Jetsetting

Whew! I never thought that moving to a new city would mean living in many other cities at the same time. Four weeks after moving on Montreal, I've also done amazing things in Toronto and New York. In fact, it feels like I've barely worked, which is probably why I'm having some major career anxiety (where I am going?).

At least, I haven't had to get coffee for anyone. Sometimes people buy me coffee -- novel! In Montreal, Tracy makes stir-fry, we drink wine, we live on the Internet -- life is good.

Still, I thought it might be nice to reflect on the last two weeks and share things I've learned, read, and thought about while jetsetting between borders (provincial and national).

First, to answer the questions about whether or not I like my job: yes. I am learning lots about magazine publishing and I get to choose content for Reader's Digest, and edit without much supervision. Plus, I am being moved to a cubicle with next to the floor-to-ceiling windows in a corner. CORNER OFFICE, foooos!

That's next week. So let me recover the trip to Toronto, which was at the end of May. I headed to Canada's biggest city to visit friends from MPub, to hang out with old colleagues, new friends, and of course, my brother. William and I shared his tiny studio apartment, which is so small the bathroom and the kitchen share a sink. And since my brother is a hoarder (I might nominate him for the TLC show), there is barely room for one person to live. Guests staying over, such as myself, need to find room for a sleeping bag between stacks of Wallpaper* (he's a designer) on one side, the defunct toaster oven filled with interesting packaging on another, and snuggle up close to the overflowing laundry basket. Also, there was no Wi-Fi so I considered moving out (just kidding... kind of).

Anyhow, Toronto, I am told, has the highest rate from point to point for any public transportation system in the world. The price sort of confines you to staying within a familiar radius of restaurants and shops. Luckily, William lives in the Annex, where he's close to some of my favourite places in the city-I-love-to-hate: Kensington Market and the Annex. Unfortunately, that meant that I have been missing the wonders of Toronto west: Trinity Bellwoods Park on a nice day is actually nice. Plus, Type Books is a fantastic indie bookstore -- interesting curation and lovely attention to presentation/merchandising. Some points lost for obnoxiously loud staff but I would never complain about spending an afternoon browsing their shelves.

Toronto also offered some culinary treats: I sipped beers on patios, devoured jumbo empanadas, and slipped into small restaurants in Chinatown's basements for juicy dumplings.

Ultimately, the primary reason for coming to Toronto was professional. I came to see David Granger, the editor-in-chief of Esquire, speak about mags, ketchup (the squeeze bottle makes it easier for consumers to get the same content as the old form! Where's the squeeze-bottle parallel for modern magazines?), and wining-and-dining your staff (Oh, so American! Oh, so New York!). Granger was a charismatic speaker -- a salesman at heart and a gifted storyteller.

Inspired by Esquire's front-of-book section, "This Way In," here are some of my notes from the talk without any context:

• All magazines and great things start from disappointment, depression and despair
• The magazine is at its best when it is simply an expression of our love of life
• Hates Dave Chappelle
• ...And it makes readers mad

OK, I picked up some great tips about making magazines, too. Granger noted that a pretty package was essential to bringing a reader into a magazine. When someone in the audience implied that the repackaging of the magazine four years ago meant less consideration for "content," Granger was quick to point out that no one remembers the writing (unless it's stunning), and no one will even approach it if the design is sloppy or boring.

He stopped short of saying that design and visuals are content. And I think that would've have been important to point out. Photography, typography and illustration are integral to the modern concept of magazines. They deserve equal recognition in magazine publishing. Give the art department some respect, please!

However cursory the 60-minute keynote was, I left feeling inspired to go to New York offer my own talents to the magazines I get excited to read each month. I felt that if I could be confident about offering my opinions, at least people would know who I was. Granger has taken risks over the years, even admitting that some of the covers he has signed off were "gimmicky." But even now, years later, he stands behind his decisions, able to offer convincing rationales for doing some very advertising-oriented work. For this, he's been highly criticized but in the end, he's one of the most recognizable faces in American magazine publishing, and a highly respected one at that. Also, have you really not read that Chris Jones story I endorsed? Seriously, what are you waiting for?

Right after the talk I whisked myself out of the fancy (hors d'oeuvres and wine, thank you) Yorkville Hotel and ran into the Annex to pick up my things. Perilously, I took the TTC, Toronto's public transportation system, and made my way to the airport. Some years back, I took this route in the middle of a snow storm and the journey took three-plus hours. I nearly missed my plane. This time, I made it to the airport with time to spare, and time to get thoroughly searched at security and lose my boarding pass.

...I was dead-tired... as I am now. So, part deux tomorrow: reflections on New York City.

A preview: "The Leap," the cover story from last week's New York Magazine about the sudden suicide of a gifted New York teenager with a mild form of Aspergers. This piece is not for the faint-hearted, but even if I step away from the phenomenal tragedy told, there is some deft, powerful writing here.

Know your place

Fifth Avenue and 22nd Street, New York city. Photo by Mark Armstrong.

