTMAN

wolves. I like white. I like picking berries and inspecting the physiology of plants and trees. HOW MUCH WORK DO YOU PUT INTO EACH PIECE YOU MAKE? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE A PIECE OF JEWELRY? It depends on the piece. I create quite a wide range of work. Some of it can be made in 20 minutes. Other pieces can take me a couple of days to make, from start to finish. Of course, the time I spend daydreaming about a form, sketching it, and writing about it (if it’s a conceptual design) should also be considered part of the production of a piece. In that case, some bits of work can take months to create, that is if we consider the entire process behind some of the things I’m making. WHAT MAKES YOUR JEWELRY DIFFERENT OR SPECIAL? The same thing that makes anything handcrafted

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different or special! The soul behind the work! I think all art comes from art. I think because we’re all human, living on the same planet, drawing inspiration from the same things, a lot of creative work overlaps between artists, in terms of general aesthetic and with regards to textures, form, materials, color, shape, and even concept. We’re all reaching for the same thing and I think that fundamentally, all humans are the same. Art is a language. We’re all fighting the same fights and winning the same battles, outwardly and inwardly - for that reason, all art is telling the same, whole story. What makes my jewelry unique, different or special is that there is only one me and there will only ever be one me. I value process over finished product. Process is the only thing any artist can ever claim ownership over. In the end, I think it’s the only thing that makes creative work unique or special.

metalsmiths, but I harbored a lot of ugly emotions in my heart. I’m not that way anymore. I took a long, quiet year to myself to really reform my mindset and heal the state of my spirit but I wish I would have started out with a humble heart from the very beginning. It was a good lesson to learn though. I’m glad I learned it in my twenties. I really like who I am now and where my work is coming from.

“I think fundamentally, all humans are the same. Art is language.”

ANY DESIGNERS OR ARTISTS THAT YOU PARTICULARLY LOOK UP TO? Joan Mitchell, Joseph Cornell, Alexander McQueen, Helen Frankenthaller, Anne Truitt, Andy Goldsworthy - this list is endless. Any of my friends who are artists, they’re the salt of the earth and they’re so talented and beautiful. They never fail to jangle my soul in the best ways possible. I admire creative people who freely teach their techniques to others and do not attempt to control what their students do with that knowledge - creative people who believe in giving creative freedom to everyone they come in contact with. Additionally, any artist or craftsperson who consistently creates and behaves with humility and graciousness is my hero - that’s how I want to be, all the time. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED DESIGNING AND CREATING? I think it would have been great if someone told me to not take my work too seriously! I think I did, right when I started, for a couple of years. I let my ego steer me and what I was doing and I worked, quite often, out of fear and with a territorial spirit. I regret that. I was never mean to other

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE THAT YOU’VE MADE AND WHY? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS MADE AND WHY? It changes from day to day, from month to month! I loved the Body Cavity Series I was working on last year. I made a small series of enameled breastplates called The Quiet Ones - I would say they are probably my favorite work to date. I recently made wedding rings for some friends of ours and I really loved how they turned out - rugged and organic, just like the couple they are meant for. IS THERE ANY OTHER ARTIST THAT YOU THINK OUR READERS SHOULD FIND OUT ABOUT? Every single one of my personal friends who are involved with creative work. They’re all so talented and have such robust souls. They’re secure people who aren’t afraid of personal growth, women mostly. I admire them for their talents but also for the way they handle themselves as artists, women, friends, mothers and teachers. I’ve surrounded myself with who I want to be, basically. They all pop by my blog from time to time. If you hang around long enough, you’ll find out who they are. DO YOU CREATE ANY OTHER FORMS OF ART? I am a writer and a photographer. I dabble in leather and watercolor painting. I’ve just started

