I’m still reveling in the candor and invaluable advice you all shared in the Brides Survey this spring. It got me thinking about ways to activate the collective wisdom of this readership, and I have some plans for some bigger projects down the road. But next up, I want to do something a little more specific, and hopefully super rewarding. It’s about books. Novels, in particular.

I have three questions for you, here.

Today’s newsletter includes: Why the Taylor Swift interview that The New York Times published today won’t be going on YouTube until next week, a beloved Brooklyn bakery is closing, and the Harvard student making four figures a month from mukbang videos.

• Midtown’s Friars Club almost became a “Crypto Castle.” The six-story club, which was known for hosting comedians like Joan Rivers and Jimmy Fallon as members, just sold to Gary Barnett’s Extell Development. The Real Deal reported that a group of crypto investors attempted to buy it, which obviously reminded me of Ezra Marcus’s haunted house story for New York Magazine. As far as what Barnett has planned, rumors range from a private residence to another members club.

• Chanel invited photographer Sam Youkilis to document the Cruise show in Biarritz. You are a smart man, Matthieu Blazy.

• Google co-founder Sergey Brin is dating Gerelyn Gilbert-Soto, who you might know from Vanderpump Rules. I think a lot about this turn in every billionaire’s life. Doing psychedelics, taking TRT, and dating women they meet at Burning Man.

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It feels good to be back in New York, with a desk full of magazines and sealing wax and ribbons for who knows what.

Today’s newsletter includes: on the return of Poog, on why YOLO Journal has launched a new travel vertical for families, thermometer-tampering to win weather bets on Polymarket, and Graydon Carter’s new hospitality project.

Have a piece of news you’d like to see covered in Feed Me? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

• Poog, a podcast hosted by Jacqueline Novak and Kate Berlant, is back. In October 2024, Poog changed its name to “Berlant and Novak” due to naming rights issues with its parent company, Big Money Players (Will Ferrell’s iHeart network). Last week, they announced that they reclaimed the podcast name. texted me: “We chose sovereignty over continuity and bet on ourselves when we started a new feed as Berlant & Novak. We said Poog was Berlant and Novak the whole time. And it was. What’s in a name, etc. Our hag listeners came with us. It was great. Now, some fifteen months later, the fates have rewarded us for our faith and we were able to get back the old name, feed, and distro rights. So it is great to be Poog again, this time as a truly independent podcast. With our full back catalogue. The whole story.” I sense we will get more from the Poog empire (including those Conner Ives shirts) later this year.

• Madewell is opening a store on Main Street in Sag Harbor.

• Ronan Farrow is coming to Substack.

• New York Times Cooking is looking for a Talent Strategy Editor to “scout unique culinary voices to bring into Cooking as contributors.”

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It is a beautiful day in London. I just saw the Alekos Fassianos exhibit (his nickname is the “Picasso of Greece”) at Herald Street. I liked this copy from the exhibition text:

“For the many decades Fassianos embraced life in France, he always kept Greece close to his heart – as he would say, like a bee he held his honey, his home, wherever he went. His paintings carry the warmth of the Mediterranean and exude sensual and sensorial pleasures: the sweetness of summer fruits, the downy fur of a cat, the fragrance of a rose, the coo of a dove, the depth of a night sky.”

Today’s newsletter includes: A Via Carota westward (on Grove Street) expansion, changes at GQ, talking about tailors, and Jeff Zucker is producing a new live sports show.

Browsing and posting on the Feed Me Job Board is free. Companies that posted on the board this week include Semafor, Lemon, and Care of Chan.

Feed Me Job Board

• It looks like the Via Carota team is expanding their space. Per recent community board filings, the team is planning to open their basement next door (previously used for storage) for private dining. The 49 Grove Street address used to belong to 49 Grove, a nightclub that looked like it attracted college girls via promoters on campus. A man named Luis B left this review in 2011: “It was my buddy’s 23rd birthday and he wanted to do something special. So we all chipped in for bottle service at 49 Grove. Initially they were going to give us this great deal where we were getting a free bottle with the purchase of one seeing as it was our friend’s birthday and we had a big group of 8 people. But that all changed when we arrived. The person who ran bottle service said they could not offer us the deal, on top of that they placed our group all the way in the back corner of the club. While the DJ was playing some great music, overall I expected a lot more. In my opinion I wouldn’t recommend this club to my other friends.” All I want to know is how the Via Carota Met Museum project is going.

• Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was killed by an Israeli airstrike on a house in Southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials and foreign journalists describe an apparent targeted strike. The Lebanese health ministry said that Israel repeatedly fired on the rescue workers attempting to reach and give care to Khalil and other wounded, causing them to turn back. Her body was recovered 6 hours after the strike. Khalil was the ninth journalist killed in Lebanon this year. Over 250 journalists have been killed since the start of the Gaza war.

• Adam Rapoport’s first story for Air Mail is live. It’s about club sandwiches. The byline identifies Rapoport as a columnist at Air Mail. Does anyone want to place a bet on whether or not Puck will launch a food newsletter by the end of the year?

• Nothing like a Bravo Whodunnit to start the weekend.

• Matt Dillon’s first solo show as a painter opens tonight in New York. Yes, the Wild Things actor. Yes, the paintings are inspired by his time in West Africa with Claire Denis. No, this is not an Entourage subplot. But yes, Matt’s brother Kevin was in Entourage. Also going to check out Marcel Duchamp at MoMA when I’m back from London.

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This is my first attempt at a London-focused version of Feed Me. The UK is Feed Me’s second largest audience (after the US) and I’ve learned so much from my London-based readers — both in the comment section and in-person — over the last few years. Thank you to the brilliant and curious Montague Ashley-Craig, who contributed to today’s letter.

Last night, my friend and I hosted an impromptu happy hour at The Standard for readers and writers (and musicians and designers). I went home happy and half-drunk after getting dinner with new friends at Dim Sum Duck.

Today’s letter includes: London’s hottest bar added martini holders to the bathrooms, London pubs saw a dip in business during the Tube strikes this week, and a tuba ban at a popular countryside wedding venue.

Have a piece of news you’d like to see covered in Feed Me? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

Earlier this week I asked my readers for London recs. Here’s what they shared:

“Highly recommend to you and FM readers who are walking around London in the coming weeks listening to the audiobook for London Falling, which is read by the author, Patrick Radden Keefe. Among many other things, it will make you question your pronunciation of Abramovich.” - Dan

“A tini at The Dover or Simpson’s on the Strand.” - Olivia

“Or a power breakfast at Simpson’s on the Strand. Took a morning meal there a few weeks back and highly recommend.” - Page

“Go to Ozone for breakfast/brunch - one of the few places in London that gets it right IMO (London wants to be a brunch city but it just isn’t). For pastries go to Jolene or Pomme or Eric’s. For dinner, The River Café and make sure to strike up a convo with Ruthie (she’s always there).” - Eva

“I know Jolene was mentioned as the London bakery for hot cross buns, but would actually suggest getting to the Islington brand of Popham’s - their ‘specials’ at the weekend are incredible.” - Jordan

“I will always say Liberty just because of how gorgeous the store is on its own. Obviously everything they sell is fantastic as well.” - Joanna

“If you get a craving for fantastic fish and chips in an incredible room with lovely and correct service pop in to J. Sheeky. You won’t be disappointed.” - Cindy

