N I A D A C OSTA • A L I C I A S I LV E R STO N E • H O W TO S TA R T YO U R OW N C O V E N

FALL 2023

WE ♥ HACKS
Megan Stalter &
Hannah Einbinder
#friendshipgoals
GRRRL GANG 4EVA
BUST.COM

FALL '23 VOL. 134 DISPLAY UNTIL 11/27 BUST.COM

 An instant new-adult classic from
JILLIAN TAMAKI &
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—EMMA STRAUB, This Time Tomorrow
“A beautiful, immersive slice-of-life.”
—ADRIAN TOMINE, Shortcomings
“A love letter to the greatest city in the world and all the
beautiful tender queer kids running wild and free.”
—GABBY RIVERA, Juliet Takes A Breath
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we almost never get about young Asian American people.”
—ALEXANDER CHEE, How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

IN STORES SEPTEMBER!
drawnandquarterly.com
EDITOR’S LETTER

I DISCOVERED BUST the same way many of you did—my best friend gave it to me. It was Y2K, and I had recently moved in with
my grandpa, aunt, uncle, and two crazy dogs in Yonkers, NY, so I could accept my dream job at a theater in N.Y.C. I barely had any
personal space, but I still felt alone, trying to find my niche in one of the most notoriously difficult cities on the planet. So, when an
issue of BUST, courtesy of my BFF, arrived in the mail with my imaginary boyfriend, John Cusack, on the cover, I dove in and was
astonished by how much I identified with all the writing inside. When my dream theater gig turned into a nightmare the following
year, I started taking solace in my BUST subscription even more. There were
other women out there just like me—all I had to do was find them.
One day, after I’d read everything else in the Natasha Lyonne “Living
Single” Issue so many times I practically had it memorized, I started reading
the fine print by the masthead. That’s when I realized BUST’s offices were
only two blocks away from my terrible job! I wanted to run over there, bang
on the door, and beg to be let in. But that would be creepy, so I did the next
best thing: I applied to be an intern, was accepted, and migrated two blocks
north to what felt like feminist Shangri-La.
To me, BUST’s founders, Debbie Stoller and Laurie Henzel, were like
rock stars, and at first, I was too starstruck to speak. But when I was invited
to attend an editorial story meeting, and Debbie mentioned she needed
somebody to write a pop quiz about Madonna, my hand shot up. She liked
what I turned in and more assignments followed. Motivated to prove my
worth and giddily optimistic about the future, I was crushed when, only a
month later, September 11th shut the entire city down—including BUST. I
spent the next few months in a haze of shock, grief, and uncertainty, until
late winter, when Debbie and Laurie got in touch. They wanted me to join
them as they re-started the magazine in Laurie’s apartment. It was one of the
happiest days of my life.
Over the next 21 years, Debbie and Laurie taught me everything I know
about making a magazine. But one thing they never needed to show me was
how to write in BUST’s voice. I was and am a BUST grrrl to my core. And
when I eventually became Managing Editor, I intuitively hired writers who
are, too. Game recognize game.
Not long after we wrapped up the hectic-but-glorious deadline for our
30th Anniversary Issue last April, Debbie and Laurie broke the news that they would be stepping down as Editor-in-Chief and
Creative Director. With their blessing, I stepped up as the new Editor-in-Chief, Callie Watts—who I hired as an intern in 2002, and
like me, never left—stayed on as Associate Editor and Customer Service Queen, our beloved Maggie Tam Clark continued selling
ads, and we all started working with a brand-new art department provided by our parent company, Street Media.
I knew without a doubt that I was up for the challenge. After all, I love BUST Magazine as much as it is possible for a person to
love anything, and I’ve been making it for most of my adult life. But admittedly, taking over from two legendary founders is a huge
and humbling responsibility. Thankfully, Debbie and Laurie remain in advisory roles, as Editor-at-Large and Cover Art Direc-
tor, respectively, and their continued presence has greatly eased this transition. Callie is still my “work wife,” and my longtime
freelance squad—headed up by Lisa Butterworth, Marie Lodi, Niesha Davis, Emily Nokes, and Eliza C. Thompson—went above
and beyond with this issue, helping me with an all-hands-on-deck tenacity while I adjusted to my new role. Meanwhile, I’ve found
incredible allies in my new Street gang—Brian Calle, Rosemaria Altieri, Tara Finley, Laura White, and Darrick Rainey.
I’m truly honored to be entrusted with leading BUST into the future. I know firsthand how life-changing this publication can
be, and I want nothing more than to keep it that way. Endless gratitude to my mentors, Debbie and Laurie, and to you, our amaz-
ing readers, for sticking by this little-magazine-that-could. I hope this issue feels as special to you as those first BUSTs were—and
continue to be—to me.

xoxo,

Emily
Emily Rems
Editor-in-Chief
BUST Magazine

FEATURES
36 LIFE HACKS A friendship that started in an L.A. strip
mall led Hannah Einbinder and Megan Stalter to comedy
careers beyond their wildest dreams. By Marie Lodi
46 TWISTED SISTERS Weather -obsessed women
are blowing past gender barriers to make a place for
themselves in storm chasing. By Kelley Freund
52 A STITCH IN TIME Historical dressers take “walking
a mile in someone else’s shoes” to a whole other level.
By Leah Franqui
58 FAIR CHER Following Alicia Silverstone’s evolution
from ’90s teen queen to polarizing pop phenomenon.
By Lisa Butterworth
IN THIS ISSUE: FALL 2023
62 UNITE AND CONQUER Leave this step-by-step guide
to unionizing your job someplace where it will terrify
your boss. By Erika W. Smith
66 FIELD DAY The fashions adorning the crowd at this
year’s Mosswood Meltdown festival were almost as
loud as the riot grrrl bands on stage.
Photographed by Pat Mazzera
ON THE COVER: HANNAH EINBINDER AND MEGAN STALTER PHOTOGRAPHED
BY ELISABETH CAREN; PROP STYLIST: RIAN CALHOUN; PRODUCER: ANNEE
ELLIOTT. TEAM HANNAH: STYLIST: KEVIN ERICSON; HAIR: FLORIDO BASALLO;
MAKEUP: MOLLY GREENWALD. TEAM MEGAN: STYLIST: KAT TYPALDOS; HAIR:
CLAYTON HAWKINS; MAKEUP: NINA MARIE MAHON. ON MEGAN: MONDO
MONDO EARRINGS; FALKE SOCKS; BY FAR SHOES; DRESS: DEPOP VINTAGE.
ON HANNAH: ACNE STUDIOS DRESS. ON THIS PAGE: ON MEGAN: KIMBERLY
CORDAY TOP AND SKIRT; DÔEN SHOES. ON HANNAH: BATSHEVA DRESS;
ROGER VIVIER SHOES.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
17
21
REGULARS
6 DEAR BUST
7 CONTRIBUTORS
BROADCAST
9 The Marvels‘ daring direc-
tor Nia DaCosta; helping
pregnant people behind
bars; swinging by The New
England Center for Circus
Arts; and more.
11 POP QUIZ Celebrating "The
Godmother of Rock ‘n’
Roll," Sister Rosetta Thar-
pe. By Emily Rems
12 THE HOTNESS Pop-culture
picks for an awesome au-
tumn. By Callie Watts
14 BRA-OMETER Feminist
news at a glance.
By Solange Castellar
17 BOY DU JOUR Utkarsh Am-
budkar is serving up major
DILF vibes.
By Lisa Butterworth
4 . FALL 2023 . BUST
66
19
25
REAL LIFE
19 When I dip, you dip, we dip
(in melted cheese); don't
bogart the girl blunt; start
your own coven; and more.
21 RADICAL REPAIR How to steam
clean your oven.
By Renae DuHaime
23 GOOD TO KNOW Tidbits and
treats for making life bet-
ter. By Lisa Butterworth
25 YOU GO, GIRL Make a splash
in Provincetown, Mass!
By Gabrielle Kupfer
LOOKS
27 Style advice from Las Ve-
gas scene queen Tammy
Treat; horror movie cos-
tume secrets; freshen up
your fall with the Fran
Fine Formula; and more.
PHOTOS: (UTKARSH AMBUDKAR) NALANI HERNANDEZ-MELO; (PROVINCETOWN) EWA NOGIEC/PROVINCETOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; (MOSSWOOD) PAT MAZZERA; (LOUISE POST) ORIEL, CO; (JAMIE OKUMA) COURTESY OF JAMIE OKUMA; (ELDER SEX) JBE BOOKS & LGDR, 2023
33
81
90
33 FASHIONISTA Native Ameri- SEX FILES
can beadwork badass 90 SEX FILES Artist Marilyn
Jamie Okuma. Minter proves golden girls
By Emily Popp can get it; and more.
34 LOOKSEE Little Bits About 91 QUESTIONS FOR THE QUEEN
Things We Dig. By Marie Choosing natural lube is a
Lodi, Emily Rems, and slippery slope.
Lisa Butterworth By Dr. Carol Queen
THE BUST GUIDE 92 ONE-HANDED READ
77 MUSIC Reviews; plus, No-Tell Hotel.
Louise Post of Veruca Salt By Veronica Suarez
goes solo!
THE BACK
83 BOOKS Reviews; plus, dy- 94 TAROTSCOPES Find out
namic YA duo Jillian and what’s in the cards for fall.
Mariko Tamaki! By Sarah Potter
89 MOVIES Flora and Son 95 X GAMES “It’s Me.”
prefer The Persian Version By Tracy Bennett
of Bottoms.
96 PARTING GLANCE “Lost in
Thoughts.”
By Rugiyatou Ylva Jallow
DEAR BUST

SUMMER LOVIN’ SOSH MEEDS

I recently discovered BUST
while on a trip to Asheville,
NC, in a local bookstore.
It caught my eye because
boygenius was on the cover
(Summer 2023) and I was Violet got mischievous this
actually in town to see them. morning in my office and
I ended up reading the whole pulled out a 2011 copy of
thing and when I learned the @bust_magazine with
backstory of the magazine, I @florencemachine on the
thought it was so cool that it cover! #feministpup
is written by women, features #dogswhorock.
women, and has a focus on feminism. I think that is super impor- –@Reckless_Edit
tant, especially because of the way women are often portrayed in
media. I write for my school’s newspaper, and I also started a femi-
nist club that I run at my school, so journalism and feminism going
hand-in-hand interests me a lot. Articles about strong women role
models need to be more mainstream, so young girls can grow up
with that positive influence in their lives.
–Dylan Shapiro, St. Petersburg, FL

OMG, I loved the article in the Summer Issue on accessible beauty

products (“Helping Hands” by Rachel Sanoff ). I’m a physical
therapist and every day, I see how so many industries don’t account
for people with mobility issues. Learning about what’s available for
those with mobility and vision differences was so cool and very en- I was in Barnes & Noble
lightening. I’m happy to now have some good brands to recommend and I spotted the 30th
to my patients! I also enjoyed the article by Emily Rems about Marc Anniversary Issue of
Maron: I see him in a new light now, and the part about his “asshole @bust_magazine and I
cat” Charlie—I, too, have an asshole cat—made me bust out laugh- was like, “How can that
ing. (Pun totally intended.) –Errin Donahue, Yonkers, NY be? Because I was just
visiting their offices in N.Y.C. and Gloria Steinem was on the cover.” And then
I realized that this happened in 1999 and it’s the year 2023 and I’m in a mall
MUSIC TO OUR EARS in Portland, OR, with my almost five-year-old. TIME, BABY! –@katebingburt
I love BUST’s Poptarts Podcast. So far, I’ve listened to the Debbie
Gibson and Ann Wilson episodes. Debbie is way smarter and more
insightful than most people know. I enjoyed both women’s views
on sexism in the music industry and wish there was room for more
women at the top. –Sharon Chamberland, Portland, ME

Get it off your chest! LET’S GET

Send feedback to BUST: SOCIAL!
letters@bust.com.

Letters may be edited for A little doodle of

@bust_magazine
length and clarity. For submissions
the incredible
(pitches) please email facebook.com/bustmag
submissions@bust.com. @xboygeniusx! Go
@bust_magazine stream their new
For subscription questions, album, your ears
please email pinterest.com/bustmagazine will thank you forever! Also, shoutout to the incomparable @lindseyhart-
subscriptions@bust.com.
man for the styling for this entire shoot—literally slayed. –@shiwithoutyou
youtube.com/busttv
 CONTRIBUTORS
FALL 2023 - ISSUE 134

Renae “renduh” DuHaime (she/they)

is an appliance repair technician, content
creator, and public speaker who is debut-
ing her new “Radical Repair” column in
FOR WOMEN WITH SOMETHING
TO GET OFF THEIR CHESTS this issue. With over one million com-
bined social media followers, she has been
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF featured in BUST, Popular Mechanics,
Emily Rems @remsemily CBS Essentials, BuzzFeed, and more, and was recently invited
ASSOCIATE EDITOR/CUSTOMER SERVICE
onto Procter & Gamble’s official “Laundry League” team of edu-
Callie Watts cational content creators. She is also an outspoken advocate for
SENIOR DESIGNER/PRODUCTION MANAGER
women in skilled trades, feminism, and mental health. DuHaime
Laura E. White lives in Connecticut with her partner, Mitch, and their two
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
cats, Millie and Adama. Links to her social pages can be found
Debbie Stoller at renduh.com.
COVER ART DIRECTOR
Laurie Henzel Kelley Freund, who wrote “Twisted
Sisters” for this issue, is a freelance writer
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Lisa Butterworth @lisabutterworth based in Virginia. Before transitioning
to freelancing full time, she spent six
MUSIC EDITOR
Emily Nokes @emily_shmemily
years working for advancement commu-
nications offices, first at James Madison
LOOKS EDITOR
Marie Lodi @marielodiandreakos
University and then at the College of Wil-
liam & Mary. Today, she works mostly with schools across the
SEX FILES EDITOR
country to produce content for alumni magazines. This unique
Niesha Davis @brwnandabroad
niche has allowed her to profile a range of noteworthy people,
FILM EDITOR
including actors, a forensic anthropologist, and an Iditarod
Eliza C. Thompson @thompsonplaid
competitor. Her features have won two awards from the Council
COPY EDITOR for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Vanessa Weiman @vanessaweiman

Nalani Hernandez-Melo, who shot

PUBLISHED BY Utkarsh Ambudkar, is a portrait pho-
Street Media LLC
tographer, visual artist, and a curator
PUBLISHER AND CEO who brings an intentional and curatorial
Brian Calle approach to every project. Heavily influ-
CHIEF OF STAFF enced by contemporary art, cinema, and
Rosemaria Altieri spirituality, Hernandez-Melo intuitively
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR unearths her subjects’ essences through her emotive style. As
Tara Finley the founder of SEEN—a collective of women photographers—
CREATIVE DIRECTOR she works to cultivate community, diversity, and gender equality
Darrick Rainey within the industry. When not on set or in her studio, she enjoys
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER & MULTIMEDIA spending time with her daughter, Lunita. Recently published in
ADVERTISING SALES Vogue MX, her past clients include: PODERISTAS, Global Citi-
Maggie Tam Clark ads@bust.com zen, the Dodgers, Goldenvoice, Palm Springs Life, the Sundance
Film Festival, WhatsApp, and Warner Brothers.
FOUNDERS
Debbie Stoller and Laurie Henzel
Pat Mazzera, who shot our Mosswood
Meltdown fashion story, is a San Francis-
EDITORIAL INTERNS
Emmaly Anderson, Carmella D'Acquisto, Faith Green, co Bay Area-based editorial photographer
Emily Lauletta, Zoë Lourey-Christianson, specializing in portraits and reportage for
Micaela Soler, Sabrina Walls publications and film festivals. She has an
offbeat, fun style and is able to express ex-
FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS: citement and energy in a way that makes
SUBSCRIPTIONS@BUST.COM
917-983-5677 people really shine. Once, while on assignment to shoot portraits
BUST.COM/SUBSCRIBE
of John Waters, she baked him edible dog poop cookies to break
©2023 Street Media LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval sys-
tem, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
the ice. (He made sure to find out what they were made of before
or otherwise, without the permission of the publisher. The articles and advertising appearing within
this publication reflect the opinions and attitudes of their respective authors and not necessarily
eating them.) When she’s not working, she enjoys concerts,
those of the publisher or editors. camping, and racquetball.

7
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8 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 news + views
CIRCUS SCHOOL p. 11 . RACECAR DRIVER SAMANTHA TAN p. 15 . THE VA PRISON BIRTH PROJECT p. 16

The
Marvelous
Ms. DaCosta
DIRECTOR
NIA DACOSTA
IS HELPING
REDEFINE WHAT
IT MEANS TO BE
A SUPERHERO

DIRECTING A MARVEL
movie is a challenge under
any circumstance, but Nia
DaCosta’s debut with the mega-
franchise comes with a heftier
set of expectations. At 33, she’s
the youngest person ever to
helm one of the superhero
movies as well as the first Black
woman, and The Marvels (out
November 10) is only the third
MCU feature film led by female
characters. It’s also DaCosta’s
third feature ever, after directing
the crime drama Little Woods
and the 2021 reboot of Candy-
man. No pressure!

9
9
BROADCAST / News + Views
DaCosta, however, is unbothered by the weight of all those
facts. “It’s so funny, I didn’t really think about it, and it’s not
something you can sit with, at least not for me,” she explains.
“It’s a great headline…but I don’t wake up in the morning like,
‘Ah, it’s me, the first Black woman.’”
The implications of her hiring hit her during production,
though, when colleagues would tell her how rare it still is to see
a woman of color behind the camera in a notoriously white,
male-centered industry. “Sometimes when I’m on set and I’m
working with people, they say, ‘This is my first time having a
Black female director,’” DaCosta says. “That’s really special to
me. Or when I talk to other female directors or Black directors
who want to be doing Marvel films or big films like this—it’s
nice to know that because I’m doing this, they feel like there’s
a path. That’s really cool. But in terms of the pressure of it, I’m
just a person trying to survive their 30s.”
The Marvels is the long-awaited sequel to 2019’s Captain
Marvel, which introduced Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, a
former Air Force pilot who gains superhuman abilities after an
explosion. The new movie unites her with Monica Rambeau
(Teyonah Parris), who debuted in WandaVision, and Kamala
Khan (Iman Vellani), the teenage Ms. Marvel who headlined
her own Disney+ series last year. Plot details are mostly under
lock and key when I reach DaCosta via Zoom in London, but
the general premise is that the three women end up swapping
places whenever they use their powers after an incident with
a wormhole.
10 . FALL 2023 . BUST
Even by the byzantine standards of comic book lore, three
lead superheroes switching powers sounds complicated, but
DaCosta was again unfazed. She grew up reading Spider-Man
and X-Men comics, and she’s a big fan of G. Willow Wilson’s
Ms. Marvel books and Kelly Sue DeConnick’s Captain Marvel
work. “It’s just my nerd heart exploding with joy,” she says of
directing The Marvels.
DaCosta was somewhat less familiar with Monica Ram-
beau, but that wasn’t a problem. “Basically, because it’s Marvel,
you have someone who can pull every single thing for you,” she
explains. “It’s so crazy.” She read a lot of early Monica appear-
ances from the 1980s in an attempt to “get a handle” on the
character’s abilities. “She’s so powerful,” DaCosta says. “She
can do basically anything. It was such a great opportunity to
bring not just the character of Monica Rambeau, but also this
actress—Teyonah Parris—to this huge stage. I wanted this to
be not only her origin story, but also her ascension.”
Even with just three movies under her belt, DaCosta is
already building a circle of repeat collaborators she trusts and
respects. The Marvels marks DaCosta’s second time work-
ing with Parris, whom she handpicked for Candyman and
describes as “so good, so good.” She’s also excited to reunite
with Tessa Thompson, who starred in Little Woods, for her
upcoming film adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler,
which was about to start shooting in London when we spoke.
(DaCosta is normally based in her native and “forever home”
New York City, where she lives with a “silly but lovely” dog
named Maude.)
A 19th-century realist drama may seem like an unusual
choice after a gritty horror movie and a space-set superhero
(PREVIOUS PAGE) NIA DACOSTA: GETTY IMAGES; THE MARVELS POSTER: © 2023 MARVEL, MARVEL STUDIOS
extravaganza, but DaCosta actually started working on Hedda
five years ago. She fell in love with the play while getting her
master’s degree in writing at London’s Royal Central School of
Speech and Drama. “The theater section was so exciting and
it really taught me a lot about how to be a better writer,” she
recalls. “One of the plays that we studied was Hedda Gabler,
and I absolutely loved it. I thought it was so cool and weird.
Hedda is basically like Lady Macbeth or Hamlet. She’s one of
the top female characters in the theater canon. I had a vision of
it in my head that was less subtextual, much more textual. So, I
set about writing it and it became this really fun, intense, sexy,
thrilling movie.”
As you may have guessed, there’s really no genre that
DaCosta can’t appreciate. Having tried her hand at crime,
horror, and superheroes, she already knows what she wants
to do next: musicals. “I love them so much,” she says. “I
think you can do so much with them. And I really want to do
a good, old-fashioned, but very modern Western. You can re-
ally tell a story about humanity and about American ideals
and values that’s universal, but from a different perspective.
Obviously, the lead would be a Black woman, because there
are a lot of really cool, fun stories that center Black people
and Black women in particular in the West.” Hollywood, you
know what to do. –ELIZA C. THOMPSON

ROSETTA THARPE PHOTO: COURTESY OF PICTORIAL PRESS LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
There Was
Nobody
Better Than
Sister Rosetta
With The Greatest of Ease
THE NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CIRCUS ARTS INVITES
EVERYONE UNDER THE BIG TOP
TUCKED AWAY IN funky, small-town
Brattleboro, VT, is a world-class circus
school. New England Center for Cir-
cus Arts, aka NECCA (necenterforcir-
cusarts.org), was founded by identical
twins Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith
Forchion in 2007. Located on the
ELSIE AND SERENITY SMITH PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NECCA
Founders and sisters, Elsie and Serenity Smith
POP
QUIZ
Often referred to as “The Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Sister
Rosetta Tharpe’s unique blending of gospel music with electric By Emily Rems
guitar in the 1930s and ’40s influenced everyone from Elvis
Presley to Little Richard to Johnny Cash. Want to get a crash
course in Rosetta? Then take the quiz!
1 There is debate over whether Rosetta’s
given name was Rosetta Nubin or Rosether 4 Which of the following songs
recorded by Rosetta did Elvis Pre-
Atkins when she was born on March 20, sley later go on to record himself?
1915, in ________. a. “Up Above My Head”
a. Lawrence, KS b. Nutbush, TN b. “Just a Closer Walk With Thee
c. Cotton Plant, AR d. Brooklyn, NY (This Train)”
c. “Down by the Riverside”
2 A musical prodigy, Rosetta started singing
and playing guitar beside her mother in a
d. All of the above
traveling evangelical troupe at age __.
a. 4 b. 6 5 Complete the following Rosetta
quote: “Can’t ____ play like me.”
c. 8 d. 10 a. nobody
b. nobody but God
3 The first gospel performer to record for a
major label, Rosetta was signed to _____ in
c. no man
d. no other woman
1938 and was an instant hit.
a. Decca Records
b. Sun Records
c. Gennett Records
d. Columbia Records
Answer Key: 1.c, 2.b, 3.a, 4.d, 5.c
sisters’ family farm, NECCA has since
grown into a renowned training center
where students converge from all over
the U.S. and internationally to learn
the ropes. Graduates of the school’s
three-year professional training pro-
gram, ProTrack, go on to perform with
Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas
shows, cruise ships, and
more. While public classes
in aerials, acrobatics, and
juggling draw recreational
enthusiasts of all ages.
What makes NECCA
special, is its inclusive
spirit. “The traditional cir- NECCA performers in action
cus had places for people
who didn’t otherwise have strong and have their own income.
homes,” says Elsie. “The Now, you can come as whatever freak
clowns could come be you are, and step through the door.”
clowns. Women could be –PHOENIX LEIGH
11
 BUST ’S
BEST BETS
By
Callie Watts

1 Priscilla
Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, this biopic
based on the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me by Priscilla
Presley and Sandra Harmon tells the true story of how
a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Germany was whisked off to
Graceland by the 24-year-old King of Rock ’n’ Roll and
groomed to be his queen. Coming to theaters in October.

2 The Other Black Girl on Hulu

This show will get you sucked in and shook. Based on a novel by Zakiya Dalila

PHOTOS: (PRISCILLA) A24 FILMS; (THE OTHER BLACK GIRL) HULU; (MS. PAT) TIGER MANAGEMENT
Harris, The Other Black Girl stars Sinclair Daniel and Ashleigh Murray as the only
Black women at the publishing company where they work. While there are high
hopes for friendship at first, things quickly take a sinister turn. Watch for the pre-
miere on Hulu in September.

3 Ms. Pat’s Ya Girl Done Made It Comedy Tour

Standup comedian Ms. Pat does not hold back. Her
life has not been easy, but she manages to find hilarity
in some of her most traumatic moments (like losing a
nipple in a drive-by!). The Emmy-nominated actor and
author’s comedy tour—Ya Girl Done Made It—officially
kicks off September 8. Visit mspatcomedy.com for
tickets and info.

