Dear Diary,
I was sitting on the C train thinking about all the emails I’d yet to respond to, what to write for my first Substack dispatch, how to Kintsugi my broken thoughts, what kind of Sweetgreen salad to have for lunch, and how to call my mom and walk her through adding a link to an Instagram story without turning into some terrifying mediaeval monster with teeth for brains—when a teenage girl shouted my name.
When I started at i-D Magazine—somehow only half a year ago!—the first task I was given was to sit down and go through audition videos of the eight teenage runner-ups for our cover contest. I was then to interview the participants and write something. In my apartment, suspended six flights above the street, I would watch these self-tapes, jot down notes about the girls in preparation, and be so overcome because seeing these girls, who were so sweet and open about their dreams, interrupted everything I was doing.
Interruption is the moment when it becomes apparent that your understanding of a situation is actually pale and miasmic. You are forced from a stupor, reminded that you shouldn’t be worried about your white shoes getting muddy when you’re standing in quicksand. Isaac Newton was interrupted by an apple. So too Eve.
I was interrupted by a teenage girl. First virtually, then on the MTA. Her name was Ari and she was one of the girls I’d interviewed: a cheerfully determined teen from California who loved Tyler, The Creator. On the subway, Ari invited me to a picnic she was throwing in Central Park the following weekend.
So, this past Saturday, we met in Central Park and went to a Chihuahua meet-up. Ari made onigiri with smiley faces on them. As I lay in the grass, Ari filled me in on the past six months of her life. A Chihuahua in a tulle miniskirt ran around peeing on unattended purses. Since the piece came out, she got into her dream school (F.I.T.) and was living in Brooklyn with two roommates, interning wherever she could, like backstage at Fashion Week for Thom Browne, and working at Sweetgreen. She likes Sweetgreen because they give her one meal a shift and the chopping allows her room to think.
It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the person you are now is someone you once dreamed of becoming. We are constantly erasing the acknowledgement that we’ve accomplished so many of our dreams. It’s Schopenhauer’s cycle of dissatisfaction. What I’d like to do for this Substack is interrupt that impulse, however briefly.
Here I take my cues from Ari and meet you on the subway, bring you to the Chihuahua festival, where I can hopefully reveal to you, and myself, some worthwhile interruptions!!!!!
Your friend,
Nicolaïa Rips is i-D’s Senior Editor in New York.
I recently finished Mating. Oh my god!!! If you’ve read Mating. Please reach out. Also tell me what book to read next.
Visited The New York Historical society ten minutes before it closed and they let me go in for free. Lucky Girl Syndrome. There’s a really fun exhibition on transit meals with printed menus from various Transatlantic oceanliners. Makes you think about the PITTANCE we’re currently offered, like nasty little train hot dogs and pretzels.
Can’t get this Raye song out of my head.
Now that I’m a Stacker, I wrote about my wellness rituals for Health Gossip, my favorite substack on the planet which combines into the gloss and being a weird bitch, and Fashion Week for Amanda Burkett’s very chic newsletter.
I would die to do a Grubstreet diet one day. My favorite online franchise.
Speaking of, I visited Flynn McGarry’s new restaurant Cove and had a fig leaf martini. Lovely. Then I went to Bar Pitti and saw Calvin Klein sitting outside with some friends. I had an artichoke pasta and shared a glass of red wine with my friend.
A report from my BFF Tanya Bush’s bachelorette party this past weekend…the food at Russian Samovar is really good?
If someone wants to fund me getting these shoes…please.
On the topic of shoes I LOVE this series of details from Emilia Petrarca’s ShopRat summit. What people actually wear!
Rayne Fisher Quann and some amigos and I are looking for a place to host a closet sale…
Also we launched our magazine this week. One of my favorite stories ever is this piece by Max Friedlich. When I read it I feel like I’m Tina Brown. This is the stuff!!!!! Of dreams!!!! He was Lil’Miquela!!!!!
Any questions for me? Any answers? Things I should try that I’d love or that I’d hate? Want me to write a letter to your estranged father?? Advice on how to get out of a situationship?? I’m not only for interruptions—I’m also great at advice, now the quality of that advice…
I’m so happy I downloaded Substack now! Looking forward to more worthwhile interruptions🌞
P.S. The person I am now is dreaming of becoming you someday ;))
There is so much of this ^^^ on Substack but THIS somehow feels fresh. Thank you for the interruption!