“Portrait Gallery, Serpentine, Chelsea Physic Garden, Kew Gardens, Tate. So much good shopping : Choosing Keeping is a must, one of the great stationary/pen stores of the world, anything with a royal warrant is fun and historical, having a walk down Savile Row if you’re nearby, Benjamin Pollocks toy shop, Columbia road for small shops followed by lunch at Marksman, EB Meyerowitz for glasses/sunnies, Berry Bros and Rudd for booze, Chiltern shopping is always fun though it’s turned over to more major retailers so less interesting (pop up to Bella Freud).” - Brooks

“‘National Portrait Gallery for Lucian Freud and V&A for Schiaparelli. Best department stores are Harvey Nichols and Liberty. Chiltern Street in Marylebone is great for independent stores (and the best pharmacy in the world, John Bell, is not far).” - Fedora

“Museum-wise, definitely check out the National Portrait Gallery and British Museum. The Churchill War Rooms are also worthwhile. If you’re looking to shop for tea, Beijing Tong Ren Tang in Chinatown is excellent.” - Eli

“The flower gardens in Regent’s Park are spectacular for a stroll at the moment!” - M

“Go see Jean-Honoré Fragonard at the Wallace Collection and take a picture of the swing for me.” - Brendon

“Vintage shopping around Notting Hill. I like Retro Woman and have got loads of my best dresses from there, Lovers Lane more expensive but has amazing things, feel like a magpie in the Hirst Collection which is an insane collection of costume jewelry.” - Helena

“Wallace collection is underrated and their restaurant space is BEAUTIFUL.” - Julia

UK Support Specialist at Substack. 80% of your time will be resolving questions, bugs, feedback, and general inquiries, averaging at least 200-300 tickets per week. (£57,000-£70,000)

Senior Art Director at Financial Times. This person will maintain and evolve the FT’s premium brand standards across all creative touchpoints, safeguarding visual integrity and consistency.

Senior Manager of Social Media at British Vogue. This is a hybrid role that combines strategic oversight with hands-on execution. You will shape how British Vogue shows up on social, while also managing daily posting, scheduling, and optimisation across platforms. Dog-friendly office, wow.

Director of Video at T Brand Studio International. This role will scale T’s video creative capabilities, pitch new video creative programs, turn branded podcasts into video shows, and execute both short-form and long-form video projects.

Senior Business News Editor at Semafor. Semafor is looking for a tireless and talented senior editor to work alongside their marquee reporters as they break big stories on the bleeding edge of Wall Street — private investing, hedge funds, deals, activism, banking, prediction markets, and private equity. ($110,000 - $140,000)

Senior video producer, Guardian Studios. The paper’s new creative hub for personality-led video is looking for someone to develop, pilot, and produce new shows.

• Odd Lots is making its London debut with a live show on May 7th. I have FOMO. Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal’s guests range from Ashley Palmer-Watts (founder of The Devonshire) to Fahmi Quadir (Founder and CIO Safkhet Capital).

• Tuba ban! Countryside wedding venue Euridge Manor (where Jack Whitehall recently got married) will no longer be allowed to play brass instruments during events. Saxophones will be permitted, but only in the rose garden. Per BBC, part of the new rule is that “guests are not allowed to climb the Tump, a hillock from which noise has previously carried into the nearby village.”

• I met ’s Jim Waterson last year when I was in town with Substack’s team. The publication reports on London, and I’m constantly surprised by the seemingly small stories that instantly connect the readers in the comment section. This week, they reported on pastry thieves and drug dealers at Greggs.

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Thank you for all of your London recommendations in the comment section of yesterday’s newsletter. I will round them up in tomorrow’s special London edition of Feed Me. If you have any more suggestions, or news items (big or small) that you’d like me to consider including, reply to this email.

Today’s letter includes: a new fashion newsletter from The New York Times, three celebrity toxic workplace stories, your boss might start tracking your mouse movements, and how many Vogue employees use Polymarket?

The New York Times is launching a new fashion newsletter, written by Jacob Gallagher.

The Times has close to 100 newsletters (plus dozens of email notifications for when new games and columns drop) and up until today, the only one about fashion was Open Thread by Vanessa Friedman. This week, a new title appeared on the Times’ newsletter landing page: The Fashions. The paper describes the newsletter as: “A guide to fashion wherever it may appear, from the red carpet to the corner store, and all points in between.”

I think a lot about the way the Times has covered fashion in the past (the Times Machine is one of the best rabbit holes on the internet), moments that lodged in my brain for whatever reason and resurfaced as I considered what a dedicated NYT fashion newsletter might be for.

For example:

Earlier this week, circulated a 183-word entry by Mary-Kate Olsen that The New York Times published in 2007. It was concise, funny and read a lot like… a modern-day fashion newsletter.

In 2000, Cathy Horyn reviewed Sex and the City for The Times. (“It didn’t flip my skirt when people who work for fashion companies told me they had successfully placed products, like handbags, on the show, and hoped to do more in the future.”) I think New York should consider moving her from The Cut to Vulture for a few weeks, because she’s a pretty good TV critic. If only we had some good TV…

And don’t get me started on Bob Morris’s profile of Plum and Lucy Sykes from 1998, in which Sally Singer said, “I look at the Sykes sisters, and I think: O.K., my ancestors were born to work in the fields, and theirs were born to walk into parties.”

In 2025, Business of Fashion reported that both the number of publications and subscriptions in the fashion category doubled YoY. Newsletters like Lauren Sherman’s Line Sheet have turned email into a dominant surface for breaking fashion news, and delivering industry-shifting takes. It is also a category where blending news/analysis/perspective and e-commerce is not just possible, but natural. “Here is what I think about these pants – and here is how you can buy these pants.”

From the media business side, newsletters have also become a great place to turn readers into paying subscribers. Last September, New York Times editorial director for newsletters, Jodi Rudoren, told Press Gazette that their daily morning briefing newsletter “was the single largest catalyst to subscription of dozens that were studied.”

I think this is where a newsletter like The Fashions can satiate audience hunger, while also making the execs happy. Last night, I spoke to Jacob about what his most controversial take on the fashion newsletter landscape is, and what we can expect from this publication.

What is The Fashions?

Jacob Gallagher: The Fashions is, definitionally, a twice-weekly newsletter that we’ve started this week. It was born out of a pop-up newsletter that we did around the fashion weeks a few months ago. Now it’s permanent. But it is, spiritually, our place to write about clothes in a way much closer to how we talk about/argue about/fawn over clothes between us in the office and in our group chats. We just got a little tired of having everything feel so tight, so formalized when we talk about clothes. We wanted to come at it more conversationally, closer to how we think.

How is writing for a newsletter different from writing for NYTimes.com or the paper?

JG: In broad strokes, writing a newsletter is looser than writing for the paper. And you could probably say it has more bite, more of my unfiltered thoughts on something. Closer in tone to how I’m talking to you right now. But I’ve also found that I can be more direct and, therefore, sharper in what I’m trying to say. I’m speaking to an audience that cares a lot about this stuff. I mean, they signed up for a newsletter called The Fashions. They bought a ticket for this ride.

You’ve had years to study the landscape. What can you promise The Fashions won’t do? Anything else you have observed about newsletters at large?