12 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 5 Opinions by Roxane Gay
Any time Roxane Gay puts out a new
book, we want to read it, and Opinions is
no exception. The New York Times best-
selling author is hitting us with a collection
of her most impactful nonfiction essays
from the past 10 years on October 10 via
Harper, and that’s great news for “bad
feminists” everywhere .

4 Lisa Congdon: Hold It Lightly

On view at Saint Mary’s College
Museum of Art in Moraga, CA, Hold It Lightly
6 Dolly Parton’s Rockstar album
When Dolly Parton got inducted into
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, she
features illustrator and fine artist Lisa Cong- decided she needed to make a rock album,
don’s first exhibit of printed matter, including and now she’s delivered. Her 30-track
PHOTOS: (ROCKSTAR, DOLLY PARTON) VIJAT MOHINDRA; (HOLD IT LIGHTLY) LISA CONGDON; (L7) ROBERT FAGAN; (WHAT ABOUT MEN?) HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS;

over 50 works highlighting her skillful hand- release Rockstar is packed with collabora-
lettering and bright, bold screen prints. Her tors, including Ann Wilson, Stevie Nicks,
work will be exhibited alongside selections Joan Jett, Miley Cyrus, Pink, Brandi Carlile,
by one of her inspirations—Corita Kent—and Debbie Harry, Lizzo, Linda Perry, Emmylou
(OPINIONS, ROXANNE GAY) IMAGE VIA HARPERCOLLINS; (A HAUNTING IN VENICE) COURTESY DISNEY STUDIOS: (IT LIVES INSIDE) COURTESY OF NEON

will be on view from September 13 through Harris, Pat Benatar, and soooo many more.
December 10. Find out more at stmarys-ca. Find it November 17 via Dolly’s Butterfly la-
edu/museum-art. bel and visit dollyparton.com for more info.

7 What About Men?

by Caitlin Moran
The U.K.’s funniest feminist author,
Caitlin Moran—of How to Build a Girl
and How to Be a Woman fame—is back
with What About Men?, a hilarious dive
into how the patriarchy diminishes the
happiness of both men and women, and
what we can do to fight back. Get ready
to LOL when it drops September 26 . ning at a postwar séance
8 A Haunting in Venice
This film adaptation of
Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel
Hallowe’en Party boasts an
all-star cast including Oscar-
winner Michelle Yeoh, Tina
Fey, and Kenneth Branagh
as legendary sleuth Hercule
Poirot. If spending an eve-
on Halloween at a haunted
palazzo raises your spirits,
catch this flick in theaters
starting September 15.

10 It Lives Inside
Giving us serious Babadook vibes,
horror flick It Lives Inside stars Megan Suri
from Netflix’s Never Have I Ever as Sam, a
teen who must learn to embrace her Indian
culture in order to face off with a demon who
has latched on to her former BFF. Get ready

9 L7’s In Your Space Tour

Can you smell the magic? Revered all-grrrl grunge band L7 is
hitting the road this fall for its In Your Space U.S. tour. The shows
to get creeped out when it hits theaters
September 22.

are at smaller venues this time around for a more intimate experi-
ence, so don’t miss out and land on their “Shitlist.” Check out
l7theband.com for tix and info.

13
BROADCAST / News + Views

BRA-OMETER: 
Good News: The WNBA’s
2022 season was the most
watched since 2006, and the
WOMEN’S NEWS IN BRIEF By Solange Castellar league secured $75 million in
corporate sponsorships—the
largest amount in women’s
sports history.

“There’s a choice to be had in how you see

your circumstances, and I refuse to be 
Bad News: Base salaries as a
stifled as a human being because of what I share of total revenue for WNBA
lived through as a kid.” players shrank from 11.1% in
Drew Barrymore in the Los Angeles Times 2019 to 9.3% in 2022.

“I just want to con- “I just turned 40 this year. STATS

tinue to heal through It was a momentous turn
my art. Each project of events for me…. I’m
I’ve done has taught curious to see as an actor
me something about how I will unfold in this 22.8
myself, has next decade. I’m curious Percentage of the current
given me to see what kind of mom
pay gap between Australian
women and men, with women
something to I end up becoming. I’m still making less.
live off.” curious to see how as a
Halle Bailey in
woman I change.” 40
The Face Percentage of board positions
Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Elle
of publicly traded companies
that must be filled by women
starting in 2024 if Spain suc-
ceeds in passing a new gender
“The moment I quota bill.
“I realize that I was supposed to do
doubled down
Season 15, this season, because of
and started to
all this shit with legislation. I am a 99
believe in myself Percentage of American
trans woman and a drag queen. I
and dreamed women who own small
am the embodiment of what they businesses who say the federal
bigger dreams
want to eradicate…. This, government should do more to
for myself and support them.
today, is when I can be
put in the work
the most impactful with
IMAGES COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK

towards making
my art, with my trauma, 16
those things
and with my inspiration Percentage of cis-hetero
happen, wow, American marriages in which
for others.”
everything is RuPaul’s Drag Race
women are the sole or primary
breadwinners.
very different.” Season 15 winner,
Sasha Colby, in Vogue
Sheryl Lee Ralph on NPR

14 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 Gentlewomen Start
Your Engines
RACECAR DRIVER SAMANTHA TAN
IS SPEEDING PAST BARRIERS IN
MOTORSPORTS

SAMANTHA TAN REMEMBERS the moment she

realized that relationships between women and men
in racecar driving were not the same. She was con-
gratulating another woman driver after a race when a
photographer stopped her on the sidelines. He told her
that throughout his time covering races, he noticed that
women competitors always supported each other while
men held grudges. “Women in motorsports is a very
small community. We all know each other,” Tan says.
“So, if there’s another female driver, you’re going to be
supportive. We all relate to the struggles of breaking
into the sport.”
Tan started solo racing at 16. Her father, a big For-
mula 1 enthusiast, took Tan to racetracks when she was
little and continues to watch her race today. Now 25, Tan
continues to break barriers in the traditionally male- Challenge. Most recently, she became the first Asian woman
dominated field of motorsports. to win the 24H Dubai and the 24H Barcelona. Unlike fixed-
She was the first Canadian woman to become overall distance races, 24H races test the endurance of their drivers,
champion of a major endurance series and the first with a team taking turns for extended periods of time. The car
woman to win a championship title in the Pirelli World that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours wins. To prepare
for an endurance race, Tan eats clean, works out five days a
week (lots of cardio and strength training) and banks as much
sleep as she can. She’ll also study YouTube videos of the track
so she can visualize the race. “There’s added pressure to be
perfect because there are so few women doing it,” says Tan,
RED SWEATER PHOTO: COURTESY OF SAMANTHA TAN; RACING GEAR PHOTO: VICTOR CHADAROV

who spends weeks at a time competing away from her home in

Irvine, CA. “As soon as you make a mistake, people blame it on
the fact that you’re a woman, and it sucks.”
Not only does Tan race, but she also owns Samantha
Tan Racing, joining only a handful of other women who own
professional racing teams. That means that on top of training
and competing, she’s in charge of organizing documents, book-
ing hotels, marketing, and much more. She also manages her
social media where she connects with over 125K fans. Her Ins-
tagram feed is a mix of racing updates, bold gel manicures, and
vulnerable posts about what it’s like being a Chinese Canadian
woman in motorsports. “There were a lot of times when I
didn’t feel like there was a role model I could look to,” says Tan.
“It’s scary to be so open, but it’s worth it. I’ve had girls tell me
that I’m the reason they got into racing or cars. So, that makes
everything that I’m doing worth it.”
Of course, sexism will always be par for the course. But
Tan tries not to focus on negative comments. “A lot of the time,
I’ll use it as fuel,” Tan says of racecar enthusiasts who don’t
want women on the track. “I really want to prove this person
wrong, and there’s nothing better than proving people wrong
by winning a really big race.” –ANA BRETÓN

15
BROADCAST / News + Views

Parenting From Within

THE VIRGINIA PRISON BIRTH PROJECT BRINGS SUPPORT TO PREGNANT
PEOPLE BEHIND BARS

SARA ZIA, 42, is doing life-changing work through the Virginia Prison Birth
Project (virginiaprisonbirthproject.org), a volunteer organization she started
envisioning in Charlottesville in 2017. A self-described “doulavangelist,” she
felt called to offer her services as a prenatal yoga instructor and birth doula at
a nearby maximum-security state prison. “I immediately feel like something
sacred is happening when I’m in the prison,” says Zia. “It is a gift to be able to
come into this place with a compassionate spirit, and to meet these people.”
It required two years of patience, diligence, and collaboration with all levels
of the Virginia Department of Corrections to establish the program. “It takes
champions on the inside to do things like this,” Zia says. She also consulted
with similar programs across the country, although there are only five others in
existence. The first doula-supported incarcerated birth in Virginia took place
in 2019, and it’s an indication of the program’s success that Zia has now lost
track of the number she has attended since then.
The program, called Parenting from Within, is about much more than
attending births. It provides gender-sensitive, trauma-informed perinatal
education, prenatal yoga, postpartum care, and lactation support. Zia is the
birthing person’s advocate throughout the experience, telling them at their
first meeting, “I don’t work for the hospital. I don’t work for the prison. I work
for you.”
Kimberley, Abigail, and Abigail’s baby boy
Perhaps the most
important aspect of Zia’s support comes on the day of hospital discharge. Just
two days—if that—after the baby’s birth, the birthing person returns to prison,
while their baby goes home with a family member or friend.
One of her clients, Abigail (last name withheld), gave birth to a healthy baby
boy, but then had to serve two remaining months of her sentence for a drug
charge and parole violation. Abigail’s mother, Kimberley, took her newborn
grandson home from the hospital. “It was so heartbreaking to hear Abigail
wailing as I was leaving with the baby,” she recalls through tears. “Sara was so
compassionate, so caring, so genuine in her support of Abigail. I don’t know
that I could have left with the baby without knowing she was there to comfort
her.” –LAURA DRUMMOND

TOP LEFT PHOTO: KIAUNA THOMAS; ALL OTHER IMAGES COURTESY OF SARA ZIA
Zia’s prenatal yoga class

Zia’s client Jaclyn Chasteen with her baby Breast milk packed to go

16 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 BOY DU JOUR

Hauntingly Adorable
NEVER HAVE I EVER MET ANYONE LIKE
ACTOR UTKARSH AMBUDKAR

UTKARSH AMBUDKAR’S NAILS are

painted a deep, metallic purple. We’re chat-
ting by phone, but I know this because it’s
the morning after he presented at the Tony
Awards (before SAG-AFTRA joined
the WGA strike), and I’ve scoured
his natty red-carpet pics as
“research.” His nails are actually
always on point—a different
color at every public appear-
ance. “I have no choice in
that. That’s my daughter
getting better at doing
French tips. That’s why
if you look, my nails
are half done—the
paint is chipping
off, not like a real
manicure,” he says,
before scrambling.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY NALANI HERNANDEZ-MELO

17
BROADCAST / News + Views

film World’s Best, about a middle

schooler mathlete who finds out
his deceased dad (played by Am-
budkar) was a freestyle rapper.
But it’s all his roles in recent girl-
culture touchstones that make
me ask if he’s a feminist. “Abso-
lutely,” he says, before praising
the many women he’s gotten to
work with and digging into the
industry’s inequity. “A woman’s
experience in Hollywood is way,
way different than a man’s, even
a man of color. I’ve been in rooms
where my co-star, who’s number
one on the call sheet, will go to
the producers and be like, ‘Hey,
can we change this?’ Or, ‘I’m not
feeling safe here.’ And I watch
male showrunners brush them
off. Then [my co-star] will come
“Please don’t actually write that, she’ll kill me—or write that I to me and ask, ‘Can you say something?’ And I will go say
acknowledged that she’ll kill me. It’s sort of become our little something, and it’ll change. It’s that stark,” he says. “We have to
daddy-daughter activity, where I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m going away, break it down.”
and I want to bring you with me.’ So, she comes with me on my Ambudkar faced his own disillusionment after graduat-
hands.” My heart is melting from all the DILF vibes. ing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2004 when the
In fact, Ambudkar, whose wife just had their third baby, only roles available were “terrorists and cab drivers wear-
is all kinds of sexy—nerdy-sexy in The Dropout and Pitch ing hijabs.” That’s part of what makes the major success of
Perfect movies, stoner-sexy as Jillian Bell’s boo in Brittany Ghosts—one of network TV’s most-watched shows—even
Runs a Marathon, self-declared sexy as Kamala’s boyfriend in more monumental. “I did a lot of looking up, wondering what if
Never Have I Ever. And most recently, he’s been serving
goofy-sexy in Ghosts, the CBS comedy that starts its third
season this fall. People magazine crowned Chris Evans
the “Sexiest Man Alive” last year, but gave Ambudkar an “A woman’s experience
honorable mention, something he assures me did little
for his ego. “First of all, they chose a photo of me that was
in Hollywood is way, way
ridiculous,” he says. “So, it’s a good thing when you’re different than a man’s,
PHOTO BY NALANI HERNANDEZ-MELO

chosen to be People’s…whatever…Sexiest 38-Year-Old

Man. But when all your friends and your mom call up
and they’re like, ‘Dang, dude! You look like an idiot!’ That
keeps you humble.”
Humble is a good way to describe Ambudkar, who
“grew up going to bar mitzvahs and listening to rap” in a
suburb of Baltimore, where his parents immigrated from India
in the ’80s. He recently paid homage to his love of hip-hop by
writing and executive producing the charming, coming-of-age
even a man of color.”
for many, many years,” he confides. “And then one day I was in
Times Square and saw my face on a billboard. I was like, ‘Holy
shit, that’s pretty cool. There’s a brown boy on a billboard.’”
– LISA BUTTERWORTH

18 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 crafts + cooking + home + health

GIRL BLUNTS p. 21 • START A COVEN p. 22 • CHECKMATE p. 24 • WELCOME TO PROVINCETOWN p. 25

Fondly
Fondue
PROVIDE THE ULTIMATE
DIP SERVICE WITH SWEET
AND SAVORY VERSIONS
OF THIS CLASSIC
COLD-WEATHER FARE

FEW THINGS TASTE better than melted cheese

or melted chocolate, but it’s the whole experience
of fondue that makes me love it so much. The cute
pots! The long, skinny spears! The après-ski vibes!
The first time I tried cheese fondue was in a theme-
park restaurant in the ’70s, but the taste was too
sophisticated for my palate. As an adult, I brought it
down to my level. Rather than the Gruyère, Edam,
Havarti, or fontina of a classic fondue, I go for a
little fun with Monterey Jack, cheddar, smoked
gouda, and provolone.

My chocolate fondue was born out of spite. When

I started cooking professionally, women were not
welcome in commercial kitchens. My first chef boss
tried to make me quit by banishing me to a corner
to dip 3,000 strawberries in chocolate. I vowed to
show him how good I was before telling him to screw
off and to never dip another strawberry. I achieved
both. When I started my own catering company I
opted for this dip-your-own strawberry delicious-
ness. So throw on your coziest sweater, invite your
comfiest friends, and gather ’round the melting pot
to partake in some serious dunking.

19
 Savory
EATLIFE
REAL ME BY CHEF ROSSI
/ Crafts + Cooking + Home + Health

1. Lightly dust your grated cheese with
cornstarch (this will keep your fondue
from getting clumpy). Then rub a clove of
cut garlic around the inside of your fondue
pot for extra flavor.
INGREDIENTS
for fondue: 2. In a heavy-bottom pot, add a coffee
3 heaping handfuls of your preferred grated cheeses cup of dry white wine (I go for a nice
2 smidgens of cornstarch dry, acidic sauvignon blanc—you want a
1 clove of garlic vino that makes you talk like Katharine
1 coffee cup of white wine (and another for drinking Hepburn after you drink it) and a drizzle
while you stir) of fresh lemon juice; heat until simmering,
1 drizzle of lemon juice not boiling.
3. Very slowly, stir in your grated cheese
a little at a time over medium-low heat. I
keep myself in check by sipping the extra
cup of wine slowly while I stir until all the
cheese is melted.
4. If you want to be traditional, stir in a
drizzle of kirsch (that’s cherry brandy);
I prefer whiskey or cognac. Season with
ground nutmeg, freshly ground pepper,
and a pinch of ground dry mustard. Pour
into your fondue pot to keep warm and
serve with your favorite dippers.

OPTIONAL:
2 drizzles of booze (kirsch, whiskey, or cognac) FOR DIPPING: Day-old baguettes cut into cubes; soft pretzels; blanched or steamed car-
1 smidgen of ground nutmeg rots, broccoli, cauliflower, or asparagus spears; apple or pear slices; cubes of ham or slices
Freshly ground pepper of sausage; tortilla chips; breadsticks.
1 pinch dry ground mustard

Sweet
INGREDIENTS
for fondue: OPTIONAL:
3 coffee cups good semi-sweet dark Two drizzles of dark rum or cognac
chocolate chips or wafers (like Guittard, Pinch of salt
Valrhona, or Ghirardelli) Drizzle of vanilla extract
2 coffee cups heavy cream

BEER ME:
For an even lower-brow version, swap the wine
for your favorite beer, lager, or ale and use
a mix of grated cheddar,
Swiss cheese, and pepper
jack. Replace the nutmeg
and mustard with a shot
of Frank’s RedHot hot
sauce and a drizzle of
Worcestershire and
serve with mini
hot dogs and
tater tots.
1. Put your dark chocolate wafers or chips in a mixing bowl. Heat your heavy cream in a
saucepan until simmering, not boiling. Then slowly stir your hot cream into the chocolate
until it’s well melted. Feel it out.
If you like your fondue creamier,
add more cream; if you like it less
creamy, add more chocolate.
2. At this point you could be done,
but why settle for good when you
can have fabulous? Stir in a drizzle of
dark rum or cognac. Feel free to bal-
ance the sweet with a pinch of salt.
Or add a drizzle of vanilla extract.
Float your own fondue boat!
FOR DIPPING: Strawberries; marsh-
mallows; graham crackers; firm cake
cut into cubes; banana slices.

20 . FALL 2023 . BUST

Smoke Show
GET LIT WITH A GIRL BLUNT STUFFED WITH CALMING, SWEET-SMELLING FLORALS

THERE’S A REASON Leikeli47 raps, “This shit is a girl blunt, I

only smoke girl blunts” in her catchy homage to super-size joints
that pair weed with herbs and flowers in a tobacco wrap. Most girl
blunts, including this one, add lavender and rose petals for a pleas-
ant aroma, calming effects, and a feminine flair. But you can also
use marshmallow, mugwort, and plenty of other herbs. Follow these
instructions for a blunt that smells amazing and is guaranteed to get
you on those chill vibes.

First, grind equal parts indica weed (this blunt is for relaxing,
which is why we used higher-CBD indica, but you can swap in an
indica-heavy hybrid for day-time indulging), dried rose petals (for
a euphoric, peaceful feeling), and dried lavender flowers (which
reduce stress, can help you get some z’s, and taste a little sweet).
Then lay out your blunt or joint paper, sprinkle in your mix, roll
that sucker up, and blaze away.
Be sure to use organically grown, food-grade herbs (check out the helpful list
If you want to get real girly, you can try your hand at rolling your of smokable herbs and their benefits at bearblend.com/ingredients) and re-
blend in rose petals: Place three whole fresh rose petals so they over- search any allergies you may have. If you smoke weed regularly, keep in mind
lap on a baking sheet and bake for a few minutes at 250 degrees to that blending it with herbs “waters down” the effects. You may want to smoke
dry them out. Then use as you would a rolling paper, starting at the more than normal or you can increase the amount of weed in the blend. Not
bottom of the petals. For a less tricky option, simply stuff prerolled a tree smoker? You can totally leave out the weed and still roll a beautiful girl
rose cones ($24.99 for 6, caligreengold.com) with your blend. blunt that will give you some light effects without feeling high. –CALLIE WATTS

Burnin’ For You RADICAL REPAIR BY RENAE DUHAIME

HOW TO STEAM CLEAN YOUR OVEN

BAKING AND ROASTING season is upon us, so it’s the

perfect time to prep your oven with a thorough cleaning. If BONUS TIP: Still got
you’ve ever used an oven’s “self-clean” feature, you know it gets stuck stubborn bits
exceptionally hot, creates nasty fumes, and can even cause even after your steam
damage. As someone who has repaired plenty of ovens busted clean? Make a paste of
by self-clean, I recommend steam cleaning instead. It’s gentler, baking soda and water,
safer, uses less electricity, and takes much less time. How to apply to the inside of
steam clean* your oven: the oven, and let it sit
for at least 15 minutes
1. Remove your oven’s racks and use a cleaning rag or sponge (and up to 12 hours).
to wipe out any food debris that isn’t stuck. Then scrub with a
2. Return one of the racks to the lowest position possible. nonabrasive scouring
3. Pour 2 cups distilled water (which won’t leave water spots) pad and wipe away any
into a medium-size, oven-safe container (casserole dish, excess with a damp rag
bowl, saucepan, etc.). Make sure the container’s big enough or sponge.
so it’s less than halfway filled (the water will boil, and you
don’t want it to boil over).
4. Put the container of water in the center of the oven rack, *Some ovens have a steam-clean function with different direc-
close the door, and bake at 450° F for 15 to 20 minutes. Let tions, so it’s always best to check your manual first!
cool completely (about an hour). Do not open the oven
before then so as not to let steam escape. Renae DuHaime is an appliance repair tech. Follow her
5. Once cooled, remove the container and the rack on TikTok @renduh for more appliance tips, tricks, and
and wipe away any remaining food residue. general awesomeness.

21
REAL LIFE / Crafts + Cooking + Home + Health

Ghoul Gang
HOW TO START YOUR OWN COVEN Where My Witches At?: There are plenty of
overpriced “moon circles” and online Patreons, but
you don’t need to pay for a magical community. At
MAYBE YOU DREAM of becoming a high priestess in a secretive tradition. Or perhaps you’d just its essence, a coven is just a group of like-minded
like some more witchy friends. Either way, where’s a baby witch to start? After I awakened to my folks with a shared vision and intention. At first,
own identity as “witch” during a shamanic journey, I found the online witchy community Mumbles I thought I didn’t know any other witches. But it
& Things. Their free tutorial, Witchcraft 101, was a great place to start, but I wanted to create a real- turns out most of my friends were already practic-
life coven. Here’s how to find your own fellow witches in the flesh! ing some sort of practical magick, whether they
realized it or not. Your friend who’s always talking
about manifestation or the one obsessed with sus-
tainability? Coven mates in the making! Once you
start expressing your desire for a coven, you might
be pleasantly surprised by the response.

Magick, the Gathering: My own coven began

as a DIY artist’s retreat with four other artistic
women. I reached out with a mysterious email
titled “Secret Invitation.” We booked an Airbnb
cabin in the woods for a weekend in October and
off we went, setting the intention to hold creative
space for one another. We built fires, cooked meals,
made “witch” crafts like candles and mojo spell
bags, practiced yoga, played music, pulled tarot,
and on the final morning, performed a spell within
a magick circle. Your first gathering could be some-
thing similar, or even as simple as an intentional
potluck dinner on the next moon phase!

Broom Squad: During our witchy weekend, talk

consistently turned to connection with Mother
Earth and the rematriation of society. Without ini-
tially realizing it, this ecofeminist philosophy was
clearly the thing that had brought us together. As
you gather your own witchlings, notice the com-
monalities and any shared visions. We committed
to using our various artistic mediums in service
to Mother Earth and donned the name the Coven
Creative. Naming your group acknowledges the
power of the collective entity you are creating—try
throwing things out and see what sticks!

It’s Not Just a Phase: Since that magickal week-

end, we’ve continued to host regular gatherings—
potluck dinners with rotating hostess responsibili-
ties—every new moon and full moon. It’s OK if not
everyone makes it or if new folks join. We tend to
center our meetups on shared goals. Lately, our
single lady coven has been calling in conscious
romantic partnership through love spells. Witchy
book studies are also great. So grab your friends
(you know which ones) and get together this Hal-
loween or on the next full moon. Your very own
coven awaits! –ELISE FAROTTO,
@ELISE_FAROTTO_WRITER
ILLUSTRATION BY NIMO JIANG

22 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 Good to Know
TIPS AND TIDBITS FOR MAKING LIFE BETTER

BY LISA BUTTERWORTH

MALT MAGIC
NOW SERVING For thousands
Soft Serve, Inc.—“two homos creat- of years, wom-
ÝR JÓHANNSDÓTTIR PHOTO: COURTESY OF STUDIO FRÆ; SOFT SERVE PHOTO COURTESY OF SOFT SERVE, INC.; BEER WITCH PHOTO COURTESY OF BEER WITCH; SHITTY CRAFT CLUB: A CLUB FOR GLUING BEADS TO TRASH,

ing hand-painted greeting cards for en dominated

all your fucked-up thoughts”—is a the realm of
boon for analog communication lov- beer-brewing.
ers and snail-mail aficionados. Each But in medieval
card is one-of-a-kind and created by England, men
Jazzmyne Robbins (@jazzmynejay), decided to take
who also takes commissions ($10 over, spreading
each, @soft_serve.inc) so you can rumors that
customize the occasion, the recipi- many “alewives” were witches, forcing them out of
ent, and even the vibe. the trade. Beer Witch (beerwitchbrooklyn.com), a
Brooklyn craft beer bar and bottle shop owned by
Christa Sobier, reclaims this history while serving up
an accessible and sensory experience, welcoming
TALKING ABOUT OUR FEELINGS, AND MAKING SILLY THINGS COURTESY OF CHRONICLE BOOKS; LILACH EYTAN GARLIC CRUSHER IMAGE COURTESY OF OTOTODESIGN.COM

beer nerds and novices alike.