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working with a bit of steel, with the help of a blacksmith friend of mine. Frankly, I’m very focused on metal. There’s so much to do with it, so many techniques I haven’t yet tried, so many types of metal I haven’t yet worked with! I feel overwhelmed when I daydream about what I might try in the future, or just today, for that matter. I think the artists who work in more than one medium are incredible people, but I can’t get past the metal. I’m enthralled. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT CREATING? I like that it makes my life pretty flexible, that I have to motivate myself and crack my own whip, so to speak. I like that I can disappear for a few weeks and simply work; this pleases my introverted and reclusive personality very much,the spacious chunks of isolation. I’m constantly casting myself out and then reeling myself in. I like that creative

work is a sort of secondary voice. My heart and life can speak of themselves in a traditional verbal format, but they can also sing with the work of my hands. There’s something pretty magical about being able to make something that captures an experience or voices an emotion, that manages to be beautiful to look at or touch as well. Everything made is always good, no matter what, even if it turns out all wrong or ends up being ugly. A friend and I always say that if it has been made by these hands, it was worth making. Something is always learned along the way.

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the real deal BY NOW EVERYONE (ONE WOULD HOPE) KNOWS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF EATING AN ORGANIC DIET, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CRAP YOU’RE PUTTING ON YOUR FACE? BEAUTY EXTRAORDINAIRE MEGAN MORAT GIVES US HER FAVORITE ALL-NATURAL PICKS.

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’ll be honest here for a second: I have quite the collection of primping mechanisms, hair tools, serums, plenty of makeup, and an endless supply of skincare that I like to experiment with. The good news is that I like to keep my beauty regimen clean and green (the environment isn’t going to save itself, you know). The following are my favorite three all natural products:

AURA CACIA ROSEHIP OIL: A coworker suggested this to me as a way to end my seemingly endless pursuit to fade acne scars. I use this oil under my moisturizer right after I cleanse in the morning and at night. I rub two or three drops unto my face for about a minute, wait five minutes for it to fully absorb, and then presto - I’m done. The difference in my complexion is so drastic that I highly recommend this product. ORGANIC COCONUT OIL: That’s right, kids - plain old coconut oil. The benefits are endless, but let’s just stick to the basics: It is a natural anti-inflammatory, antibacterial agent, and a great way to moisturize everything from your hair to your toes. I use this in my hair as a mask, and for a moisturizer, I spread it over my entire body - yeah, even my face. Smells like sweet, sweet summertime. BADGER BALM: Talk about versatile. I use Badger Balm on everything: cuticles, calluses, my lips (let’s keep one thing straight though: If you are using this on your feet and lips, don’t be an idiot and double dip. Really, don’t). Not only does it act at lightning speed, but it smells totally delicious (wouldn’t recommend eating it, though, and I believe the Badger Company wouldn’t either. But, you know, whatever floats your boat).

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Save the

METAL

BY DEBBIE LECHTMAN

Indie jewelry designer Danielle Quigley recycles antiques into something great: one-of-a-kind, seriously cool statement pieces.

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ow is this for an interesting concept: An antique door knob is not just a door knob. It is a cocktail ring and a pair of earrings and perhaps even a statement necklace. At least it is to Danielle Quigley, owner and designer for Danielle Rose Bean, a vintage-meetsavant-garde independent jewelry line. “I’m trying to be different,” Quigley says. “You have to, in order to get noticed, I think.” Quigley, a mother of two and currently a senior writing major at Syracuse University, started her company just a little over two years ago for a simple reason: She did not like the jewelry anybody else made. She taught herself how to make pieces by ordering materials online and eventually decided that in order to improve her collections, she would have to learn the art of metalsmithing. Recently, Quigley won the Raymond von Dran Big Idea grant that will help her expand her business. She is also currently working on launching www.custommade. com, a website that will allow designers to bid for custom jobs. As an independent designer, the vast majority of Quigley’s work is original and custom-made – “Except if, say, someone wants a pair of hoop earrings. I can do that

no problem,” she says – and although she recognizes that it would be easier for her to make more money through mass production, she feels that that would completely diminish the quality and defeat the purpose of her work. “I just kind of feel that the stuff you buy at places like Target is a little flimsy and cheap,” she says. “I make sturdier jewelry. It passes the test of time.” Quigley really is in no need to consider mass production, however – she is doing quite well on her own. She sells her jewelry at a couple of stores in downtown Syracuse, including the popular Scarab Body Arts tattoo shop, and her Etsy shop (www.etsy.com/ shop/daniellerosebean) only receives positive reviews. And, most importantly, Quigley loves what she does. “I love my job,” she says. “I get to stay at home and work on my jewelry all day. It’s just great.”