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I’m sitting in my sunny hotel lobby in London, and I’m looking forward to meeting some of you this week. If there’s anything I absolutely must do, see, drink, while I’m here, let me know in the comments.

Today’s newsletter includes: on navigating rooms with people who don’t “get” your vision, food newsletter wants to cover New York Fashion Week, and a South Street Seaport restaurant that seems to have appeared overnight.

Have a piece of news you’d like to see covered in Feed Me? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

Read more on Feed Me:

Guest Lecture:

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Vanity Fair’s Mark Guiducci, Alison Roman, and ’s Rachel Karten.

Today, Lena Dunham — director, creator of Girls, author of Famesick — answers your questions about living in Northwest Connecticut, what she’s learned about her style of leadership on set, and how her parents have influenced her career.

“If you could choose one of your pets to be able to text with, which would you choose and what would they say?” - MacKinley

1000p my dog Ingrid- she’s so snarky, so un-phased and has real opinions about what and who we watch on TV (yes Kerry Washington, no David Attenborough). She’d be that friend who is available for banter and not available for vulnerability, but you know she’s ultimately on your team (so it’s okay that she’s a massive see you next Tuesday).

“I’m curious what it was like to piece together these highly specific anecdotes from over your lifetime. Did you keep diaries? Does your iCloud have all your old photos and texts, and, if so, did you reference those at all?” - Emily

During the six-year period we were shooting Girls, I kept datebooks- that’s how long ago this was! I used to buy them at Papyrus in Soho 🤣 . They contained my schedule, appointments and to do’s, but as time went on I also started taking notes at the end of the day, scribbling thoughts on not just what I’d done (and what I hadn’t done) but what I’d felt.

I have my entire Gmail inbox from that period loaded onto a chunky hard drive, along with more photos than any one person needs of their own life.

I tried hard to take an investigative approach to my own experiences, something I learned from my friend David Carr and his book, The Night of the Gun.

“I’d love to know how spending a significant time in such a rural and small community impacts your work?” - Rebecca

Yesss Northwest CT! I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some beautiful places, and to me it remains the most beautiful place in the world.

My father grew up in Connecticut, on the Long Island Sound. We ended up in Litchfield about thirty years ago, at first as weekend visitors. But slowly it became our base. When people hear Connecticut they usually imagine something suburban, white picket fences, so I always have to explain that this is a different vibe. Our town is tiny, close-knit and gets barely a bar of cell service. For a long time that was our respite from NY, but now it’s our normal, and what I love most is the space it creates for us all to consume and make art. I am also so heartened by our connection to our neighbors, who do nice things expecting nothing in return and I know we could rely on in a variety of situations. Small-town life really does have a quality of safety and connection that, if you tap into it and aren’t resisting, is what it’s all about!

“What are the most niche corners of TikTok and Substack you’ve enjoyed since you started posting on them?” - Samara

I was lurking on TikTok for many moons before ever posting, and my algorithm was pretty much: chronically ill women languishing to Lana in hospital beds, Australian sex workers counting their cash, and piglets learning to trust. What can I say? I’m a simple gal.

“Nerdy question: Having been a show runner/EP/creator on both Girls and Too Much, what have you learned about your own leadership style and how do you get the best out of your teams?” - Conor

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When you walk outside in New York City today, you will be experiencing something we like to call weather to write home about. If New York is your home, give your mom a call anyway. To usher in the sunny season, my friend Jack embraced an ancient tradition for the first time: the 9-9-9 Challenge. I still don’t understand why, but after reading this piece I understand the rituals of baseball a little more, and Jack a little less. Of course, he will be in the comment section, ready to discuss his experience.

Today’s letter also includes: What I know about Adam Rapoport writing for Air Mail, and ’s new podcast deal, and Patrick Radden Keefe thinks the next season of Industry should be about the high-stakes world of media.

Our next Guest Lecture is with Gwyneth Paltrow. Paid readers can ask her anything in the Feed Me chat.

I’m going to try out a London edition of Feed Me this week. 🎡💂🏼‍♂️🇬🇧

Have a story you want me to look into this week? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

More Like Cold Dogs. By

Jack Mankiewicz is a writer from Los Angeles who lives in Brooklyn. He also used to be my roommate. He contributes to Feed Me occasionally, writing about sports and gambling.

Today, he wrote about the 9-9-9 Challenge — a special baseball fan protocol where one attempts to consume 9 hot dogs and 9 beers within the 9 innings of a single Major League Baseball game. Below is his story.

It is appropriate that baseball and Spring, two of the world’s great symbols of renewal, go hand in hand. Last year’s strikeouts, winter’s bitter snowstorms, they all melt away when the calendar turns to April. It is a time of rebirth, when anything feels possible. The cherry blossoms open their faces to the morning light, the ballplayers step on to that shimmering green diamond, and hope springs(!) eternal. Dreams could come true, the Mets could win the World Series, and I could eat nine hot dogs in 2 ½ hours without feeling sick.

It was in this spirit of optimism that I found myself alone at Citi Field last week, on a blisteringly cold day, with 40 mph winds whipping across the stadium, losing feeling in the tips of my fingers and reckoning with the painful fact that my hot dogs were beginning to freeze.

I had come here to kill two birds with one baseball. I was going to go to my first game of the season, always a sacred ritual, but I was also going to perform a more ungodly rite, and take the 999 Challenge. For the uninitiated, the 999 Challenge began as a fan-invented battle of will, in which you eat nine hot dogs and drink nine beers over the course of…you guessed it, nine innings. The challenge was recently sanctioned by the powers of the MLB, so that you could now purchase it yourself from a stadium vendor and receive all your hot dogs at once without missing any precious baseball waiting in line.

The night before I was feeling good, already beginning my monk-like fast in preparation, when I checked Mets Weather, and saw that “expected cold and windy conditions” had caused the team to move the game from 7:10 PM to 4:10 PM.

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Last month, I asked all of you to consider taking a “Bride Survey.” I got married last year and I’m just constantly surprised by the fact that despite there being infinite information out there about weddings for brides-to-be, and endless post-wedding group chats, there’s often that one thing that happened during the planning process that doesn’t get disclosed until years later.

I received 406 responses: a 60-year-old woman who got married in Capri when she was 37; a 38-year-old divorcee whose wedding went over-budget; a 24-year-old whose friends started treating her like an “old lady”; a 34-year-old who smuggled cocaine into the Bahamas for her guests; and, well, 402 others.

The results of this survey have advice (“Click ‘uninterested’ in any wedding-related Instagram suggested post to fix the algorithm nightmare.”), financial regrets (“Flying in hair and makeup to Martha’s Vineyard.”), and one affair. May the Bride Survey guide you through your own future wedding or the minefield of weddings and bachelorette parties this spring, summer, and fall.

406 brides responded to the survey. Their weddings happened all around the world — Cape Cod, Big Sur, Telluride, Capri, Udaipur, Buenos Aires, and Paris. That said, 21% of respondents got married in the New York area.

Only 39% of respondents had sex on their wedding night.

The average age of respondents was 30, the youngest being 25 and the oldest being 67.

What is the most honest advice you would give a future bride?

