Slow Stories

“When the darkest part of you meets the darkest part of me, it creates light.” This is one of the many incredible lines readers will find in Coco Mellors'  luminous debut novel Cleopatra and Frankenstein .  In this riveting story, readers meet Cleo and Frank, two disparate characters whose chance encounter brings them closer in ways they couldn't have expected. Throughout the book, readers also me...

Slow down and look around. Observe the art on the walls. Take in the colors, textures, and scents. What memories come to mind? How does it make you feel? And, perhaps more importantly, why?  Ask Hannah Traore , and she'll tell you that these questions are integral to how we collectively engage with art. The New York-based gallerist originally got her start in the industry at renowned institutions...

Picture this: a vast expanse of Texas road and sky, two best friends, and a world of possibility. It was here that Laura Cramer and Starr Hout came together and conceived Apiece Apart —a brand revered for design-forward staples that, in their words, “act as witnesses to our lives... and never go out of style.” While the duo's shared love for beauty has culminated in timeless clothing, style is jus...

What does it mean to belong? And what responsibilities come with belonging? These questions were top of mind while reading Katie Kitamura's stunning novel,  Intimacies .  In Intimacies, readers are presented with a rich examination of language, power, and identity seen through the lens of an unnamed narrator who has arrived in The Hague to interpret at the international court. As the narrator's st...

The art of life requires empathy, resilience, and a laugh or two—especially now. But after all that we've been through over the last few years, one question endures: How do we deal? This idea is at the core of artist Grace Miceli' s book,  How to Deal.   Billed as “a weird but honest roadmap from a friend who wants to make it just that much easier for us to navigate our own journey,” How to Deal p...

Rituals transform how we live, work, and create—but closer to home, they can do something much greater: encourage self-love. For conscious creators like Matthew Herman, this idea is especially prevalent. Enter Boy Smells. Co-founded in late 2015 with his partner David Kien, Matthew and the team have worked diligently to create a gender-inclusive lifestyle brand that, in their words, encourages peo...

What do we remember about our stories? In her stunning debut novel,  The Shimmering State,   Meredith Westgate explores the convergence of memory, art, and grief through the lens of two artists: Lucien, a grieving photographer who moves to Los Angeles to care for his grandmother, and Sophie, a dancer with the Los Angeles Ballet Company who has landed a coveted lead role in an upcoming production....

Art creates space for understanding, introspection, and intimacy. These themes are especially at play in the work of artist and writer Larissa Pham . You may recognize Larissa’s work from her bylines in esteemed publications, including The Paris Review Daily, or in the case of this episode, from her brilliant work of creative nonfiction, Pop Song , which is described as “a book about distances, ne...

While some stories remain in your heart, others simply make you laugh out loud.  Jen Spyra's  storytelling oscillates between the two. You may recognize Jen's work from her roles at revered comedic havens like The Onion and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert or from her bylines in publications like The New Yorker and McSweeney's. Most recently, Jen has channeled her editorial expertise into her de...

“A lasting, conscientious change in the self is similar to one in society: it requires consistent tending. It is sometimes painful and often tedious. We must choose it over and over.” This is one of the many resonant passages readers will come across from writer Melissa Febos in her latest book,  Girlhood . In this stunning essay collection, Melissa deftly examines (and interrogates) the stories w...

Conscious connection with others has taken on a whole new level of importance after a year of isolation and recalibration. But if you ask changemakers like Jen Batchelor , lasting connection comes from within—and begins with fueling the body and mind, the heart and soul. Enter Kin , co-founded in 2018 by Jen as “the first packaged Euphoric beverage—a non-alcoholic spirit made of adaptogens, nootro...

“Tell me the whole story from the beginning.” This line has impacted Dr. Suzanne Koven in more ways than one. The revered doctor and writer in residence at Massachusetts General Hospital has cultivated a career that uniquely rests at the intersection of medicine and storytelling. She recently illuminated these experiences in her debut essay collection, Letter to a Young Female Physician . In Lette...

