All too often, gifts that bring initial delight end their lives in dusty corners, attic nooks, or worse still, the dump.used for years or even decades to come.

This past June, The Slowdown launched our Book of the Month newsletter, for which, at the start of every month, we revieNot Too Late to Tracy K. Smith’s urgent yet timeless memoir To Free the Captives, here are the books we thought fit the bill.

Lara Gilmore lives by the Italian adage festina lente, or, “make haste slowly.” “I interpret it as: Do things, and don’t stop doing them; keep moving forward,” she says. “Bu

Emilia Terragni has a palpable zest for books, food, and design—and for books about food and design. As associate publisher and editorial director of Phaidon’s titles on these subjects, she is a driving f

When it comes to astute and unvarnished observations about pressing issues of our time, Roxane Gay never fails to deliveNew York Times contributing opinion writer has gained international recognition for her sharp, subversive output across genres, includDifficult Women (2017); her novel An Untamed State (2014); her memoir, Hunger (2017); and her New York Times best-selling essay collection, Bad Feminist (2014). As is evident across her writing, Gay has a rare knack for both exposing raw truths of the society we live in aThe Sacrifice of Darkness (2020) and the comic book series and Marvel spin-off World of Wakanda (2016-2017)—providing imaginative havens to escape to.

Every year, the fall brings a global gauntlet of gallery openings, museum galas, and art fairs (Frieze London and Paris+ in October, Salon Art + Design in New York and Paris Photo in November, and the perennial year-end juggernaut Art Basel Miami Beach in December, to name a few). In an effort to cut through the noise—just as we did this past summer—we selected five must-see shows this season, from New York City, to Washington, D.C., to Denver. In New York, we recommEp. 97 of Time Sensitive—so of course we’re a bit biased).

This past Wednesday, I made a visit to Chelsea’s High Line, where a certain kind of science fair—coinciding with New YorClimate Science Fair, hosted by Emerson Collective in collaboration with the climate-tech nonprofit Elemental Excelerator. With the aim of cultivating climate optimism and impactful conversations about our collective future, the community-drEp. 2 of our Time Sensitive podcast) to the marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. “The heart of so much of our work is really thinking of the power

Despite juggling the responsibilities that come with being the editor-in-chief of Dwell, the internationally acclaimed home-design magazine, William Hanley still finds time to bike around New York City, wher

Defying the pull of our digital, largely two-dimensional age, the New York–based stylist and shop owner Beverly Nguyen tVogue, Opening Ceremony, and La Garçonne; as an assistant and later studio director of the stylist Kate Young (the guest on Ep. 3 of Time Sensitive); and now as a professional stylist herself, Nguyen has in recent years plunged headlong into a new sBeverly’s NYC. Lining the shelves of the specialty market are wooden spoons, brooms, baskets, and pepper grinders—many of these itemsextra virgin olive oil.

As head of curatorial at the Design Museum in London, Priya Khanchandani sees her role as that of a “cultural observer.”

Norman Teague has a global outlook, but the artist, designer, furniture-maker, and educator keeps his work close to homeAfricana” furniture and homeware collection from 2021 incorporates hand-carved details that reference African tribal carvings, a

Three weeks have passed since our Milan Design Week exhibition “Take It or Leave It,” in collaboration with the Italian architect and designer Paola Navone, during which she gave away hundreds of items she had collected or designed over the years, from Indian metal spoons an

As the design and interiors director of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Tom Delavan adheres to a schedule of nonstop, high-intensity days that consist of writing, overseeing photoshoots, porDomino, Delavan also operates his own interior design practice, drawing on three decades of immersion in the worlds of fine anBeni Rugs called Archival, which launches next week.

One thousand numbered objects, 623 lottery drawings, 591 “Take Its,” 32 “Leave Its,” and a smattering of trades therein,Take It or Leave It,” in collaboration with the Italian architect and designer Paola Navone, and it was no placid affair. But of course it to give away hundreds of items she had collected or designed over the years, from Indian metal spoons to indigo textiles to ceramic

Daniel Rozensztroch has a rare knack for subtly telling stories through objects. The world of the Paris- and Nice-based

The Slowdown’s first-ever public event, the exhibition “Take It or Leave It,” made its debut yesterday at Milan Design Week. Organized in collaboration with the Italian architect and designer Paol

Entering “The Yanomami Struggle” exhibition at The Shed in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, I find myself standing before a vast arrangement of photographs, s

Jonah Takagi comes across as laid-back and casual, but the truth is, he keeps pretty busy. The bulk of his time is splithis namesake design studio, and Providence, Rhode Island, where he teaches a Herman Miller–inspired furniture design course at the Rhode Island Sc

Few people in history have managed to maintain an image as precise and immutable as that of the late fashion designer Ka

An Yu’s latest novel, Ghost Music (Grove Atlantic), tells the story of Song Yan, a former concert pianist whose domestic life starts to cave in when her h

Anne Helen Petersen resides on Lummi Island, a small land mass in the Puget Sound seven minutes off the coast of WashingThe Tome, the island’s newsletter, which arrives in their (physical) mailboxes once a month.

The old’s been rung out, the new’s been rung in. We’re now all looking out on the year ahead, thinking about what it migthe tide turning on travel restrictions and peace of mind slowly being restored to the masses. 2023 is forecast to be the year when, for better or worse, travel will make a full return to its pre-pandemic patterns.

