Coming Up for Air + What Caught My Eye (No. 67)

I guess I never realized it, but it’s quite strange to actually want to write this dumb little newsletter. I suppose it’s become a habit of mine, probably a carry-over from AOL away messages to the food blog I kept for years. I’ve no doubt it comes from a deep need for attention (no shit, I hear you saying to yourself, of course it is!). All the same, it is Saturday night when I’m starting this and I feel like it’s time to provide you a few updates, so I can inevitably go back to my little burrow and pop my head out now and then. I am but a chipmunk with very little survival skills.

The first — and undoubtedly the most important — update to share is about my father. Thank you to those who have sent well wishes and kind messages. For all the blathering I do on here, I am very uncomfortable talking about my personal life. Professional bullshit and things to buy and press trips really are only a small facet of my life, if you really think about it. In any case, I think things can be best described as status quo for him and a feeling of helplessness for me.

All the same, I really, truly do not want to hear “When my [insert relative/friend/ coworker here] had a stroke…” I know it’s how we, as a culture, empathize, or try to plug the dam before any awkwardness leaks into the conversation, but it does absolutely nothing for me. If your relative/friend/coworker has it worse than my father, it doesn’t make me feel better that someone else is suffering. And if they miraculously healed, it’s like dangling hope in front of me like a carrot, and that only makes me feel worse.

Secondly — and undoubtedly totally boring for you to read about — work has really picked up, both professionally and in my freelance. In my full-time job I was promoted to director of marketing and brand partnerships at my company, meaning I now handle the licensing agreements for our pens and stationery business. As I’ve hinted at but wasn’t able to explicitly state, this year we’ll be launching a collection with Moomin (more on this below), but with a few other licenses down the pike. This feels really good for me and is the first time I’ve felt like it’s a place in my full-time work where I will thrive.

Freelance has also been a bit crazy, too. I quit my role at Merz b. Schwanen because I simply wasn’t performing at the level I require of myself (see point one as to why that might be). With that extra time, I’ve had an insane amount of work creep into my diary — I will be ending June with 34 articles for the month. Many of these are white-labeled for brands, so you won’t see my name on them necessarily, but you can find my weekly column at Worn & Wound, new articles will soon be up for GQ, I’ve been lucky enough to write loads for Surface this month, and just begun writing for The Set Set. One door closes another opens and all that.

Finally, I have some tentative travel coming up. While it’s definitely not set yet (I haven’t even talked to the PR companies who would host me), I’m looking at:

• July 28-Aug 2: NYC

• August 28-September 6: Oslo Fashion Week / Helsinki Design Week

• September 7-September 15: New York Fashion Week

As I said on my Instagram, do hit me up if you: have a sublet for me in NYC in September (preferably free), recommendations for Oslo, are a PR person who wants to connect or send me clothing or invite me to a show, are a brand that wants to do an interview or showroom tour (or also give me stuff), or if you have a plug at a hotel for any of my stays.

Okay, now to the extra-long What Caught My Eye section. I won’t fault you for unsubscribing. It’s all terribly boring. But if you wanted to know what hair product I’m using or what book I’m reading. Well, keep reading, dear Reader, because you’re in luck!

Cheers

What Makes Sammy Run, by Budd Schulberg

I’m very pleased to say that whoever had that voodoo doll made of me finally put a book in its hands. My dry spell has ended and it’s been a veritable flood of books that’s come my way recently. I’m currently reading What Makes Sammy Run?, which is quite good and pacy. It was written in 1941 and gives a contemporaneous account of the Hollywood of the time. It’s well-written and a very interesting read on the nascent film industry and how the town felt so congealed, even then.

Other than Sammy, I’ve finished Nineteen Eighty-Four (Orwell), Julia (Newman), Doktor Glas (Söderberg), The Trouble with Happiness (Ditlevsen), Manor (Ulrichs), The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, The Rise and Reign of the Mammals, and The Story of Birds (all three by Brusatte) since we last chatted. I also grabbed a copy Annie Proulx’s short story collection Close Range: Wyoming Stories to read “Brokeback Mountain”, but can’t bear to gather the emotional strength to open it right now.

While the Brusatte books may seem a bit out of left field, longtime readers may remember one of my early career choices was to become an evolutionary biologist. But after taking Calculus II in high school, I swore to never touch a calculator after grade 12 — one of the few promises I’ve kept in my lifetime, thank you very much.

Élisabeth, by Éric Rohmer

There has been a surprising confluence of Éric Rohmer-related things that happened this month, most notably the release of Rohmer’s only novel, Élisabeth, by McNally Editions (a purchase I made within milliseconds of finding out they’ll ship it to you before the pre-order window is done). It’s next on my reading list, come hell or high water.

This novel comes out at the same time that Criterion released a few of the French director’s films onto its streaming app, all of which have been queued up and are patiently waiting for me to dive into. Of course, I will be looking at Melvil Poupaud’s wardrobe (particularly this bag) after watching A Summer’s Tale, but there are many gaps in my knowledge of the Rohmer Cinematic Universe™ still left to be explored.

Tenten Bedding

One of the great sadnesses in my life is that I don’t really care about housewares and interior design. Or, rather, I’m just no good at it (which might be a blessing because I find home renovation gays on Instagram to be the most evil types of gays of all). It was always an easy excuse to say, “Oh, I live in a small farm house, I don’t need to care.” But now I’m 35 and have a bit of money and I should put more of that towards things around the house versus things in my closet or driveway.

