I'm Not Like Other Gift Guides
The books truly worth giving.
Every book is a gift <3 But while the holidays are notoriously a time for a well-meaning aunt to gift you a copy of a memoir by an Obama, we all deserve more. We put together a list of Language Arts-approved books for everyone on your list.
For the friend who's always sending you Instagram reels about New York in the ‘70s…
Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar by Cynthia Carr - FSG, $30
The first full biography of the trans star and Warhol muse Candy Darling is a glittery look at an old New York. The actress, model, and muse inspired songs by Lou Reed and the Rolling Stones, queened out with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, posed for Richard Avedon, and performed alongside Tennessee Williams. All of this to say: She really was that girl! Go back in time to a bygone era and pay homage to a star gone too soon.
For the friend who won’t shut up about seeing Madonna at Barclays Center more than one entire year ago…
Camera Girl by Sharon Smith - IDEA, $60
In 1979, a 28-year-old photographer named Sharon Smith walked into the East Village club The Ritz with a Polaroid camera and a dream. She pitched herself as a roving instant photographer, and became the club’s in-house photo girl. She went on to shoot at every relevant club in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Now, she’s publishing a treasure trove of never-before-seen photos of stars like Madonna, Andy Warhol, Sylvester, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Grace Jones, Debbie Harry, and of course, all the club kids. As a bonus, this photo book features a foreword by celebrated DJ Honey Dijon.
For the friend who says she “doesn’t like to read”...
The Magician by Christopher Zeischegg - Apocalypse Party, $18.99
Christopher Zeischegg spent eight years working in the adult industry before becoming a cult-favorite author for this transcendent, hallucinatory horror novel. Based loosely on Zeischegg’s post-pornography life, The Magician tackles sex work, addiction, family, the occult, and Christianity. Talk about an American nightmare…happy holidays!
For the friends who get it but don’t live in New York…
Forever Magazine Issue 7 - $40
In a town brimming with cultural and literary magazines, Forever Magazine is New York’s most exalted. Madeline Cash and Anika Jade Levy scoured the 50 states for Issue VII: Made in the USA, featuring writing from heavy hitters like Rachel Kushner and Tao Lin, as well as dozens of debuts from across the country.
For the friend who keeps a copy of Slouching Towards Bethlehem on their coffee table (jury’s out on whether or not she’s cracked it…)
Didion & Babitz by Lili Anolik - Scribner, $29.99
Lili Anolik’s quintessential 2019 biography Hollywood’s Eve helped to unearth Eve Babitz’s starpower for a new generation. Following Babitz’s death, Anolik found a trove of unpublished letters between Babitz and Joan Didion, which, like nothing before, traces the complex relationship between two of the literary world’s most important — and different — figures of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
For the reformed party girls…
I Love You: Recipes From The Heart by Pamela Anderson - Hachette, $35
In the last few years, Pamela Anderson has revealed to the public the profound levels of spiritual alignment no amount of breath work can ever compete with. She’s stopped wearing makeup; she tends voraciously to her garden; she is a devoted mother. It’s only fitting that the Pamela Anderson renaissance — from her cameo as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway to her Netflix documentary to her bestselling memoir Love, Pamela – includes a cookbook with her same tender care. “The most important ingredient,” she writes, “is love.”
For the friend who’s eaten a random pill off the floor…
Down the Drain by Julia Fox - Simon & Schuster, $19.99
Like many Aquarians before her, Julia Fox has lived approximately 1,000 lives — and all of them have been batshit. Fox’s memoir is a crazed, candid ride, from obsessive boyfriends and unnerving benders to the highs and lows of motherhood and fabulous party girl antics. Down the Drain blows other celebrity memoirs out of the water, a true must-read for anyone who may or may not have their dealer on speed dial.
For the friend who lives a double life as a radical intellectual and shitposter…
Cyberfeminism Index, edited by Mindy Seu - Inventory Press, $34.95
This necessary archive charting cyberfeminism’s origins and legacy features over 700 entries ranging from scholarly texts to feminist net art deep cuts. Mindy Seu’s meticulously edited guide is both a rigorous mental exercise as well as delicious rabbit hole — a brilliant understanding of the past 30 years online.
For the friend who has committed Carrie Bradshaw’s wardrobe to memory…
Pat in the City: My Life of Fashion, Style, and Breaking All The Rules by Patricia Field - Dey Street Books, $28
Sex and the City obsessives and fashion divas alike exalt Patricia Field, the show’s famed costume designer and all around radical genius. Carrie Bradshaw’s debilitating shoe addiction would be nothing without Field’s guiding hand! In her memoir, Field weaves through her eras in New York, from the fashion rules of the ‘50s to partying at Studio 54 to her visionary decision-making on SATC, The Devil Wears Prada, and more. Aidan Shaw haters (everyone who’s reading this, we hope…) will feel extra vindicated as Field reveals exactly why his character wears an ungodly amount of turquoise jewelry.
For the friend who draws horny little doodles…
Mouthful by Matt Starr - Dream Baby Press, $20
MOUTHFUL is the debut poetry collection by Matt Starr, founder of New York’s most irreverent reading series Dream Baby Press. Starr’s poems are as horny as they are wholesome, charting bodily obsessions, desire, shoplifting from CVS, and the absurdity of adulthood. Starr weaves adolescent shame into fantasy and bite-sized dollops of unconventional wisdom that feel like the beating heart of what it feels like to be young and alive right now. Plus, Jemima Kirke counts herself among the Matt Starr obsessees…name a better endorsement!
For the friend who has an encyclopedic knowledge of the A24 film-verse…
How Directors Dress - A24, $40
We at Language Arts are delighted by A24’s publishing arm, which has brought us a door stop-sized ultrabright guide to Florida, a macabre cookbook of recipes based on horror films, and a book of photos and essays — including an entry by Cher — dedicated to the dance floors of film. Now, A24 brings us How Directors Dress, featuring archival photos of directors in their signature garb, including Sofia Coppola in her classic button-up shirts, Hayao Miyazaki in his aprons, and Spike Lee in his sports caps and varsity jackets.
For the friend who was obsessed with Seventeen Magazine personality quizzes…
Support n+1s great work with this next-level book-matching personality quiz that feels like reading a strange and beautiful short story, in which you are the protagonist. (An example: “The best books take place over the span of a . . . a) Lunchtime b) Lifetime c) Long durée”). During the month of November, you can make a donation of any amount to n+1 to get access to the quiz, which gives you a custom list of 10 books — and yes you can give it as a gift :) We took it and immediately added our top picks to cart…
Language Arts Paid Subscription <3
For only $60/year, you can support writers supporting writers :)
I did not know about the Didion/Babitz book. Adding to my list!
I will be buying everything off this list. For myself.