Nº 20: Editor's Special: Livvy & Elizabeth
Your editors return to update their recs: free audiobooks, secret drinks, small scarves and the importance of wanting.
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LIVVY BRYANT: Artist, occasional writer and GSTS co-founder.
☞ THE BOTANIST: I recently had my mind blown by a cocktail at a bar in Düsseldorf – obviously not one I ordered, I got something inane and creamy, but thankfully our hosts ordered correctly. ‘The Botanist’ was a violent shade of green – so much so that I expected it to be called something like ‘Flaming Shrek’ and taste of toxic waste, but the smell/taste was as surprising as it was indescribable – to me most cocktails either taste like citrus or milk, but this one was like turning a corner and happening upon a florist. Like if you blitzed a Kew hothouse. I begged the barkeep for the secret recipe: “Barkeep!” I shouted in English, “Give me your secret recipe, bitte!” I have extracted the following from a drunken phone note and will share with you here:
6 Part celery infused gin (theirs was homemade)
4 Part fresh lime juice
4 Part cane sugar
Fresh basil – really fresh
Small piece (about the size of a Monzo card) of green bell pepper, crushed
To serve: pour over a single spherical ice cube (the one in my glass was colossal – this might take some creativity) and garnish with a sliver of the green pepper
☞ MAKING AN INTENTIONALLY BAD PLAYLIST: Knowing what you really dislike in life is a good thing – you realise that actually, generally, the positive outweighs the negative. Every category of Thing in life has shit bits, and music is no different. I’ve been crafting a ‘Songs I Hate’ playlist for a couple of years now and it’s amazing how some things just never change. I will simply never warm to ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, same goes for ‘All Star’. Do NOT get me started on Vera Lynn.
☞ FREE AUDIOBOOKS: Cancel your Audible subscription – Libby is a digital library app that will allow you to instantly borrow ebooks and audiobooks for free. Sign up to Kensington and Chelsea library (you don’t have to live in London) once you’re in the app and you can download/stream immediately.
☞ UNFINISHED: THOUGHTS LEFT VISIBLE: My favourite exhibition catalogue of all time. I wasn’t fortunate enough to catch the show, but this book has it all, charting over 500 years of incompleteness in art, from the unintentional and/or interrupted to the “non finito” (intentionally unfinished). It’s as beautiful as it is unusual, and if nothing else, will make you feel better about your own half-abandoned projects.
☞ DRESSING LIKE TORVILL AND DEAN: Simply this: head to toe purple fit. Perfect patriotic vibes for the Jubilee bank holiday.
♪ LISTENING TO: A bait one but the new(ish) Black Country New Road album is real nice
☠︎ HATES: Pimms (I have finally accepted this, and the minute I did I realised why – orange AND mint? It’s giving post-breakfast toothpaste X orange juice), bomber jackets, the excessive security at the British Library, ‘September’ by Earth, Wind & Fire, people who refrigerate butter, Americans using the phrase “on accident”…
ELIZABETH DIMITROFF: Artist and co-founder of God Save the Scene.
☞ ST MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS CATHEDRAL: Located next to the National Gallery sits a treasure hidden in plain sight. The window was commissioned to replace the original that had been shattered by bombs during World War II. Every time I’ve visited, I’ve had the place to myself.
☞ SMALL SCARF: I feel naked and unprepared without my small scarf. No mask? Scarf as mask. Summer party? Scarf as top. Chilly? Scarf as scarf. Raining? Scarf as hood (very effective). Small enough to fit in your pocket/bag.
☞ SOPHIE CALLE: I can’t stop thinking about the French artist and writer who documents her impulse toward obsession. The results strike me as a profound, yet unintended side effect to her process. This article is a great first stop in a worthwhile deep dive. If you find yourself in Paris this summer, her exhibition at Musée d'Orsay is a must!
☞ NOTES APP SEARCH: Every stressful text I’ve sent in the past 8ish years was drafted in my notes app beforehand - love letters/hate letters/breakups/confessions/apologies/fake sick days/confrontational messages etc. If you share this anxious tendency, search ‘hey’ (or however you usually begin your texts). You’ll find a chronological list of all your interpersonal dramas over the years.
☞ THE ION PACK: I enjoy the sense of mild productivity that podcasts provide. The Ion Pack is my ride or die. It’s hosted by two anonymous New York guys who discuss movies, the creative process and host a wide range of interviews (though, their solo eps are my favourite). The anonymous aspect steers the focus toward the concepts and ideas. They’re also completely hilarious. It’s $5 per month for access to the full episodes, but consider it tuition. If you don’t know where to start, Ep. 25: Losing A Whole Year and Ep. 14: Coat Check Girl with Annie Hamilton are some of my favourites. It’s a special pod.
☞ THE IMPORTANCE OF WANTING SOMETHING: A writer who I’m very close with told me that his ‘want’ is to write his own favourite novel. Wanting something acts as an internal compass in the face of decision making or short term pleasure/misery. I think a want should be something ultimate and not reliant on external validation.
☞ TARANTINO SOUNDTRACKS:
POV: It’s a Saturday and your youthful energy has been sucked away by the grey nothingness that exists between day and night. You’re about to reach for your phone to inform your friend that you can’t make it to the party. Behold: The Remedy
♪ LISTENING TO: Bad Girl (Pt. 1) - Lee Moses
Jessa dances like a wet dream to this song in Season 3 Episode 11 of Girls. Side note: I rewatched Girls a couple months ago – Lena Dunham is an absolute genius.
☠︎ HATES: Ironic anti-feminism