JUST GLUE IT
We’re longtime stans of
Sam Reece, aka
@shittycraftclub, and
now the utterly delightful
crafter and comedian has
a book. Shitty Craft Club:
A Club for Gluing Beads to
Trash, Talking About Our
Feelings, and Making Silly
Things (Chronicle Books,
$24.95) is funny, bonkers
(DIY rhinestone-encrusted
decorative shrimp! A
“smooshed ’n’ sculpted” clay menorah!), and surpris-
ingly vulnerable. Reece writes about the weirdness of
internet virality, crafting as therapy, and coming out with
endearing wit.

CRUSHING IT
Attention, kitchen goths! What we do in the culinary shadows gets
infinitely cuter with this little vampiric garlic crusher designed by
Lilach Eytan ($19.95,
ototodesign.com)—one SWEATER WEATHER
twist of his tiny head Ýr Jóhannsdóttir, better known as @yrurari on IG, is a Berlin-
will mince your cloves based Icelandic artist and textile designer. I love all her
faster than you can yell sustainability-centered work, but I’m low-key obsessed with
“bat!” Use it long after the way she turns old sweaters into new friends and teaches
spooky season for chili others to do the same at her workshops on upcycling pieces
peppers, ginger, nuts, with needle-felted eyeballs and other weird and winsome
and spices, too. stitched details.

23
REAL LIFE / Crafts + Cooking + Home + Health

We Stan a Chess Queen

LEARN TO SLAY ON THE BOARD WITHOUT LEAVING HOME

CHESS HAS LONG been the boys’ club of board

games, but things are taking a turn. Since Netflix
released the smash hit series The Queen’s Gambit
in 2020, interest in chess has flourished, especially
among women and girls. The International Chess
Federation even declared 2022 the “Year of the
Woman in Chess.” In other words, there’s never been
a better time to pick up the chess pieces and make
some moves.

Since chess is a sport of the mind, playing it has

many benefits. Learning to think several steps ahead
is an excellent life skill, and reviewing old matches
to predict an opponent’s moves flexes your memory.
Plus, chess counteracts productivity culture’s fast
pace—this is a slow game, baby! Players are encour-
aged to take their time and think the entire game
through before each move. An intense match can
take hours or even days. It is also a great way to meet
new peeps—form a community of players or simply
pick up a game with strangers in the park. But you
don’t need to leave your house to learn and play. Here
are some great virtual ways to get into the game.

Tap That App: Both chess.com and lichess.org have

free apps that offer tutorials and puzzles, let you
play against others, and allow you to analyze the
moves of all your past games. (You definitely want
to do this!) Chess.com even lets you play against
bots based on some of the most famous female
grand masters in history, including Judit Polgár
(who became a grand master at 15), Hou Yifan (the
second-highest-rated female player of all time),
Anna Muzychuk, and Irina Krush.

Twitch ’n’ Bitch: BotezLive is a Twitch channel

hosted by sisters Alexandra and Andrea where they
chat, play, and analyze all things chess. They also
occasionally DJ as they play. Lularobs—who has
been called the chess meme queen—is a newbie to
the game but so very fun to watch on Twitch as she
builds her skills.

Boob YouTube: Wanna see a grand master do her thing low-key? On Anna Cramling’s YouTube chess channel
(@AnnaCramling) you can watch her take her unassuming grand master mom, Pia Cramling, out for park battles and blow
unsuspecting players’ minds. In other videos, Anna’s male opponents talk shit to her during a game before she crushes
them, and it is soooo satisfying to watch. Or you can catch amazing commentator/grand master Tania Sachdev analyzing
and playing on her YouTube channel, @TaniaSachdevChess.

Chessfluencer: Grand master Jen Shahade has a lot going on. Follow her YouTube channel, How to Beat Your Mom at
Chess (@YourMomatChess), and pick up her book, Chess Queens, which covers her chess journey and the history of a few
other famous female players. She also works as the program director at U.S. Chess Women—check out their YouTube
playlist of Girls’ Club highlights—talking to young players about strategy and women in the sport, and she hosts a chess
podcast called Ladies Knight. –CALLIE WATTS

24 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 YOU GO, GIRL BY GABRIELLE KUPFER

Escape to the Cape

OFF-PEAK PROVINCETOWN LETS YOU TRULY SOAK UP THE
IDIOSYNCRASIES OF THIS COASTAL MASSACHUSETTS GEM

West End Breakwater

PROVINCETOWN IS A small seashore town

with big-city culture, perched at the tippy-top
of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Sandwiched
between a peaceful bay and the roaring Atlan-
PHOTOS : EWA NOGIEC / PROVINCETOWN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

tic Ocean, it’s home year-round to a creative,

inviting, and open-minded community. P-town
swells to 30 times its size in the summer, but
ride in on the shoulders of tourist season and
you can still enjoy good weather and the ease of
ferry access, with a little extra elbow room. Plus,
fall features a number of iconic local events,
including Art Provincetown, the Washashore
Festival, and, of course, the LGBTQ-friendly
Women’s Week in October. Once a sleepy fisher-
men’s port known as Helltown by its smugglers
and deviants, Provincetown is still a place
where you can do almost whatever the hell you
want, and find good company to do it with. Beach Forest bike trails

25
REAL LIFE / Crafts + Cooking + Home + Health
MORNING
A great way to start your day
DREAM DAY
in town is by fueling up with
a huge and gooey cinnamon
roll from Connie’s Bakery
& Café and a lavender latte
at Kohi Coffee Company,
located right across the way on
the waterfront. Enjoy your coffee
on one of Kohi’s two porches—the
front is prime P-Town people-
watching, and the back deck of-
fers the perfect place to appreci-
ate the bay’s many moods in the
fall, from misty ennui to bright,
beachy energy.
Kohi Coffee Company on Commercial Street
Treasure Hunting
MAP: Home to a really cool,
well-curated selection of art
books, androgynous fashion,
and stylish accessories. Check
their calendar when you come
to town—you may be able to get
in on a John Waters signing!
The Pope of Trash is just one of
P-Town’s iconic residents.
Human Rights Campaign
Store: If you’re still looking
for statement-making fashion,
stop in here, the only HRC
store in existence, and look
good while supporting equal
rights for all.
Womencrafts: This shop
has been vital to the women’s
community in Provincetown
for decades. The institution
is filled with art, apparel,
books, jewelry, and more—
made only by women.
26 . FALL 2023 . BUST
East Harbor Dunes
AFTERNOON
If the weather’s holding up,
DREAM DAY
grab a to-go lunch of specialty
sandies and prepared salads
(def don’t skip the key lime
pie) at Angel Foods and eat
it on the beach. For those
who partake, b\well—a local-,
veteran-, woman-, and LGBTQ-
owned dispensary in the heart of
town—offers a wide selection of
recreational products that will el-
evate your experience to another
level. Get yourself some gummies
and hop on a dune buggy with
Topless Tours to enjoy the wind
in your hair while riding in an
open Jeep on the seashore. Scope
out the dune shacks, where many
famous historical and contem-
porary artists and authors—like
Mary Oliver, Liz Collins, Anne
Patchett, Jan Gelb, and many
more—holed up and found inspi-
ration to create some of their best
works. The views of this special
landscape are magnificent any
time of the year, but the light that
rakes across the foliage is par-
ticularly stunning in the fall.
Commercial Street
EVENING
When you’re done exploring
DREAM DAY
the Province Lands, refuel on
the West End at Liz’s Café,
Anybody’s Bar. Perch at the
restaurant’s Dory Bar with a
Liz’s Fizz—a cucumber-mint-
and-vodka concoction—while
you wait for a table to eat from
their menu of comfort foods,
which includes a wedge salad,
fried Cape Codder fish sandwich,
and hearty eggplant Parmesan.
Continue your night at The Club,
co-owned by Lea DeLaria (Boo
of Orange Is the New Black), for
some after-dinner drinks and live
music. Then dance off all your
drinking at The Underground,
a comfortably divey bar that fea-
tures pool tables, ping-pong, and a
punk-packed jukebox. Tuck in for
the night at Gabriel’s, one of the
town’s classic bed and breakfasts.
Dozing off here means you’ll be
right in the center of town and
ready to wake up in the morning
and do it all again.
Halloween near the Gallery District
P Is for Party
Don’t miss Babes and Bois’
weekly party, CU Next Tues-
day, at the Provincetown
Brewery. Play some pool,
throw some darts, and hit
the flippers on the Dolly Par-
ton pinball machine while
in the company of queer and
sapphically inclined friends.
On Sundays at the brewery,
check out the wild and rowdy
Dyke Dock, where you might
be able to egg effigies of hate-
ful politicians and also win a
twerk-off.
 fashion + beauty
FEAR FACTOR p. 29 . THE FRAN FINE FORMULA p. 30 . ’80s FASHION p. 31 . DESIGNER JAMIE OKUMA p. 33

FASHION NATION

Tammy Treat
STORE MANAGER, @TAMMYTREATTE
LAS VEGAS, NV

Tell me about this outfit.

I styled these old American Apparel disco
pants, because for me that’s a classic—I love
the style and I think it looks cool. I wore a
Giorgio Armani sweatshirt with a chain belt
that highlights my waist, which I love to do. I
paired it with my favorite bag ever, this vintage
Winston-Salem cigarette-pack vinyl tote from
the ’60s.
For my other outfit, I didn’t want to do all
vintage; I wanted to have some accessible
looks. I wore a pink Skims dress, a cropped
puffer jacket, and my little eight-ball bag. It’s
pretty useless, but it looks cute.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEWEL FIORILLO

27
LOOKS / Fashion + Beauty

How did you develop your personal style?

I’ve always been a part of different subcultures and have been developing my
style since middle school. I started off being a little mall goth in the late ’90s.
Then I got into rockabilly, and then punk, and now I just kind of mix all those
things together and add a heavy dose of glamour.

Where do you look for inspiration?

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JEWEL FIORILLO

I look at older movies and vintage photo shoots. I had a really big Elizabeth
Taylor phase and wore looks I thought were classic, but then added some fun
key elements to them. In the last year I started going outside my comfort zone
with sporty things, like a velour tracksuit.

It’s spooky season. What are you excited to wear?

Oh, all my vintage furs. I also collect a lot of outerwear, like capes, fur hats, and
things of that nature. I wear my little ankle boots that go with everything.

What kind of advice would you give others trying to find their own
sense of style?
It’s always about what you feel good in, what you feel your best in, and then just
replicating that. Find yourself a really good base wardrobe and try different
funky things on top of that. Mix it up with different jackets or patterns. And
never underestimate jewelry and accessories.
Also, don’t listen to what other people say or think. I really don’t care what
anybody else says about what I wear. I would literally look this way even if I
was the last person on Earth; it’s what makes me happy. —CARMELLA D’ACQUISTO

Copycat 2

CROSS OVER TO THE KITSCHY SIDE

WITH TAMMY’S FAVES

Grace Faux Fur Coat,

1 $129, revolve.com. 1

2 Vanessa Mooney The Cherry Heart Rosary,

$99, vanessamooney.com. 4

3 Bad Girl Cigarette Pants in Vegan Leather,

$118, michelinepitt.com.

4 Mary Frances Lucky 7 Crossbody Handbag,

$380, maryfrances.com.

28 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 Fear Factor
COSTUME DESIGNERS TELL US HOW THEY DRESS SOME
OF CINEMA’S SCARIEST STYLE ICONS
HORROR FILMS ARE filled with
terrifying moments that are forever
seared into our brains. But aside from
the monsters and killers, the movies’
costumes can also haunt our memo-
ries. Think Carrie being crowned as
Prom Queen in her white satin slip
dress while getting doused with pigs’
blood by her bullies. Or that beige J.
Crew sweater that costume designer
PEARL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MALGOSIA TURZANSKA; SCREAM VI SET PHOTO COURTESY OF AVERY PLEWES; FREAKY SET PHOTO COURTESY OF WHITNEY ANNE ADAMS
Cynthia Bergstrom put Drew Bar-
rymore in for her memorable turn in
Scream. Or Mia Farrow’s blue night-
gown in Rosemary’s Baby. Costume
has always played an important part
in filmmaking, no matter what type
of story is being told.
When getting started on a film,
costume designer Whitney Anne
Adams, (We Have a Ghost, Freaky,
Happy Death Day 2U), focuses on
“enriching the background” of the
characters. “It’s like, ‘Who are these
people? Where do they shop? How
long have they had these clothes?’”
she explains. “All of those little
character details really add to what
they’re wearing. I love building that
story because it helps everything
make sense when I eventually put
them in clothes.” Adams, who is a
horror fan herself, also uses her “en-
cyclopedic knowledge” of references
to slip in costume Easter eggs, like a
hidden Freddy Kreuger in a Freaky
party scene.
The costume design process can
also involve more serious aspects,
like the history of negative feminine
stereotypes in horror—something Av-
ery Plewes (Scream VI, Ready or Not)
keeps in mind. “I feel a huge respon-
sibility about the types of archetypes
that I create as a costume designer,”
she says. “Because when you look
at something like rape culture, and
people getting asked what they were
wearing when something happened
to them, I feel as someone who’s cre-
ating media and presenting women
and non-binary people in certain
clothing, I perpetuate stereotypes. I
also feel a very large responsibility,
particularly in horror, about how I
portray certain minorities and mar-
ginalized people.”
But once the costume design puzzle
comes together, the final look can be
a wonderful, and unexpected sur-
prise. Malgosia Turzanska, costume
designer for the films Pearl and X,
looked at Mia Goth’s title character in
Pearl as “Snow White gone horribly Whitney Anne Adams on the set of Freaky
wrong,” tapping inspiration from old
cartoons. The movie was set in 1918,
but Pearl’s look was outdated, due
to her being isolated on a farm with
her parents. “If you look at her in the
scene where they’re waiting with the
other dance competitors in front of
the church, they’re all wearing peri-
od-correct dresses, and she’s in this
red, almost Victorian shape gown
with barn boots,” says Turzanska. “It
gives a bizarre, almost grunge aspect
to the costume.”
Every year on Halloween, these Avery Plewes approving looks for Scream VI
costumes come to life, walking the
streets in real life. “I love it because
it means I did something right,” says
Plewes of seeing her designs imi-
tated on October 31st. “The costume
means something so much to certain
people.” —MARIE LODI
From sketch to the workroom, a look at the
beginning phases of the main character costume
for the film Pearl
29
LOOKS / Fashion + Beauty

The Fran Fine Formula

WE ASKED THE NANNY’S COSTUME DESIGNER
TO SHOW US HOW TO WORK THIS ICONIC LOOK
FOR FALL

WHENEVER FRAN FINE walked into she likes, she makes sure to
a room on The Nanny, all eyes invest in it. A lot of the clothing
were on her outfit, whether it on the rack are pieces she’s
was a colorful Todd Oldham had for decades that are now
ensemble, a Versace two- trending again.
piece set, or a simple black But for Cooper, fashion
turtleneck and pencil skirt. means so much more than fol-
It’s no wonder TikTok fashion lowing trends. “I always say it’s the last thing we think about, but
mavens still look to Fran Dre- it’s always the first thing we see,” she says. “It’s a multibillion-
scher’s flashy girl from Flushing for dollar business, but many people still don’t understand that
ensemble enlightenment, even as dressing is a form of self-care, and self-expression. You’re telling
the show celebrates its 30th an- the world who you
niversary this November. Despite are, and how you
the designer wares, Fran’s look feel. I would love
has always felt somewhat easy to people to under-
attain, or at least interpret for one’s stand the impact
own. Her accessibility lies in that last of our clothing,
outfit, a formulaic take on layering, subconsciously. It's
which is, dare we say, perfect for a beautiful confi-
autumn dressing. dence builder.”
Costume designer Brenda Cooper —MARIE LODI
didn’t have a big budget when she
began curating what would become
Fran’s signature look, so she devised a
way to maximize the outfits. “I thought
a great way to do that was to create a
silhouette,” Cooper tells me as she brings
out a rolling rack stuffed with clothing. “The silhouette became
a black pencil skirt, turtleneck, black pantyhose, and suede
heels.” Using these central pieces, Cooper was able to add
accouterments—different colored jackets, vests, that famous
Moschino heart-shaped bag—meaning Cooper didn’t have to
“go and buy a completely new outfit” for each episode.
This system of dressing was the impetus for what would be-
PHOTO OF FRAN AND BRENDA COURTESY OF BRENDA COOPER
come her book, The Silhouette Solution: Using What You Have
to Get the Look You Want. Using a few basic staples, such as a
black tank top, black pants, and a few shoes, you can create
the foundation for a versatile wardrobe that can be customized
to fit your sartorial personality, or “style ID.” Cooper herself is “a
pants girl,” so her silhouette is usually a turtleneck or tank top
and straight-legged pants. “I put that on every day and throw
dusters, cardigans, vests, and sweatshirts over it…you can
take that look through so many iterations, which is what I did on
The Nanny.” Think of it as classic fall layering, but with a little
Nanny-infused magic thrown in.
When it comes to the perfect addition for your silhouette for
fall, Cooper’s all about a good puffer: “I’m always looking for the
ultimate of everything, and I found the ultimate puffer jacket,”
she says while zipping up a yellow quilted Guess coat. “Of Fran Drescher and Brenda Cooper
course, I have seven of them.” When Cooper finds something

30 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 Totally Tubular
MEET THE BODACIOUSLY BOLD FASHION
COMMUNITY KEEPING THE ’80S ALIVE

A DELOREAN NEEDS to travel back in

time 40 years to arrive at the dawn of the
1980s, but a quick Instagram scroll proves
the decade’s style is here and now. From ’80s
babies to Gen Z, a community of fashion ar-
chivists is searching for LA Gear on depop.
com, teasing their hair every morning, and
exclusively wearing acid-wash denim, slouch
socks, and pastel shades on a daily basis.
Seven years ago, 22-year-old Violet Sky
(@glitterwave80s) watched the 1985 film,
Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and was struck
by the movie’s costume design (by Betty Pe-
cha Madden.) “I didn’t really have a person-
al style yet, but I saw all the bold colors, and
Violet Sky
how outrageous everything was,” Sky says.
“Nothing was too big or too crazy to wear.”
Now Sky’s wardrobe is made up solely of ’80s
vintage finds. She also drives a 1992 Camaro.
“I consider this lifestyle to be an art form.”
Grace Chan (@gracemarian) calls her-
self an ’80s kid who never grew up, and as an
adult, she can now express herself with fash-
ion she couldn’t access as a child of the era.
“There’s a certain pride and satisfaction I
get from buying a vintage Esprit or Benetton
sweatshirt, or a vintage Guess denim jack-
et,” Chan says. “There was no way my hard-
working immigrant parents would’ve bought
such frivolously expensive clothes for me
back in the day.”

Adrianne Avery
PHOTOS COURTESY OF VIOLET SKY, GRACE CHAN, JORDAN RUMSEY, AND ADRIANNE AVERY

Grace Chan Jordan Rumsey

Local thrift stores, Depop, and eBay are prime places for scoring vin-
tage 1980s clothing, according to these experts. But you can even shop for
new pieces, too: Iconic ’80s brands are relaunching collections from their
heyday, Sky says—including Body Glove, Swatch, and Gecko Hawaii. And
good news for Chan, fashion retailer Esprit is also making a comeback.
Jordan Rumsey, 20, (@cantbuyme80s) also points to newer companies
like Vacation, a sun-care brand that’s so devoted to ’80s authenticity, its
receipts are printed on dot matrix paper.
While Stranger Things’ costume design has been credited with re-
popularizing the style of the decade, Chan also considers this resurgence
in the traumatic context of the Covid-19 pandemic. “People yearned for a
more comforting, colorful, safe world,” she says, “one where everything
was vivid, bold, and beautiful.”
“When I go out to do normal errands casually dressed in ’80s attire,
people always stop me to say how much they love my look,” says Adrianne
Avery, a fashion designer born in 1985 (@adrianneavery1985). “It brings
smiles to people’s faces. I can’t think of anything that honors the ’80s
more than that.”—RACHEL SANOFF
31
 No Cap
MUSHROOMS HAVE ENTERED THE SKINCARE CHAT

EASTERN CULTURES HAVE known

about the power of mushrooms for cen-
turies, classifying them as a superior
natural ingredient for wellness
inside the body and out. But fungi
are particularly beneficial for
skin, aiding in everything
from hydration to tighten-
ing and brightening—and
many major beauty
brands are recognizing
the magic of mycelium.
Different types of
mushrooms encom-
pass different types of
skin-related benefits.
To help calm irri-
tated skin and pro-
vide cellular support,
the skincare brand
Origins infuses its
Mega-Mushroom
line with a powerful
combination of reishi,
fermented chaga, and
cordyceps mushrooms.
(No need to worry about
any The Last of Us-esque
effects with that last one,
BTW). And Kiehl’s turns
to sustainably grown chaga
to help even out skin tone and
boost radiance through its Super
Multi-Corrective Cream. Meanwhile,
BioRepublic, a Korean beauty–inspired
skincare brand, uses snow mushrooms in its
organic sheet masks. According to Dr. Marisa
Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist at Medi-
cal Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery and advisor
to BioRepublic, snow mushrooms in particular “hy- shiitake, tremella, trametes versicolor, cordyceps,
drate and have anti-inflammatory properties, help- and coprinus for its line of face creams, serums,
ing to soothe the skin and reduce redness.” and lip care.
While many established beauty brands are using So will the hype around the fancy fungi last? The
mushrooms in their formulas along with other key research on them is pretty convincing. And, as Dr.
plant-based ingredients, newer brands are put- Garshick points out, mushrooms work well when
ting the fungi front and center. Shroom Skincare combined with other ingredients and are overall
blended four different mushroom extracts, includ- easy to tolerate, which is great news for sensitive-
ing maitake, reishi, chaga, and cordyceps sinensis, skin types. “They also have antioxidant benefits,
into its Mycelium Glow: Vitamin C & Mushroom protect against free radical damage, and can help
Brightening Serum to combat facial dullness, UV to support the skin barrier,” she adds. As skincare
damage, and inflammation. Whereas the skincare obsessives continue to seek out conscious brands
brand Neon Hippie (clearly leaning into a more psy- with science-enhanced, natural ingredients, new
chedelic theme with its moniker) uses a proprietary innovations for mushrooms in beauty are likely to
seven-mushroom complex made up of chaga, reishi, keep sprouting with no end in sight. —LINA LECARO

32 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 Beauty and the Beads
BEADWORK ARTIST AND DESIGNER JAMIE OKUMA HAS
CAUGHT THE EYE OF THE FASHION WORLD
TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE OKUMA; STRIPED DRESS PHOTO: OLIVER HALVIN; ALL OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF YAAMAVA’ RESORT AND CASINO
Okuma’s runway show at Yaamava’ Fashion Daze
“AS AN ARTIST, I want everything
to be beautiful. There’s so much shit in
the world, I want to see beauty,” says
Jamie Okuma, renowned Luiseño and
Shoshone-Bannock beadwork artist and
fashion designer, who lives on the La Jolla
Indian Reservation in California. Okuma
has had her artwork shown at museums
across the country, including the Smith-
sonian and The Met. And earlier this year
she became the first Native American de-
signer ever to be inducted into the Coun-
cil of Fashion Designers of America.
Since childhood, Okuma knew that
she wanted to be an artist. “I went to
my first powwow when I was five on my
grandmother’s reservation at Fort Hall in
Idaho,” she says. “For me, it was like being
at Disneyland for the first time. Seeing all
these beautiful pieces of wearable art and
everyone dancing, I can still remember
that feeling.”
Okuma designs ready-to-wear, has a
thriving online store (jokuma.com), and
recently showed at Yaamava’ Fashion
Daze, a two-day event celebrating Na-
tive American designers. “It was my first
show on a reservation,” she says, “so it
Jamie Okuma
was such a cool experience.” She also
designs exquisitely intricate beaded foot-
wear, working with luxury brands like
Christian Louboutin, and transforming
shoes into works of art. “Even as a little
kid, I loved high fashion. But I couldn’t
afford it, of course, so I’d cut out magazine
pictures of bracelets and necklaces and
tape them onto my arms and neck.”
Working primarily with vintage beads,
some so small they’re practically the
size of a grain of sand, Okuma creates
standout pieces like a pair of Casadei
boots that she covered in buckskin and
hand-beaded with images of her beloved
pet bird, Peep. “I saved my rarest beads
for Peep,” she says. “I had him for 26
years; he was my friend. He really loved
cigarettes and money. He’d always steal
cigarettes from my grandmother, and if
anyone left their wallet out, we’d find dol-
lar bills in his water bowl.”
While most of her designs are color-
ful and vibrant, one of her most visually
arresting works of art is a piece titled
“Becoming,” a convertible purse/back-
pack with a beaded image of the character
Pinhead from the 1987 film Hellraiser,
painstakingly stitched onto leather.
The image, at first glance, is dark,
bloody, and brutal. But if you look closely,
you’ll see that most of the beads Okuma
used are actually rose-pink and light
green, creating a dazzling effect. “It’s about
lighting, it’s about perspective,” she says.
“It’s about seeing beauty even in the ‘ugli-
est’ images—even Pinhead.” —EMILY POPP
33
LOOKS / Fashion + Beauty

Looksee TIED UP
A bolo tie is an underrated accessory. Every time I see one
on screen (Pulp Fiction, Pretty in Pink) I’m inspired to in-
LITTLE BITS ABOUT THINGS WE DIG
voke my inner cowboy, but traditional ones are kind of bor-
ing. Not these kitschy ones from Curly Ties ($25, shopcurly-
ties.com), though! Available in fun designs like sad stars,
UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS framed flowers, and cute clowns, they’re meant to liven up
On a recent trip to a different time zone, my skin any outfit! Don’t sleep on the bolo, people. –MARIE LODI
got super dry in that new climate—especially
my elbows! My go-to moisturizer couldn’t soften
me up, so I sought out something more heavy
duty and finally found relief with Herbitual
Atopic Defense Skin Protectant Cream ($48,
myherbitual.com). Specially formulated for
conditions like eczema, this soothing botanical
balm got my ’bows back to normal just in time
for short-sleeve season.. –EMILY REMS

WALK THE LINE

The origins of beauty products have
always fascinated me, and as some-
IN DUST WE TRUST one who has lived by the law of liquid
My Filipina mom always wears a house dress, aka a duster, liner for almost 20 years, Eyeliner: A
at home, and now I do, too. So, I was excited to hear that Cultural History (Penguin Books) is
journalist Melissa Magsaysay was launching the brand a must-read. Zahra Hankir explores
Duster (shopduster.com) with clothing designer Andrea what eyeliner has meant throughout
Racey. The line features tailored, loose-fitting dresses history while interviewing wearers
($215-$240) that are comfortable for a variety of activities from drag queens to geishas. It’s
but are too stylish to only be worn at home like a traditional mind-blowing to think that this little
duster. Also, a portion of each sale benefits the nonprofit makeup product I use every day has
organization Moms First. –M.L. so many stories to tell. –M.L.