“1990 was, obviously, very different. My main regret about my wedding is my groom.” (63-year-old who got married at 26 in Nashville)

“If money is a finite resource for you, really flash forward two, five, ten years and consider how this money spent on a wedding could change your life in new, unexpected ways. I’m now able to quit my job and pursue a 12-week culinary program because I didn’t spend all my disposable income on an elaborate wedding and my life with my partner is rich in fun because we have the spare money saved that we didn’t spend on a wedding. The wedding is the start of your life together, what do you want that life to look like?” (32-year-old who got married at 30 in Phoenix, AZ)

“Have sex in the morning!” (32-year-old who got married at 31 in Los Angeles)

“Elope! It’s so worth it. My wedding, including the dress, cost $250, and we were just as married as if we’d spent 100x as much. Some family were annoyed after the fact (not my dad, though, who was thrilled), but no one actually cared after a year or two. This was my second wedding, and I had a big party the first time around, mostly to make everyone else happy. I learned my lesson and didn’t do it again.” (45-year-old who got married at 33 in Savannah, GA)

“You have most leverage during the signing phase during vendor negotiations, don’t be afraid to lowball.” (29-year-old who got married at 28 in Toronto)

“Invite people you want to have in your life in 10 years. We invited new-to-us friends at the time and are so happy we did. Do thank you notes right away. Go on a honeymoon or small trip the week after the wedding. You need some time to decompress.” (37-year-old that got married at 32)

“Put your phone away, social media specifically. I haven’t been on social media for a long time (except for Substack and LinkedIn) and it has given me back my sanity. My husband and I are now in an age where a lot of our friends are getting engaged/married, so we’ve been attending bachelorette parties and weddings. It’s really sad to me how so many brides feel the pressure to have THE bachelorette (clubbing, renting a boat, etc.) or to be SKINNY or have long hair for their wedding day. I don’t understand why women feel the need to fit themselves to certain standards that society created? Most of those friends did not enjoy themselves on their big day…they were fixated on how they look in photos, who is posting what video of her on Instagram, whether her clubbing dress makes her look slim enough, etc. Anyways, my advice is just please stay yourself!” (26-year-old who got married at 23 in New York City)

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I’m writing today’s letter from an Amtrak to Boston. This is my last trip out of the city until Monday, which is when I’m going to London for a week. Maybe I’ll even do some London editions of Feed Me. If you have a fun story/store/stout/local piece of gossip that I should cover, please reply to this email.

Today’s email includes: Changes at Condé Nast, a reason to avoid gossiping in Midtown today, Morning Brew’s new vertical launching next month, and news for those of you who are wearing a Pepsi Rolex right now (at the office? really?).

Have a story you want me to look into this week? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

• It’s not safe to discuss your corporate secrets at Greenacre Park (the most soundproof park in Midtown) today. The roaring waterfall that usually acts as white noise over the conversations of suited men is going under maintenance.

• Allbirds, which was once valued at over $4 billion, is pivoting from sneakers to AI. A move Jim Cramer called “ridiculous.” Because they sold their brand and shoe “assets” but not the equity of the company, the stock is still listed as an almost useless shell company. In this situation, you will often see penny stocks claim they are “pivoting” to the hottest market sector, in an effort to “pump” the stock. (Over the last decade, this list included 3D printing, cannabis, crypto, and now AI). When investor David Einhorn was asked about the Allbirds pivot at Terms-Eccles’ Tax Day event last night, he chuckled and said something along the lines of “they can punt if they want to.”

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Last night, I went to the annual FIT Gala where I spoke with a group of alumni about what graduating from the school meant to us. I met Rowell Concepcion, the designer behind Binata Millinery, and told him all of the hot hat wearers I know and love (, , Natalie Shine). Gap CEO Richard Dickson was being honored at the gala, and I went down a rabbit hole of interviews and articles about his career on the car ride home. He was responsible for hiring the genius Zac Posen, and Dickson told BoF back in 2024 that customers were going to see “A lot more content coming out of Gap Inc.’s brands, and I do believe it’s going to be a significant point of differentiation for us.” A year after that interview, this banger dropped.

Today’s newsletter includes: An art world media merger, the rise of The Influencer Novel, and why New Yorkers are fleeing the city for the Fourth of July this year.

• Artsy and Artnet merged today. The two art-world websites, which each feature ways to learn about art (news, editorial) and to buy art (they are two of the largest art marketplaces on the internet), will now exist under the ownership of former Goldman Sachs partner Andrew Wolff. After purchasing Artnet last year for $73 million, Wolff has bought one of Artnet’s main competitors, consolidating Artsy and Artnet under one roof. Combined, Artsy and Artnet get over 7 million monthly visitors across 190+ countries and reach over 9 million followers across social channels. Per the press release I received this morning, “Together, the brands hold an unmatched trove of both primary- and secondary-market data, opening the door to entirely new art market insights and analysis.” The press release also alludes to a future where the two brands are using more AI tools to assess and act upon that shared data. Per Pitchbook, Artsy, which was founded in 2009, raised over $32 million last year. Early investors include Peter Thiel, Larry Gagosian, Wendi Deng, and Dasha Zhukova. Good news: It sounds like Artnet’s journalism will continue. And so, now that these two have merged, I’m going to need Artnet’s gossip column, Wet Paint, to start publishing on a slightly more frequent schedule. Finally, while we’re here, what other art writers/newsletters have you been enjoying?

• The FT reported that investors are questioning OpenAI’s $825 billion valuation. An early backer told the paper, “It’s a deeply unfocused company.” Another OpenAI investor said they weren’t happy about the TBPN deal. “It’s a distraction and it irks me.”

• The Fourth of July is on a Saturday this year. It’s also America’s 250th birthday. Tribeca Citizen wrote about the city’s celebration plans, and some New Yorker’s plans to flee the city in order to avoid the millions of tourists coming to town to watch fireworks (and SAIL4TH 250, the largest international maritime gathering in modern American history).

• I am the perfect height (5’7”) for Cormac McCarthy’s Lotus. I’ve always wanted flip headlights, the most face-like of all car features.

• The S&P closed up 0.80%, and the NASDAQ closed up 1.59%. Both the S&P and NASDAQ hit record highs during the day. The NASDAQ has now increased for the last 11 days in a row, which is the longest streak since November 2021. If the NASDAQ finishes up next Monday and Tuesday, it will match the longest-ever winning streak in 1992, and I will throw a “1992 Party” in London next week. Maybe.

• Charlie Tyson wrote about the rise of a new subgenre of fiction, The Influencer Novel, for The Baffler. The piece references Caro Claire Burke’s Yesteryear (about a Harvard-educated tradwife who wakes up stuck in the year 1855), Sydney Rende’s I Could Be Famous (a short story series about a hyper-masculine actor who is rumored to be a cannibal), Tanya Grant’s Made You Look (about a group of influencers at a resort who die one by one), and Lior Torenberg’s Just Watch Me (about a smoothie-store employee turned livestreamer). Tyson notes that these books don’t treat influencing as a ridiculous career that none of us could fathom doing (like Elizabeth Olsen’s role in Ingrid Goes West, or the plastic surgery-obsessed character in Allie Rowbottom’s Aesthetica) but more as something that could come for anyone in creative fields. Tyson writes, “It is clear that something has broken, that influencing rushes in when other economic paths have failed. Influencer fiction’s hunger for Hollywood represents a fantasy about opportunities that are no longer available, nostalgia for life before our current regime of precarity, exposure, and cultural fragmentation.”