/via The Awl

Marina Abramović at the MoMa

Performance artist Marina Abramović is all over the Internet so I've just discovered her work though she's been active for more than 30 years. Her work uses the body as a site of violence and a symbol of resilience. Abramović's performances are disturbing and challenging. Just reading her Wikipedia entry makes my stomach uneasy.

Currently, the MoMa is running a retrospective of her work. While Abramović is performing an original piece in the main atrium, other artists are upstairs recreating some of her most famous works.



In "The Artist is Present," Abramović is seated across a table from another chair where museum visitors can sit as long as they like. Some visitors have been brought to tears, while others only stay for a minute. The artist will be performing from opening to close for three months until the end of May.

The MoMa is posting photos online of all the participants on their Flickr stream. The brutally sharp photos are meant to be a documentation of the audience's experience; they say so much about the way we perform with art in a museum space.

New York: Day Three, Four, Five

So the New York Public Library tour was my favourite part of the trip so far. What an honourable, curious, and distinguished institution. Also, architecturally compelling.
They have so many treasures in there - like the 1st edition of Voltaire's Candide from Geneva.

I now am the proud owner of a NYPL library card. Four hours later, my feet feel like they are going to break and I haul ass up Fifth Ave to the MoMa. My very kind friend Claire-Elise lent me her membership card and I got to go in for free. And what a deal! Beautiful Irving Penn photographs in the lobby, new acquisitions -- Avedon photographs made me a bit teary, and the amazing Tim Burton. The exhibit included costumes for Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Batman Returns, and Sleepy Hollow. You wouldn't believe detail, and how big, stiff, and uncomfortable PVC body suits look.

We'll the exhibit is obviously a big commercial for the upcoming Alice in Wonderland but really, that doesn't take away from how wonderfullybizarre and fantastical the works are.

And plus, everyone should see this movie:




I've been off this blog (and very active on Twitter) since the conference started. I don't know how it happened but Katerina and I basically ended up spending time with a lot of Canadians and grads of the MPub program. It was an amazing experience, despite the number of stinker sessions there were. Just a lot of brilliant minds in the room, and a lot of comfort knowing that we know just about as much as everyone else. There were some good speakers and some exceptional ones as well. The ladies from Harlequin and the romance sector were absolute inspirations! Way to pave your own path. As well, Ramy Habeeb, McGill alumnus who talked about the potential to tap into and support the Arab book market, was especially refreshing. Also refreshing: free champagne!

The highlightiest of all the highlights of the conference was seeing the big panel of indie publishers. It was a pack of 6 or 7 young'uns talking about experimenting with social media on real terms. I talked with James Yeh of Gigantic. Like Sad, Gigantic is just a baby magazine focused on print, literature, art, and showing people a good time (in the business world, they call it "building community"). Though they have distribution around the world, we also share a business model based on the principle that "people are willing to pay for beer but not content." On that note, thank you Phillips Brewery, for your awesome support. And thanks to James for the beautiful magazine - cheers to a future indie mag, cross-continent partnership.

We had most of the afternoon off so K and I wandered around Herald Square and then stopped in Macy's. There was a fire in the 7th Ave side of the building so half the store was closed. The staff told us it was an electrical fire. Hopefully everyone was safe. In any case, it was a bit spooky to see that side of the building steeped in black.

At the end of the day, I walked through the East Village to forage for food (the search never ends). Serendipitously, I ended back at Veselka, one of my favourite New York restaurants: a 24-hour Ukranian deli with the best perogies I've ever had in my life.

It's time to pack up now. Tomorrow is my meeting with Esquire and then it's up to the airport and back to the land of reading and homework.

I had fun, New York (look, I'm personifying the city - I am a cliché). I'll be back soon.

New York: Day Twhreeo

It's 8AM and I'm going to push myself into rush hour to feel the crush on the subway. Makes you feel like a local... or maybe it's because I want to have a bagel downtown.

Going to have a love fest with New York culture today. First: the New York Public Library's main branch. I love those lions that flank the entrance.



Then the MoMa for a little taste of the macabre in the Tim Burton retrospective, and a look at the work of one of my artistic heroes, Irving Penn.



Lost personal items count (I always lose something on vacation):
1: gloves
2: coat button
3: money (last seen at Macy's)

New York: Day One

To recap: no sleep, all shopping. Lunch at Shack Shake (the buns!), dinner at Ippudo Ramen (pork faaaat), and party in Chinatown loft (don't leave your beer in the fridge, someone will take it), late night/early morning eats from Duane Reade (KD).

This city never disappoints.

Lost personal items count (I always lose something on vacation):
1: gloves

New York: Day Two

Hungover. Ughh.

New York: Day One

I've just 7 in the morning, pacific time, I've been up for almost 24 hours. There was a little sleep on the plane, but not much. I saw the man from across the aisle from me lose his shit because he just lost his iPhone. It was sad.

Later on in the flight, I saw him devour beef jerky and use the package as floss for all the beef bits stuck in his teeth. Deeelightful!

Now, on my way to try the legendary Shake Shack Burgers...