“I’m trying to be different. You have to, in order to get noticed.”

vm photo by Debbie Lechtman

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not all those who wander are lost. 16 17


A FASHION EDITORIAL INSPIRED BY THE ARTWORK OF MAYA CHAMPION. PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEANNA SMITH

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on Kristen: dress & pants: Modern Pop Culture necklace: The Alyse Collection headband: Lauren Friedman chair: Liza Marie Martins

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on Ali: dress: Modern Pop Culture vest: Forever 21

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on Julie: dress: Peter Boskey necklace: Flammable Hearts fringe earring: Danielle Rose Bean ring: New Histories Jewelry

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on Ali: top: Modern Pop Culture skirt: Some Girls boutique broche & ring: New Histories Jewelry earring: Danielle Rose Bean

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toward pretension

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BY KENZIE WEEKS

have a vintage circa-1960 Olympia DeLuxe typewriter that I keep on my desk in the bathroom-sized common room I share with two other girls. It’s a beautifully restored cream and teal and the keys resist just enough to make typing a physical, corporeal experience—I’d say almost a laborious one. I love the thing. I flaunt it. But in all honesty, even as I write this I’m cringing with mild embarrassment. See, I’m a twenty-something Midwesterner. I’m employed at minimum wage, I like Crunchwrap Supremes from Taco Bell, and I still secretly, inexplicably place The Lizzie McGuire Movie on my long list of favorite films. Now, really, based on that description alone, I could be anybody. I could be a handful of people that I’ve lived with. I could be my well-connected, zeitgeist-spearheading, music promoter friend or I could be the thirty-five year-old lady with four kids who wipes down the tables at the food court I frequent. I could be my teenage brother. I could be you, even. But I refuse to believe it. Because I’m that hateful thing that grocery store magazines and fluff news articles refer to as an “aspiring writer.” When I tell someone I am or that I want to be a writer I get similar if not identical reactions to when I admit that I have a vintage typewriter—eye rolls; smug, disapproving grins; laughs of derision; judgment. For either reason, that label, this prized possession—I’m marked as pretentious. If you’re an artist, you’ve grown up and at some point, at some moment, and in some hidden place, you looked at yourself and you thought—I’m different. I’m special. The way I write, the way I play, the way I draw. To be an artist of any kind, you necessarily have to have some ego imbalance. You have

to genuinely believe “I am exceptional and I am brilliant and I have exceptionally brilliant things within me to create and to stun all the non-specials out there.” In reality, nobody thinks this all of the time. The most humanizing, demoralizing moment of a human life is the moment in which you realize that you’re not superlative, not definitive, but rather… competent. When you realize that we’re all human and we all die and we all just try to muddle through the middle stuff. But what separates artists from the rest of the world (or the clinically insane from the sane) is the fact that we as artists cannot accept just competence. In order to pursue art as a lifestyle, as opposed to a hobby, we must engage in the most sincere form of self-deception. In order to pursue a generally thankless, penniless, masochistic path of life, we have to believe that we are extraordinary. If we didn’t, we’d have cut and run for Silicon Valley a long stretch back. So, in response to your eye roll, yes, I know that my vintage blue typewriter might be a little pretentious. Yes, I know that I might not ever succeed as a writer in any quantifiable, measurable way. Allah forbid, I might not be as ingenious and inspired as I secretly think I am. But to be an artist, to be a writer, and to possibly, maybe, someday create something truly original (maybe on that beaut of a typewriter)—right now I have to be a little pretentious. I have to believe I’m unlike anyone else. I have to believe I’m extraordinary.