• Playboy editor Philip Picardi told Lauren Sherman that Playboy is working with emergency contraception company Julie on a package about the sex recession.

• Toronto readers, can you please explain Nut Bar to me? What role will this smoothie shop play in the West Village?

Today on the Feed Me Job Board: Senior Account Managaer at Care of Chan, Editorial Intern at Tiny Dinner, and Sales Associate at Prounis

Feed Me Job Board

In early March, I asked all of you to consider taking a “Bride Survey.” The full results will be published later this week, but I wanted to give you an early look at some of the responses I received.

Here’s what some brides answered to the question: What was the most expensive beauty or wellness treatment you did before your wedding, and how much did it cost? How did it make you feel?

• “Microneedling - I think it helped! I would say the issue is that once you start it becomes so hard not to do more. Dysport, GLP-1s, filler... I did some in addition but not others. You’re never going to look like Emma Stone unless you get actual plastic surgery.”

• “This isn’t really what you’re looking for, but on the day of our rehearsal dinner tasting (which we brought our mothers to), my mother-in-law-to-be let me know that I should lose 5lbs. This was pre-Ozempic so I spent a few grand on juice cleanses.”

• “We did a hot yoga class beforehand, and drove to Miami for an all-night ayahuasca ceremony afterwards. Both left me feeling high in the best way.”

• “Beauty was much different in 2004! I splurged on a Georgette Klinger facial the night before the rehearsal dinner. Total cost maybe $175 including tip.”

• “Botox for $550. Made my makeup go on better but physically bad. Personal training for $2,000. Couldn’t keep it up right before my wedding so felt stronger but not aesthetically better.”

• “Got a blowout at Dry Bar the morning of my wedding for $60.”

Later this week, I’ll publish the full results of the survey: everything from budgets and beauty treatments to the one piece of advice you’d give a bride attending their own bachelorette party, the most honest advice you’d given any future bride, and more secrets about your wedding you’ve never told anyone.

It’s a beautiful day in New York. It almost makes you want to leave your laptop in the office tonight, and grab a beer with your boys at the newly-opened bar on the Staten Island Ferry. Other ideas for you: Borgo’s patio (re-opened yesterday), live music at Sunny’s in Red Hook, or posting up at the Nolita riviera that is Marcellino for a mountain of fried calamari and a spritz.

Today’s letter includes: A new teen magazine that will make you want to walk to the pencil sharpener, The New York Times appears to be building a creator agency, and it’s a great time to open a bakery in Montauk.

• Gosman’s Dock in Montauk is getting a new restaurant called Lobster House & Clam Bar. I believe this is going to be in the former location of Bagatelle, which was a hot mess last summer. (One Yelp review reads, “Worst experience ever, waiter was rude, lobster fettuccini took over an hour. Multiple tables served prior and a nice $537 bill. The lobster was dry, the pasta flavorless.”) I was talking to a reader, who works in real estate in the Hamptons, who commented on the sprawling dock full of empty retail. “If only they could also figure out that there needs to be a bakery, coffee shop, ice cream shop to bring people to the docks during the day in the Gosmans area.” Some ideas for businesses that should consider setting up shop in the next two months out there:

  • Goop Kitchen, which reportedly makes $30,000/day in some locations.

  • Carissa’s Bakery, which already has three locations in the Hamptons but hasn’t yet ventured past East Hampton. Few things feel better than tearing away at a warm baguette while staring at a body of water.

  • L’Appartement 4F, which already has three locations in New York.

  • Maybe one of you can develop a new concept – bonus points if there is a smoothie (SunLife is opening in Sag Harbor this summer) or soft serve on the menu that can be turned into a brand collab item on the menu.

• What the hell is the Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens? So glad you asked. It happens to be the fountain-filled, Renaissance-style mansion where Hailey Bieber’s recent cover story for Interview was shot, and was formerly Warner Brothers collaborator Busby Berkeley’s mansion. Today, it serves as a spiritual center. If anyone wants to go to one of their sound baths (“a sonic journey into who you are”) and write about it for Feed Me, hit my line. The Hailey shoot is fabulous, by the way.

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My main weekend takeaways are that:

• Going on a walk with a friend around the Prospect Park loop is a far superior way to catch up than getting a drink.

• The Vato tortillas have the perfect stretchy elasticity to assemble the origami that is a homemade Crunchwrap.

• ’s cake goes remarkably well with Superiority Burger’s Macadamia Mai Tais.

• Someone from Clyde Frazier’s team needs to consider him getting into Fashion Substack.

• I can’t remember the last time I was upset that someone canceled a plan.

• Throw more dinner parties with groups of people who don’t all know each other. I’ve been to a few of them this month, and they’ve been some of my favorite evenings in recent memory.

• If Green Juice Hot Cheetos means anything to you, please reply to this email.

For our next Guest Lecture, paid Feed Me readers can ask about Famesick, her memoir that will surely be dominating your newsfeed for the next thirty days.

Today’s letter includes: What Justin Bieber and Lana Del Rey and have in common, the Lower East Side is getting a Japanese bathhouse, and a case for outdoor dining in Rockefeller Center.

This week on the Feed Me Job Board: YouTube strategy at Dear Media, Talent Manager at Brigade, and Communications Manager at Substack.

Feed Me Job Board

• Three of the most beautiful words in the combined English and Spanish language: terrace piña colada. You can get one at Jupiter now that their Rockefeller Center outdoor seating is back.

• I received an email from Ben Smith with the subject line “a fun job.” Inside was a listing for an Executive Audio and Video producer at Semafor. This does look like a fun job, and affirms my post on X about how it’s a great time for young people who know how to shoot and edit video. I wonder what kind of new show concepts Semafor will be spinning out in 2026.

• You can make $150/hour reviewing AI-generated novels and scripts to make sure they don’t sound AI-generated.

• Neighborhood link-up. I walked by Winner yesterday and noticed that their sandwich of the week, a chicken Caesar wrap, uses the beloved tortillas from Vato.

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Today’s West Coast edition of Feed Me includes: An Oura ring-free guide to feeling better in the Bay Area this spring, Cult Gaia is marketing to brides who are looking for husbands in SF, a golf-club-slash-spa coming to Los Angeles, and jobs at A24, Goop Kitchen, and Puck.

🍷 But first! A piece of breaking news hit my desk this morning, straight from the West Village. Le Dive will be opening a second location this spring on 7th Avenue and 11th Street, across from Apollo Bagels. The space will have a fabulous transportive patio filled with custom Rattan from Maison Gatti (parfaite!), and the menu will be similar to Le Dive’s Canal Street location, including artichokes. They will serve a French Dip instead of the burger. While sitting outside this summer, enjoy the view across 7th and Greenwich of the location that supposedly inspired Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks.”

Joy is anti-inflammatory. By .

There are two common technology-related themes that have been taking over my newsfeed recently: how to use AI to optimize every minute of your day, and how much better life gets when you spend less time on your phone. I wanted to hear how a healer located at ground zero of the AI boom offers guidance in a time of wearable tech and addicting algorithms, and I knew there was only one place to find my person: the Substack Chat. Zoë Brown’s name came up immediately. I reached out to , an SF-based acupuncturist and Reiki practitioner (with a very cool website), to provide a guide to a phone-free, feel-good protocol to kickstarting your spring.