Inventory: A family affair, burlesque, hockey night in Canada, and the Big Apple

I can't believe the past week. We wrapped up the first half of our MPub second semester, the Olympics are here, and the lunar new year is here. This weekend, 30 family members descended on my grandma's house from all over the world to celebrate Chinese New Year. Some of them, I haven't seen for more than a decade. It's surreal to think that this might be the last time that we all get together in one room. Our families are getting bigger and we're also moving to different countries and continents. Before, you could contain us in Toronto and Vancouver.

We've been catching up, throwing down, and filling up. Last night, some of us went to see an Olympics women's hockey match between China and Finland. The Chinese goalie was incredible. She blocked all but 2 out of 48 shots on goal. And while the Chinese team only got 4 shots, they scored one shorthanded.

I'm now detoxing from five days spent eating greasy food, sugary treats, and far too much imbibing. But the party is winding down. My brother's already left and my uncles and cousins are leaving over the next few days.

On Friday, I'm heading to New York to meet my future colleagues at the O'Reilly Tools of Change conference. The wonderful Ms. Katerina Ortakova is going to be my partner in crime, as we learn about the ultimate in geekery: books and computers.

I'm also looking forward to going to the New York Public Library's main branch on Bryant Park and spending a dorky hour touring the building; it's going to be a bibliophilic orgasm. Also, a meeting is in the works to spend some time at the Esquire offices in the Hearst building.

No more posts until I'm back in Vancouver but follow me @megan_lau for the latest. I will blog a lot about what I'm eating, it is always one of the huge highlights of being in the city (suggestions, anyone?).

When I get back, I'll be working with Sad Mag to put together Issue 3, our black and white issue, featuring cover girl and burlesque superstar Crystal Precious. It's going to be sexy, beautiful, and revealing.

................

Vancouver events you can't miss:

February 19: Queerbash No. 4 at the Wise Hall. This is Vancouver's wildest dance party (it looks a little something like this). Queer Bash is a queer focused dance party and a non-profit with a emphasis on fun, art and community. This month's theme is Gamers vs. Flamers: "Techno Nerds. Torch-bearers. Flaming Queens. Video Junkies. Muscle Marys. Celebrate or Condemn those Games by being as queer as can be."

For more info, see the Queerbash blog

March 19: Sad Mag Party No. 3 at the Anza Club. Cheap beer, Vancouver's finest undiscovered performers, and creative folk come together for dancing, celebration, and free magazines.

More info to come in March.

More Avedon

I've hardly met an Avedon image I didn't like. Here's another... and one I've never seen before!

This sultry portrait of Lauren Hutton (1968) is part of a retrospective of the photographer's fashion work at the International Center of Photography in New York (from May 15 to Sept. 6). Cathy Horyn reviews the exhibit for the New York Times.

Abstract City

My brother (portfolio forthcoming) sent me this link to Christoph Niemann's column in the New York Times (of course!). These are his memories, evoked in Berlin while playing with his sons and manifested in Lego. It affirms that everything can remind you of New York if you love the city, and especially if you are far and away. I also love how the NYT is using visuals in big and interesting ways, and embracing the possibilities of new media in a way that is frequently inspiring. And isn't it fantastic that you can get paid to play with Lego?



The full post is here

More Love for the New York Times

Could I possibly go without posting something from the New York Times every week? I tried and for that reason, I've been saving this one for a while. But I've decided to give in because it's beautiful so you should have a listen and a look... maybe it's gimmicky but that crisp, romantic black and white photography steals my heart.

One in 8 Million is a series of slice-of-life stories from New York City:

"New York is a city of characters. On the subway and in its streets, from the intensity of Midtown to the intimacy of neighbourhood blocks, is a 305-square-mile parade of people with something to say. This is a collection of a few of their passions and problems, relationships and routines, vocations and obsessions."

ONE in 8 Million

96 point for the fourth time

A bit late but from: Mag Culture, November 5:


I was beginning to worry I wouldn’t find the right story with which to mark this weeks’ good news. But here it is, courtesy of Design Observer.

The front page, above, is only the fourth time the NYTimes has used a headline at 96 point, placing Obama’s election alongside the first man on the moon, Nixon’s resignation and 9/11.

Madison Avenue is Recession Proof

Check out this video from NYMag.com

This Week's Special Read: Love at First Site with The Atlantic Think.Again. Pilot Project

The Atlantic repackaged old but relevant articles on a stunning new website. The Think.Again. project is accompanied by cool photography of New York City at night. Here is the New York City Public Library, with neon lights, asking, "Is the Doughnut Doomed?" Each article is accompanied by a blog, forum discussion, a video documentary and desktop wallpaper so you can show off your liberal smarts on your macbook. My favourite so far is "Is God an Accident?"

I think the website is a smart way to give old articles new life. Not to mention, it's a feast for the eyes and ears, and your brain. The website's smart branding gets us to revisit the pieces and rethink what we think we know. At the very least, it shows NYC in a new light. This arty website sells successfully.