DISHING ON DRIP
Every edition of Monica McLaughlin’s fascinating monthly
newsletter, Dearest (dearest.substack.com), features
pieces of antique jewelry (and other notables) cherry-
picked from online auctions. But that’s where the predict-
ability ends. Past entries have included a suffragette hunger
striker’s medal, Joanne Woodward’s wedding dress, and
a French betrothal ring from 1765, and she often uses the
items as jumping-off points to write about history, culture,
and class. –LISA BUTTERWORTH

34 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 YOU MUST, YOU
MUST, YOU MUST
INCREASE
YOUR BUST!
Get a full year of print and
digital access for just $39.95*
bust.com/subscribe

*Offer good for U.S. subscribers only.

35
 LIFE
HACKS

ON MEGAN: PRETTIES TANK TOP; ON HANNAH: SKIMS TOP.

BY MARIE LODI // PHOTOGRAPHED BY ELISABETH CAREN

36 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 One of the funniest and most feminist shows on TV, Hacks catapulted
Hannah Einbinder and Megan Stalter from standup stages to global fame.
Here, the two “bicons” discuss aliens, their IRL friendship, and how as teens,
they didn’t know whether they wanted to be cheerleaders or just kiss them

TEAM HANNAH // STYLIST: KEVIN ERICSON // HAIR: FLORIDO BASALLO // MAKEUP: MOLLY GREENWALD
TEAM MEGAN // STYLIST: KAT TYPALDOS // HAIR: CLAYTON HAWKINS // MAKEUP: NINA MARIE MAHON
PROP STYLIST: RIAN CALHOUN

37
 A
FOOD FIGHT is about to com-
mence. Not in a high school caf-
eteria scene in a 1980s movie,
but in a beautiful French château
on an unassuming street in the
Koreatown neighborhood of Los
Angeles. Hannah Einbinder, 28,
and Megan Stalter, 32, are get-
ting ready for the last shot of their BUST cover story photo
shoot, which is inspired by Daisies, the once-banned
Czechoslovakian film from 1966 about two girls who de-
cide that since the world is “spoiled,” they’ll commit to a
life of chaotic, anarchic indulgence.
Einbinder’s stylist puts her in a white Sandy Liang
dress with a ruffled hem and a satin sash that’s equal
parts beauty pageant and First Communion, compel-
ling Einbinder, who is Jewish, to joke that it’s “the first
time in my life I’ve ever felt Catholic.” In contrast, Stal-
ter wears a black vintage DKNY minidress and a pair of
DÔEN Mary Jane shoes. In just a few minutes, the two
Hacks costars, and their designer dresses, will be covered
in cake from head to toe.
On Hacks—which has garnered Emmys, Golden
Globes, and a devoted following since it debuted on the
network now known as Max in 2021—Einbinder and Stal-
ter don’t share much screen time as their characters, Ava
and Kayla, respectively, are too busy dealing with their su-
periors. Einbinder plays Ava, a comedy writer who helps
revitalize the career of standup comic diva Deborah Vance
(played brilliantly by Jean Smart). Stalter is Kayla, the
hilariously incompetent assistant to talent agent Jimmy
LuSaque (played by series co-creator Paul W. Downs). But
even without much on-screen bonding, the two women
are thick as thieves, and their affection for one another is
evident in real life.
When I point out their friendship chemistry dur-
ing our Zoom interview the next morning, they bring up
the milk bath, another Daisies-inspired scenario from
the shoot. “I think we like each other. We were together
yesterday in a bathtub full of milk,” Stalter says, laughing.
“There’s not many people I feel comfortable with in a milk
bath, and I felt so comfortable with you.”
“Yeah, from the past nine milk baths that you’ve
taken,” Einbinder dryly replies, “this one felt right. Same
for me, same for me.”
I’m secretly wishing I was still hanging out with this
38 . FALL 2023 . BUST
duo in person as we effortlessly slip into a discussion of
my favorite subjects: beauty and the supernatural. Ein-
binder considers skincare to be one of her hobbies and has
an impressive routine consisting of many K-beauty prod-
ucts, while Stalter enthuses both about eyeliner and about
experiencing “ghost activity.” Extraterrestrials? They’re
both on board. “We cannot even fathom the vastness of
the ocean on our own planet,” Einbinder declares. “You
want to talk about aliens? OK, cool. They’re in there. Of
course there are other worlds, duh.”
Stalter then brings up the possibility of other dimen-
sions. “Have you ever heard the stories that are like, ‘We
hiked up this big mountain and by the time we got down,
it’s been two days?’” she asks. “What about that?” Total
slumber-party energy.
Contrary to what one might think, Einbinder and Stal-
ter didn’t meet for the first time on the Hacks set. Their
meet-cute happened in 2018, at a tiny improv theater in an
L.A. strip mall next to a Jons Fresh Marketplace, a grocery
store Einbinder describes as an “off-brand Vons, but with
ON MEGAN: ARCHIVAL DONNA KARAN DRESS; SCARF: DEPOP VINTAGE; ON HANNAH: SANDY LIANG DRESS.
a J,” where they were both performing. “I remember never
having seen anyone perform like her,” recalls Einbinder
of Stalter. “I saw her energy as totally original, new, and
authentic and I was so blown away by Her Power, capital
H, capital P.” When Stalter got offstage, Einbinder says
she walked up to her and said, “Wow, you were amazing
up there,” re-enacting the moment in a fawning, breathy
voice, which Stalter laughs at. “And she was so sweet, the
way she is.” (One observation about Einbinder is that even
when she’s talking about something serious or sincere,
she does charmingly funny voices.)
Stalter, who was visiting from Chicago during that
time, says she was “so taken” by Einbinder. “I’m sounding
dramatic, but there are certain people where you see them
and you’re like, ‘What is this connection? Who is that?’
We definitely had instant chemistry.”
Growing up, their lives couldn’t have been more differ-
ent. Einbinder, born on May 21, 1995, in Los Angeles, was
raised Jewish. She was also more or less destined for com-
edy since her mother, Laraine Newman, was part of the
original Saturday Night Live cast and a founding member
of legendary sketch comedy troupe the Groundlings. Her
father, Chad Einbinder, is a comedy writer and director,
and her brother, Spike, is also a comedian and actor who
has appeared in shows like The Other Two and Los Es-
pookys. Einbinder, who says she was “relentlessly bullied”
39

from ages 4 to 14, recalls that when she was a teenager at
Beverly Hills High School, she drove a bright green Hon-
da Element, which her BMW-driving classmates made
fun of, so she enlisted her older, already-graduated boy-
friend (“red flag!”) to Plasti Dip her car matte black. “I’ve
always been really sensitive and malleable,” she says.
As a teen, Einbinder was diagnosed with atten-
tion deficit disorder and prescribed Adderall, but tak-
40 . FALL 2023 . BUST
ing the stimulant and smoking weed
every day caused her to be creative-
ly closed off. “I lost a lot of my high
school years. I don’t have a lot of vivid
memories,” she says. “But my school
had a public access channel, and I
did interviews on the news station.”
Einbinder is also a Gemini, which she
says gives her chameleon-like abili-
ties. “I was friends with the athletes
and the popular kids and the drug-
gies and the bad kids,” she says. “I was
like a floater, chillin’ with everybody.”
However, Einbinder was also the
captain of her high school cheerlead-
ing squad, which may sound surpris-
ing. But one glance at the photo she’s
posted on her Instagram of this era—
the sassy pose with her cheermates,
hand on hip (and what looks like flat-
ironed bangs)—and you can see there
lies a cheerleader within.
Over 2,000 miles away, in Cleve-
land, OH, Stalter entered the world
on September 15, 1990. The eldest of
three, she was raised by a nurse mom
and a tattoo artist dad. In middle
school, Stalter was shy and nerdy
but loved musical theater, and she
ended up becoming “the queen” of her
school’s drama club. “Theater kids are
so corny,” she says. “For some reason,
your parents are letting you have a
sleepover and you’re all watching Chi-
cago and, like, rubbing each other, but
not kissing.”
Stalter also has her own secret
cheerleading past. For two years in
middle school, she was a cheerleader,
but the other girls were mean to her
because she was shy, and they con-
vinced a boy who wanted to ask Stalter
to the school dance not to. “I worked
really hard to get my back handspring,
but someone had to flip me over, and I
never got it because it’s scary,” says Stalter.
Like a good friend, Einbinder offers to spot her if
she ever wants to get into adult gymnastics. “We’ll get
SANDY LIANG DRESS.
that back handspring, girl,” she says, reassuringly.
The impetus behind both Einbinder and Stalter’s
cheerleading aspirations was the 2000 movie Bring It
On, which starred Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union.
Einbinder says it changed her life, while Stalter de-
 scribes it as “just so hot.” Stalter, who is bisexual, as is and confusing and frustrating and devastating and joy-
Einbinder, says that she was “obviously in love with all ous—and great one,” she adds.
the girls in it,” though she didn’t fully realize it at the Aside from being fellow “bicons” and Bring It On
time. “I thought I wanted to be like them,” she says, “but cheer-protégés, Stalter and Einbinder have also experi-
I just wanted to kiss girls.” enced parallel career trajectories. Before they had their
As we chat, Stalter is holding two crystals in what own Emmy-winning TV show, both had been doing stand-
could be perceived to be a ste-
reotypically L.A., Goop-esque
fashion. But she’s also a self-
proclaimed “God’s girl,” and got
“really obsessed” with going to
church in her youth. While she’s
still very much into her faith,
Stalter hasn’t yet found a church
to attend as an adult. “I love God,
but I’m also, you know, a bisexual
woman,” she says. “So many gay
people love God, but the church
makes it feel like sometimes
we’re not accepted.”
Like other good Christian
girls, Stalter was saving herself
for marriage, so she was a late
bloomer when it came to sex.
Looking back, she realizes all
the women celebs she admired
were actually crushes. “I thought
Cameron Diaz was so hot, but I
didn’t know what I really wanted
was to be kissing her,” she says.
When she found herself mak-
ing out with her “ex-boyfriend’s
ex-girlfriend,” she realized that
she was more into women and
nonbinary people than men, even
though that particular relation-
ship didn’t pan out.
Einbinder had early gay ex-
periences (“post-Hebrew-school
grinding”) but tucked away those
TYLER MCGILLIVARY DRESS; FRANCO SARTO SHOES.

urges until she was 19 or 20. This

was partly because she didn’t
have any teenage classmates who
were out. “I always wonder what
high school would have been like
had I known,” she muses. In col-
lege, she and her longtime best
friend came out to each other, but
neither had suspected the other
to be queer prior to that. “I think
once I came to terms with it, I
just sort of embarked on the road
of bisexuality, which is a winding

41
 ON MEGAN: ACNE STUDIOS EARRINGS; DRESS AND SHORTS:
DEPOP VINTAGE. ON HANNAH: ACNE STUDIOS SHOES; THE
BOY WHO CRIED FLOWERS FLORAL CROWN; CHANEL DRESS:
ARCHIVE VINTAGE.

42 . FALL 2023 . BUST

43
 up for years and were beginning to reach new levels of
success. Stalter was gaining a viral following for her so-
cial media skits (though her famous “Hi gay!” video came
later, in 2021). And Einbinder’s segment as the youngest
comic ever to perform on The Late Show with Stephen
Colbert aired just before the lockdown.
Then came Hacks, which debuted in May 2021. The se-
ries was both Einbinder and Stalter’s first foray into profes-
sional acting, which was intimidating. “I was so filled with
fear, and had such an inferiority complex, and was just so
panicked—afraid every day that I would get fired—so fatalis-
tic,” admits Einbinder. But the cast and crew made them feel
safe, which both she and Stalter are grateful for.
“Once we got there, it was like, ‘Oh, just do what
you’ve been doing all this time.’ I was doing comedy for
so long before I got hired to do anything else. I started in
2013,” says Stalter, who knew that Hacks was “going to
be special” because of its creators, Lucia Aniello, Paul
W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. “I think if my first job was
extremely toxic and scary, I would just be doing plays
out of my house.”
It wasn’t a bad first gig, especially when you have
comedy icon Jean Smart showing you the ropes. “Jean is
the best teacher,” says Einbinder. “She leads by example
and watching her on screen and off brought me so much
ease. I was able to really grow into a level of confidence
that I had yet to feel in my life in any way.” I mention
that Harry Styles is also taken by Smart and sent her a
bouquet of flowers along with a fancy saltshaker, as a
reference to a particular episode. “You know, he checked
into a hotel under the alias Deborah Vance,” says Ein-
binder. “He’s obsessed!”
Then Stalter jumps in, adding, “He’s trying to lock
it down with Jean, and I can’t blame him. He’s trying to
steal our girl.”
By the end of Hacks Season Two, which aired in June
of 2022, it’s evident how both Einbinder and Stalter’s char-
acters are coming into their own in the entertainment in-
dustry, something that mirrors the experiences of their re-
al-life counterparts. “I think both Hannah and Megan have
evolved into really self-confident actresses since the show
started,” Smart tells BUST via email. “They were both very
popular and accomplished comediennes, but I don’t think
they had as much self-confidence as they do now that they
have turned into scene-stealing divas,” she writes wryly. “I
adore them both and the cast as a whole has become very
close. In fact, those who were in town gathered at my house
for the Fourth of July. It was wonderful to see everybody;
we have missed working together because of the strike.
44 . FALL 2023 . BUST
Hannah and Megan constantly make everybody laugh and
happen to be incredibly smart and affectionate human
beings. I am eternally grateful for both of them and fully
expect to see spin-offs with each of their characters as they
rip off all my material.”
Filming for Hacks’ third season was halted twice this
year, first when Smart underwent a heart procedure, and
then for the Writers Guild of America strike. (This in-
terview was conducted before SAG-AFTRA joined the
WGA strike.) Einbinder and Stalter say they wish they
could give me details about Season Three, but they have
to remain tight-lipped to appease Max (formerly HBO).
What Einbinder can say is that the show “continues to
top itself” as a “result of the decades-long friendship of
our creators, the flow of their connection, and the way
they were able to transmute their love of each other, and
of comedy, into this show.”
Stalter says she loves that the characters’ relationships
continue to deepen. “Kayla and Jimmy find new ways to try
to show up for each other,” she says. “And everyone’s char-
acter has some challenges this season, but it’s really funny
and cool to see the way they come together.”
Meanwhile, the two are keeping busy during this
hiatus from Hacks. Both regularly perform standup live,
Einbinder is touring in September, and Stalter has had
multiple films premiere this year, including Cora Bora,
First Time Female Director, and Problemista.
For Stalter, there’s also love (she has a girlfriend who
is “not a comedian but really, really funny”), plus spending
time with her family in Ohio and her new rescue dog, Bun-
ny. Her beloved 17-year-old dog, Izzy, passed away earlier
this year, and Stalter’s mom believes that she sent Bunny to
her. “It’s really sweet to think about it like that,” she says.
For Einbinder, there’s mushrooms. Not the psyche-
delic kind, but mycology. She’s into identifying and for-
aging edible mushrooms, as well as researching the very
real possibility that fungi can fight climate change. She’s
also enjoying some quality solo time. Einbinder says she
is currently single and “doing a lot of reflection and self-
work and not looking for love.” I tell her that we’ve all been
SHOOT PRODUCER: ANNEE ELLIOT
there, and you usually can get a lot done during a break.
“Yeah, I’m like, ‘Let’s clean up shop,’” she says. “‘Let’s fuck-
ing sweep up the cobwebs, because shit is setting.’ I’m out
of the oven. I am cooling off. It’s time to make a couple of
fucking fundamental corrections before it’s time to pop
me out of the loaf pan. You know what I mean?” Then she
holds up a copy of Prozac Nation, which she says she’s re-
reading. “A little peek into where my mental state is,” she
jokes. “I’m doing really well.”
 “Hannah and Megan constantly make
everybody laugh and happen to be
incredibly smart and affectionate
human beings.” – Jean Smart

ON MEGAN: MONDO MONDO EARRINGS; FALKE SOCKS; DRESS:

DEPOP VINTAGE. ON HANNAH: ACNE STUDIOS DRESS.
45
 Tw isted
ers
Sist
MOST PEOPLE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO AVOID SEVERE WEATHER,
BUT NOT THESE WOMEN. THEY’RE STORM CHASERS, DRIVEN BY A PASSION
TO WITNESS THE BEAUTY AND POWER OF NATURE FIRSTHAND
BY KELLEY FREUND

A rare shot of a tornado with its supercell structure above it

shot by Jennifer Brindley in in McCook, Nebraska

46..
46
..
FALL 2023 BUST
FALL 2023 BUST
47
47

Jennifer Brindley
G
ROWING UP ON the East Coast, Jennifer Walton
was terrified of the storms that would often roll
through during the night. At the first clap of thun-
der, she would drag her sleeping bag into her par-
ents’ bedroom. She doesn’t remember the moment
that her terror transitioned to fascination, but by age 10, she’d
started moving closer to the window during thunderstorms
instead of running away and developed a habit of watching the
Weather Channel nonstop.
As an adult, Walton’s obsession with severe weather only
grew stronger. During her 17 years working as an environmen-
tal communications strategist, she learned how to read radar
and geeked out watching it during storms. Tracking a storm
was exciting, sure, but what she really wanted to do was get out
there and actually observe one up close. But how?
Then in 2018, Walton discovered a company that allows
weather enthusiasts to travel with seasoned storm watchers
in order to see amazing weather events like tornadoes. Known
as a “storm chase tour,” excursions like these can run between
5 and 14 days. Walton figured that taking a trip with experi-
enced chasers would be a slightly less insane way to explore
her interest in severe weather, so she booked herself a ticket.
Unfortunately, she didn’t see much during her tour, due to it be-
ing a quiet season that year, but she saw enough that she knew
she wanted more. She taught herself how to forecast and got
her hands on any resource she could find, studying a few hours
every weekend.
Then one day, while working from home, Walton watched a
patch of severe weather come out of the foothills near her home
in Denver. She had just learned about recognizing rotating
storms, and thought, “This thing is going to do it.” She ran out
to her car, so excited to follow the storm that she forgot she was
still in her pajamas. During that first solo trip, Walton made
rookie mistakes, getting stuck in the city and finding herself on
the wrong side of the storm. But finally, she crested a hill to find
her first tornado spinning right in front of her.
Walton says a monster was born that day, and she has
since observed many other extreme weather events. “Being in
the presence of significant storms brings me into the hyper-
present, into the flow, and it feels like an enormous privilege
to get to witness something so few see in person during their
lifetimes,” she explains. “No other activity makes me feel the
way these moments do.”
48 . FALL 2023 . BUST
The achievement of forecasting a storm and understand-
ing enough about severe weather to follow it and see it up close
was incredibly empowering, and in 2020, Walton picked up
a camera for the first time and began to photograph what she
refers to as the “grace in fury.” She fell in love with capturing
the juxtaposition of everyday sights and beauty with powerful,
destructive storms. For her, the experience is a reminder of how
small yet powerful we can be in our lives.
JOINING THE CHASE
Before Walton came across that storm chase tour company,
she had long thought, “I can’t do that,” because she had never
seen women storm chasing. The chasers featured on televi-
sion were men, and if there were women, they were sitting in
the passenger seat. It became a subconscious message: “I don’t
belong here.”
“People always point out Jo Harding, the main female
character in the movie Twister,” says Walton. “And my response
is that the movie is now 26 years old. And Jo isn’t real. So, if
that’s the one person we’re putting forward as a role model for
women in storm chasing, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Even as
Walton ventured further into the chase community, she found it
difficult to find female chasers.
Jessica Moore is a meteorologist, chaser, and photographer
who had an experience very similar to that of Walton. As a kid,
Moore was obsessed with the tornado scene in The Wizard of
Oz. Later, she began photographing storms from her balcony
and bought every meteorology book she could find, before
venturing out on chases. Moore has now been following storms
for 12 years and launched her own storm chase tour business in
early 2023, but says it has taken her this long to feel a part of the
chase community.
In her early days of chasing, Moore felt like she was the only
woman out there. And she wasn’t being taken seriously. During
her time as a field correspondent for a major network, Moore
noticed her male colleagues were the ones sent out to cover
severe weather events. “I got so tired of it that I would just go
chase anyway,” she says. “Then I would show the network the
content I captured, and oftentimes they would end up using it.
I did that over and over until they finally got the hint that they
were not going to tell me to sit at home.”
“Ignored” is a word Walton frequently hears from women
chasers when talking about their experiences in the field—ig-
nored by the media and online audiences and passed over for
business opportunities. “Because I’m a communicator, to me
the solution was that if the media wouldn’t cover women in
storm chasing, then screw them,” Walton says. “We’ll create our
own platform.” In July 2021, she launched an Instagram page
called Girls Who Chase (GWC) to showcase the talent of female
chasers. It immediately garnered a huge following, with women
from all over the globe submitting content.
Realizing she was onto something, in January 2022 Walton
morphed GWC into a larger media program with a website,
promotional video featuring women storm chasers, and a
podcast. Last fall, the initiative added an education component,
including an online Spring Training event last March, inspired
by Walton’s own difficulties in finding resources when she was
first learning how to chase. By providing access to these
resources to anyone, anywhere,
GWC is making a statement:
Weather is for everybody.
The phrase “weather is for
everybody” is exactly how Raychel
Sanner, a GWC Spring Training in-
structor, closes out each of her vid-
eos for Tornado Titans, a weather
platform providing forecasts, live
chase videos, and education materi-
als that she cofounded in 2009.
But it was something Sanner
had to remind herself of a few years
ago, when she came out as a trans
woman. Despite having racked
up 15 years of experience chasing
storms—a stint that included an
Emmy for breaking news coverage
of a tornado in Katie, OK—she ques-
tioned whether she could still storm
chase as a trans person.
“It was the dumbest thing ever,
but very real,” Sanner says. “I was
going through a second puberty,
working on developing an identity.
Who am I? What took me about a
year to resolve was that I am storms, A tornado shot by Jennifer Walton near Hawk Springs, Wyoming
and storms are me. I like to describe

weather as something inside of me from the very

beginning—kind of like being trans.”
Sanner says that if something like GWC had
existed when she came out, things might have been
easier. But now, she hopes she can be that model for
others through her work writing articles and produc-
ing videos for Tornado Titans.
“I don’t make videos about what it’s like to be a
trans storm chaser,” says Sanner. “I just talk about
what it’s like to be a storm chaser. I think that’s one
way for people to see each other as equals because
storm chasing is truly something anyone can do, no
matter who you are.”