I’m an acupuncturist in San Francisco. My patients who are the most fixated on their Oura ring stats are also the ones perplexed as to why they feel “dysregulated.” In a city of health optimization that, I’d argue, makes you sicker in the pursuit of wellness, you might instead consider the original ethos of Northern California, the simple freedom of nude bathing at Esalen in the 70s in the hope of human potential. Throw your health tech wearable into the bay and get on a kayak in Sausalito, I promise you’ll sleep better. (Joy is anti-inflammatory.)

In Chinese medicine, the Spring is associated with the Liver and emotions like frustration and irritability. It’s a time for socializing and letting new ideas and projects come to the surface. The best way to smooth the Liver Qi and harmonize with Spring is to remain flexible, spend time beneath big trees, and incorporate supportive foods and flavors for the season. In lieu of escaping to greener pastures (the quickest way to feel well is to leave San Francisco entirely and drive north or south until you hit a charming town with a plot of land you can fantasize about buying), here’s where I chase my bliss in SF come Spring:

• Pick up some bitter greens, Chrysanthemum tea (TCM’s answer to itchy eyes and allergies), bee pollen, and sour flavors (California pomelos, lemons, limes) from any number of this city’s perfect co-ops:

  • Rainbow Grocery in the Mission for a bone-chilling bulk section.

    “There is something spiritually unsound to me about a sauna that charges $200 per session.”

  • Other Avenues in the Outer Sunset. Bookend your browsing with a walk along Ocean Beach or through the park; the calla lilies are blooming and you can’t make it a block without passing one or two men at a slow jog in a wetsuit.

  • Good Earth in Mill Valley for a supernal grocery experience and a smoothie entitled “Wiccan’s Brew.” (As an acupuncturist I don’t advise cold drinks like smoothies but I do endorse health food store creative liberties.)

  • All three of the above sell “awakened” nuts and bath salts in bulk.)

• When the sun is out, all I want to eat is an assemblage of colorful items procured from a farmer’s market.

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Last night I attended a dinner party in a stranger’s apartment. Sammy, a former Eleven Madison Park chef who now runs a supper club out of his space in Williamsburg, messaged me a few weeks ago and asked if I’d like to come to one of his Burrow dinners. I asked my friend Emma to come with me and we had a beautiful evening of vertical pasta and spring rhubarb and savory martinis. It was really fun and warm to be at a big table of strangers who were all curious about one another, with no insight into where we were from or what we did for a living.

In Feed Me’s Substack Chat this morning, we’re discussing the state of podcasts. Takeaways so far:

• Many people are listening to fewer podcasts than they were a year ago. However, How Long Gone, Nymphet Alumni, and Odd Lots remain on many download lists.

• I’m not convinced a good podcast needs a video component – a lot of people aren’t watching.

• Notable response: “I listen to three podcasts religiously and almost never add something new into my rotation unless something hyper specific sparks my interest. Always audio, mostly when I’m commuting/running errands. Never video, can’t be convinced to switch.”

Today’s letter includes: The New York restaurant that inspired the Champions Dinner menu at The Masters, Vogue’s attempt to revitalize their app, and William Gass’s The Tunnel could be one of the It Books of the summer.

Browsing and posting on the Feed Me Job Board is free. This week’s listings include: Alright Studio (clients range from Justin Bieber’s SKYLRK to Baldor), Howard Schultz-backed Cumulus Coffee, and Substack.

Feed Me Job Board

• The Wall Street Journal’s video team now has 65 people. That is larger than some full-blown movie production companies (like NEON). WSJ’s head of video, Maral Usefi, spoke to The Press Gazette about how the paper has pivoted from optimizing for YouTube to doubling down on its own platforms. Some of the team’s newest hires have been largely focused on “who can report, who can break stories… that’s really how we’ve rebuilt the team in a lot of ways, because that’s really the money, right? We need to nail that to be able to deliver that value.” Usefi also outlined the six pillars that make up the team’s video strategy (which has inspired me to put some framework into place for my own strategy). They are:

  • Original/investigative journalism

  • Breaking news

  • Topical explainers and analysis of the news

  • Strategic live video around a major news event

  • Habit-building franchises (interesting)

  • IP-based scripted and unscripted projects via WSJ Studios

• Rory McIlroy’s favorite restaurant is Le Bernardin. The chefs at Augusta National Golf Club visited the New York City restaurant to learn how to recreate Le Bernardin’s yellowfin tuna carpaccio ($52 on the Lounge menu) ahead of Tuesday’s Champions Dinner at The Masters. (As the defending champion, McIlroy got to set the menu, which also included bacon-wrapped dates (inspired by McIlroy’s mom), wagyu filet mignon, sticky toffee pudding, and some bottles of 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild.)

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Last night, I got dinner at Dean’s, the new British pub from the same team behind King. Their Guinness tap was staying busy all night behind the gorgeous wood bar, but I went for a carrot margarita. It was a long day. The fish and chips were hot and crispy, and the April sun stayed out until the early evening, which made the whole room feel lively and cozy. For dessert, the team sent me and my friend these chocolate and vanilla cream-filled brandy snaps that were really spectacular. Like biting into a lacy butterscotch cigar.

Today’s newsletter includes: Shakeups at Interview Magazine, Ridgewood’s favorite nightclub is reopening this weekend, you don’t need an investor to start a Substack talk show, and a review of Ben Lerner’s Transcription.

Feed Me’s next West Coast edition 🌴☀️🎥 🌁 is coming out soon. Have a story you’d like to include? Reply to this email or text the Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

I Want To Tell You About: Transcription

I don’t remember how I first learned about Ben Lerner’s new novel, Transcription, which is out this week. But I remember that when someone told me the premise, I got tiny goosebumps on my arms. One of my readers was able to get a copy sent to me early (thank you), and a few weeks ago I slipped it in my bag on the way out the door to the airport. In the opening pages, an unnamed narrator drops his phone in a hotel bathroom sink minutes before he’s supposed to record an interview for a profile of his 90-year-old mentor for an unnamed magazine.

I got my first iPhone in 2008 after making a bet with my dad involving a perfect score on my algebra Regents exam. I won, and he ended up giving me his iPhone. I performed phone surgery and moved my AT&T chip from my Motorola Razr into my new Apple prize. My phone immediately connected me to the universe outside of my Long Island bedroom. But it also became this thing, a rectangular appendage that dictated how every one of my days would go. I remember closing the door of someone’s parents’ basement and interrogating three of my 14-year-old friends once when I couldn’t find my phone. They still act out the scene today, I was scared and scary, lining them up and accusing them of hiding it. My iPhone ended up being safe inside of my soft Ugg boot by the couch. I think back to that moment whenever I catch this thing making me act in ways I otherwise wouldn’t.

Our narrator never tells his interview subject, an intellectual named Thomas, that the phone (which is also his recorder in this situation) doesn’t work, which leaves the reader and narrator knowing something is off. What will he do? Will he carry on this performance or come clean? What exactly will he publish if it’s not a transcription of the actual interview? Is everything made up?

In the second third of the book, we’re in Madrid. The interview was published (after Thomas passed away), and our narrator discloses in the published interview that his phone broke during the interview, and therefore parts of the conversation were “reconstructed.” At Thomas’s memorial in Spain, a woman named Rosa, who is another of Thomas’s protégés, calls our narrator “the worst journalist.” He argues that editors “move stuff around” and “make composites” all the time. The anxiety in the story becomes less about the role an iPhone played in the accuracy, or lack of accuracy, in reporting, and more about the omissions and additions that go into storytelling of all kinds in our everyday lives.