What is poetry asking of us? This question was top of mind when speaking with artist Courtney Marie Andrews . The critically acclaimed musician (and self-proclaimed “student of experience”) has translated her wisdom and storytelling prowess into her debut poetry collection,  Old Monarch , which “centers around themes of longing and a desire to belong while excavating scenes from her childhood in t...

Industry luminaries like Lesley Thornton prove that with a little extra care, beauty can offer something much greater than aesthetics—it can leave an imprint on someone's heart. Lesley's work in the cosmetics industry is far-reaching, and her past roles have ranged from [retired] esthetician to makeup for The Estée Lauder Companies to on-air beauty and skincare expert for Discovery Networks. But m...

Design impacts every aspect of modern life, but it can also serve as a vessel for us to reconnect with time-honored traditions and stories. This duality is often at play in the work of ceramic artist Dina Nur Satti . Dina's practice rests at the intersection of academia, artistry, and aesthetics, and these elements have informed her namesake brand, Nur Ceramics , which in Dina's words, has helped...

Time and time again, we've witnessed how storytelling can transcend barriers and ignite our senses. The latter has become especially important in our interconnected age. Artists like Jessica Manning are living proof of how the digital landscape can be a powerful vehicle for people to create—and tell stories—that remain in our hearts. For Jessica, this has notably come to life through music. The si...

We can't always prepare for the unexpected, but we can pace ourselves when navigating tough moments. This is a lesson that Zak Williams has slowly learned through the years and is now translating to the masses as the co-founder of well-being brand, PYM , short for Prepare Your Mind. While PYM offers an invitation to those looking to take better care of their mental health, the brand's origins stem...

Certain moments in life leave an indelible mark on our stories. While it can sometimes be uncomfortable to navigate these moments of uncertainty, individuals like Deja Foxx remind us that moving with intention will always be a step in the right direction. At just twenty years old, Deja has already risen to prominence as a community builder who is seamlessly bridging the gap between social justice...

Some stories stay with us, and the ones that do often shape our lives in ways that we never thought were possible. This is the case for Becky Cooper , whose chance encounter with a harrowing collegiate tale ignited her ten-year exploration into the unsolved murder of Jane Britton—an archaeology graduate student at Harvard who takes center stage in Becky's sophomore book,  We Keep the Dead Close: A...

Don’t judge a book by its cover—instead, look closely and let it take you deeper into the story. Nicole Caputo understands how to make this sentiment a reality. She is translating her dual passion for art and writing into her roles as Creative Director at Catapult and Counterpoint Press and Co-Founder of She Designs Books. While the relationship between design and storytelling becomes increasingly...

What does it mean to gather? This is a question that Ghia —a new non-alcoholic aperitif brand founded by Mélanie that “inspires new ways to drink, gather, and think.” While Ghia's roots are inspired by the Mediterranean, closer to home, Mélanie has grappled with building a company rooted in connection in a time of increased isolation. For Mélanie , a shift in perspective—and pace—has become a guid...

Art imitates life; it also inspires new ways of looking at the world. The advent of the digital age has created a new palette for artists to make their mark on a scale unlike ever before. Lindsay Adams is among these boundary-pushing creatives, and she has captivated the digital landscape with her work—and her story. For Lindsay, art is both a respite and a runway to inspire introspection and conv...

We look to the past to inform our futures, but as we continue writing the chapters of our stories, we often forget to bask in the events unfolding in real time. Creative people have a unique ability to capture the nuances of these particular experiences. Poet and tastemaker Orion Carloto is one of these individuals.  As she's grown in her creative practice, Orion learned how to look for—and celebr...

“What if you could change your life? Would you do it? How would you do it?” These introductory questions invite readers into the world of  The Shame —Makenna Goodman’s debut novel that follows the yearning and ultimate unraveling of a woman named Alma. While the book itself is short in length, readers become immersed in a slow buildup to a critical decision that Alma makes revolving around Celeste...

The creative process is exciting, messy, and in some cases, uncertain. But it illuminates the depths of our subconscious and creates a runway to tell stories that inspire a shift in pace, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the worlds conjured by some of the most creative minds. Taylor Sterling is one of them, and her multifaceted approach to creativity has come to life most notably in the f...