WHEN THE STORM CHASES BACK

Jennifer Walton in front of a tornado in Chugwater, Wyoming
Sanner likes to joke that if you really think about it,
storm chasing is just driving hours in the hope that
water vapor does something interesting. And while
that doesn’t sound super exciting, sometimes it can
be scarier than a chaser bargains for.
49
 Lightning shot by Raychel Sanner near Piedmont, Oklahoma
In 2013, Jennifer Brindley Ubl, a storm chaser and portrait
photographer in Milwaukee who has been featured on a GWC
podcast, found herself in the path of the El Reno, OK, tornado.
At 2.6 miles wide, the rain-wrapped, multiple-vortex tornado is
in the books as the widest ever recorded. At 6:03 p.m. on May 31,
Ubl and her chase team were six miles southeast of the storm
50 . FALL 2023 . BUST
and looking at what Ubl describes as a big blue and green moth-
ership. There was little contrast in the giant, rainy supercell,
which made it difficult to see any tornado. Which is why, at 6:13
p.m. when she looked to the west and saw walls of rain blasting
from left to right at tornadic speeds, Ubl panicked.
“We got tunnel vision,” Ubl says. “We were peering into this

Raychel Sanner
murky mess looking for a lightning flash to backlight a tornado.
But what we missed was that the entire area of interest was
an actual tornado. And the storm had gotten so close, we were
looking up at the outer edge of it.”
When the team enacted their escape route, the tornado
was just under a mile away and gaining on them. They reached
safety, but another group of storm chasers wasn’t so lucky. El
Reno was the first known storm to kill chasers, taking the lives
of four, including three members of a respected tornado re-
search team. Later, Ubl and her partner calculated they missed
the tornado’s impact by just 90 seconds.
“The El Reno tornado was different from any storm I had
ever chased,” Ubl says. “And the feelings I had during the chase
were very different; I had never actually felt afraid before, never
had the feeling, ‘We have to go now, we have to run away.’”
For a couple of years following that storm, Ubl had anxiety
attacks during chases, but has since rediscovered the joy she ex-
perienced before El Reno. That process has been an exercise in
controlling her fear. Ubl makes sure she is prepared for a chase
and has as much information as possible, then reassures herself
that she knows her escape routes and can visually confirm the
direction of the tornado and how close she is to it.
“Storm chasers get a [bad] rap for being adrenaline junkies
or yahoos just running out there,” Ubl says. “While people who
fall under those categories do exist, personally, I have to fight
my fear of storms to get the shot. There are plenty of us who
have a healthy respect for the tornado and what it’s capable of,
and we work around that to have these experiences safely.”
CITIZEN SCIENCE
Storm chasing is more than just an awe-inducing hobby for
the weather-obsessed—it can also be a valuable resource for
protecting those in harm’s way. Last year, the National Ocean
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded 25 deaths
and 315 injuries that resulted from tornadoes and $700 million
in property and crop damage.
“The thing about the National Weather Service [NWS] is
that they are in an office looking at radar,” says Walton. “And
what they see on radar may not reflect what’s actually
happening.” That’s because radar beams slope upwards
the farther they travel from the radar site. Factor in the
curvature of the Earth, and it’s possible the beam is actu-
ally sampling the atmosphere above the storm. By calling
in storm reports, chasers can help the NWS provide
faster, more accurate warnings to the public.
Chasers also contribute to the science behind
storms. Since 2016, Ubl has served as a documentary
photographer for a small research team working to
analyze winds near the Earth’s surface, where tornadoes
register their most catastrophic impacts, but which
radar can’t measure. The three-vehicle team surrounds a
strong tornado and captures footage with video cameras
that’s then analyzed to determine the forward motion
of objects and debris. Research like Ubl’s is important.
Studying the low-altitude data that radar misses might
help scientists unlock the mysteries behind tornado
formation.
But you don’t have to be a researcher or scientist to
help. Ubl says anyone can submit their storm videos for analy-
sis by her team. This crowd-sourcing concept was inspired by
the 2013 El Reno Survey, which collected over 100 storm chaser
videos into a database to help researchers understand the be-
havior of violent storms.
INSPIRING THE FUTURE
In an Instagram post a couple of years ago, Moore captioned
a photo, “Storms are not simply witnessed; they are experi-
enced within the soul.” While the reporting and citizen science
aspects of storm chasing are important, many of these women
chase because of the feeling it gives them. For Ubl, driving in
wide open spaces and being in nature recharges her, and the
beauty of the colors, shapes, and striations in each storm keeps
her out in the field. Sanner is captivated by seeing the sci-
ence behind storms play out in real time and humbled by the
strength of what she’s watching. But she also derives joy from
teaching about weather through her articles and videos, know-
ing she’s opening a door for someone to one of the coolest things
the planet has to offer.
Moore loves the entire experience, from the anticipation of
a chase, to the peace and quiet before a storm, to the adrenaline
that comes from being so close to something so powerful. She
has started sharing these joys with her daughter, taking her
along on occasional chase trips. Her daughter was able to wit-
ness her first tornado two years ago and later talked about the
experience with her class during their meteorology unit.
For Walton, who recently added volcanoes to her portfolio
when she covered Hawaii’s Mauna Loa eruption last December,
there’s an empowerment that comes from using her talents to
identify a storm and get herself close enough to it to witness
something very few people ever will. “The foundation for GWC
is storm chasing, but it’s not really just about that,” Walton says.
“More broadly, it’s about engaging women in STEM fields. And
it’s about empowerment. It’s getting that self-limiting story out
of the way so you can go do what you’re meant to do.”
51
A Stitch
in Time
By Leah Franqui
Meet three extraordinary women who have become time travelers, not
with a hot tub, but with a needle and thread. By meticulously recreating
and wearing historical clothing, they’ve discovered hidden secrets
about women’s daily lives

D
RESSING UP IN 1970s vintage cloth-
ing is one thing—but wearing an outfit
that’s vintage 1870s is an entirely differ-
ent story. That’s because, for centuries,
most of the world had their clothing
made at home, often sewn by the wom-
en of the family. Only the very privileged
could have their garments made for them by tailors, and
even ready-to-wear garments, which were a late-19th-cen-
tury invention, remained a luxury until fairly recently. So,
cy Bath, medieval China, the antebellum American South,
and everywhere in between. These days, scores of people,
mostly women, spend their free time researching and re-
constructing garments from other eras, meticulously tea-
dying linen and felting wool to achieve as much historical
accuracy as possible, and sharing their creations with oth-
ers via videos and social media.
Here, we spotlight three super-talented creators who
are making historical garments to confront and interro-
gate the past, exploring the experiences of women from
PHOTO COURTESY OF HAIRAN ZUCHELLI

to dress like it’s the 1870s, you’d need to be able to sew like
they did in the 1870s—and before.
Surprisingly, that’s exactly what a growing number
of contemporary seamstresses are doing. While sewing
skills are no longer a necessity, and some feminist move-
ments of the 20th century even discounted tasks like sew-
ing as menial drudgework, many find making clothing to
be an empowering act. It also opens a portal to infinite fan-
tasy worlds, allowing stitchers to time travel to Regen-
inside the very clothing they might have worn. By sewing
and wearing historic garments, they are able to investigate
the stories of women who are often viewed as a faceless,
nameless mass, rather than as individuals. Their garments
center women’s experiences in literal, tactile ways, giving
us all a deeper sense of their lives through time. After all,
women may have been written out of history, but with his-
torians like these at the helm, there is no reason they can’t
be woven and stitched back in.

52 . FALL 2023 . BUST

Hairan Zuchelli in one of her 18th-century Rococo creations

53
53
 Vi
“Fashion is often dismissed as frivolous, meaningless,
and only something you’d be interested in if you aren’t
smart enough for other topics,” says historic and contem-
porary costume maker Vi. “But when you go back into the
social history of clothing, it was a huge deal. [Clothing]
changed the world. It touched everyone’s lives. There is
such a significance to it, if you are willing to look at it as
something meaningful.”
A California-based hairdresser who engages in experi-
mental archeology as a part of her hobby, Vi, who prefers not
to use her last name publicly, creates historic reproductions
of women’s garments as a way to explore and understand
women of the past. “You’re trying to understand every as-
pect of something better by experiencing it, rather than just
looking at it from a distance,” she explains. “You want to put
yourself in that person’s shoes and in their mindset and feel
what the material is like in your hands.”
Vi learned the basics of sewing as a child, but the craft
was confined to hemming pants and taking in waistlines.
Then her adult interest in sci-fi conventions led her to cos-
tume sewing, and her deep curiosity and commitment to
contextualizing historic garments in videos garnered her
close to 90,000 YouTube followers (she posts under @Snap-
pyDragon). Creating clothing, especially the kind Jewish
Vi’s medieval maiden look women would have worn from the medieval period to the
Victorian era, is an expression of Vi’s identity and a bridge
to her family history. In her video series, “The Clothes On
Vi’s Victorian-era creation emulates what her great-great- Their Backs,” she demonstrates how she recreated the dress
grandmother might have worn

TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF VI; BOTTOM PHOTO COURTESY OF ORA LYN

54 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 and foundation garments of her
great-great-grandmother Caro-
lina, a Jewish immigrant to New
York City’s Lower East Side in the
1880s. Inspired by a dress in a photo
of Carolina, Vi created the layers of
the outfit piece by piece—the che-
mise and bloomers, the corset con-
structed with synthetic whalebone
(real whalebone is no longer avail-
able), the petticoat and bustle pad,
and the top and skirt that look like
a single gown once assembled on
Vi’s body. With long sleeves and a
high neckline, the outfit is modest
and appropriate for a Jewish wear-
er at the time, while the cinched
silhouette and deft gathers make it
fashionable. Carolina would have
understood her outfit as a way that
she could move through both her
Jewish immigrant community and
her new country without critique
or disturbance.
So much of making the dress al-
lowed Vi to connect with her an-
cestor’s life. Thinking about how Zuchelli modeling 18th-century Creole corsetry in Missouri
the original outfit was made, Vi
crafted hers through long days of
work, meditating on how her relative probably did the same, Hairan Zuchelli
snatching a few minutes of sewing after long hours working With her exquisite needlework and riveting historical
in a factory, as Carolina might have done. Vi also sewed it at knowledge, Hairan Zuchelli, known online as the Brazil-
the pace and rhythm of her great-great-grandmother, while ian Baroness (@brazilianbaroness), occupies a well-earned
socializing with other friends, drinking and talking and space in the growing community of historical costume mak-
stitching by hand. When she was out of buttonhole thread, ers specializing in the clothing of the colonized. A Brazil-
she asked a friend for some rather than finding the perfect ian who now lives in St. Louis, Zuchelli focuses her research
thing at a textile shop, mimicking what must have been a on African diasporic cultures in colonial Latin America. Her
common experience for immigrant women living in close- love of the subject came from learning early on in her edu-
knit communities: exchanging resources while solidifying cational career about enslaved women who filed lawsuits
social bonds. “There would be so much work to be done that, against their captors to gain their freedom. Zuchelli’s inter-
if you were a working class or even a middle-class woman, est blossomed from there, leading her to study fashion de-
you wouldn’t have a free minute to just socialize,” she says. sign and pedagogy as well as pursue a certification in diversi-
“You’ve got to be working, but you’ve still got to find a way to ty and inclusion from Cornell University.
keep that social fabric, so you combine the two.” For Zuchelli, sewing began as part of her fashion study as
While it’s easy to look at women’s outfits of the past as a teenager and led her to become a designer and textile con-
being severely restrictive, Vi’s research has given her a dif- sultant, creating costumes for clients and theatrical produc-
ferent perspective on clothing, which she describes as part tions such as In the Heights. Eventually, she began experi-
PHOTO COURTESY OF HAIRAN ZUCHELLI

of the armor of femininity. As Vi puts it, “The world is pa-
triarchal, but women find power within, and I think cloth-
ing is a way in which women can find power,” she explains.
“It’s taking something that’s used to box you in and keep you
down and saying, ‘If this is what I’ve got to work with, I will
find a way to make it powerful.’ I think about how I dress for
modern scenarios. If my options are being dismissed by the
world, I’m going to end up dressing in a way that makes me a
little bit intimidating. And I’m OK with that.”
menting with historic garments. “It started as a hobby to
reconnect with my heritage, but then I noticed the lack of re-
search in this area,” she says. As a result, Zuchelli works to
combine academic research with practical making skills and
an analysis of historic clothing. Her work includes elaborate
18th-century gowns and Belle Époque corsets, and she pays
special attention to the garments of Brazilian Indigenous
and enslaved people. Through her social media presence,
she demonstrates how these historic women’s garments

55
 were made, which allows her to talk about the women who
might have worn them, and the lives they led.
So many women’s experiences historically have been
below the surface, and in the case of clothing, quite literal-
ly. Foundation garments—pieces worn underneath the vis-
ible, outer clothing items—have molded women’s shapes,
established ideals of female beauty, and defined modes-
ty and the lack thereof, which were essential qualities for
moving through the world. For Zuchelli, foundation gar-
ments are an essential part of spotlighting colonized wom-
en of color, because the foundation garments they wore
were often wildly different than those of their European
counterparts and colonizers. In fact, they largely eschewed
foundation garments completely. “The lack of these Euro-
pean foundations and ideals tells me more about who they
are and who they were trying to be,” she says. “It takes a lot
of strength to thrive in a system that doesn’t want you to
succeed, and yet they created their own sense of fashion
through resisting European standards. And that is what I
try to talk about most. This resistance.”
Many BIPOC women in Brazil donned Regency gowns
without the stays and petticoats designed to be worn un-
derneath them; mixed headscarves and wide skirts with
uncorseted waists and chests; and wrapped local wo-
ven cloth around their bodies instead of copying the rig-
id farthingales and stiffened bodices of their Portuguese Zuchelli dons an outfit similar to that of an 18th-century Brazillian BIPOC woman
colonizers. “It is important to say that I am not saying
BIPOC clothes versus the colonizers’ clothes,” Zuchel-
li explains. “These are all colonizers’ clothes, but we as-
similated them, and we wore them in a uniquely Brazilian
way.” Looking at an image of Zuchelli in her white simple
blouse with a drawstring neckline, full navy ankle-length
skirts, bright floral headwrap, and charms at her waist—

TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF HAIRAN ZUCHELLI; BOTTOM PHOTO: VICTORIAN PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
a mixture of religious objects called a “pride of balangan-
dan”—it seems like she has stepped out of 18th-century
Brazil and into the modern day.
“Brazil was the last country to abolish slavery,
and that had a huge impact on everything we are to-
day,” Zuchelli says. “I try to rescue these untold stories
through my craft.” Her work making historical garments
has helped her examine the power of even the most dis-
enfranchised. While in the United States it was rare for
enslaved people to have or be given money, this was not
the case in Brazil. Some enslaved women could earn
wages and were able to save to buy their freedom, aid-
ed by abolitionists or lawyers for a small fee. Enslaved
women in Brazil could and did go on to accumulate
wealth, and they dressed the part.
“Some BIPOC Brazilian women would commis-
sion beautiful jewels that mixed Brazilian and African
craftmanship and would dress so lavishly with color-
ful dyes and finishes that the government tried to forbid
it,” Zuchelli says. “I’d like to tell a bit of their stories, but
not sugarcoat the horrors that others faced. The women
I want to showcase through my art are strong, intelligent,
resilient—and sometimes successful—people who history
insists on erasing.”
Glaser on the grounds of Historic London Town in Maryland

56 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 NAOMI GLASER re-creating the garments of emancipation, “I had to re-learn the
“I really try to embody the Black experience whenever I’m mak- specific things Black women did to bring their culture back into
ing clothes,” says Naomi Glaser. “Whether that’s researching their clothing.” For Glaser, that means incorporating heads-
fabrics of a certain era or including accessories that are spe- carves and wraps emulating historic images, including cowrie
cific to Black culture, it is important to me to focus on that be- shells in ornamentation, and constructing historic shapes in vi-
cause fashion is history, is Black history, is Black women’s histo- brant fabrics, to reflect the lives of the Black women whose gar-
ry. I want to make what actual Black women or enslaved women ments she is referencing. It helps her feel a sense of an individual
were supposed to wear or chose to wear.” A Florida-based histo- Black woman in each item she makes.
rian, costume maker, and seamstress, Glaser, who goes by Naomi While Glaser is thrilled to explore and create the clothing
Loves History (@naomiloveshistory) on Instagram, learned to of the enslaved, her garment-making practice has also shown
sew from her mother. Her early fascination making clothing for her how much exists beyond the singular narrative. Recently,
her American Girl dolls soon turned to an enduring passion af- she shot a video of herself on the historic farm of her childhood,
ter a trip to a historic 1870s farm near her hometown in Florida, wearing clothing of the 1870s she’d created, enjoying herself—
where her love of history snowballed. The tactile, visceral, liv- and was surprised by the response. “So many people were blown
ing history of the farm inspired Glaser, and spending time there away by the fact that I wasn’t portraying a slave,” Glaser says.
motivated her to make her own 1870s garments, at first with her “They couldn’t imagine Black people in a position of ownership
mother’s help, and, by the time she reached high school, all by of a farm or happiness in that kind of space. I think that’s really
herself. what my main goal is: to show that Black people weren’t always
Now, working on costumes for films and documentaries as in a state of oppression. We had lives, we had fashion, we had cul-
well as for her own practice as a historian and seamstress, Gla- ture. Some of us had access to money and power.” The response
ser immerses herself in the techniques and materials of histor- also led Glaser to her next project. “I’m starting to develop a se-
ic garment construction. Although she sews from many periods, ries where I take a famous piece of artwork of a Black woman
the main thrust of her interests are the garments of enslaved and and recreate the dress she’s in. I want to show us in a light of lei-
emancipated Black women from the 1860s and 1870s, a deeply sure and a light of opulence,” she says. “There’s so much more to
transformative time in Black fashion. Making clothing by hand, us; there’s so much more to our story. And I can tell that through
stitch by tiny stitch, constantly reminds Glaser of the people who the clothes.”
lived in the pieces she studies and replicates. “You
can see, in many original garments, how they’re
pieced together or cut at a strange angle, show-
ing us how careful the maker had to be to make the
most out of every bit of cloth they had,” she says.
“There might be a bloodstain from someone prick-
ing their finger; you can see little imperfections
and all the original details telling us more about
the person who made and wore this. I love that I
can add that to my own clothing making—that I put
my blood, sweat, and tears into it.”
Exploring those historic garments, especially
the clothing of enslaved women, gives deep insight
into the day-to-day experience of Black women of
the 19th century. “The techniques to make those
specific clothes are so unique to being enslaved.
Many garments were made with a mix of flax, wool,
and cotton, woven like a flour sack. It was a very
common, cheap fabric, and sewing and working
with it is a completely different experience than
working with cotton and satin,” Glaser explains.
“The rough weave and heavy weight made it really
uncomfortable, [but] it was not about comfort. It
lasted a long time, was easy to source, and speaks
PHOTO COURTESY OF NAOMI GLASER

to people who didn’t get to choose their fabric.”

Glaser’s costume-making process also includes
the transition from enslavement to emancipation.
Looking at historic garments that demonstrate
how the owner remade them over time reveals
how women balanced the many pressures of their
lives—the pressure to be appropriate, even re-
spectable; the desire to stay current and to en- Glaser enjoying a spirited game of
gage in the world of fashion using the resources 19th-century croquet in Florida
they had. As Glaser puts it, in exploring and
57
57
FAIR
CH ER
WITH OVER 30 YEARS OF INDELIBLE ACTING PERFORMANCES TO HER NAME
AND A PUBLIC PERSONA AS THE ULTIMATE UNCONVENTIONAL EARTH MAMA,
ALICIA SILVERSTONE IS OUT TO PROVE THAT SHE’S ANYTHING BUT CLUELESS
By Lisa Butterworth
T
HIRTY MINUTES BEFORE we’re sched-
uled to chat by phone (before SAG-AFTRA
joined the WGA strike), Alicia Silverstone
posts a photo of herself on Instagram. The
background is gorgeous—the glistening
waters and lush shores of Italy’s Lake Como.
The dress she’s posing in is stunning—an insanely
voluminous, cotton-candy-colored gown designed by
Christian Siriano (the two are besties, gallivanting
around Italy together while Silverstone’s son is at
sleepaway camp). But it’s the caption that’s so iconic:
“Just another little pink frock I had laying around from
Fred Segal.” It’s a nod to Cher Horowitz—the role that
shot Silverstone to superstardom—and one of the
most-quoted scenes from one of the most-quoted mov-
ies of the ’90s, Clueless.
Silverstone will probably always be best known for
Cher’s wide-eyed naivete (and computerized closet),
but she’s 46 now. She survived the misogynist churn
of ’90s Hollywood by stepping away from the spotlight
and pouring her energy into veganism, environmental
58 . FALL 2023 . BUST
activism, motherhood, and theater instead. Yet lately
she’s come back to our screens in a big way, pursuing
roles that are weird (in 2017’s suspenseful The Killing
of a Sacred Deer), wild (in 2018’s second-wave ’70s
series American Woman), and wonderful (in Netflix’s
The Baby-Sitters Club from 2020 through 2022). Now
we’re reaching peak Aliciassance (yeah, I said it), with
her sweet coming-of-age movie Mustache getting
kudos on the festival circuit and Jennifer Reeder’s
feminist horror flick Perpetrator hitting theaters and
streaming on shudder on September 1. Plus, she’s also
in the new Netflix fall thriller Reptile, which reunites
her with her Excess Baggage love interest Benicio Del
Toro. Cher is a grown-ass woman. And the innocent
gleam in Silverstone’s eyes is now more of a discern-
ing, self-possessed glint.
It’s been 28 years since Clueless came out, but the
pop culture relevancy of Amy Heckerling’s satirical,
Beverly Hills-based take on Jane Austen’s Emma has
barely dimmed. Celebs still give nods to the film’s
legendary fashion (see Margot Robbie’s yellow tweed
 PHOTO BY HEIDI TAPPIS