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{in london}

After a long tube ride, we stop at the market on our way home to buy the usual wine bottles and some Desperado bottles – just in case we run out, of course. Just in case. Although who wouldn’t mind a Tequila shot to change the pace every now and then? We pregame to the beats of Ne-Yo, Jay Z, and a little Rihanna. Before we know it, half the bottles have disappeared, and then there are none left. We feel the buzz. We head out. It’s been decided: Tonight will be pub and club night. At around ten o’clock, we head toward the tube. Early? Yes. But we’re not in America anymore. Here, you start early – and end late. As broke university students trying to survive the ways of London, taxis are out of the question. We try to remember the night bus route because the tube closes early. We are tipsy – our memories are not the sharpest.

illustration by Julia Rosenthal

BY KIRSTIE PENA

the night is young

T

here is just a little something about the London nightlife. It does not matter who you are, really: There is a place for everyone to rock it out, à la Beatles. The weekend is a sight. It’s eight o’ clock. Your mates start blowing up your phone. “Where are we going tonight?” they say, or “Same thing as last weekend or should we try a new venue?” Your response: “New thing. Let’s meet at my place and go from there.”

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artwork by Mick Rivas

We arrive at Piccadilly Circus and head straight to O’Neil’s Pub. Flirting with the bouncer? Totally acceptable, but not a guarantee that he will not charge you the cover fee. You walk in and immediately take in the sounds of the band playing upstairs, the hot international kids staring at you as you walk by, and your mates insisting on doing tequila or Jaeger shots at the bar. The key to a good cheap night: Pay for one drink while standing next to the bar and soon someone will offer to buy you more. You say the guy is not cute? Who cares! He’s buying you drinks, right? Hell – he’s starting to look pretty hot to me. You have never felt so in love with the world, so you dance and dance. You dance and dance and try to keep up with the lyrics – something or other about being dumped. The Italian guy who bought you the shots (don’t forget to thank him for that) asks you to join him for another round when your mates pull you aside and say something. It’s 11:45, they say. Time to go. You apologize and ask to take a raincheck, get his number, and head out. Miraculously, we have managed to find the tube and head to Camden Town, an area known for its numerous music venues and local pubs. It is also home to the famous Camden Pub Crawl. We stumble our way to Proud. It looks sketchy, . sure, but there are university students everywhere,

tripping from place to place, completely obliterated ated. There is graffiti everywhere and fabulous music luring you into the clubs and pubs. Proud Camden’s claim to fame is that it is located in what was a horse hospital in the Stable Market around 200 years ago. In fact, stables – some of them from the original horse hospital, even – are incorporated into its design to this day, although the club has given them a more modern touch. This is a place associated with piercings, tattoos, house music, and staged dancing poles. You walk in, and the steam becomes suffocating. A stranger (who cares, at this point?) pulls your hand into a dance. He takes you into another room – 60s music. Talk about a change of ambiance – or is it the amount of alcohol in your system? Regardless, at that very moment, you murmur to yourself, The Isley Brothers have never sounded so good. You notice the bar in the corner and ask the guy for another drink. Instead, he takes you to the terrace bar, where a man in a horse costume runs off and gives you a high five. Normal. After a few minutes, you spot your crew. They are doing Jaeger bombs, so this is obviously your cue to reunite with the rest of the group. Goodbye, British man. Thanks for the drinks. We dance the night away. Proud announces its last song of the night – no doubt, in an effort to kick us out. We walk down the streets of Camden and spot a hookah joint. No better way to unravel after a long night than some shisha, we think. We do not remember how to get home. It does not matter, though. We smoke with the Brits. We irritate them. We are too loud and American (and drunk). They try to distract us with purple balloons. I mean, it’s not a good night unless you get a purple balloon, right?

