D.C. read the Literati summer manifesto

LITTLE DEATHS/DELIGHTS

I woke up this morning on a friend’s sofa in the nation’s capital with a blanket magically draped over me, clutching a copy of The White Album. I made my way from couch to bathroom mirror and started auditing last night’s actions. I put my hair in pigtails. I don’t care if I look naive, I’ll mean mug my way out of it. And, anyways, I am a little naive.

A friend told me once that I would like D.C. because everyone is always running. So that, I expected. But D.C. took me by surprise. I got two whole wheat croissants for the price of one from a barista with cute earrings. I met a woman named Bridget whose favorite color is chartreuse.

^The result of my audit.

D.C. is brimming with love in broad daylight. Girls in frat-esque outfits make out in the street. Power couples rub each others backs in sidewalk seating. D.C. must’ve read our June deaths/delights declaring it’s a PDA summer.

It’s been a day of hungover synchronicities. I met a woman named Bridget whose favorite color is chartreuse and she asked me to pray for her. I don’t believe in God, I am telling myself, but she asked me to pray for her and I told her I would. 

LITTLE DEATHS

• Mirrors - Were we ever supposed to see ourselves this much? 

• Air conditioning - My favorite podcast has a great episode on the paradox of ACs. I thought about it while on Amtrak with no sweater. 

• Creative gatekeeping - Questions after my Substack scroll this morning: Is everyone trying to steal each other’s swag in the creative world? Is that even a bad thing? I feel like so much of creativity is “stealing” and remaking. Every idea has already existed in some form before so do any of us even have the right to lay such powerful, individual claim over ideas?

LITTLE DELIGHTS

• This video dissecting culture, commercialization and Not Like Us - This is some real thought daughter shit. I love a good video essay and no one does video essays like Tirrrb. 

• Whole wheat chocolate croissants from Seylou Bakery - Imagine a homemade roti roll with a chocolate bar in it. My sister made a face when I gave her that description but I think they’re really, really good. 

• Birthdays - Happy belated to my good friend, Alex. Me, him and Siobhan (my bestie) partied in the nation's capital to celebrate and it was a good time.

FROM THE HOT LITERATI DIGITAL UNIVERSE

• Play Date

  • We had an event a few weeks ago, read the recap here

  • Each attendee was asked to bring a book that was special for them from childhood. The books are now in the Hot Literati Digital Bookstore and will all come with a surprise

• BOOK CLUB - meeting this Wed. at 8:30 pm ET to discuss expectations, set a schedule, etc —> upgrade to a paid tier to participate in book club

• Apply 4 our next nyc event

READ THIS ON HOT LITERATI DOT COM