Hello, it's me. Long time, no blog but never mind, I am back now. I knew when I returned to blogging that I would be publishing this post first. Ever since the cloud-nine experience that was Saturday week, I've been wanting to write about it. Too Much & Not The Mood was a book I purchased on a whim in Wellington last year. I ended up falling in love with its unconventionality and absolutely luscious writing. 

So the idea of basking in Durga and Ella's presence for an hour one Saturday morning felt like a treat. I am not going to lie. Seeing two creatives I admire sharing conversation about the intricacies of writing, a myriad of references to other artists, the detail-driven text that is Too Much & Not The Mood and more was an incredibly special experience. I am thankful for once that they didn't dim the lights during this session so I was able to take notes and I took a lot. Apologies if my transcription is a little rusty. I haven't looked at these notes in a week but hopefully they still make sense. I'm writing them out mostly as I wrote them down so it's not the most structured of posts but anyway....

Ella and Durga met through their mutual friend and fellow genius Tavi Gevinson. I'm referring to Ellas as Ella here because honestly, I think of Lorde as Ella most of the time. Even though we are certainly not on a first-name basis. Anyway, at the beginning of the session they spent a bit of time discussing colour. They made note of the aura readings they had done in New York City and how Ella+Durga really conversed a lot around the time Durga's book was finished up. It coincided with the completion of Melodrama.

They spoke about how purple was and is a pivotal colour for Durga. It's a colour of nostalgia and homecoming throughout Too Much & Not The Mood and she saw it everywhere during the writing of this book. For her, this shade was a return to childhood.

*Reference point: Ella & Durga made note of Maggie Nelson's book Bluets at this point. A fantastic book and one I really need to revisit soon.

They spoke about the Heart Museum essay and Ella described it as a "big, bright, crash course in Durga". This is the main essay in Durga's book and initially it was meant to be one page. Durga wanted to do something in homage to Lydia Davis who is known for her shorter essays. She spoke about how plot doesn't interest her. // This reminded me of Ali Smith whose writing also follows non-linear structures. 

*Reference point: White Girls x Hilton Als. I've ordered this from the library to read. 

"Having intuition as a writer is the greatest gift." -I loved this sentiment so much I tweeted it in real time. 

Writing is always about a return. -Another idea I liked. 

The calibre of women. Durga spoke about how for her, bank tellers represented the ultimate in luxury for women. Like the visual representation of having 'made it' I guess. This point really resonated with me. For me the idea of a women+height of sophistication growing up was tailored coats and detectable perfume. 

*Reference point(s): Agnes Martin, more specifically this. Ella and Durga both spoke about Agnes Martin's work. They also spoke about Polly Platt, screenwriter and production designer. 

"I love that there's this little seed that can become this thing that changes people's lives." -Durga Chew Bose 

*Reference point: The Poetics of Space x Gaston Bachelard. 

Towards the end of the session Ella asked Durga about the space she wants to occupy as a writer. Durga said what she's learning is you don't have to be one kind of writer or artist. The opportunities she is being presented as a result of her book are ones she wouldn't have assumed were accessible to her. // As an aspiring writer I found this particularly inspiring and a reminder to not assume that doors will alway remain closed.

So I loved this session and got a lot from it. Hopefully Auckland Writers Fest will upload the podcast/footage because I believe this session was being recorded. Also Ella should totally chair more panels because she's pretty damn good at it.

It feels like I only just compiled one of these posts, the reality is of course that the last one went live over a month ago. Today we have a mix of fashion, music, books and life-type things in the mix because why not? 

Changes British Vogue style: Never one to do things by halves it seems, after Alexandra Shulman's departure and Edward Enninful's takeover of the title, we have seen a flurry of staff changes. That may be natural with such a creative endeavour as producing such a notoriously iconic title but it's also bound to ruffle a few feathers, couture or otherwise. The most surprising of all was learning that Lucinda Chambers was dismissed from the title, after twenty five years alongside Alex and another eleven at the magazine. Chambers appeared in an interview with niche publication, Vestoj. It's done the rounds by now and due to legal issues, it has been edited and condensed somewhat. If you want a read, you can do so here. I found this quote particularly poignant: "you're not allowed allowed to fail in fashion-especially in this age of social media, when everything is about leading a successful, amazing life. Nobody today is allowed to fail, instead the prospect causes anxiety and terror. But why can't we celebrate failure? After all, it helps us grow and develop." 

Melodrama: Last month Ella aka Lorde released her second album and it has not disappointed. I'm sure we all know the stories behind this album by now, said to chronicle a house party Lorde threw and the aftermath of it. It looks at love and loss, heartbreak, reminiscence and nostalgia. Most of all it is about survival and the strength we find in our "secret powers". Yellich O'Connor and Jack Antonoff are a perfect pairing and their talents combined make this one treat of a record. My favourite tracks are; Writer In The Dark, Hard Feelings/Loveless and The Louvre but I really love the whole entire thing. 

Without A Doubt: After finishing The People v OJ Simpson last week, I knew I badly wanted to read this book. I think a few of the legal faces involved have written about this trial actually but Marcia's was the one I wanted to read. I'm only about a quarter through it so far but it is good. Really good. If you enjoyed the show, this expands on everything and is equally as fascinating. 

Mindfulness: < It's a word that probably divides a few people. Over the last couple of months I've been making a few lifestyle changes, relating to this word. I'm not going to elaborate beyond that for now but I wanted to talk briefly about mindfulness exercises. There are a bunch of apps, YouTube clips etc so you don't necessarily have to start a subscription. I use Headspace though and find taking ten minutes to do the exercises is such a game changer for me. There are basic exercises to get you used to the initial idea of shifting your focus but also on categories like self esteem, anxiety etc. I actually do two lots of ten minutes, one in the morning and one late afternoon or during the evening. If you're someone who has a mind that doesn't seem to shut off, I highly recommend it.

Wisdom from Lorelai IRL: This quote is from Lauren Graham's newest book and I wanted to share it because it's really apt. Whether or not you're currently on the 'struggle is real' avenue or just feeling a bit lost, keep this in mind. "Life doesn't often spell things out for you or give you exactly what you want when you want it, otherwise it wouldn't be called life, it would be called vending machine. It's hard to say when exactly it will happen, and it's true that whatever you're after may not drop down the moment you spend all your quarters, but someday soon a train is coming. In fact, it may already be on the way. You just don't know yet."