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JOHN AND BEATLUCKS by brittany leitner

I

t’s good to establish a territory, John thought as he took a seat at the fourth table from the door, for the fifth day in a row. Every day this week he’d come to Beatlucks, and every day he ordered a piping hot latte with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. He had thought the sprinkles to be a bit childish at first, but after the brown haired barista suggested them on his second visit, he just couldn’t say no. Plus he had felt better about ordering them when she smiled and said, “awesome,” as soon as he agreed to them. Today, he looked down at the brown cylindrical sprinkles and smiled. He liked being the type of guy that drank coffee and hung out at Beatlucks. The latest undiscovered music was always playing (he made sure to write down a piece of the lyrics to Google and download later) and the lighting was always warm and yellow (perfect for scribbling lines of poetry). When he wasn’t writing down lyrics or cooling his hot drink with little puffs of air from his mouth, he was looking at all the girls. His favorites to look at were the redheads. He liked redheads simply because red was pleasing to his eye. Even when he was little, he always had red sheets, chose red sweatshirts, and even requested red frosting on all of his birthday cakes from years 5-17 (by 18 he left home and hasn’t had a birthday cake since). He did realize however, that the color of hair “redheads” possessed wasn’t exactly the traditional red he was used to, but he liked the orangey-fire color of it nonetheless. On his first day at Beatlucks, a tall red-haired girl with locks reaching past her rib cage walked in about seven minutes after he sat down. This is when he decided he would come back every day. It was, after all, a sign. This red-haired girl was so lovely sipping her

coffee in little spurts, careful not to burn her thin, delicate lips. He imagined himself walking up to her and introducing himself. She seemed so sweet and lovely; surely she would smile back at him and extend her thin freckled hand for him to shake. He was sure she had a bursting personality, it would not be hard to start a lively conversation with her about what she does for a living, or who gave her that sequined blue scarf she was wearing around her neck that made her red hair appear as if it were some form of hell shooting out of God’s ocean. Then, he would compliment her green eyes, but he wouldn’t say out loud that the piercing green of both of them staring at him together reminded him of the bright spine of a book that stuck out amongst rows of grey and black ones, the kind of book you knew would be good from the second you pick it up. Yes, her eyes were the easy choice amongst thousands of other copies to choose from. Then, he would intrigue her by saying his father died a year ago and he made the promise to him that he would finish medical school and become a neurosurgeon like he had wanted to be since he was a little boy, and that he works two jobs just to be able to afford his classes (and his coffee) and then she’d look at him and mold her green eyes to form a sympathetic pout and she would forever see him as a pioneer, someone who gets what he wants and is willing to fight hard for what he believes in. She would instantly want more of him. That Monday she stayed and sipped alone for exactly 11 minutes before swinging her large canvas bag over her shoulder, tying her red hair up in a knot, and walking out. John ordered a refill. By Friday, no other redheads had walked in since Blue Scarf. John remembered they were a rare breed and therefore did not become offended by it. By Friday he had tried every latte flavor available and continued dotting up the foam with chocolate sprinkles. He instantly wished he had kept sprinkle ount on all of the

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previous days as well and vowed to do so every day here on after. On Friday, before he was about to leave, he looked up at the menu on the wall and planned what he would order on Monday (he decided taking the weekend off would be a good idea for his pocket book). He chose a whipped mint frappuccino and felt his front pocket to make sure he had his pack of cigarettes. When he headed towards the door, a middle aged couple walked in and over towards the line to order. John instantly imagined them having hot passionate sex only hours earlier and thought how lovely it would be to engage in such a warm, loving, and united activity and then head to Beatlucks to enjoy something wealthy, sweet, and frothy. John had no car so he turned right out of the shop and began his 30-minute walk home. There’s something about sitting in a coffee shop that really fucks you up.

TYPE THOUGHTS by lexi brooks

that moment when you read a paragraph and catch yourself say , “wow!” out loud. you lay the open book on your chest and think, “why can’t real life be as well writ ten?”

illustration by Elizabeth Scafuto

INSOMNIA BLUES by zoe jones fucking pretty girls becomes the game, becomes the goal fucking pretty girls because we want to feel pretty, too. i am up late, well into the new day, watching caricatures of people in romance -pretty boys chasing prettier girls. so pretty together. i am up late, on the couch, pulling up new cuticles from dead nail beds wondering if i will be the ending to anyone’s game, the goal of anyone’s agenda. and it occurs to me: caricature or not, romance belongs to those prettiest.

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