When a Place Is a Ghost Story
How memory, grief, and other intangibles space our perception of space.
Hi there, House mates,
A couple of weeks back, I was walking to dinner in Greenpoint (to fête the relaunch of one of my favorite tabletop staples—SIN’s Porcelain Paper Plate*) and found myself overwhelmed by a vibe. I lived in the area for six or so years when I first moved to New York; it’s where I got engaged, found out my dad died, closed out my twenties, etc. Basically, where I became a somewhat real adult (still trying), and there are a whole lot of emotions embedded in the places I used to frequent there, though most have now become other things, like matcha bars and Mexican bistros.
If you’re old enough, you likely know this feeling: like when you walk through places you used to know, you’re recorporealizing a younger version of yourself. I think New Yorkers are particularly susceptible to this sensation because we walk everywhere, and because New York is a city plagued by nostalgia, to both its better and detriment.
Places haunt us. And sometimes, we haunt places—occupying them when our heads are swimming somewhere else. The story I’m sharing from Issue 02 this week is a ghost story, in ways that are literal and less so. In it, writer Matt Cosper travels to Pristina, Kosovo, in a fog of grief. He’s flailing, searching for clarity and purpose as he attempts to direct a play there, but finds reality obscured by mourning, jet lag, and a host of confusing interactions. The story is a reminder that “place” comes about as much through our own lived experience as it does from objective reality.
After the jump, a few things worth checking out this week.
Cheers,
Lila
The Fog in Pristina
I stumbled through Kosovo’s capital in a cloud of grief and drink, looking for a renewal. All that I found there were ghosts.
Also, Don’t Miss:
AvroKO and SkLO’s new lighting collection (which Kristina O’Neal teased in her epic mood lighting advice on Monday) launches tonight at HOST on Howard in NYC. I got a sneak peek yesterday, and am a big fan of the sconces, which are fun, squirrely-shaped pieces while still being appropriately transitional and yes, moody.
Kelly Wearstler’s new curatorial platform Side Hustle opens today with its inaugural exhibition, “Again, Differently,” featuring works by Dozie Kanu, Sam Klemick, Mariko Makino, and other impressive folks. If you’re in Beverly Hills, check it out.
Who wants to be in Paris? Me! Pretty much always. But especially right now, when there’s a flurry of cool events taking place, including Design Miami/ Paris (in its third and largest iteration this year October 21–26 at L’hôtel de Maisons) and Contributions (October 20–24), the better-every-year independent fair. This year, the latter will not only spotlight covetable designs (this incredible Sylvia Corrette chair among them), but will incorporate sonic compositions as well. Peep the whole lineup here.
Also not to be missed in Paris: The Bless Private Sale and Material Hunt—if you’re there, please go and snag something wild on my behalf.