Written by The Masthead
Art by Greta Scheff
Happy July dear readers! I hope you are all surviving your summer jobs, internships, classes, or whatever else is slowly sucking away at your spirit between trips to the beach. Just kidding (maybe). Enjoy…. –Julia
Clara MacMeekin
(She/Her)
Editor in Chief
Currently reading: The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante
I took my own advice from our last issue; I walked into a bookstore and went straight to the Mediterranean Literature section. Then I blacked out and, when I came to, this book was in my tote bag and I was out $17. Oh well, Elena Ferrante is my vice.
Recently read: Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
A sultry, soul-sucking, maddening, bleak, blood-thirsty, corporate nightmare trip of a book. The perfect thing to read before I started my summer internship.
Currently watching: Sex and the City
I’m trying to watch (judge) the show (Carrie) with as little bias as I can muster. Samantha is objectively the best, but Miranda comes pretty close.
Currently listening to: “Friends” by Laundry Day and “She’s Always a Woman” by Billy Joel
The first is for romanticizing my morning commute to the subway and the second is to congratulate myself on a day well-done.
Interesting snippet of something recently: It’s not all that interesting, but my ego has yet to come down from the high it’s been on since this happened. I attended a wedding recently for my oldest friend (the most beautiful bride in the world, by the way) and I sat at table 1. Table 1—the infamous table where only the bride and groom and their most beloved confidants reign over the reception. It’s basically the equivalent of sitting on a throne. The best part: I was not expecting to be bestowed such an honor, but it was as if angels started singing around me when I read the notecard hanging on the flower wall: Clara MacMeekin, Table 1. Not even the woman who routinely shoulder-checks me on my way home from work can bring my head out of the clouds. I’m table 1 material.
Opinion: There is literally no reason why a freshly-made iced Chai Latte needs to be watery. When the ice melts, sure, it gets a little watery, what can you do? But the first sip of an iced Chai Latte—which I paid $8 for, by the way, also gaga—should not be watery! I asked for an iced Chai Latte, you asked if Whole Milk was alright, I confirmed that Whole Milk was alright, and so you added water to the Chai Latte? YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.
Julia Cote
(She/Her)
Managing Editor
Currently reading: The Best American Poetry: 1997, edited by James Tate
I picked up a second hand copy of this for three dollars at a consignment store. I’m somewhat sad to say that I continue to drift further away from buying books firsthand and the activity of browsing traditional bookstores in general. This lateral move happens to coincide with the vertical (downward) move of my bank account balance. But also I find the same pleasure in wearing someone else’s old clothes as I do in reading someone else’s old books. Old books contain more stories than just the printed words. Two standout poems in the collection so far have been “Rounding the Horn” by L. S. Asekoff and “The Problem of Anxiety” by John Ashberry.
Recently read: A Collection of Essays by George Orwell
After having gotten halfway into Rebecca Solnit’s book, Orwell’s Roses, it occurred to me that maybe I should actually read something by the man it is written about. As all famed male writers, he was probably (certainly) a piece of shit in many ways that matter. Simultaneously, the things he wrote about and the ways he did so remain powerful to read. “Inside the Whale” is the essay I’m still thinking about the most.
Currently listening to: Her Wallpaper Reverie (1999) by The Apples in Stereo and “Knock That Door” by Enon
Interesting snippet of something recently: My life is becoming more and more intertwined with a group of squirrels that live in the tree behind my building. I’m not sure what that means, but I do know that I fight the urge to invite them into my apartment every day. There’s a crack in my windshield and I have a feeling that one of them dropped an acorn on my car on purpose. I’m not mad, I just want to talk.
Opinion: Most reality shows will make people feel physically ill after watching more than one episode at a time. There is, however, one special show for everyone that they can watch for a lifetime and remain in good spirits, albeit with questionable brain cell retention.
Greta Scheff
(She/Her)
Art Director
Currently reading: I’m still reading Just Kids by Patti Smith. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that, but I’ve been a busy woman! New job, new apartment, new things to focus my attention on… Don’t get me wrong, I love the book, and Patti’s writing is like no other. But maybe I’m just a fiction girl at heart.
Currently watching: Right now I’m rewatching American Horror Story season 4, Freak Show (for the third time). It’s definitely my favorite season of AHS and, if you haven’t seen it yet, you should absolutely go watch it.
Currently listening to: “Tell Me I’m A Fool” by Ray Bull and Before The World Was Big (2015) by Girlpool
Interesting snippet of something recently: I work at a small business and we sell A LOT of plants so I’ve been trying to learn more about how to care for them. I think I’ve picked up on maybe three names and only know how to take care of succulents (the easiest, most low maintenance plants ever). But I’m trying!
Opinion: Why do all the piercing shops in Burlington close on Tuesday? Christ did not rise on a Tuesday, so get your ass in the shop. It’s one of my few days off and I am itching to get poked!!