Recently, I was talking my girlfriend’s ear off about romance novels as a genre, and I interrupted myself with: “Ugh, I’m sorry. I could talk forever about this.” Her response: “No, I love it. Let me pull up a chair.” She was, I’m sure, being her usual gracious self as a listener, but it made me think: what are the things you could never get tired of talking about? This has to be a fool-proof litmus for identifying inner passions.
It’s funny to write about this because a few days later, on our way into our weekend in Charlottesville and before the full party had arrived, another friend brought up the recent Justin Timberlake press and then interrupted himself with: “No. That’s our dinner conversation. We’ll wait for the group.” At the dinner table, he pretended to crack his knuckles: “OK, now for Justin Timberlake.” And the entire table dove in for a protracted analysis. There is something about celebrity tea and our prismatic, glancing observations of the famous that can sustain a long conversation among 40 year olds…
A few things I could never get tired of talking about:
The craft of writing / how to get started with writing
Fashion
Books — especially the appeal, tropes, and constructs of underrated genres like the modern thriller and romance
Music videos — one of my favorite secret pastimes is watching the top pop music videos and analyzing them / explaining how and why they diverged from my understanding of the song and what they are showcasing about the performer; they are such rich “texts”
Family dynamics — this always fascinates me and I have all kinds of crackpot theories; I love learning about the birth order, age gaps, personalities, etc of siblings
Restaurant experiences — not just the food: the ambiance, the staff, the menu design, the dishes and cutlery and stemware
Cryptic messages — I love to unpack a weird email, text, DM a friend has received
What about you?
Post-Scripts.
+What song do you secretly love?
+If you could go back to school tomorrow, what would you study?
+More icebreakers.
Shopping Break.
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+Has anyone tried the tees from perfectwhitetee? This classic style is on its way to me — I think it’s their most popular version. As you know, I’m a huge fan of SoldOut’s Iconically Soft tee (if these are clean, I will wear them first in my drawer — 15% off with code JEN15) and Uniqlo’s $15 U-Neck, but I’m always open to test!
+These $30 shorts are marketed as pajamas but I’d test for everyday — or at least pool! Love. Very Doen-esque. (Or, get Doen’s here!)
+Speaking of black eyelet: Madewell, this is perfect.
+Toteme raffia slides at a great price point.
+Madewell’s new darted barrel jeans remind me of Nili Lotan or Citizens — but a tad more wearable.
+An absolutely perfect summer wedding guest dress.
+The secret to taking a hands-free selfie.
+Seriously chic splurge bag for summer.
+This Monrow dress is on its way to me.
+I have one of these in my cart — would be great for outdoor sports events, concerts, etc.
+This dress looks both punchy/fun and ultra-comfortable. Love the loose, body-skimming fit for the hottest days of summer.
+I think I need these white gauze shorts.
+This cute knit woven jacket is on super sale.