By Jasmine Lombardi 8/15/12 3:15pm

As Seen in SCENE

2 Photos

photographed by Juan Algarin, styled by Cricket Burns

Who’s That Guy on Olivia Palermo’s Arm? Johannes Huebl!

Who is the mysterious man-about-town who won the heart of America’s favorite “It” Girl/style icon/TV starlet Olivia Palermo? Meet the devastatingly dashing and handsome Johannes Huebl, who ditched a career in business, moved to New York to model for mega-labels like Cole Haan, Hugo Boss and Hogan, and quickly became a society favorite. We talk to Huebl about his low-key life with Palermo in Brooklyn (where paparazzi regularly snap the couple and their neighbor Anne Hathaway), his favorite New York hangouts and his next career move. Read More

By Erica Schwiegershausen 7/20/12 6:15pm

The Problem with Publishing

From left: Emma Komlos Hrobsky, Tin House; Halimah Marcus, Reccommended Reading; Celia Johnson, Slice; Jamie Schwartz, CLMP; JD Scott, Moonshot; David James Miller, SET; Brigid Hughes, A Public Space.

How Will Indie Lit Mags Stay Afloat? These Six Indie Lit Mag Editors Have No Idea!

The conversation at Wednesday night’s indie lit mag panel at Powerhouse Arena did not stray from its predictable territory: the challenges of getting funding, the ever-evolving landscape of digital publishing and self-satisfaction about being Brooklyn-based.

Though quieter than some nights at Powerhouse, the audience that turned up to hear the discussion between six editors (from Moonshot, A Public Space, SET, Slice, Tin House, and Electric Literature’s newly launched Recommended Reading) and moderator Jamie Schwartz, managing director of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, was considerable.

Ms. Schwartz began the conversation by asking about money, a topic panelists returned to over the course of the night. “I think it’s a mystery to most people how the economics of literary publishing works,” she commented. “It’s really like an oxymoron.”

Anyone who hoped this mystery might be illuminated further was sorely disappointed. Read More

By Kristin Anderson 7/19/12 10:00am

democracy now?

TKTKTK.

Dustin Yellin’s Hipster-Laden Anti-Tea Party Fundraiser Light on Politics, Heavy on Artisanal Ice Cream

By evening’s end, Dustin Yellin was shirtless, grooving pretty heartily to the tunes of friend Adam Green (formerly of the anti-folk band the Moldy Peaches), in Yellin’s lately acquired 24,000 square foot Red Hook warehouse arts complex called the Intercourse. He looked to be enjoying himself.

The occasion was the first night of Downtown for Democracy’s (alias D4D) foodie fundraiser series, the aptly named Dining for Democracy. D4D crystallized in 2003 on the eve of the Bush/Kerry election. Since then they’ve served as the crossroads of hip, creative types, progressive politics, and parties. And this year, the organization takes on what they refer to as the “Tea Party 10,” ten of the most radical (and per a D4D affiliate, the most vulnerable) members with a hand in the upcoming election.

For a $50 entry fee, Mr. Yellin had offered up the Intercourse to a bevy of diners, Mr. Green and a handful of Brooklyn eateries. The vibe was not unlike any typical backyard barbecue—albeit with more maxi dresses and stilettos. Outside a dog ran around, and guests negotiated melting ice cream cones and reclined in the grass. Others stood in the Intercourse’s main gallery space (currently occupied by Mr. Green’s series “Cartoon and Complaint”), necks craning for a look at the space’s lofted studios. Read More

By Erica Schwiegershausen 6/18/12 10:00am

literary events

Bagpiper Garry Cheddy flanked by Bloomsday participants.

Many Who Have Read (and a Few That Actually Understood) Ulysses Gather in Park Slope for Annual Bloomsday Pub Crawl

“June 16 is one day in the life of Leopold Bloom in Dublin and that’s about all I understand,” Kings County District Attorney Charles “Joe” Hynes told The Observer on Saturday at the annual Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick’s (FSOSP) Bloomsday pub crawl.

Two years ago, FSOSP members John Burns, Declan Walsh and Jimmy Ryan decided Brooklyn needed to participate in Bloomsday—an international celebration that takes place on June 16, that date of the often-drunken exploits of Leopold Bloom chronicled by James Joyce in his novel Ulysses.

“We thought, this is preposterous that Brooklyn doesn’t have [a Bloomsday],” said Mr. Ryan. And who better to organize the day of revelry than the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, a membership group devoted, rather vaguely, to “promoting the spirit of Saint Patrick.” Read More

By Jess Schiewe 6/04/12 10:26am

Party Report

Founding director Sasha Chavchavadze and Katya Redpath singing ditties on the outdoor stage.

Gypsy Songs and Tarot Readings at the Annual Proteus Gowanus Benefit

Last Saturday evening, cousins Julia Casey and Lily Warnke, squeezed into silk tank tops and mini skirts and migrated to north Brooklyn. Later that night, they planned to make their way to a bar on the Lower East Side, but first, they had to attend a benefit for Ms. Warnke’s mother’s interdisciplinary art gallery and reading room, Proteus Gowanus.

As the young women traversed the event space—pausing in front of the outdoor stage (Ms. Casey: “I think that woman just sang about a Communist eating a fish”) and quenching their thirst with red wine—the crowd thickened.

For the last year, the theme of the artwork, installations, exhibits, and classes at Proteus Gowanus has been migration. “We looked at it from the point of view of populations, objects, the future, and time travel,” said Tammy Pittman, Ms. Warnke’s mother and the executive director of the space. But its meaning was flexible, she added, and meant to be used in a variety of different contexts. Read More

By Drew Grant 3/19/12 12:27pm

Celebrity sightings

radcliffedarlings

Daniel Radcliffe Filming In Carroll Gardens, Twitter Surprisingly Silent

Leaving our home this morning, we were stopped on Smith St. and 1st Place by a large array of film trucks.

We approached a surly P.A., who tried to direct us to an alternate subway route, but being the intrepid journalists we are, The Observer refused to move until we were told what was going on.

“Filming for Kill Your Darlings,” the P.A. grudgingly replied.

Perfect! We took a seat across the street and waited for star Daniel Radcliffe to appear in character as Allen Ginsberg. Read More