On the radar of the ERIS Parfums Founder & Creative Director
Currently reading?
Selected Stories by Franz Kafka, translated by Mark Harman
I was a huge Kafka geek in high school, but had a chance to reunite with his writing thanks to an exhibition at the Morgan Library here in NYC, which featured his doodles, postcards, and manuscripts. This translator has been faithful to Kafka's deliberately "plain" writing, so I feel like it's a different experience reading him. He's more relevant than ever...
I'm also reading Cole Escola's play Oh, Mary! which I ordered from The Dramatists Play Service after I was lucky enough to see it on Broadway the day Escola and the play received 5 Tony nominations! Escola is brilliant, and their play (and performance as a demented Mary Todd Lincoln) is the queer subversion we need right now. If you can't see the play, watch Escola in "Mom Commercial" to see their brilliant blending of humor, acting, and cultural commentary.
The last five songs you listened to?
"Red Wine Supernova" - Chappell Roan
"Opel" - Syd Barrett
"Automatic" - Prince
"Zebra" - Beach House
"Party Up (Up in Here)" - DMX
Latest film recommendation?
"Secret Mall Apartment" directed by Jeremy Workman. Using contemporary interviews as well as footage shot in the early aughts, this documentary is about some Rhode Island artists who created a secret apartment in a hidden space they found inside a mall in Providence! They moved furniture in there, hooked up to the mall's electricity to plug in lamps and play video games, and even built a wall with a locked door after carting in 2 tons of cinderblock. (I guess surveillance systems weren't so hot back then!) They eventually got caught four years in, but it's an interesting story of subversion — gentrification (thanks to this very mall) kicked them out of affordable places to live, so they literally found a room of their own!
Working on anything exciting?
Perfecting my strawberry rhubarb crumble, as rhubarb season is finally here!
Finishing up ERIS's 9th fragrance with Antoine Lie (available in September).
And finishing up ERIS tarot cards with artist Viktorija Staseviciute, which will be available in the fall!
Smell you're loving most at the moment?
The scent of a strawberry rhubarb crumble baking in the oven!