We’re back with Tom Willis. Read on to find out what he’s into, and if you’re new here, hit subscribe for secret recommendations every week.
Tom Willis runs the Soho Reading Series. His (excellent, artful) novel may, after major edits, sell to a very major press very soon.
☞ GETTING INVOLVED IN THE LONDON LITERARY SCENE: Contrary to what everyone says, London has a live, open, exciting, free, youthful, anyone-can-come literary scene made up of readings and house parties. You can just show up and be charming and chatty and make a bunch of new friends and feel alive again. You might feel an instant, infectious connection with a room of strangers, and feel them feel it too (it feels amazing). All you gotta do is show up, turn on, put something out, and you can make it. Here are some you can go to: Deleted Scenes, New Work, New Papers, The Toe Rag, Adult Entertainment, Rivet Reads, Casual Encounters, and the Soho Reading Series. Coming along could make you better, funner, cooler, nicer, wiser, wittier, happier, fuller, funnier.
☞ ANDREW EDMUNDS:Great for romance. Décor nicer than upstairs, too (I’m not sore, man).
☞ SMILE MORE: Smiling is a real hack in London because no one does it and it changes your life. People melt like snowflakes on long eyelashes when you smile at them. My godfather, who is friends with Chloë Sevigny, taught me this. He is widely liked. You could be too.
☞ THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN NEW YORK:
Union Square Cafe. Just try not to be the one picking up the tab, unless you’re really grand.
Also great is Daily Provisions next door (and across the city), especially the chef’s salad.
☞ FOREVER MAGAZINE: It’s the best new magazine to come out of New York by far. I don’t know why people pretend anything otherwise. They don’t know what’s good for them. Get all of the issues, if you can find them.
☞ ROMANTIC LOVE: One should always be pursuing or maintaining deep, serious romantic love. Everything else is but pale fire.
☞ THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Wow. What a place. Go and soak up the gaudy glory then come back enlivened and sparkly and piss everyone off by mispronouncing “party” as “pardy”. I’ve never been to California.
☞ ANOTHER MANHATTAN: One of the all-time great short stories, plus a great decision at the bar.
☞ NOT DOING A PHD: Don’t do it, man, I’m serious. It’s tempting but don’t do it. The only thing worse than doing a PhD is getting a job. If you must get a job, don’t talk about it.