59 . SPRING 2023 . BUST 59

 skirt suit during the Barbie media blitz); “You’re a vir-
gin who can’t drive” is embedded in the shade lexicon;
and Silverstone’s very first TikTok, which featured her
re-enacting Cher’s famous “Ugh, as if” scene with her
son, Bear, has nearly 57 million views. (Side note, in an-
other TikTok, she schools fans on the correct pronunci-
ation of her name, “Ah-lee-see-yuh.”) Silverstone even
reprised the role in one of this year’s most talked-about
Superbowl ads. “People love [Clueless] so much,” she
says. “It just keeps going and going. It’s classic.”
Silverstone grew up in the Bay Area—raised by her
Scottish mom and London-born dad—and after doing
a bit of modeling was cast as a high schooler obsessed
with her older neighbor in The Crush. Next, she starred
as a rebellious teen in a trio of Aerosmith videos
during MTV’s heyday. (I cannot overstate how much
this flannel-wearing, middle-finger-flipping version
of Silverstone imprinted on us young Gen-Xers and
elder millennials.) That’s how Heckerling discovered
her Cher. And though Silverstone was only 18 at the
time, she was already being put through the wringer. “I
had been working back-to-back projects. By the time I
showed up to Clueless, I was so exhausted, and I didn’t
feel like I could be a kid,” she says. “I remember feeling
very inspired and excited by the character. But I just
didn’t have a social life at all. Paul Rudd was having fun,
and Breckin [Meyer] and Donald [Faison] were having
fun—everybody’s having the time of their lives, and
I was like, ‘This is a job and I’m working.’ But I loved
playing the character, so that was a joy.”
What came after Clueless was less joyful. The ma-
jor profiles written about Silverstone at the time were
shockingly dude-bro. Rolling Stone called her “a kitten-
ish 18-year-old movie star whom lots of men want to
sleep with.” An Entertainment Weekly writer described
her as a “gym locker pinup” with lips “glistening and
upturned like a wedge of tangerine.” She was one of
the youngest women to ever get a studio development
deal with her production company, First Kiss, but peo-
ple didn’t like that either, and the schadenfreude was
palpable when her first release, 1997’s Excess Baggage,
bombed financially. But when I ask her about the on-
slaught of fame in the aftermath of Clueless, and the
way the industry did her dirty, she’s ready to move on.
“I feel like I’ve touched on these things before, so
it’s not super interesting for me to keep going over
it,” she says, brusquely. “I suppose if we were sitting,
drinking wine for hours, then perhaps I could come up
with something of interest, but not stuff I would want
to share here.” I can’t blame her. She’s said a lot. Par-
ticularly about the body shaming she experienced in
the early years of her career—the way paparazzi nick-
named her “fatgirl” when she played Batgirl in 1997’s
Batman & Robin, or when a columnist described her as
“more Babe than babe.”
60 . FALL 2023 . BUST
That’s when she stopped taking such high-profile
roles and focused on things outside of acting, like her
love of animals. At 21, Silverstone could no longer
reconcile the hypocrisy she felt eating them. “I had res-
cued this dog, Sampson, and he was like my boyfriend. I
loved him more than anything. And then I was rubbing
his leg and I thought, Wow, this leg really feels like the
chicken that I just was eating,” she says. “When I made
that connection, I thought, Well, why aren’t I eating my
dog? I’m sure my leg tastes great, too, but I don’t want
anybody to eat it.”
For Silverstone, the impact of going vegan was im-
mediate. After “soothing” stress ulcers with a steady
diet of frozen yogurt while filming Clueless, giving up
animal products made her feel “so alive and healthy,”
but even more so, empowered. “For my generation and
the generations before, women struggled with self-
worth and being able to stand up and say, ‘I need this. I
want this. No, thank you. No, thank you. No, thank you,’”
she says. “When I was able to stand up and say no for
something that I believed in—oh my God, this was so
earth-shattering for me, because now I was standing
strong. And somehow, that gave me words that I didn’t
have before.” She wrote her first book, The Kind Diet, in
2009, launching her platform The Kind Life, about veg-
anism and sustainability, at the same time. In 2013 she
even started a vitamin business, mykind Organics.
But she never totally gave up acting, and a theater
experience reminded her why. “I did a David Mamet
play, and I just couldn’t deny the fact that I loved acting
so much,” she says. “So anything that came with it that
I rejected—all the nonsense and all the hard things—I
was able to remind myself, Oh, but I actually really love
acting.” She began approaching it differently, taking
only projects that truly lit her up—part of the reason
we didn’t see her much for so long. But in the past few
years, that’s changed. And she’s flexing Silverstonian
facets we’ve never seen before.
In Reptile, she’s the wife of Benicio Del Toro’s tor-
tured detective, and like a true murderino, she helps
him suss out the possible suspects in a brutal murder
case. In Perpetrator, she plays the steely Aunt Hildie,
helping her teenage niece Jonny through a mysterious,
supernatural coming of age. Even though it was cut
from the film, there was one particular moment in the
script that hooked her. “There’s this one scene where
Jonny goes into a house and starts stealing stuff,” she
explains. “And when the guy comes home, she has to
hide under the bed. He comes in with this young girl,
and he doesn’t want to have sex with her on the bed
because he doesn’t want to mess up the bed, because
of his wife or something. So he does it on the floor and
the whole thing is so gross. The girls’ eyes lock, because
she’s on the floor and the other one’s under the bed. And
they just both say to each other, ‘Are you OK?’ And they

both say, ‘Yes.’ And to me, that scene really just got me.” Rogan-adjacent conspiracy theorist or an anti-estab-
Something else that’s influenced which projects
she chooses is parenthood. In 2011, Silverstone had
her son, Bear, with her then-husband, musician Chris- out or not, explaining that she’s been working with
topher Jarecki. “Being a mom for me has been the
greatest thing that’s ever happened. I mean, it’s the
deepest love I could ever have,” she says. “I remember
that when he would be on my boob breastfeeding, the
whole world would stop. It was like there was nowhere
I needed to be, nothing I needed to do. My priorities
were able to shift in such a beautiful way where it’s
like, I’m a mom first.”
Silverstone has been very forthcoming about
what some might call her “unconventional” parent-
ing techniques. When she posted a video of herself
“baby-birding” Bear in 2012, passing chewed food
from her mouth to his, it almost broke the internet.
More recently, she incited a rash of judgey headlines
after sharing that the two still co-sleep. When I ask
why she thinks the way she parents rankles people
so intensely, she segues into a much larger cultural
conversation. “I think that Americans in general are
so disconnected from themselves, from love. I think
it’s an epidemic,” she says. “We’ve made everything
so convenient. There’s a pill for this, and a pill for
that, and a coffee for this—there’s an outside-yourself
solution to everything that doesn’t work, but they just
keep doing it. And it’s very profitable.” She points to
the way pregnancy was pathologized, the “witch hunt
PHOTO BY HEIDI TAPPIS
against midwives,” and how women have been told
for decades that the only safe place to give birth is in
hospitals. “It’s just not accurate at all,” she continues.
“There are all these narratives that we get fed. That’s
why I don’t trust any of it. You have to dig deeper. I love ask if she’s OK, it seems that now her answer would
good doctors. I love science, I really do, but I appreci-
ate when science is actually upheld and
not manipulated and given a narrative.
With all the things that I do in terms of
taking care of my baby, it just depends on
the flavor of that day. Sometimes people
are OK with it and sometimes they aren’t.
Everything I do comes from love and na-
ture and research.”
Not trusting the narratives is part
of what’s made her a lightning rod for
online criticism when it comes to her
political stances as well. After endorsing
Bernie Sanders in 2016, her frustration
with the system took its toll. In June she
announced she was no longer registered
as a Democrat but as an independent
voter, while simultaneously declaring
her support of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.,
a Democratic presidential candidate,
who, depending on where you fall on
the spectrum, is either a dangerous, Joe
lishment, non-corporate-shilling leader. Silverstone
believes the latter, whether people want to hear her
Kennedy for years on environmental issues. “I want
a kind and just country that I can be proud of, and
neither party represents me. They all want us divided
and distracted by all these little things so that they
can continue to be corrupt. And that is what I’ve been
woken up to in a massive way,” she says. “I don’t want
to keep picking the best of the worst. Everyone’s like,
‘Oh, there’s these two terrible options. Which one’s the
least harmful?’ Enough of that.”
What about the fact that many members of the
LGBTQIA+ community oppose Kennedy’s rhetoric
suggesting environmental pollution is causing kids to
become gay or transgender? “All of my friends are gay,
and I have many trans friends, and none of them are
upset in real life,” she says, reproaching our culture’s
general lack of nuanced discourse. “I think the main
thing is that people are not actually doing research.
They just hear something and latch onto it. If you want
to understand something, you can’t just look it up on
Instagram. You can’t just watch CNN or read The New
York Times. You’re not going to come up with a nonbi-
ased, non-paid-for point of view. You have to go way
deeper,” she says. “I love everyone. I believe that we all
want the same things. We all want to love our children,
to have a healthy, clean place to live, and we want to
have freedom, all of us.”
At this point in her life, Silverstone has become
accustomed to media scrutiny and the judgment of
strangers. But if I were able to look her in the eyes and
certainly be, “Yes.”
61
 UNITE
CONQUER
AND

If things at your 9 to 5 are all takin’ and no givin’, maybe it’s time to form a union. This
guide, written by an experienced organizer, explains how to reclaim your power, stand
up for your rights, and shape a future where workers’ voices are heard
BY ERIKA W. SMITH

62 . FALL 2023 . BUST

L
ET ME TELL you, there’s nothing like calling out
your employer at a union rally. Standing outside
the 46-floor building that is Hearst Tower, dozens
of union members from Hearst brands including
Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and my workplace, Cosmo-
politan, came together to tell our bosses that enough was
enough—we were done waiting. After almost two years of
bargaining, it was time to put the pressure on: We needed a
fair contract, and now.
It took another six months of bargaining, a walkout, a
strike pledge, and countless hours of negotiating the con-
tract word-by-word before it was done. But in May 2023,
we finally ratified Hearst Media’s first-ever union contract,
with an overwhelming majority of our over-500-person-
strong union voting yes. My favorite parts of our sparkly
new contract include a $60K salary floor for union members
working in New York City and California, and a $55,800
salary floor for those working in other places (a huge differ-
ence from previous starting salaries, which were as low as
$45K); a six-week minimum severance (up from zero); and
just cause protections from arbitrary firings.
I’ve now been a member of two separate bargaining
teams for newly formed media unions negotiating their
first contracts—first Refinery29 and then Hearst Media.
But media isn’t the only industry that has seen a huge wave
of unionization in the past few years. While some careers,
like teaching and nursing, have a long history of unions, the
labor movement is spreading, and fast. Starbucks baristas,
Amazon workers, HarperCollins employees, Trader Joe’s
workers, strippers, bartenders, even the knights at Medieval
Times—they’re all forming unions.
And statistics show that not only are more workers
forming unions, others are also cheering them on: The Na-
tional Labor Relations Board (NLRB) saw a 57 percent in-
crease in union election petitions between 2021 and 2022,
and according to a Gallup poll, 2022 saw the highest level of
public support for unions since 1965.
WHY UNIONIZE?
Unions are a way for workers to have a voice at their work-
places, rather than letting management do whatever they
want. When you form a union, you and your coworkers work
together to collectively bargain for increased wages, better
benefits, and worker protections. And although forming
a union can be a multiyear project, the results can make a
huge difference in people’s lives. According to the Depart-
ment of Labor, nonunion workers earn just 85 percent of
what unionized workers earn, and forming a union can help
close gender and racial pay gaps by increasing salary trans-
parency and setting minimum salaries by title.
In the U.S. about 12 percent of the workforce is in a
union, but many more are eligible to form one. The National
Labor Relations Act (NLRA) covers most private-sector
employees (whether part-time or full-time, but not inde-
pendent contractors). However, some industries are exclud-
ed, such as agricultural laborers, domestic service workers,
and railroad and airline workers. This act also means that
engaging in “concerted activity” with fellow employees is
protected under the law, and you legally can’t be retaliated
against by your employers. This includes forming a union,
but also nonunion activity such as talking about your salary
or discussing workplace safety concerns.
There aren’t any restrictions on how big a company
needs to be in order for its employees to unionize—accord-
ing to the NLRA, a union need only consist of “two or more
employees who share a community of interest.”
HOW TO FORM A UNION
By now you might be thinking, “OK, sounds great, but how?”
I’ll be the first to admit that unionizing your workplace is
not a quick or easy task. The Hearst Union began organizing
back in 2018, and we didn’t ratify our first contract until
2023, making it a five-year process. (This is longer than
average because Hearst is more anti-union than average.
You’ve seen Newsies, right?) But in my opinion, all the hard
work is worth it. Because you know what’s even better than
calling out your employer at a rally? Telling your coworker
they just got an $8,000 raise.
So, here’s how to form a union.
Start Talking To Your Coworkers
Maybe you’ve seen management boasting about the com-
pany’s record profits while your boss tells you that no, the
company can’t afford to give you a raise. Perhaps you have
colleagues who are in a union and making more than you
are for the same position. Or maybe you just know that, ac-
cording to the rules of capitalism, if a company can exploit
you, they will. Whatever the reason, if there’s something
you’re not happy with at your job—like low wages, lack of
raises and promotions, long hours with no overtime pay
or comp time, or dangerous working conditions—odds are
your coworkers aren’t happy with it either. So, start talking
with them about the things that need to improve at your
workplace, and ask what they think about forming a union
to achieve those changes.
Be sure to keep these convos private—don’t Slack your
coworker, “Hey, want to form a union? : )” or discuss union-
izing in front of your supervisor. As a general rule, don’t
trust any communication method provided by your employ-
er. Instead, try to have conversations in person or over the
phone rather than over text, and outside of the workplace,
too—like taking a walk with a coworker during your lunch
break or planning a phone call after work. (Yes, I know you
hate talking on the phone instead of texting; do it anyway.
People will be more open if there’s no paper trail.)
63
Contact A Union Organizer
Once you and some of your coworkers know you’re interested
in forming a union, you need to decide if you want to join an
already-existing union. If there are unions in your field, you
can benefit from working with organizers who already know
your industry well. (For example, Hearst Union teamed up
with BDG Union for several meetings because we were both
bargaining our first contract.) Sometimes there are clear op-
tions. In the media, most unionized shops are part of either
the Writers Guild of America East or NewsGuild. UPS work-
ers join the Teamsters Union, which represents package car
drivers, loaders and unloaders, and many others across the
U.S. and Canada. Starbucks workers organized with Workers
United, which represents food service, hospitality, and other
workers across the U.S. and Canada. Many union organizations
have a “Contact us” form on their website. Fill one out and an
organizer will be in touch (give them your personal email, not
your work email).
As management hears
rumors that you’re
thinking of unionizing,
prepare for pushback.
For workers in industries that aren’t widely or historically
unionized, this might require some creative thinking. For ex-
ample, the Star Garden Strippers Union at Star Garden Top-
less Dive Bar in North Hollywood decided to organize with the
Actors’ Equity Association, and some graduate student unions
are organized through the United Auto Workers union.
Other unions choose to organize independently. Some are
huge and contain many smaller chapters, like the Amazon Labor
Union, while others consist of workers at a single company.
Form An Organizing Committee
Next, it’s time to put together an organizing committee. This
small group of committed workers volunteers to lead the ef-
forts to get everyone informed and involved with the process
of forming a union. The members should represent the wider
workplace—including workers from different divisions of the
company and people of different genders, races, sexualities,
disability status, parental status, etc. The exact responsibil-
ities of this group will vary depending on the specific union,
but commonly involve holding meetings to keep everyone
in the loop about how many folks are interested in forming
a union, against it, or undecided; asking others what their
biggest issues with the workplace are; drafting talking points;
and staying alert for union-busting tactics from management.
(More on that in a minute.)
Sign Your Union Cards
Workers who are interested in forming a union can sign
“union cards”—and part of the organizing committee’s job is
64 . FALL 2023 . BUST
asking others to do this. This isn’t always a literal card; it’s
2023, so your “union card” might be a Google form with a sim-
ple statement saying that yes, you would like to join a union,
and signing your name. These names will be shown to man-
agement, so it can take time—and many conversations, meet-
ings, and discussions—before enough people are ready to take
this step. The organizing committee can remind people that
these actions can’t legally be retaliated against if they encoun-
ter resistance. Although you technically only need 30 percent
of the workforce to sign cards before contacting the National
Labor Relations Board (NLRB), you should wait until a large
majority of workers—the more, the better—sign union cards
before informing management of your intent to form a union.
Prepare For Union-Busting
As management hears rumors that you’re thinking of union-
izing, prepare for pushback. It helps to be familiar with
common union-busting talking points—like that the union
is a “third party” coming in to slow things down (it’s not; a
union is the workers) or your workplace is your “family” (it’s
not; your mom can’t lay you off and make you sign a nondis-
closure agreement to get severance). Be warned: In majori-
ty-women workplaces like Cosmopolitan, union-busting can
take on a nasty, gendered tone, in which older, white, male
CEOs scold and talk down to their lower-paid female em-
ployees. Naming these tactics with each other can help with
the fear and frustration.
Declare Your Intent To Form A Union
Got those union cards signed? Good. Now it’s time to tell man-
agement of your intent to unionize. You’ll also need to contact
the NLRB.
From here, you have two pathways to forming a union—
and they depend in part on how much union-busting your
employer tries to do.
If Management Voluntarily Recognizes Your Union…
If you can show management that over 50 percent of workers
want to form a union, management has the choice to volun-
tarily recognize the union. This means that the bargaining
process will begin sooner than it would otherwise, and the
relationship between management and the workers will prob-
ably be less negative. Voluntary recognition is becoming more
common, but it’s not a sure thing. In my own union experi-
ence, management at Refinery29 voluntarily recognized the
union, but at Hearst, they did not.
If Your Employer Doesn’t Voluntarily Recognize
Your Union…
If management does not recognize the union, you’ll need to file
an election petition with the NLRB, who will then mail a bal-
lot out to every union-eligible worker. If over 50 percent of the
workforce votes “yes,” you then have a union.
Sounds simple, right? In theory, it is, but in practice, there
can be many months between declaring a union and actual-
ly holding an election, and management will likely do their
best to stall the process. Hearst Union declared an intent to
unionize in December 2019 and wasn’t able to hold a formal

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIKA W. SMITH
The author, keeping it real
election until July 2020. (Of course, the pandemic didn’t
help.) But in the end, workers voted nearly three to one to
form a union.
Yay, You Have A Union! Now What?
Forming a union is hard work, and the work doesn’t end
with the election. You now move into a new stage: bargain-
ing the contract.
Form A Bargaining Committee
Just like the organizing committee, the bargaining com-
mittee should represent the workforce as a whole. They
are responsible for writing the contract (based on survey
responses, below) and attending bargaining sessions with
representatives from management. They’re also responsi-
ble for onboarding new members, sharing updates with the
union as a whole, communicating to the press, and posting
on social media.
Survey Your Coworkers
Here’s how the bargaining committee can find out what
issues are most important to union members. They might
ask whether workers want to have the option to work from
home, and if that’s more important to them than other is-
sues, like getting more vacation days. The survey can help
the bargaining committee understand what most people’s
highest priorities are.
Write And Negotiate The Contract
Once they have this information, the bargaining commit-
tee writes and negotiates the contract, piece by piece. Just
like salary negotiation, the bargaining committee should
ask for more than the union would be willing to settle for
and expect to meet somewhere in the middle. Generally,
the noneconomic parts of the contract, such as workplace
safety concerns, are negotiated before the economic parts
of the contract, like minimum salaries by title. In the Hearst
Media Union, we looked at other media industry unions for
inspiration on what to include in the contract and what to
ask for. Learning about general industry norms for salaries,
vacation time, and workplace safety conditions can help,
too, so reach out to friends at peer companies.
If You Need To, Start Putting On The Pressure
While “negotiate the contract” is a simple sentence, it’s
not an easy process—especially if management crosses out
most of what you’ve put in the contract rather than engaging
in negotiation. Bargaining a first contract takes, on average,
over a year; at Hearst, it was over two years. If it’s taking too
long, it’s the union’s job to speed it up. There are a number
of ways for unions to put pressure on management, starting
with smaller actions, like posting on social media, wearing
union T-shirts to work, signing a petition, and escalating all
the way up to a one-day walkout or strike. A strike is really
a last resort—before that, you might undertake actions like
holding a rally outside of work hours or enacting a one-day
walkout. Escalation shows management that there is wide-
spread support for the union, and it can get those negotia-
tions into gear.
Ratify The Contract
Once the bargaining committee has the best deal they feel
they can get, they vote to recommend the contract to the
union as a whole. Then the union votes to ratify it. After a
majority of the union has voted “yes,” it’s time to ratify the
contract—and you likely now have higher wages and better
benefits in effect.
Enforce The Contract
It would be nice if ratifying the contract meant you could
kick back and relax, but now you have to enforce it. Which
means it’s time for another new committee! The union as a
whole elects a labor-management committee, which meets
with representatives from management periodically to
make sure the contract is being followed and also brings up
any new concerns. Your union might decide to form other
committees as well, such as a diversity committee dedicat-
ed to promoting equitable hiring practices or an onboarding
committee that welcomes new hires to the union.
Renegotiate The Contract
Union contracts cover a set period of time, often three or
four years. And when that time is nearing its end, it’s time
to renegotiate the contract. But this time you aren’t starting
from scratch, because you have your first contract to work
with. This process means that often, a union is able to get
better terms for the second contract than the first contract,
such as more severance or higher minimum wages. When
the time comes, the union will elect a new bargaining com-
mittee and go back to the bargaining table. It’s the labor
cycle of life!
65
ORCHID SATELLITE FROM LOS ANGELES , CA
 FIELD DAY!
This past July, John Waters hosted a music fest in Oakland, CA,
called Mosswood Meltdown that featured an incredible lineup of fem-
inist faves, including Le Tigre, Bratmobile, Gravy Train!!!!, ESG, and
more. We knew all the cool kids would be there wearing epic outfits,
so we sent photographer Pat Mazzera into the fray to capture the
very best costumes for the day

BAYLEY VAN FROM OAKLAND, CA

67
(LEFT) KATIE LOUGHNEY AND (RIGHT) ANGEL PERSAILS
FROM SAN FRANCISCO, CA
 ABOVE: BRETCHEN TOWERS FROM SAN FRANCISCO, CA

LEFT: AMELIA HART FROM PORTLAND, OR

69 . SPRING 2023 . BUST 69

 LEFT: AMBER STEWART FROM KANSAS
CITY, MO

BELOW: (LEFT) CHEYENNE DELOSREYES

FROM ANAHEIM, CA, (RIGHT) JAZMINE
PANIAGUA FROM BUENA PARK, CA

70 . FALL 2023 . BUST

RIGHT: LIDA FOX FROM NEW YORK, NY

BELOW: SARAH ROSE BRANHAM FROM

SAN DIEGO, CA

71
 BLOSSOM DREARIE FROM PORTLAND, OR

72 . FALL 2023 . BUST

ABOVE: HEX, CITY WITHHELD

RIGHT: (LEFT) SKY BARTOW FROM

OAKLAND, CA, (RIGHT) PEYTON OLLER
FROM PHILADELPHIA, PA

73
74 . FALL 2023 . BUST
 LEFT: SERGIO MANUEL FROM SAN
FRANCISCO, CA

BELOW: LUCI BROOM FROM NEW

ORLEANS, LA

OPPOSITE PAGE:

TOP: (LEFT) MOLLY NEUMAN AND (RIGHT) ALLISON

WOLFE FROM THE BAND BRATMOBILE, BOTH FROM
LOS ANGELES, CA ON ANJIA: AANOUKIS SWIMSUIT;
GORJANA NECKLACE.

BOTTOM RIGHT: HEATHER LOOP FROM ELMA, WA

BOTTOM LEFT: LISA ARREDONDO FROM FONTANA, CA 75

 NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL SUPERCHUNK
The Collected Works of Misfits and Mistakes
Neutral Milk Hotel Singles, B-sides & Strays 2007—2023

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER THE MOUNTAIN GOATS

Jump for Joy Jenny from Thebes

A GIANT DOG M(H)AOL

Bite Attachment Styles

Independent music since 1989 Find music, gear, and more at mergerecords.com
 W
NE S

S
R
EV
IE W

Music
STAFF
PICK

JENN CHAMPION SOUND

The Last Night of Sadness BITES
(Gay Forever)
JENN CHAMPION’S FRIEND suggested her latest record—her sixth solo album, and most personal to
date—come with an “existential dread” warning. You quickly understand why she obliged; her mortality,
1
and everyone else’s, is top of mind. BEVERLY GLENN-
On the hypnotic “Graves,” she sings about “walking that thin line between living and hoping we’re dy- COPELAND
ing,” and questions whether she’s living each day to the fullest on the GAF dance anthem “Millionaires.” The singer, composer,
She delves into the self-destructive nature of addiction on pensive synth track “28” before grappling and transgender activist
with survivor’s guilt on the achingly vulnerable ballad “Jessica.” For all the doom-and-gloom bops (“Good released his seventh al-
News, Bad News” is a feels-good-to-feel-so-bad standout), contemplative closer “Happy Birthday” offers bum, The Ones Ahead, in
a bit of unexpected hope amid never-ending chaos: “Hey, look at you, you didn’t die/Made it through July, and announced Oc-
another 365.” The Last Night of Sadness makes the act of surviving sound like something worth celebrat- tober tour dates.
ing. –SHANNON CARLIN

2
COURTNEY BARNETT
The Australian musician
is set to release End of
ANJIMILE The Day, her first instru-
The King mental album, in Sep-
(4AD) tember on Mom + Pop.
JENN CHAMPION PHOTO: JIMMY BAZAN

You don’t just hear The King, you experience The King. Fearless and
haunting, Anjimile follows his debut, 2020’s lauded Giver Taker, by boldly
veering from the light. Dappled by nimble finger-picking and euphoric
chorales, there’s a bigness to this album—remarkable considering
3
it’s composed almost solely of Anjimile’s voice and an acoustic guitar. OLIVIA RODRIGO
The power and emotion from his unflinching verity of what it means to be The Grammy-winning
a Black and trans person in a country of racial unrest expand it further still. The King is a tour de force. If pop star’s second album,
the title track somehow doesn’t give you goosebumps, keep going. –CARLEE MCMANUS GUTS, will come out on
Geffen Records
in September.
77
 THE BUST GUIDE / MUSIC

BLONDE
REDHEAD
Sit Down for Dinner
(section1)
Kazu Makino and Amedeo and
Simone Pace have always been
masters of mesmerizing art
rock. Sit Down for Dinner, which
comes out nine years after their
last release, shows a slower,
softer, and more subdued side
of the trio. On the two-part title
track, Makino’s whispy vocals
address forgotten family rituals
and the precariousness of life
over sparse piano and ambient
arrangements, swiftly picking
up tempo in the second half.
“If” continues this dichotomy
with existential reflections sung
over bouncy bossa nova beats.
Though they went in a more
dialed-down direction on this
album, it still exudes the uncon-
ventional sensibilities, melodies,
and rhythms that make up their
signature sound. –CINDY YOGMAS
CHAI
Chai
(Sub Pop)
Chai’s self-titled fourth album
is a celebration of the Japanese
band’s identity and the music
that inspires them. Specifically,
the bilingual foursome pays
tribute to the 1970s Tokyo-born
“city pop” music genre, which
borrows from jazz, boogie,
funk, and soft rock. “Matcha”
is a slinky, synthy meditation
on teatime being me time.
The inclusive riot grrrl anthem
“We the Female!” pokes fun at BETHANY COSENTINO
prescribed gender roles; the Natural Disaster
self-love message of psyche- (Concord Records)
delic freakout “Neo Kawaii, K?” On her solo debut, the Best Coast founder tackles love—self and
rivals Lady Gaga’s “Born This romantic—in the time of climate change. She’s looking for miracles
Way”: “This is just my body, not amid wildfires on raucous alt-country-fried opener “Calling On Angels,”
a trendy body/Gonna be loved, preaching YOLO optimism to combat climate doomism on the rocking
baby!/Just as I am.” title track, channeling Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt on romantic piano
–SHANNON CARLIN ballad “I’ve Got News for You,” and finding personal growth while the
world burns on the roll-your-windows-down rocker “My Own City.”
“Easy,” her first self-declared “healthy” love song, is about a transfor-
mative romance that makes the world seem less scary. Despite her
fears, there’s nothing cheesy about that. –SHANNON CARLIN