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I spent last night at Oramen, an unassuming (but perfect) Flatiron izakaya that I have been eating at once a week. I wouldn’t leave the table until I finished planning the vacation that I’m tacking on to Cannes Lions. Which brings me to my next question: Will you be at Cannes Lions in June? Email me if you’d like to do something together there.

Today’s newsletter includes: An interview with TBPN’s president Dylan Abruscato, Ezra Klein is hiring an assistant, Prada condoms and Rhode’s pimple patches, and a Palm Heights movie appearance.

Have a story you want me to look into this week? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want. Past guests have included Vanity Fair’s Mark Guiducci, former head of the Federal Trade Commission Lina Khan, and restaurateur Keith McNally.

Today, Dylan Abruscato, President of , answers your questions about how he ended up here — at an OpenAI acquired tech show — at this point in his career. There was one question I felt went unanswered in the interview, so last night I reached out to him and asked about this assertion that TBPN isn’t going to change post-acquisition: How can that possibly be true? He responded: “A huge part of our agreement was a ‘Commitment to Editorial Independence’ clause, which was written in to make sure we keep operating the show as is. So contractually, we still have full creative control over all editorial decisions.”

“I think it’s cool that from such a young age you knew you wanted to work in MEDIA. The Page program can be quite demanding (I’m sure more when you were involved than today). I’m curious what influenced you to get on that path, whether it was growing up near NYC or something that you realized while at school at Wisconsin. Did you watch a lot of TV growing up? Do you still watch a lot of TV?” - Emily

I grew up religiously watching SNL and was completely obsessed with becoming a live TV producer. So when I was in college, I interned at NBC. Growing up near NYC definitely helped (I took the LIRR to my internship every day while living at home that summer). The only internship I could land was in NBC News ad sales, but at least I was in 30 Rock every day.

My boss that summer was a former Page, and that was the first time I had heard about the rotational program and its grueling interview process. She mentioned that beyond giving NBC tours, there were actual SNL Page assignments you could apply to and interview for (a real-life Kenneth), and that was it for me.

So I went back to Wisconsin that fall and put all my free time into my Page Program application and presentation. It is basically an American Idol audition or Shark Tank–style process where you pitch your creativity to a panel of NBC execs. I did an NBC-themed rendition of Oh, the Places You’ll Go (credit to my college girlfriend, now wife, for the idea), got the job, started right after graduation, got the SNL Page assignment, and the rest is history.

I’ve since dedicated my entire career to the future of live TV. And yes, I still watch a ton of TV.

“If you had creative control at SNL today what would you change?” - Tyler

I’d make it easier to get tickets! To this day, the thing I get asked the most is, “Can you help me get SNL tickets?” It’s nearly impossible. There’s a lottery, plus a few occasional standby tickets, but most people who camp out on 5th and 6th Avenue for days still don’t get in. Lorne always says that the best seat to watch SNL from is the couch in your home, but I personally disagree. Nothing beats being in that studio when the show is live.

“You were nominated for an Emmy in 2019, any plans to return on the big screen now that you’ve sold TBPN?” - Tatayana

The nomination in 2019 was actually for my work at HQ Trivia. So despite starting my career in TV, the only time I’ve been nominated has been for a daily live show startup. The good news is TBPN isn’t changing post-acquisition, and we qualify for that same Emerging Media category, so we’ll be on the ballot this year.

“If you could have any piece of art in the world hanging in your house. what would you choose, and why?” - EA

The painting that currently lives in my head rent-free is a still life by Anna Weyant of a bowl of persimmons with a birthday candle inside it. I’m not even sure what it’s titled, but I first came across a paper study for the painting during a Nino Mier group show a few years back and just fell in love with the humor and insane detail. That, or anything by Henri Rousseau.

“Jordi and John said they would never do business without you. What makes you so valuable and what’s your advice on how to do business in the age of new media?” - Mark

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On Saturday night, I watched Four Weddings and a Funeral on my parents’ couch on Long Island. Afterwards, I looked up the budget of the movie (about $4 million) and how much it made in theaters (about $245 million) and learned that it was the highest-grossing British film in history at the time. The secret of indie film is simply to cast the next Hugh Grant in his breakout role.

Today’s newsletter includes: The Brooklyn menswear store that Zohran Mamdani was shopping at this weekend, it’s a great start to Q2 for Substack’s greatest fashion publishers, the secret to New York’s best (new) martini is the water, and Kanye West has been eating at Noma LA.

Companies that post on the Feed Me Job Board include , Substack, First American Nuclear, and Macy’s. Posting and browsing is free.

Feed Me Job Board

• The Harvard Crimson published an essay that asks why everyone is starting a newsletter on Substack, and what writing ends up being successful on the platform. Adam G. Walker, who taught in Harvard’s English Department through last year, said “some of what I consider my best writing has gone largely unnoticed, and what I would consider my worst has received the most attention.” Kaitlyn Tsai, who worked at The Crimson for years, said her writing on Substack is more “like public diaries.”

• From the Feed Me Tip Line: “I was at Ven. Space around 5-6pm on Saturday because my wonderful wife wanted to buy me a birthday gift and we were surprised to run into hizzoner himself! We knew he was getting plugged into menswear after he rocked that sick Kartik Research tie at his inauguration but it was so fun seeing him there and dapping him up.” Ven. Space confirmed this to Feed Me. Two more things:

  1. Hizzoner = His Honor = Zohran Mamdani

  2. Ven. Space is a menswear store in Carroll Gardens that sells brands like Our Legacy, Margaret Howell, and Auralee. I appreciate that they don’t have an online store.

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For all of you still waiting on answers about ’s sale to OpenAI, you can head over to the Feed Me chat to ask the tech show’s President, Dylan Abruscato, about the deal. Or his time as a Page at NBC. Or how he thinks about viral content.

Yesterday morning, before I had a lunchtime martini with , before I walked out onto Beaver Street, I recorded an episode of . You can listen to it here.

Today’s newsletter includes: ’s investigation into how alt music goes viral, a Feed Me contributor launched his own newsletter, and Jamie Dimon is bullish on media.

Have a story you want me to look into this week? Reply to this email or text the anonymous Feed Me Tip Line: ‪(646) 494-3916‬

Feed Me Job Board

• The New York Times is hiring a fitness reporter. Of course, preferred qualifications include: “Experience with on-camera interviews and generating story ideas for video.”

• The Wainscott house belonging to Josh Aaronson (played by Adrien Brody) on “Succession” just sold for $59 million. It was the second-most expensive transaction in the Hamptons so far this year.

