Discover more from All's Well by Nadine Zylberberg
Hi there! This week has felt long. Like Tuesday-could’ve-been-Friday long. And yet, we’re only halfway there. I’m confident we’ll get through this together! In moments of quiet this week, what’s helped me is glancing at beautiful red carpet dresses, watching Good Morning America with a one-year-old, and remembering to use hand lotion and lip balm (currently waiting on this one from Fenty). It’s dry out there!
Before we dive in, an aside: Last night, a friend (and new subscriber—hello Tom!) told me that this newsletter felt cozy, like it should be read with a cup of tea. It was the greatest compliment and now, I can’t help but hope that you are reading it with a cup of tea too, if only because everything is better read with something warm (and a cookie? Yes, maybe a cookie too.) Basically, I think we should all be cozy always. And, also, I’m very glad you’re here.
Well Read
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I don’t often think of art as a verb, but maybe that would allow me to appreciate it in a whole new way. You may not have heard of artist Félix González-Torres (I hadn’t), but he recently had a show at David Zwirner Gallery, featuring a work that involved 700 pounds of clear-wrapped licorice scattered across the floor. Jerry Saltz, New York magazine’s art critic (and a wonderfully opinionated and frank Instagram follow) wrote about his experience of the show and I delighted in its sweetness. Read until the end! And don’t miss the background story of this original piece—it’s poignant and tender. Here’s an excerpt:
“In a very quiet way, González-Torres illustrates one of art’s most fundamental aspects: Art is not just a noun, a thing; art is something that does something to us. Art is a verb. ‘Untitled’ (Public Opinion) lets us feel this ancient cosmology of art as a life force, something with an agency, an otherness, and poetry of its own. To his materials and forms, González-Torres adds oral gratification, touch, sugar highs.”
More on the magical last hours of González-Torres’ show this way.
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If you were ever a pre-pubescent girl, then perhaps you too have read Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. What a formative novel about periods and growing up and believing (or not) in God. Judy Blume’s voice is pretty singular, I think. The book is being turned into a movie, out April 28, and so, decades since reading it, I’m overcome by nostalgia. The Atlantic’s Amy Weiss-Meyer has a new interview with Blume (sadly, behind a paywall), and it shares more about the coming-of-age author than I ever knew. It also makes a case for her books in 2023:
“Today’s 12-year-olds have the entire internet at their disposal; they hardly need novels to learn about puberty and sex. But kids are still kids, trying to figure out who they are and what they believe in. They’re getting bullied, breaking up, making best friends. They are looking around, as kids always have, for adults who get it.
They—we—still need Judy Blume.”
You can find the full profile here.
Well Watched
When was the last time you saw the full credits roll after a movie—whether it was in theaters or at home? Streamers make it basically impossible, racing to feed you the next episode or promoting an upcoming feature, rendering the credits comically illegible. Way, way back, credits used to come at the beginning of a movie—that’s how crucial they were deemed. In The New York Times, Emma Kantor makes a case for sitting through them, acknowledging the village it takes to bring a work of art to you. She writes:
“One look at the credits is enough to challenge the myth of the genius auteur calling all the shots. Credits are the closest that many behind-the-scenes, below-the-line artists and technicians get to a curtain call. These unsung collaborators — the crew members we don’t see hitting the talk-show circuit or strutting down the red carpet, but whose long workdays and skillful labor are an essential source of film magic — deserve their moment in the spotlight.”
And it’s true! It’s amazing the number of jobs I’d never even heard of that go into making a two-hour movie. There’s always something new to appreciate. Food for thought as we roll into Oscar week next week…
Well Fed
I’m big on sandwiches: breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, even dinner sandwiches. (Or do we just call those burgers? I had one on an English muffin the other night and it confused and delighted me in equal measure.) Anyway, here are some very good ones that are begging to be made.
Joy the Baker’s egg salad sandwich (let’s not skip the onion here) is calling my name.
On the breakfast eggy front, I just realized that bodega egg sandwiches are so singular because the slice of American cheese is tucked into the eggs—genius; here’s Smitten Kitchen’s take.
The classic grilled cheese from Murray’s Cheese shop in the West Village is buttery and decadent (you’ve been warned) and requires tomato soup on the side.
Lastly, I can’t find a great recipe for the classic Argentinean lomito completo (steak sandwich) that I often crave, but this one is close; just skip the sauerkraut.
Now go on, share your favorite sandwich recipe with me. It’s only fair.
*Ed. note: Dolly Parton has nothing to do with any of this. I’m just a fan of celebsonsandwiches and it felt on theme. Enjoy!
Well Drawn
This week, I’m offering up a cartoon by Tommy Siegel that Coby sent my way. Which one are you? “Both” is an acceptable answer, but “neither” is not—because who doesn’t love the M&Ms in the trail mix?
Well Worn
I have a pair of white combat boots with an extraordinary number of laces that I bought in a tizzy during the Barney’s closing sale. I’ve worn them once ever, which is to say I haven’t gotten great cost-per-wear out of them, even at a steep discount. I think I’ve come to the realization that, as exciting as a white boot or a leopard boot or a shearling boot can be, I’ll always go back to black. Black boots are comfortable, reliable, durable—basically everything you want in a shoe without it being a straight-up athletic sneaker. Yes, I already have a couple of great pairs, but I’m always drawn to another, and another. Help!
I saw a mom wearing this Dr. Martens pair at the playground, complete with a beret, and the whole thing worked on many levels.
This vegan pair by Aera is versatile and Katie Holmes has convinced me it is the only pair I need.
Scrunchy, slouchy boots are in and this low-heel pair by Totême is high on my list.
A knee-high pair from Staud: good heel, good toe, good all around.
Square-toed boots have taken a while to grow on me—I don’t feel edgy enough, quite frankly—but I am mentally there. And this Labucq pair checks all the boxes.
What can I say, I will always love a chunky-heeled boot, like this Stuart Weitzman one. Speaking of lug-sole, this Gianvito Rossi pair is the pipe dream.
This Cleregie pair feels Totême-ish in style and I wish it were still available in my size. Speaking of Cleregie, the brand has a reliable selection of excellent, durable black boots, and also some funky ones.
I could go on, but I won’t. The temptation is too strong. I’ll leave you here, until next week!