GLASSER
Crux
(One Little Independent)
A collection of surprising juxtapositions, Crux is an understated work that
gradually reveals its complexity. This album is Glasser’s first in a decade
and she has learned some new vocal techniques since 2013; the effect at
times heavily references Björk—tracks like “Vine” and “Mass Love” sound
like something straight out of Vespertine. The album works best when
Glasser incorporates unexpected instruments to the mix to add a warmer,
human element. Amidst the minimalist electronica, standouts such as
“Knave” (steel guitar), “Thick Waltz” (piano), and “Clipt” (fiddle and flute)
contain surprising combinations of digital and analog sounds that keep
things interesting. –SARAH C. JONES

78 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 PJ HARVEY
I Inside the Old Year Dying
(Partisan Records)
PJ Harvey has just dropped the “sad girl autumn” album
of our dreams with I Inside the Old Year Dying. The English
singer/songwriter once again proves her musical abilities
are as magnificent as her skills as a poet. Tracks such as
“A Child’s Question, August” and “A Noiseless Noise” are
accompanied with epic instrumentals worthy of a hero’s
journey, while songs such as “Autumn Term” and “Seem an
I” include moments that are reminiscent of the best ’70s
rock music. Fans of artists like Joni Mitchell, and really
anyone who appreciates stellar lyricism, will surely find one
of their new favorite albums in I Inside the Old Year Dying.
–EMILY LAULETTA

JANELLE MONÁE PRETENDERS

The Age of Pleasure
(Atlantic)
With The Age of Pleasure,
Janelle Monáe—the world’s
favorite ArchAndroid—has
ditched their spaceship in
favor of a Caribbean beach-
front cabana. Monáe steps off
strong with the spoken word/
rap “Float,” reestablishing
themselves as an artist and
a stronger, more confident
MITSKI individual. “Only Have Eyes
The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We 42” delivers easy reggae tinged
(Dead Oceans) with cinematic charm, while
Mitski fans thought their hero was on the verge of retirement as recently “Lipstick Lover” is a cheeky
as 2019, but thankfully, things have changed. She’s now released romp that leaves a palpable,
two incredible albums in less than two years: 2022’s Laurel Hell, and cherry-gloss impression. Chock
her latest, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We. Where the former full of breezy, sunset-tinged
channeled ’80s-inspired electropop, The Land turns its eye toward tunes, this is a film as much
folk and country. Mitski has called it her “most American record,” and as it’s an album, waxing into
she’s not wrong. The distinctive twang of pedal steel is laced through- the night with the gentle wave
out songs like “I Don’t Like My Mind,” while a lone violin adds a hint of ripples of “The Rush” and “A
mourning to “The Deal.” This is Mitski, though, so there’s still a touch of Dry Red”—you can almost see
the sublime—a 17-person choir anchors the album opener, and a full the lovers scatter as the last
orchestra pops up on “Heaven.” –ELIZA THOMPSON candle wanes. –CAMILLE COLLINS
Relentless
(Warner Music)
The Pretenders are back with
their 12th album, Relentless,
served up by singer/song-
writer/musician/frontwoman/all-
around dynamo Chrissie Hynde
with a bravado she’s been cul-
tivating since the band formed
in 1978. The opener, “Losing
My Sense of Taste," tears it up
immediately with punk-rock
fervor; tracks like “A Love,” “Let
the Sun Come in,” and “Vain-
glorious” deliver the signature
Pretenders jangle-meets-slash
guitar sound that never grows
tired. “The Copa,” “Look Away,”
and “Your House Is on Fire” take
a softer approach, with Hynde’s
unmistakable voice and intro-
spective lyrics in the forefront.
Two tracks featuring piano, “The
Promise of Love” and “I Think
About You Daily,” round out
this eclectic musical collection
perfectly. –MICHAEL LEVINE

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 THE BUST GUIDE / MUSIC

SHAMIR
Homo Anxietatem
(Kill Rock Stars)
Genre-wise, it’s been impossible to pin down Shamir since he burst on the
scene with the indie-pop hit “On the Regular,” and Homo Anxietatem glee-
fully continues that tradition. After dabbling in industrial sounds on 2022’s
Heterosexuality, Shamir goes full alt-rock on his new album (the title of which
translates to “anxious man”). Opener “Oversized Sweater” is a guitar-driven
ode to the handknit top he made himself during the lockdowns of 2020, while
“Obsession” explores the tension between ambition and inertia. “I’m in combat
with my brain,” Shamir sings on the LP’s bluesy finale, delivering a motto
that should be relatable for anyone struggling to keep pressing onward in an
increasingly unhinged world. –ELIZA THOMPSON

SPEEDY ORTIZ VAGABON

Rabbit Rabbit
(Wax Nine)
Rabbit Rabbit is a tale of cycles.
Named after a monthly incanta-
tion, this fourth album finds
songwriter Sadie Dupuis using
the band’s signature acerbic wit
and fuzzed-out hooks to inter-
rogate all manner of repetition:
from the circular dynamics of
power and violence to the very
nature of a Speedy Ortiz song it-
self. On its face, Rabbit Rabbit is
classic Speedy—playful, hooky,
inflected with ’90s power-
pop—but each song unwraps
some new surprise, building and
breaking into sudden singalong
choruses and intricate, angular
breakdowns. It’s an evolution
that looks both forward and
back—and will excite Speedy
Ortiz superfans and newcomers
alike. –MOLLIE WELLS
Sorry I Haven’t Called
(Nonesuch)
It’s not often that a record
conjures instant euphoria, but
Sorry I Haven’t Called is like
balm to the spirit from the very
first chord. This club-tinged
(but still chill) soundscape
from songwriter and multi-
instrumentalist Laetitia Tamko
uncovers joy in every detail:
the soothing flow of an ambi-
ent synth (“Autobahn”), the
Panorama Bar groove of a
warehouse kick (“You Know
How”), and even the most raw
and laid-bare lyrics (“Passing
Me By”). Tamko has one foot
in the rave and another in a
quiet bedroom here, balancing
her vibrant production with
poetic, conversational inti-
macy. This one is pure beauty.
–MOLLIE WELLS

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 INTERVIEW

Louise Post Is
Wide Awake
VERUCA SALT’S LEGENDARY
FRONTWOMAN IS ADJUSTING
TO LIFE AS A SOLO ARTIST

TWO THOUSAND, THREE hundred, and thirty-nine. That is the

exact number of voice notes that Louise Post has sitting in her
phone—fragments of songs and melodies that are waiting to
become full-fledged future hits. Sometimes the songs will hit her
in her sleep, almost like a fever dream. “I keep my phone by my
bedside,” she explains, “so if I wake up in the middle of the night,
I can sing my song into a voice memo.” Her love affair with words
started at age seven when she began writing poetry. By the time
she reached college, she’d learned her first two chords on a guitar
a friend lent her. That’s when the lyrics started hitting her in her
sleep, and after a failed relationship with a musician, she found
her own magic. “I realized that all the passion, all the artistry,
the skill, and the heart of it was all within me,” she says. “I didn’t
need to look for it elsewhere. I think that’s when I really became a
songwriter…and just claimed it.”
For nearly three decades, Post has remained a part of our
collective cultural landscape as co-frontwoman of the leg-
endary Veruca Salt, alongside Nina Gordon. The group has
soundtracked so many of our lives, with hits like “Seether” and what made Veruca Salt so magical. But on Post’s solo debut, she enters
“Volcano Girls,” amassing a catalog that continues to be rediscovered some deeply personal territory all her own. The first song on the album,
by the next generation of anthemic rock fans who love layered tracks “Queen of the Pirates,” is inspired by her niece who lives with muscular
dystrophy, set to the backdrop of the story of the
first female pirate in history. Post has always been
a master of beautiful metaphors, though here she
“I’ve always written songs that were from my heart, paints her pictures more seamlessly. “I’ve always
written songs that were from my heart, but this
but this feels like the next level of self-acceptance feels like the next level of self-acceptance and lov-
ing myself,” she adds. “The record definitely feels
and loving myself.” like it was urgently insisting on being made.”
While there may never be a definitive end to
Veruca Salt (nor should there be), Post is com-
that embody both badassness and boldness. The stakes have changed ing into her own, on her own. “I think that in some ways this process
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ORIEL, CO.

now for Post, however. With her first solo debut album, Sleepwalker,
she delivers an unbridled level of honesty and vulnerability—arguably
the kind that can only come from standing alone. That’s not without
some side effects, though.
“I have had moments where I’ve texted Nina and said, ‘Oh my God,
I have a photo shoot tomorrow without you. I’m freaking out,’” Post
says. “And that’s how I’ve felt during this whole process, like, Where’s
my right hand?” The undeniable chemistry between Gordon and Post is
did set me free, as unnerving as it was at times,” she says in earnest.
“I have moments of feeling liberated from a dynamic—as much as I
love it—that has defined me to some degree up to this point. The idea
of having a catalogue of work for Veruca Salt has always been so im-
portant to me, and it still is. But it’s now a pretty significant one, and I
don’t think that’s my job anymore. My only job is to be true to myself
and to be of service in whatever way I can—to humbly be there for
other people.” –kathy iandoli

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BRUTALITIES:
A Love Story
By Margo Steines
(W.W. Norton & Company)
In Brutalities: A Love Story, the debut
memoir by Margo Steines, the author
punishes herself continuously for her
mistakes, laying bare her flaws and expos-
ing the consequences of them, despite
her near-constant hypervigilance. “Lazy,
lazy, lazy,” writes Steines in a chapter on exercise addiction. “I heard
this chorus in my head at most times of the day if I tuned in to that
channel, breaking through the static to catch it like you can catch
good college radio stations in between the dials, hidden between
alt-country and the Jesus station, just peeking through.”
There are many profound takeaways from this memoir, a braid-
ed tale of past and present that spans Steines’ days as a professional
dominatrix, a homestead farmer, a welder, an MMA fighter, and an
expectant mother—each page a measurement of the author’s ability
to withstand force, pain, and change. It’s one hell of a read, and well
worth every page. –robyn smith
PICK
CLASS: A Memoir of
Motherhood, Hunger, and
Higher Education
By Stephanie Land
(Atria/One Signal Publishers)
In Stephanie Land’s second memoir,
she picks up where Maid left off, again
plumbing her experience as a single
mother struggling to raise a daughter
while cleaning houses for low wages. In Class, Land realizes her
dream of attending college and pursuing an English degree. She is
mired down, however, with trying to support herself and her daugh-
ter while also keeping up with her studies. Adding further weight
to her burden is her abusive ex-partner, who balks at paying child
support and cancels visits with their kid.
Through clear, inviting prose, Land vividly captures the realities
of being a student and parent living in poverty while surrounded by
condescending professors and college kids who cannot begin to un-
derstand her. She raises important questions about who has access
to a higher education and who can pursue a creative profession,
showing how class greatly impacts the paths open to you in life. Even
with the odds stacked against her, Land manages to graduate and
pursue a writing career. Her story is a compelling indictment of both
the American educational system and the larger systems that kept
her trapped for so long. –adrienne urbanski
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LIT
BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE: A Novel
By Anna Biller
(Verso)
A lonely and introverted writer long overshadowed by
her beautiful sister, Judith believes she has entered a
fairy-tale romance with Gavin, the handsome baron-to-
be who has romanced, “ravished,” love-bombed, and
married her in short order, giving her the chance to blos-
som as a glamour girl. But the lines between fairy tale
and horror story are illusory at best, particularly under
patriarchy, and soon, Gavin’s erratic, manipulative, con-
trolling, and potentially murderous sides emerge. Judith
starts to wonder if she has married a character from one
of her gothic novels, possibly even a Bluebeard.
Author Anna Biller has already proven herself a mas-
ter of this pulpy genre as the auteur of such cult films
as The Love Witch and Viva, and here, she flexes her
mastery of pastiche, vividly sumptuous detail, and the
subversion of classic female archetypes. In this, her first
novel, a tale that begins in the style of a gothic romance
turns legitimately terrifying, rooted in the all-too-real
fear of sociopathic male violence. The original Bluebeard
myth has long been a cautionary tale, warning young
women of the dangers of curiosity—sexual and other-
wise—and defiance. Biller brings out the much more
simple, chilling truth: “Women are murdered because
they find themselves in the vicinity of a murderer.”
–rufus hickok
83
THE BUST GUIDE / BOOKS
A DARKER SHADE OF
NOIR: New Stories of Body
Horror by Women Writers
Edited by Joyce Carol Oates
(Akashic Books)
Sure, we all aspire to “love the skin we’re
in,” but let’s face it: bodies can be unruly,
embarrassing, foul-smelling, troublesome,
gross, and even a little monstrous. Cer-
tainly, the powers that be now live in full-
time panic about bodies they can’t control,
ostracize, or regulate. So it’s fitting to see a collection of women writers
inspiring new visions of body horror in their trembling readers.
From Tananarive Due’s unnerving tale of a grieving granddaughter
who can’t stop dancing to Margaret Atwood’s amusing story of a snail
reincarnated into the adult body of a bank service representative; from
Lisa Tuttle’s startlingly literal mashup of the red states’ dual obsession
with guns and pregnancy to Sheila Kohler’s sexy/gross take on the
Bride of Frankenstein—these 15 stories evoke all of the weird ways
in which strange bodies can make us shiver and heave. And some
selections, like Joanna Margaret’s horrifying tale of a parasitic twin and
artistic muse or Joyce Carol Oates’ all-too-real account of the tortures
asylums once doled out to cure women of “hysteria,” will burrow under
your skin and live forever in your darkest dreams. –RUFUS HICKOK
THE FRAUD: A Novel
By Zadie Smith
(Penguin Press)
Zadie Smith’s new work of histori-
cal fiction, The Fraud, takes place in
Victorian London, where housekeeper
Mrs. Touchet lives with her cousin, a
once-famous writer. It is a time when all
of England is captivated by the Tichborne
Trial, a case in which a butcher from
Australia is attempting to prove that he is the long-lost heir to a huge
estate. Touchet absorbs herself in the trial and develops a relation-
ship with the star witness, Mr. Bogle, a man who grew up enslaved in
Jamaica and is accustomed to seeing the white and wealthy people
around him using false narratives to their advantage.
Smith tells their intertwining stories as they twist between differ-
ent social classes and across national boundaries. Used to being a
wallflower, Touchet sees the people around her for who they truly
are. But more importantly, she also starts to see who they are trying
to portray. She suspects her cousin and Bogle of not being authen-
tic, and through the lens of the trial, she starts to see the world for
what it really is. Because aren’t we all frauds in one way or another?
–ROSEMARIE LUNDGAARD
84 . FALL 2023 . BUST
DEATH VALLEY: A Novel
By Melissa Broder
(Scribner)
Prepare to feel parched and pulled apart
by Melissa Broder’s latest novel, Death
Valley, which opens with an unnamed
woman fleeing her dying father and sick
husband for a Best Western in the desert.
She claims she has escaped to work on
her novel. Really, though, the trip is an
impulsive attempt to take a break from
the tender emptiness so often associated with being completely con-
sumed by death. When the receptionist recommends a nearby hike
one afternoon, she soon realizes that her desert venture isn’t going
to provide any reprieve. Because along the trail is a giant cactus with
an opening that beckons her to enter. Inside the cactus, in the heat
of the Mojave, is a psychedelic exploration of grief, death, and long-
term illness in all its forms.
This may be Broder’s most intimate novel yet, but readers can
certainly expect to find her signature humor within the larger
existential conversation. Death Valley is a scorching story of survival
that refreshingly captures how grief can, at the same time, feel both
utterly ordinary and completely unbearable. Broder has written a
moving, poetic portrait of loss. –SAMANTHA LADWIG
SING A BLACK GIRL’S
SONG: The Unpublished
Works of Ntozake Shange
By Ntozake Shange, edited by
Imani Perri
(Hachette Book Group)
Edited by Imani Perri and featuring a
beautiful forward by activist and founder
of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke,
Sing a Black Girl’s Song: The Unpub-
lished Work of Ntozake Shange sheds new light on one of the most
important Black feminist writers of all time. Best known for her
groundbreaking theatrical work, most notably the 1976 musical for
colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf,
Shange also penned poems and novels, and this new collection
reveals work from her archives that is being made available for the
first time.
Even posthumously, Shange’s unique voice is more relevant than
ever. Her lyrical way of telling stories imbues these revived essays,
plays, and poems with a vitality that consistently centers Black
women and girls and goes toe-to-toe with white supremacy, sexism,
and colonialism. Perfect for longtime fans and newcomers to her
radically experimental body of work, Sing a Black Girl’s Song gives
readers a deeper understanding of how this literary icon created her
signature style. –EMILY LAULETTA
 UNRELIABLE NARRATOR:
Me, Myself, and
Imposter Syndrome
By Aparna Nancherla
(Viking)
Aparna Nancherla is the farthest thing from
an imposter. An adorably earnest comedian,
Nancherla has acted in hit shows (BoJack
Horseman), written for TV (Late Night with
Seth Meyers) and highbrow publications (The
New York Times), released a standup album,
and starred in two comedy specials. But being successful doesn’t mean
she doesn’t struggle with self-doubt, and this unflinching essay collection
delves into the self-sabotaging tendencies she finds herself saddled with
every day. Ironically, Nancherla feels more inwardly terrified the more her
outside-facing success grows. “Every day was Take Your Doubter to Work
Day!” she jokes, reflecting on the immense pressure of landing her first TV
writing job.
Feeling like a fraud is something we all contend with. But by the end
of her collection, Nancherla realizes that while there is no way to ignore
her inner critic, she can continue to try to make peace with it. “Most ev-
erything I’ve written about remains open-ended,” she confides, “ongoing
battles that must be faced and negotiated.” It’s not a neat, tied-up-with-a-
little-bow, self-help-book ending. But it’s an honest one. –BRANDY BARBER
THE VASTER WILDS:
A Novel
By Lauren Groff
(Riverhead Books)
It could be argued that not much hap-
pens in Lauren Groff’s seventh novel,
The Vaster Wilds, which opens with an
unnamed servant girl fleeing her newly
arrived Jamestown-esque community
in the dead of night. The year is 1609,
or as we now refer to it, the “starving
time,” a period when the actual population of Jamestown dropped
from around 500 people to less than 100. Despite its bleakness,
our heroine chooses to trade one darkness—that of assured
hunger, disease, and death—for another: the unknown. Because
while there are dangers in the wild, at least there is a chance at
survival, possibly even a better life.
The Vaster Wilds is Groff at her finest. It combines some of her
favorite subjects—religion and faith, the harsh beauty of nature,
being a woman—and wraps them all in Elizabethan language.
Raw and at times grotesque in its descriptions, there is a playful-
ness to the writing. Groff is obviously having fun as she poetically
ties memories together to paint a portrait of hope surviving in the
dark. This is not a light read, but it’s a must. –SAMANTHA LADWIG

LIT CRIT HIT

FEMINIST READERS ARE LOVING LIBER

IS YOUR MAILBOX lacking in feminist intellectual

discourse? Then consider subscribing to LIBER: A
Feminist Review (liberreview.com), created by Jennifer
Baumgardner, of Manifesta and Dottir Press fame.
Half feminist essays, half reviews of books by women,
each issue of this bimonthly print mag contains
thoughtful articles on subjects such as transgender
identity, race, feminist literary criticism, pop culture,
reproductive rights, and fiction, alongside 10 or so in-
depth book reviews. Less academic than a journal, but
more challenging than a glossy, LIBER, with its cheeky
backbone graphic replacing the “i” in its logo, delivers
substantive feminist content at a time when opinions
are most often delivered in anemic, 280-character
sound bites. –DEBBIE STOLLER

85
 THE WRITING LIFE
LITERARY LUMINARIES GIVE US A PEEK AT THEIR PRACTICE
Jillian Tamaki Mariko Tamaki

WHEN CANADIAN COUSINS Jillian and

Mariko Tamaki initially teamed up to create
YA graphic novels together—first Skim in
2008, followed by New York Times best seller
This One Summer in 2014—they quickly
earned a fervent following for the ways
Mariko’s writing and Jillian’s illustrations told
essential truths about girlhood and grow-
ing up. Now the dynamic duo is back with
their first comic in a decade, Roaming (out
September 12). So, we wanted to ask them
what their collab looks like day-to-day and
find out what keeps them coming back to the
drawing board. –Emily Rems

Roaming, about a friendship that is tested

during a vacation to N.Y.C., is your first
collaboration since 2014. What brought you
two back for a third book together?
Mariko: Jillian had this short story—or the
beginning of one—and it seemed like a good
opportunity to do something we’d discussed, which was writing together,
passing a script back and forth.

Jillian: We really have no grand, overarching plans for our collabora-

tion, on a project or a career level! In the intervening years, Mariko has
gotten busy with editing and mainstream comics, and I’ve been doing
picture books and my own comics. I had the very loose premise for
Roaming, and once I started poking around the story, it felt like a book
Mariko and I would make.

Jillian, do you prefer to draw with a pen or pencil, or do you work

electronically? What kind of software do you use?
Jillian: The final art for Roaming was done digitally, with a combo
of Photoshop and Procreate on iPad. However, in early stages,
I use pencil-on-paper for thumbnailing and ClipStudio for more
refined sketches.

How many hours a day do you devote to writing or drawing when you
are working together, and do you ever take days off?
Jillian: I work pretty much every day. Maybe I’ll take one day off a
week? I become a little obsessed with projects. Maybe it’s not the best
JILLIAN TAMAKI PHOTO: ANNE-MARIE COULTIER

career-life balance, but I really love what I do, and like most freelanc-
ers, I juggle multiple projects.

Mariko: I try to get in at least three hours of writing a day, minimum.

I’m also going back and forth between different projects within the
space of a day.

Where are your preferred writing and drawing spaces and what do
they look like?
Mariko: I have a very portable office for writing—a laptop, notebooks,
and pens—so I can work pretty much anywhere.

86 . FALL 2023 . BUST

 Jillian: After 20 years working out of my apartment, I got a studio this
year that I share with another person. I love it. It’s just a few desks and
chairs, nothing sexy. The best part is being able to close the door on
the mess every night. It feels very luxurious.

What do you listen to while working?

Mariko: I have a playlist of movie soundtracks I use for atmosphere.
Sometimes I’ll put The Great British Bake Off on in the background
because I’ve seen every episode a million times so it’s not distracting.

Jillian: I have a “Work” playlist that’s, like, 15 hours of drone-ambient-

techno music. I think every book I’ve ever drawn has been made, in
part, to Aphex Twin.

Do you ever have people around when you work?

Jillian: I used to work in coffee shops; the ambient sound is good. Now
I have a studio-mate. I’m not very social when I’m working, though. I
gotta get in “the Zone.”

Mariko: My preference is to be alone with TV in the background.

What do you love about working together?

Mariko: Making art is a privilege. This is an incredible job. I appreciate
all facets of it. The opportunity to make something you could not make
on your own is incredibly rewarding and always surprising.

Jillian: I agree with all of that!

AMBER TAMBLYN’S
POETRY CORNER
Mary Jo Bang’s intriguing new collection, A Film In
Which I Play Everyone (Graywolf Press), imagines a
world of familiar stories involving the many experi-
ences—both harrowing and heartbreaking—that make up
any given life, but in which the poet gets to play each character of
those lives. These inventive, sharp poems are written like the best
scenes of a film, the kind that make a movie memorable, and Bang
directs her readers toward the points of view she wants them to
AMBER TAMBLYN PHOTO: DANIELLE ST. LAURENT

experience, in the exact way she wants them to be experienced,

like any good filmmaker would. In the title poem, “A Film In Which
I Play Everyone,” Bang writes: “Home, you unpack the items/you
bought, crease the bags flat, stack them out of sight./All without
saying a word. This a nonspeaking part./You’re an extra. That day
you were filmed/on the steps walking into the school dance,/the
costume you wore was pure you.” These are beautiful meditations
on life, love, ambition, and the power of pondering what a different
ending could look like for any of us, if only we could write them in
just the ways we not only wanted to, but needed to.

87
 For all those Pumpkin spice latte loving readers!
From CRYSTAL MALDONADO,, author of

★“A sentimental
story about friendship,
family, and love as
sweet as a pumpkin
spice latte.”
—Kirkus Reviews

A cozy autumn rom-com

that touches on weighter
topics like PCOS, chronic
illness, sexuality, fatphobia,
Latine identity, and class.

Read an Excerpt Now!