• published an incredible investigation into Chaotic Good, a music marketing agency that creates fake accounts to appear as fans for your favorite alt musicians. The most shocking part to me is that this agency wasn’t operating under the radar – they gave a full interview about their work to Billboard last month, even saying: “Everything on the internet is fake.” Everything on the internet is fake.” I happen to hate this claim, because I remember some of the realest moments of my life took place on  the internet. However, I can’t deny this is no longer the internet I grew up on. Huge swaths of it are blighted by sock puppets, influence campaigns, fake accounts trying to tilt sentiment. A new, turbocharged tyranny of the minority, with the bots on sale to the highest bidder. Thankfully, this hasn’t reached the Feed Me comment section and you’re all 100% real. McLamb, a musician herself, pointed out that Chaotic Good’s founders’ advice for artists echoes what her own management company has told her: “post, post, post, try to hit the algorithm, fail miserably, post, post, post again, try covering other songs, try posting memes, try posting your feet, try posting your songs again, well, no, try posting the feet again.” The idea is to manipulate the public’s perception of an artist through virality and algorithms. The agency’s roster has included Mk.gee., Cameron Winter, Oklou, some of whom have disappeared from their site in the hours since McLamb published this piece. It’s a nice weekend to listen to Eliza’s music.

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I came out of a two-and-a-half hour lunch at Delmonico’s (I think they accidentally extended their Women’s History Month Ladies Lunch special through April) to about 20 texts about my dear friends at — the daily, live tech show sold to OpenAI for an undisclosed amount. I saw one post on X emphasize the fact that John and Jordi are likable guys, which is where I want to reiterate a personal mantra: You cannot compete with people who are having more fun than you.

The Financial Times reported that the deal was in the “low hundreds of millions of dollars,” but you don’t have to lose sleep over that tonight. Dylan Abruscato, President of TBPN, agreed to do a timely Guest Lecture tomorrow.

If this acquisition has left you speechless, you’re not alone.

May I suggest taking the edge off with the new Corporate Thrillers collection on Criterion? Last night, I watched “Disclosure” starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. It features everything you’re thinking about: acquisitions, AI, hot people taking your job, and everyone wearing perfect roomy ‘90s trousers.

Today’s letter includes: The healer in residence at one of New York’s best spas, how WSJ increased their subscriptions by 30%, a hot cross bun guide, and Vice brings back an old and controversial column.

• We need an electrician to advise on why the San Remo building lights on the Upper West Side are two different colors.

• Hot Cross Bun guide:

  • Radio Bakery (Brooklyn)

  • Jolene Bakery (London)

  • Stissing House (Pine Plains)

  • Bakers Bench (Los Angeles)

  • Big Sky Bread (Portland)

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Last night I got drinks with at The Bowery Hotel (margarita for me, martini with olive and twist for her). There was a sweet moment when a young woman from the other side of the bar came over and approached Pia — she’s an avid listener of Pia’s podcast, and was going to one of Pia’s favorite restaurants for dinner with her girlfriends. I stepped outside and clocked countless tables full of women on the Bowery, already half-drunk on a Tuesday thanks to the warm weather.

Afterwards, I went to Zimmi’s for a dinner Ben Smith hosted for Semafor’s brilliant new Head of Communications, Rachel Keidan. For dessert, they served rice pudding with rhubarb. It reminded me that at a recent dinner, a friend told a story about how they got into an almost-physical argument over early spring rhubarb at Eataly last week.

Today’s newsletter includes: A Brooklyn boat regatta for those of you with 3D printers, a new members’ club in Williamsburg, last-minute cancellation wedding etiquette, and is Substack making you addicted to shopping?

Browsing and posting on the Feed Me Job Board is free. This week, roles include , Macy’s, and Ariel Okin Interiors.

Feed Me Job Board

• Jamie Dimon thinks the American dream is dying. At the Hill and Valley Forum last week in Washington, D.C., JPMorgan’s CEO said that America has “become like Europe, we’re unable to move and change.” This week, the bank announced the “American Dream Initiative,” which aims to lend $80 billion over the next ten years to support small businesses, homeownership, access to healthcare, “and other economic priorities that Dimon believes are crucial for the well-being of Americans.”

• From the Feed Me Tip Line: “Bilt is opening their version of the Capital One cafe in the Meatpacking District.” Upon further research, it looks like David Rockwell (The Eighty Six, The View) is playing a role in the design of the financial service cafe.

  

• BoF reported that searches for shopping addiction have nearly doubled since 2020. US credit card debt has risen to $1.28 trillion, which is partially due to the rise in “Buy Now, Pay Later” options on shopping sites. In response, there is a new wave of “no-buy” and “marketing literacy” creators that are trying to educate their audiences on how shopping sites and media are designed and incentivized for them to consume more. I think about this phenomenon a lot while scrolling on Substack. Last month, nailed a feeling I had while watching a specific corner of the internet manically shop for the new Chanel collection—it reminded me of the scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when families were buying chocolate bars en masse and tearing them open. “While it’s undoubtedly an exhilarating moment for an industry that’s felt stagnant, it’s also a bizarre phenomenon to witness Chanel being unboxed in such large quantities (and by so many people) that it might as well be fast fashion… Of course, a plaguing question is: How is everyone affording this much Chanel?” There are chats on Substack dedicated to flagging for readers new items to buy, which is partially a magazine-like service that writers are offering readers, but writers are also incentivized by brands or tech platforms like ShopMy to keep readers on the hamster wheel of shopping.

• I didn’t realize cigarettes ever left.

• As someone who sleeps with the soft hum of someone’s 3D printer running at night, I can tell you that I will probably be at this 3D-printed regatta in Red Hook in May. Pioneer Works is hosting, and remote-controlled, 3D-printed, and DIY boats are all invited to “take on an obstacle course along Red Hook’s picturesque waterfront.”

• I wonder what the Bon Appétit team is cooking up. Earlier this year, June Kim was promoted from Head of Video for Bon Appétit and Epicurious to Executive Editor of both brands. This week, the food magazine posted a job listing for a Newsletter Editor and an Associate Cooking Editor. As new media companies like Caper and Gourmet and Cake Zine launch, and the NYT Cooking team holds steady, it feels like a good time for BA to run some new projects.

• I agree with this person on X that Robert Pattinson has the only correct opinion in this clip. As part of the promotion for A24’s The Drama, A24 created a YouTube show (a lot of work to promote a movie these days, sheesh) where the cast gives advice to anonymous callers. One woman asks if she should drop out of her friend’s bridal party because she doesn’t like her. Most of the cast advises to have a tough love conversation, while Pattinson says to claim she’s sick. I think it’s getting a bit ridiculous to watch people be taught to value confrontation and boundaries so much, like it’s brave. It is insane to tell someone on the week of their wedding that you don’t like them.

• From the Feed Me Tip Line*: “A ‘private club’ is opening in the old Urban Outfitters space on 6th Street in Williamsburg, Gary Vaynerchuk will be one of the owners.” After speaking to David Rodolitz, the CEO of Vaynerchuk’s hospitality group VCR, I learned that VCR will not be owning the club. “As CEO of VCR Group, I can share that we’ve been engaged by a global luxury brand to manage and operate a new members club concept at that location,” Rodolitz told me. “Our role is focused on culinary, hospitality, and overall experience.” VCR opened its first members’ club, Flyfish Club, in 2024 during the peak of the New York City members’ club boom. Flyfish Club’s membership costs are about $3,500/year, and if this club follows the same pricing, you can expect to see a surge in Colgate grads and entry-level J.P. Morgan employees. It will also probably be the perfect place for happy hours hosted by AI tax companies, that they will professionally photograph the event and then post on LinkedIn to prove to their VCs that they are “building community.”

  

*This item has been updated on 4/1 at 4:23pm ET with a quote from the VCR team.