Christene Barberich can't stop thinking about The Paperboy's Secret, Industry & the little 1960s doctor’s office she's renovating

You may know Christene Barberich by her newsletter, A Tiny Apartment, or by Refinery29, the media company she founded for women. These were my introductions to her world, one of serendipity and optimism and play – and many a thrift find. After following Christene’s work for years now, I’m excited to get a glimpse into her mind.

“The Paperboy’s Secret,” a Personal History essay by Peter Hessler that ran in The New Yorker. It was exquisite... and reading it, aside from the immense pleasure it gave me, it was like getting an MFA in biographical writing. So much to learn about structure, writing from memory, and most importantly, showing us how everyone’s life no matter how ordinary you think it is, imbues so much vividness and intensity. I loved it so much.

Lena Dunham’s “Famesick.” I keep holding off until I have time to read it in one go... hopefully very soon.

A drawing my friend Aya just did of our little 1960s doctor’s office that we will begin renovating next month. We’ve been living in it for six years in a very basic/no-nonsense way, like turning exam rooms into bedrooms and a reception area into a living room!!, and while I’m excited to start this project with my family, I’m also sad to lose this phase of our home.

Fuji disposable cameras, which I’ve been getting processed at the Color House on Lafayette. It’s so much fun taking real pictures again. I suspect these are terrible for the environment so I also just shoot Fuji film on my Pentax K 1000, too.

I’m also really into this Kosas Revealer Concealer, which mimics a few extra hours of sleep.

I don’t usually go for the viral IG posts where everyone copies the same format, but I guess everyone is doing that “Preparing for my Netflix documentary on X” thing, and Rhianna’s, which popped into my feed last week, was: “Preparing for my Netflix documentary on why I’m always late” and the camera was just facing an empty chair. It still makes me laugh! I mean, that’s SO good.

My husband got me a giant set of Ohuhu acrylic markers and they are just the most fun thing to escape reality with, notebook in hand.

It was last year and someone told me that they pulled over on the side of the road when they were driving, so they could stop and read one of my newsletters. That almost made me cry.

Go thrifting.

“The Gilded Age,” “Minx,” “I May Destroy You.” I’m still shattered about the final scene in “Mare of Easttown.” And my husband and I just started re-watching “The Americans.” Never was there a better pilot episode of ANYTHING.

Oh and “Industry.” I didn’t want to watch it but then I did and I couldn’t stop thinking about it, particularly how the world villainizes women who seek wealth or success... and get it.

“Nothing happens until something moves.”

- Einstein

“All Things Must Pass” by George Harrison, and I just watched the Jeff Buckley documentary and that allowed me to listen to “Grace” in a new way, too.

I love how Talia Mayden sees the world and her space. And I featured the interiors stylist Marshall Neve’s Lower East Side apartment in my newsletter recently. The way he chooses and places things in his home thrilled me to no end. I learned so much from him just by photographing corners of his apartment.

A Tiny Apartment and my book proposal. I just signed with a new agent, so I’m kind of overhauling the whole framework. It’s hard but I’m excited about it. ⚘