ALSO AVAILABLE
in both English and Spanish

A
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 W
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Movies
director Maryam Keshavarz’s real life, which
is so overflowing with fascinating details, the
movie could have been a miniseries. Once
you get past the feeling of wanting more, The
Persian Version is a heartwarming—and often
heartbreaking—exploration of a mother and
daughter repairing their future relationship by
confronting their past. –ELIZA C. THOMPSON

Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott

BOTTOMS
Co-written and directed by Emma Seligman
Out August 25
Bottoms is a dark teen comedy—think Heathers or Drop Dead Gorgeous—with a queer Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
twist. Best friends PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri), self-described “talented
lesbians,” start a fight club at their high school as a ploy to seduce the popular girls
they have crushes on. But when the young women around them are confronted by an
FLORA AND SON
immediate need to learn self-defense, the club becomes surprisingly well-attended,
Written and directed by John Carney
and bloody chaos ensues. Out September 29
There’s a lot to like about Bottoms, which features the impeccable comedic timing At first blush, it’s easy to reduce John
and chemistry of leads Edebiri and Sennott, as well as a show-stealing performance Carney’s new film, Flora and Son, to just
from former NFL star Marshawn Lynch. The fast-paced, acerbic dialogue is on the level another musical rom-com. Flora, a working-
of Gilmore Girls, and the nonstop intensity of the plot ensures things are never boring. class Irish mom played by Eve Hewson, pulls
It’s impressive that a movie with such a violent, uncomfortable premise manages to be a guitar out of a dumpster and signs up for
packed with so many laugh-out-loud moments. online classes taught by a handsome Ameri-
For all its skewering of teen tropes, though, the film sometimes misses opportuni- can named Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).
ties to make real critiques of the sexism and homophobia inherent in the traditional They bare their souls and fall in love. The
American high school experience. Bottoms occasionally takes jokes on sensitive topics music is sweet, if a little uninteresting.
such as sexual assault, incarceration, and violence too far as well. While the characters But Flora and Son isn’t really about
are funny and memorable, there isn’t a ton of emotional development, so the film ends romance. Flora’s here to fix her relationship
with the sense that we don’t know PJ, Josie, and their crew much better than we did at with her son, Max (Orén Kinlan), whom she
the beginning. The result is a film that sometimes feels hollow, but it’s so hilarious and resents for stealing her future. He can feel
PHOTOS: (BOTTOMS) ORION PICTURES INC.; (PERSIAN VERSION) SONY PICTURES; (FLORA AND SON) APPLE

shocking that it’s still pretty easy to love. –SARAH C. JONES
The cast of The Persian Version
THE PERSIAN VERSION
Written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz
Out in October
The Persian Version tells the sprawling tale
of Leila (Layla Mohammadi), a young Iranian
American woman who delves into her fam-
ily’s history while her father, Ali Reza (Bijan
Daneshmand) recovers from a heart trans-
plant. Told through liberal use of flashbacks,
voiceover, and historical interstitials, the
movie follows Leila as she uncovers a secret
about her mother, Shirin (Niousha Noor), who
married a 22-year-old Ali Reza at age 13.
In the present day, Leila’s dealing with an
unplanned pregnancy and a case of writer’s
block, but her story becomes less interesting
as her grandmother, Mamanjoon, fills in the
gaps in Shirin’s past. Played by Bella Warda,
the formidable Mamanjoon is a scene stealer
at every turn, a feat made all the more excep-
tional by the cast’s sheer size. (Leila has eight
brothers who function like a Greek chorus,
popping up throughout to offer their advice
and loving insults.)
If the film has a problem, it’s that there’s
simply too much happening at once. It can
be hard to keep track of where the “present”
is among all the flashbacks, and an extended
sequence about Shirin’s early life in Iran is so
riveting that it’s almost a bummer to return to
the 21st century. As the title card indicates,
this “sort of” true story is based on writer/
it, so they fight about it. When Flora finds an
outlet in the guitar, though, they finally bond
through music. Unfortunately, their commu-
nity writes struggling people off as failures.
Max’s probation officer calls both Flora and
Max wastes of space. Flora’s friend insinu-
ates that she’s to blame for her problems
because she didn’t get an abortion, and her
ex mocks her for attempting the guitar.
In the third act, Carney—known for
Once and Begin Again—focuses on Flora
as she watches Max from the back of a
juvenile courtroom and considers leaving
him behind. He’s on trial for robbery, and
his estranged father hasn’t bothered to
show. Conflict rages across Hewson’s face
in what becomes one of the film’s stronger
moments, because it allows Flora her
weaknesses without punishing her for them.
She’s not depicted as childish or bad for
wanting to walk away from her troubles,
allowing Flora and Son to culminate in a nu-
anced and satisfying ending. –ELOISE SHERRID

89 . FALL 2023 . BUST 89

 Passion Project
EROTIC ARTIST MARILYN MINTER’S NEW BOOK
CELEBRATES THE UNIQUE BEAUTY OF ELDER SEX
BEFORE BEING APPROACHED to illustrate
Maggie Jones’ thought-provoking 2022 New York
Times article “The Joys (and Challenges) of Sex After
70,” acclaimed painter and photographer Marilyn
Minter hadn’t contemplated the intricacies of sexual
intimacy in old age. “The country has such contempt
for old people having sex,” she says, “but as it turns
out, people from their 70s to their 90s have never
been healthier.” Wanting to challenge that taboo and
showcase some of her racier work on this subject that
couldn’t be published in the original article, Minter
was game when the opportunity to create an expanded
series came about.
Drawing inspiration from the profound insights
shared in the New York Times article, Minter’s capti-
vating new photography book, Elder Sex (JBE Books),
delves deeper into what it truly means to embrace
sensuality and lead a sexually fulfilling life as one ages.
The photo series, which features a variety of up-close
90 . FALL 2023 . BUST
images of men and women in various states of embrace
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ELDER SEX BY MARILYN MINTER, JBE BOOKS & LGDR, 2023
and undress, challenges societal norms and encourages
dialogue about embracing our innate sexuality through-
out our entire lifespan. “At a certain point, you’re just
not performative anymore,” she says. “It’s much more
[about saying], ‘This is my body, take it or leave it.’”
Capturing subjects ranging in age from 70 to 90,
Minter, 75, was adamant that there be a sense of
elegance, intimacy, and class in the photos. Shooting
behind glass in her New York studio—a signature tech-
nique often incorporated in her work—Minter says she
was thinking of a spa-like atmosphere. But unlike in
81-year-old Martha Stewart’s recent Sports Illustrated
swimsuit pictorial, Minter’s models aren’t retouched.
In fact, she says she sometimes added more wrinkles
to the photos because she thought without them, “no
one would believe it.” “I didn’t want it to be Playboy,”
she says, “or fake looking, you know? If you live long
enough, this is your future.”–NIESHA DAVIS
 SEX FILES

Answers from the Queen tee that it won’t knock your pH off balance or cause you to itch.
If you have a reaction to any lubricant, don’t use it again. Just
as with food sensitivities, the fact that I have problems with
DR. CAROL QUEEN BREAKS DOWN NATURAL
gluten and dairy doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your buttered
LUBES—WHICH ARE BEST, WHICH TO AVOID, toast. We don’t all respond the same way! And it means we
AND WHY need to heed our bodies’ messages.
Plant-based oils are one common type of natural lubricant,
and coconut oil—not peanut!—is probably leading the pack
IF YOU’VE EVER raided the these days. Many plants have some level of antibacterial
kitchen for slippery material during a properties—coconut does—and many consider these safer
hookup, you might already have discov- than chemically based antibiotic substances. Fruit and nut
ered that not all lubricant comes from oils are familiar to us, often taste and smell good, double as
the drugstore or sex shop. (You might massage oil, and I bet you have some in your kitchen right now!
also have wondered if it was actually There are reasons not to use them, depending on your personal
a good idea to dip into the olive oil.) In choices. If you’re allergic to the food they derive from, pass.
Carol Queen’s latest fact, it’s not an either-or situation if If your only oil is a well-worn bottle by the stove that’s been
book (written with you’re looking for natural ingredients opened constantly during cooking, it might already be carrying
Shar Rednour) is in your lube—the sex shop often carries some microbes. Stay safe by doing a patch test on your skin
The Sex & Pleasure that kind, too, in addition to brands first—if intact skin reacts by getting red and itchy, I’d advise
Book: Good Vibrations you’ve seen before. against using it vaginally or anally or any way at all.
Guide to Great Sex
I hope I don’t have to tell you why If you’re using latex condoms, NO OIL. HARD STOP. Both
for Everyone
it’s a good idea to find a lubricant you plant-based and mineral oils (which are petroleum products,
like, but here’s the elevator speech. and I never recommend using them on genitals) will degrade
Erotic touch often feels great with lubricant, and for insertive latex, causing condoms or gloves to break (they’re bad for
play, it can be extremely important for comfort and pleasure. latex diaphragms, too, if you are old-school). If you’re a fan of
(For anal, it’s essential.) Most people don’t get off on being pen- polyethylene condoms, you won’t have to worry about this, but
etrated without lube, and let me stop you if you’re going to tell latex and polyisoprene should be used with water-based or
me that you always get super wet. That is fabulous, but what if silicone lubes only. Please take this warning seriously, because
the day comes when you don’t? Because that day might come condoms are an important form of birth control as well as
when you smoke weed or take antihistamines or birth control prophylaxis, and as you know, these days that is fraught.
pills; when you’re stressed; when you’ve had a baby; when peri- There are natural, plant-enhanced forms of lubricant that
menopause starts changing your body chemistry. If (when?) it you may wish to turn to if you’re exploring water-based lubri-
happens, lube is great to have around. Another reason to love cants that are based in botanical ingredients. Good Clean Love
lube is that it makes condoms more effective and less prone to is a brand that focuses on excluding all the potentially harmful
breakage. (There is one huge exception to this rule, and I’ll get ingredients it can, and they make great lubes for people who
into it below.) have had issues with other kinds. Sutil (using lotus root and
Why do some people prefer natural lubes—and what are other extracts and adding botanically sourced hyaluronic acid)
they? The first question is pretty easy to answer; basically, and Hathor Aphrodisia Pure both lean into the natural world,
we might like them for the same reasons we’d choose natu- using botanicals that aim to enhance arousal and comfort.
ral foods. Maybe we’re more comfortable with plant-based Sliquid Organics is a top brand that includes a line of botanical
ingredients over those that sound like they come from a chem lubes, Dame Aloe brings the famously slippery aloe vera to its
lab. Maybe we’ve found ourselves sensitive to those other lubes formulation, and Divine 9’s central botanical ingredient helps
and hope to have a better experience with natural substances. protect against HPV.
Natural = from nature, right? So generally when people refer- Coconu makes an oil-based and a water-based formula.
ence “natural lubricants,” they’re talking about plant-based CBD-infused lubes are generally oil-based: Coconu makes one
ILLUSTRATION: MARCELLUS HALL

lubes, or sometimes lubes enhanced with botanicals. They may
or may not be enhanced with CBD or other cannabinoids; they
may advertise themselves as having aphrodisiac properties,
though your mileage may vary.
You might not love the same lube your friend does. One
of you might find a lube to be the perfect consistency, super
comfortable, and pleasurable to use—and the other might be
sensitive to it. Just because a lube is natural, there’s no guaran-
of these, too. Other popular brands are Awaken by Foria, High-
OnLove, and Privy Peach. People who seek CBD lubes often
want them to aid in relaxation and otherwise soothe. (You can
find these brands at Good Vibes and other fine establishments.)
Maybe you’re ecorotic (into planet-friendly sex practices),
or maybe parabens just make you itch. Whatever your reason
for turning to these lubricants, there are many options waiting
to make your sex life naturally pleasurable.

BUST (ISSN 1089-4713), No. 134, Fall, 2023. BUST is published quarterly in December, March, June, and September by STREET MEDIA LLC, 2152 DUPONT DRIVE, SUITE 280, IRVINE, CA 92612. Printed in
the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY, and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices, payable in U.S. funds, are $39.95 for one year (4 issues). Additional postage: In Canada add $10 per year,
and in all other foreign countries add $20 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BUST, INC. 2152 DUPONT DRIVE, SUITE 280, IRVINE, CA 92612.
 SEX FILES
ONE-HANDED READ
No-Tell Hotel
TWO MFA STUDENTS RELIEVE SOME TENSION AT A WRITERS’ CONFERENCE
AS THE WATER from the hot shower slides down my
back, I can’t help but touch my pussy thinking about him in
my hotel suite. God, he’s so close. We’re finally alone with
no agenda but each other after two semesters of meetings
and mutual classes.
We’ve both traveled to Tampa for the Association of
Writers and Writing Programs Conference that all grad
students in our program attend. After checking out a read-
ing, we went back to my room to look over notes for our
presentation tomorrow. But the truth is, I want to kiss him,
to taste his luscious lips.
“Hey, you’re almost done with the magazine?” I ask,
wiping my hair with a towel. I’m wearing a crop-top that
reveals my waist, and my thighs and legs are glistening from
my lotion. He’s wearing a wrinkled button-down, slacks,
and moccasins. He’s tall with a broad jaw and a charming
smile, but it’s his poetic talent that attracted me the most.
He’s confident and intelligent, yet so lonely and shy.
“Yeah, I think so,” he says, holding a pen in his hand. He
stares into my eyes and then quickly looks away. He never
says or does anything that isn’t in line with his duties as the
assistant editor of our literary magazine, but his blue-green
eyes always reveal the truth: I know he wants me, but he
never acts on it. I’ve been professional, too, but now that
we’re away from the fluorescent lights of the office, away
from all the to-do lists, I can’t help but want to seduce him,
right here and right now.
I grab a bottle of massage oil and stride over to the chair
where he’s sitting. I lean close to him, just inches from his
face, my breasts aching. “Feel free to say no,” I say casually,
“but can I bother you for a little massage? I’m so stressed
from that epic drive. It would really help me relax for the
presentation tomorrow.”
He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple protruding. I could
swear he looks scared as he raises his eyebrows and tight-
ens his lips. Wiping his sweaty hands on his pants, he rises
and walks towards the bed. “You wanna do it here?” he asks.
Blood rushes to my cheeks and my pussy—the heat
between my legs isn’t only from the steamy shower. “Sure,”
I reply and sit cross-legged on the bed while he rubs the lav-
ender oil into my shoulders. “Hmm, so good,” I say, giggling
like a teen in love for the first time. I can feel his breath on
my neck as I look towards the balcony. Tingles ripple down
my back, traveling through my body. The red curtains are
open and city lights illuminate the bedroom.
“Can you go lower?” I ask. “Yeah, just like that.” I release
a long, heavy moan. He stops massaging my shoulders.
92 . FALL 2023 . BUST
Then he turns me around, caresses my cheek, and lowers
his gaze towards my lips. “Can I kiss you?” He asks, almost
in a whisper.
I nod slowly. His smooth, sexy lips become increasingly
assertive as he devours my tongue, like he’s been holding
back for the past seven months, too. Suddenly, his teeth are
pulling at my panties.
I yank his pants off and push him back on the bed. Then
I put his cock in my mouth and suck until he almost cums.
We switch positions and he kisses and licks my clit like
a hungry animal that hasn’t eaten for months. My moans
grow louder and my pussy aches for his cock. “I need you
inside,” I whisper.
He groans and slides the tip of his cock inside my pussy.
I gasp—it’s so big. “Slowly,” I say. Even though I’m wet, I
haven’t had sex in over a year. I need it slow at first.
He moves gently with a steady rhythm. I can hear my slip-
pery juices sloshing along his penis. He goes slow and deep
until I can’t take it anymore. “Please,” I beg, “just fuck me!”
He grabs my thighs and turns me over. In doggy style,
I can feel his cock all the way inside. “Yeah, please don’t
stop,” I moan. “I need you!” He keeps pushing and stroking
and I still can’t believe how big he is. He feels so good, like
lightning electrifying my body.
He moans and strokes harder. “You’re really tight,” he
growls, “I can’t take it anymore. I think I’m gonna cum.” He
breathes harder, and I feel his sweat dripping onto my back,
but then he slows down.
“Don’t stop,” I tell him. “Just cum!”
He thrusts faster and deeper, and I keep moaning and
shaking. I feel like I’m going to explode from the pleasure of
his cock. “Oh my God. Keep going. Yeah,” I cry, “right there!”
We both cum at the same time. My body jerks and
spasms. Then we collapse next to each other panting, his
arm wrapped around my waist.
After I catch my breath, I say, “So, um, should I put this
on our to-do list for next week?” I laugh but feel vulnerable,
not knowing what will happen beyond tonight.
He smiles and kisses my lips, trailing his fingers over the
curves of my hips. “Yup,” he replies. “You can put it on our
agenda. I never want this to end.”
His confession makes me grin, and I drift to sleep safely
in his arms, no longer stressed, ready for the busy week
ahead. –VERONICA SUAREZ
Send your original One-Handed Read to submissions@bust.com
and you may see it in an upcoming issue!
 a sex toy boutique for every body

Enjoy 15% off at sheboptheshop.com with code bustfall23, expires 11/30/23. Find classes online.

FALL HOROSCOPES INSPIRED BY THE TAROT
Virgo:
Page of Swords Reversed
AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 22
Virgo, you might be in an impulsive
mood, but resist that urge. There
has been a lot of “hurry up and
wait” lately, but rest assured, the news you have
been hoping for will arrive soon enough! In the
meantime, don’t rush into anything or act hastily
as a poor attempt to create a little momentum.
Honestly, it will only lead to an unnecessary mess
so save yourself the hassle and redirect that energy
into something more pleasurable or constructive.
Libra:
Queen of Swords
SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22
Speak your mind, Libra. No one
knows what you need better than
you so do everyone a favor and
communicate clearly when it comes to your de-
sires and expectations. Words have power so use
yours—when you’re as direct as possible, there’s
no room for error! You might be pleasantly sur-
prised at the results of asking for what you want.
Scorpio:
Nine of Swords
OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 21
Let it go, Scorpio. You might be
pondering the questions, “Where
did everything go wrong?” But,
does it really matter? Don’t pry doors that need
to stay closed open. Self-care is the best care in
times like this.
Sagittarius:
Six of Swords
NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 21
Moving on, Sagittarius. There is so
much to look forward to in the near
future, but in order to take the trip
to get to where you’re going, you must leave some-
thing behind. Yes, the unfortunate truth is you can’t
take everything with you, but this is an opportunity
to shed what you’ve outgrown. Let it go in order to
create space for all of the new memories you are
about to create.
94 . FALL 2023 . BUST
Tarotscopes
BY SARAH POTTER
Capricorn:
Temperance Reversed
DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19
Let it be undefined, Capricorn.
Situations are rarely so black and
white, and at this point in time, it
would be best for you to seek comfort in the gray
areas. Instead of taking a view that everything must
be this way or that way, what if it could be both
ways? Expand your vision as well as your way of
thinking so these circumstances can become far
easier to navigate.
Aquarius:
The Sun
JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18
Express your gratitude, Aquarius.
Take a look around at your current
situation and notice how much you
have accomplished. Remember when all of this
was just a fantasy? You have made so many dreams
a reality, but sometimes it’s hard to see the prog-
ress when you’re constantly moving forward. You
did this, you did all of this, and there is so much to
be thankful for on your journey.
Pisces:
Queen of Wands Reversed
FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20
Bask in the glow of the spotlight,
Pisces! You have so many opportu-
nities to shine in technicolor right
now so be sure to take full advantage of everything
being offered to you. Something that brings more
visibility your way by highlighting your true talents
and radiance should be fully embraced, even if it
feels a little intimidating. You will not mess this up,
this was meant for you!
Aries:
Four of Swords Reversed
MARCH 21 - APRIL 19
Take a break, Aries. You have been
on the move at a rather fast pace
lately, but this is your cosmic sign
to slow down and relax a bit more. When was the
last time you had a little vacation or even more
than a moment to yourself? Rest is the key to clar-
ity and inspiration, two things you are in desperate
need of right now.
FEATURED DECK: THE GENTLE THRILLS BY ISA BENISTON
Taurus:
Eight of Swords Reversed
APRIL 20 - MAY 20
Don’t hold yourself back, Taurus.
The only one getting in your way
right now is you, so let’s step back
from this current situation and expand upon your
own limitations. Instead of telling yourself that you
can’t, focus on how much you can do! If you choose
to define yourself and your abilities differently, noth-
ing can hold you back from making something that
initially felt impossible your lovely new reality.
Gemini:
Knight of Cups Reversed
MAY 21 - JUNE 20
Make your dreams happen,
Gemini. It’s lovely to get caught up
in your fantasies and imagine the
possibilities of what could be, but you might have
spent a little too much time in the ethereal realm
of your ideas, and not enough time activating your
great plans! Consider this your reality check and
start focusing on the logistics.
Cancer:
Queen of Pentacles
Reversed
JUNE 21 - JULY 22
Take care of yourself, Cancer. It
may feel like everyone needs your
help right now, and for good reason. You’re reliable,
understanding, and nurturing towards your inner
circle, but when was the last time you showed the
same care for yourself? It’s honestly incredible how
much one can do when running on fumes, but is
it sustainable? Honor your own needs first before
rescuing others.
Leo:
Ten of Swords Reversed
JULY 23 - AUGUST 22
Change is good, Leo. But even
when a transformation is for our
own benefit, it may still be chal-
GENTLETHRILLS.COM
lenging, confusing, and yes, even painful. Endings
aren’t easy but they are necessary for our growth.
Don’t resist these transitions, and don’t try to make
fetch happen, either. Instead, lean in and go with
the flow, while being extra kind to yourself during
this transition. This, too, shall pass.
 X GAMES by Tracy Bennett

“It’s Me”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 10. Sound of a slamming door
11. Michelle with an Oscar for Everything
14 15 16 Everywhere All At Once
12. Cute little fart
17 18 19
13. Genderqueer identity
21. Big name in skin care
20 21 22 23
23. Nationality of feminist activist
24 25 26 Yanar Mohammed
26. Giant of Greek myth
27 28 29 30 31 32 27. Big furry mammals in a forest (or their
counterparts at a gay nightclub)
33 34 35 36 37 38 29. Desensitizes
30. Org. in 2016’s Hidden Figures
39 40 41 42 31. Gave a thumbs-up
32. French head
43 44 45 46 33. Don Corleone, in The Godfather
34. Adderall target, for short
47 48 49
35. Bud-to-be
50 51 52 53 54 55
37. Agile whiskered mammal in a river (or its
counterpart at a gay nightclub)
56 57 58 59 60 61 38. Deploy
40. Take off
62 63 64 65 44. “Yeah, you wish!”
45. Sondheim’s Sweeney ___
66 67 68 49. Demolishing with a wrecking ball
51. Lit from within
69 70 71 52. Do, re, mi, etc.
53. Circus-style entertainer like Dott Cotton
54. Judy whose iconic 1970 middle-school
ACROSS 47. “Most likely...” novel asks a question featured in this
1. Sleeps under the stars after enjoying 48. Surgical suites, in brief puzzle’s shaded squares
s’mores, say 50. Luxurious porch for summer sitting 55. Sees romantically
6. Push-up muscles, informally 53. Non-psychoactive hemp compound, for short 56. Give a cursory read-through
10. Giga- follower 56. Slow brew for summer sipping 57. Menu option for the indecisive
14. Expect 60. Mighty monster with a star on the Hollywood 58. Require
15. Grand in scale Walk of Fame 59. “___ the night before Christmas”
16. Lo-o-o-ng time 62. Had down pat 61. “Understood”
17. ___ knots (hairstyle also called duuduubs) 63. Dominant flavor in Ovaltine and Whoppers 64. Tony Shalhoub’s role on The Marvelous
18. Ass end 65. “The jury ___” (“No decision’s been made”) Mrs. Maisel
19. T0tal r00kie 66. Notion
20. Alaska’s is 907 67. Orchestral reed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
M A T T L A D L E I D E A
22. Like Palm Royale star Carol Burnett, 10 68. Self-description after a lifestyle change 14 15 16
A C A I I D E A L N O R M
years ago 69. Forum overseers, for short 17
L E N T
18
T A S T E
19
G O O P
24. Conducted, like a maestra 70. Anchor’s delivery 20
L I T T
21
L E B I T C
22
H E R S
25. Start of a totally fucked-up portmanteau 71. Why some people taste soapy cilantro and 23
T A L E
24
G E T O N
27. Feathery burlesque accessory smell asparagus pee 25
M E C
26
C
27
A N
28
N U M B
29 30 31
S
28. “That will be impossible for me” 32
J
33
L O
34
H A V E
35
P
36
I G E A R S
33. Bud’s place DOWN 37
I O U
38
S
39
R E R A N
40
K E N
36. Teen-inspired fashion movement of the 1. Group of schemers 41
M A N C
42
H A
43
S C
44
R
45
E E D S
1960s that sounds earth-shaking 2. Cognizant (of) 46
I F T H E F
47
O O
48
S H I T S
39. Perfect 3. Like horses and some lions 49
T W E L V E
50
C A M E
51 52
O
41. Airport screening org. 4. Pocket bread 53
E
54
L
55
F I N
56
D I D O
57
K
58
E R A
42. “No more for me, thanks” 5. Decorative wall plaster 59
G U A C
60
S I N
61
W E
62
A R I T
43. Anita Diamant novel about Biblical 6. Lost, in French 63
G A W K
64
P E E
65
S T A R C H
women sequestered during menstruation 7. Olympic fencing swords 66
S U N S
67
A S S
68
Y A Y A S
and birth 8. Org. in TV’s Homeland Answers to “Witch's Switches” from the SUMMER ’23 issue.
46. ___ farewell (said adieu) 9. High-pitched cry from an owl For answers to this issue’s puzzle, see the next issue of BUST.

95
PARTING GLANCE

"Lost in Thoughts"
By Rugiyatou Ylva Jallow
Acrylic, oil, and thread on canvas, 2023
Image courtesy of the artist

96 . FALL 2023 . BUST

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99
 UNIQUE SOLES
FOR
UNIQUE SOULS
SI NCE 1970

J O H N F LU EVO G S H O E S
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