A few years ago, some days after my birthday, a cardboard shipping tube appeared at my door, beige and unassuming, addre

Two years ago, outside Christ the King Catholic Church, in northwest Detroit, a flurry of congregants’ hands were at worSacred Grounds, a program run by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) that helps houses of worship transform a portion of their propessential for the survival of all terrestrial ecosystems. Native plants also provide vital food, shelter, and places to rear offspring for songbirds, and, thanks to their localions, need to band together to protect creation for the glory of the Creator,” says Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb of the Adat because we are people of faith.” When it comes to the planting itself, NWF helps congregations strategize to account for theirkeystone plants—organisms specific to local food webs within ecoregions—known to attract caterpillars, take priority. (Caterpillars, inlong been entangled with controversy and political beliefs—a straddle of sorts across party lines. By working hand in hand with houses of w

When walking down the “ethnic” aisles of mainstream grocery stores, sisters Vanessa and Kim Pham always felt a palpable told Vogue about the experience.

On average, children grow seven sizes in just their first two years. As a result, parents end up spending an average of $3,000 on clothing—much of which ultimately joins the 17 million tons of clothing that finds its way into landfills every year—before their child reaches the age of 3. Considering these realities, aeronautical engineer Ryan Mario Yasin wondered: with them?

The metaverse is expanding by the minute, and speculation abounds as to what each of us might want to do there. Attend vbe like to do these things. What exactly will virtual experiences sound like, or feel like, or taste like? Dare we ask … w

What makes a cake a cake? Is it its stately, cylindrical shape? Its spongy texture? Its sugary contents? Whatever preconYip Studio, wants to uproot them. She specializes in naturalistic, rock-shaped cakes that, on first glance, could easily be mistak

Many of us segment our days into hour-or-so-long stretches—an errand here, a catch-up there—but even with our time premeSpace of Time in 2019.

In the womb, it is calm, quiet, and comfortable. We float about for our first nine months largely unbothered, with noiseSlowave, a New York–based ambient-music project that seeks to recreate the sonic landscape of our earliest days.

In the Mount Nyuto forest in Japan’s Akita prefecture, a certain smell pervades the air. It’s an enigmatic concoction ofonsen, and that can induce an almost instant mental calm. The natural phenomena, found in locales with geothermal energy bene

The plant market comprises an ever-expanding array of things—foods, fertilizers, grow lights—that promise to help housep

At this and at every moment, the Earth, and all the species who reside on it, are pushing through time and space, surrou

In recent decades, art has steadily expanded into the digital realm, thanks, in part, to copious new apps, tools, and tuForest Crayons, a series of prism-shaped drawing implements that are made from natural materials and that use wood as their sole sourc

To Felix Burrichter, the German-born, New York–based founder of the biannual architecture and design magazine Pin-Up, life is a glorious cacophony of different voices, visions, and ideas—and he can’t get enough of them. “I’m never happy

Marked by a snow-white dial with a texture evocative of tree bark, the SLGH005 timepiece from the Japanese watchmaker Grand Seiko was informed by the shirakaba (white birch trees) that thrive in Japan’s northern region, particularly those near the company’s studio in Shizukuishi

A solitary island nation marooned between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, Iceland is known for its extraordinary naturalÚtilykt, released earlier this fall.

Gucci. The luxury fashion house’s name alone conjures up images of vibrancy, extravagance, experimentation, and offbeat latest episode of Hello Fashion, Young’s YouTube show created with The Slowdown, she investigates how this “world” came to be by illuminating the house

When Washington, D.C.–based electronic musician and sound engineer Yoko Sen fell ill and was hospitalized for multiple d

In the sphere of luxury fashion, Dior’s richness of history is practically unparalleled. As stylist Kate Young says, Diolatest episode of Hello Fashion, Young’s YouTube show created with The Slowdown, was filmed. In the episode, Young takes us through Dior’s aesthetic tr

While “matcha,” “bao,” and “red bean” have become increasingly familiar parts of the American food lexicon, books on howMooncakes and Milk Bread: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Chinese Bakeries (Harper Horizon), a detailed guide for preparing a wide range of treats that’s enhanced with profiles of exceptional Ch

What does a trench coat represent? For stylist Kate Young, it’s a marker of sophistication, exploration, and evergreen slatest episode of Hello Fashion, her YouTube show created with The Slowdown, Young introduces us to the piece’s original architect—the British luxury f

Can clothing be at once opulent and utilitarian, traditional and unexpected, ugly and sublime? Can it be both a statemenlatest episode of Hello Fashion, her YouTube show created with The Slowdown, stylist Kate Young explains the ways in which the Italian luxury fashion h

Dimly lit restaurants are no rarity in New York. But at Abigail’s Kitchen in Greenwich Village, reduced visibility isn’t exactly for ambience. Twice a week, chef-owner Abigail Hitchcock offers Dinners in the Dark, for which she blindfolds her guests before they enter the dining space, then serves them a multicourse, seasonal menu

Luxury and utility don’t often go hand in hand. French fashion house Louis Vuitton, however, is a clear exception: As stHello Fashion, her YouTube show created with The Slowdown, the house—though now one of the world’s most recognizable fashion brands—wthe episode, Young walks us through the evolution of the house and its designs, which have consistently checked the boxes for both

As a stylist, Kate Young has a particular affinity for well-designed things—that is, iconic items that stand the test ofknow what Cartier is. It’s sexy. It’s French. It’s sort of, always, for me, rooted in the seventies.” To kick off Season 2 oHello Fashion, her YouTube show created in collaboration with The Slowdown, the stylist walks through some of the famed French jewelr

In branding and marketing, animal imagery abounds: Lacoste’s crocodile, Bacardi’s bat, Geico’s gecko, Swarovski’s swan, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), animals appear in approximately 20 percent of all advertisements. These creatures, however, receive little to n