In any case, the bedroom is the first to get a facelift. Specifically the bedding. I was given a set of sheets and a duvet cover from Finnish Design Shop and I don’t think I’ve slept better in years (notwithstanding a few hotel stays). I’ve never used a duvet at home, though of course it’s quite common when I’ve visited the Nordics and other parts of Europe, but it’s got the perfect weight and made from long-staple cotton percale so I don’t overheat (I run hot and there’s always a dog scrunched up next to me somewhere). As the name implies, they’re a 10/10 in my book.

Home Atelier Nigella Foldable Sofa Bed

Unfortunately, it’s not just my house that could use a facelift, but the office I rent in a nearby town could, too. Right now, it’s full of hand-me-downs and Amazon furniture and if I’m supposed to write the next great American novel…well, that’s certainly not the vibe.

And, dear Reader, sometimes I am really tired. So sleepy, in fact, I can hardly bear it and I’ll lay on the floor for a few minutes between calls. But to save my aging back, I think a convertible little chair-to-bed miracle would be the perfect solution to my problem and fit into the general motif of my writing studio: eclectic, a bit dated, but comfortable.

Méduse Sandals

I’m not sure where I first heard of Méduse, but I really hope it was an incredibly chic and unknown fashion writer and not someone who has been interviewed on an episode of Throwing Fits. All the same, there has been an absolute (but quite welcomed, mind you) plague on my house when it comes to shoes lately — the NN.07 x Grenson mules, these New Balances, these Sabahs, and these Birkenstock Mogamis, to name a few — but I’ve added one more into the roster. I opted for the black fisherman sandals that are incredibly cheap (save for the shipping from France) and will hopefully be one of those items I wear nonchalantly throughout the season and get compliments wherever I go. A boy can dream.

Cubitts Dewes Frames

I’m lousy with eyewear, too, it seems. One may think that the best thing about having astigmatism is getting sympathy when mentioning it to others, but that’s just a close runner-up. The best thing is actually having a bedside table that’s stacked with frames to choose from and then making little outfits based on the pair I chose. I currently wear these Silhouette Pure Visionary when I tuck myself into bed because they’re super lightweight and can bend a little if I forget to take them off when I’m reading. But my daily drivers, so to speak, are the Dewes by Cubitts. They’re very simple and classic, but the proportions are just thin enough to not be boring. I hope that someone will describe my own physique like that one day, too.

The Merman Curling Sea Clay

Depending on how long you’ve followed me, you may remember I used to get perms to add some texture to my hair, which is very straight and, thanks to a finasteride prescription, no longer thinning. I’ve since stopped this exercise in extreme Gay Vanity™ and have just worked with what I got. But I’ve noticed as I’ve been growing my hair out that if I get it messy enough and sticky enough, it begins to get at least a tad bit wavy. Never one to not exploit a situation, I began looking into how to keep this charade up and have found this curling clay to do the trick. A little bit on damp hair, a spritz of hairspray, and a few tears because I get so frustrated I want to cry and I’m out the door. Easy and one, two, three!

Graf von Faber-Castell Rollerball + G2 Refills

If you’ve ever enjoyed the smooth writing of one of those cheap Pilot G2 pens, but want to elevate your writing experience, well, my friends, you’ve come to the write place (I’ve worked in the pen industry for five years and have just about abused that pun to death).

I’ve recently found out that the Graf von Faber-Castell rollerballs are compatible with the G2 refill. I know this sounds like a lot of jargon, but a lot of refills aren’t in standard sizes. But God must answer prayers occasionally and I’m happy to inform you that with the twist of a cap and a quick switcheroo and you’re looking at a pen that writes well and looks expensive. What more could you ask for in life?

Homme Plissé Issey Miyake Pleated Pants

I like to consider myself a fairly basic dresser and, in some ways, these all-over pleated pants aren’t necessarily my style, but that didn’t stop me from ordering five different pairs in two different styles when Nordstrom had a sale earlier this month. I wasn’t sure what size I was, for starters, and I wasn’t sure if I liked them or liked the hype of them (this was the same week Ashley Olsen wore some in Paris, mind you). I’m happy to report back that I like the black straight-leg version and that I am a size 1 (which, thanks to an elastic waistband, will fit when I’m flirting close to a size 2, 3, and 4). I think the only way to pull these off is with a white button-down or t-shirt (damn me for resigning from Merz so soon!), but I do think the shoes options are more forgiving with these mules being the top contender right now.

NYBG x Moomin Collaboration

As I mentioned above, my new role with my company now means I manage our licensed products and their accounts. While Peanuts was the first one I worked on, it was more of an inherited project, but Moomin is all mine. With a proper collection of pens and stationery coming later this year, my team dipped our toes into the IP by producing products with the New York Botanical Garden and Moomin for their exhibition and the products, I believe, are now available in the gift shop. I’m very excited for you to see, if you happen to find yourself in the Bronx anytime soon (or see me there in late July, as I’ll be visiting again for work).

This is an account I’ve been working on since last October and I have been fortunate enough to know the team more and more over the last few months (and visited the headquarters in Helsinki when I was there in May). Because I work from home, I don’t always have that team feeling, so I’m especially grateful to be getting to know — and grow — with Moomin and, by extension, their licensing team.

More to come on this project. And looking ahead to 2027 and beyond, I’m signing a few more contracts in the next couple weeks to keep the momentum. Can’t wait to share more.