Slow Stories

Coco Mellors — ”If you create something and no one sees it, does it count? Yes.”

“When the darkest part of you meets the darkest part of me, it creates light.” This is one of the many incredible lines readers will find in Coco Mellors' luminous debut novel Cleopatra and Frankenstein. 

In this riveting story, readers meet Cleo and Frank, two disparate characters whose chance encounter brings them closer in ways they couldn't have expected. Throughout the book, readers also meet Cleo and Frank's closest friends and family members, whose own stories add texture to Cleo and Frank's relationship and provide a nuanced portrait of what it means to come together, grow up, and in some cases, grow apart. 

Cleopatra and Frankenstein may be a work of literary fiction, but for Coco, it also calls upon what she deems "emotional nonfiction." And her own story of transformation and curiosity is a reminder that slowing down—and looking inward—is often the only way forward.

In this interview, Coco shared more about what led her to write Cleopatra and Frankenstein, her thoughts on gratitude and faith, and the importance of spending time doing what you love most. This episode also opens with a story by Alyssa Natoci.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/coco-mellors 

Learn more about Coco's work: https://cocomellors.com/ 

Follow Coco: https://www.instagram.com/cocomellors 

Purchase CLEOPATRA AND FRANKENSTEIN: https://bookshop.org/p/books/cleopatra-and-frankenstein-coco-mellors/16786593 

Learn more about Alyssa's work: https://alyssanatoci.com/ 

Follow Alyssa: https://www.instagram.com/lyssssssie/ 

Hannah Traore — ”The context is always important.”

Slow down and look around. Observe the art on the walls. Take in the colors, textures, and scents. What memories come to mind? How does it make you feel? And, perhaps more importantly, why? 

Ask Hannah Traore, and she'll tell you that these questions are integral to how we collectively engage with art. The New York-based gallerist originally got her start in the industry at renowned institutions like the Museum of Modern Art and Fotografiska. Today, she's bringing her experiences into focus with the introduction of her namesake gallery, which in her words, is “dedicated to broadening the notion of what is deemed appropriate for the gallery setting.”

While Hannah's fast-paced, high-energy nature is part of her daily life, pace plays an essential role in the gallery itself. Nestled in Manhattan's Lower East Side neighborhood, the space offers a welcoming, immersive environment that allows visitors to peruse the work at their leisure. For Hannah, art is something to be witnessed and experienced—to do so fully means slowing down.

In this interview, Hannah shared more about the implications of curation and consumption in the digital age, the responsibility of viewing art, and the practices that have changed her relationship with pace year after year.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/hannah-traore 

Learn more about Hannah Traore Gallery: https://hannahtraoregallery.com/  

Follow Hannah: https://www.instagram.com/hannahtraore/ 

Follow Hannah Traore Gallery: https://www.instagram.com/hannahtraoregallery/  

Laura Cramer and Starr Hout — ”We’re so capable of realizing dreams.”

Picture this: a vast expanse of Texas road and sky, two best friends, and a world of possibility. It was here that Laura Cramer and Starr Hout came together and conceived Apiece Apart—a brand revered for design-forward staples that, in their words, “act as witnesses to our lives... and never go out of style.”

While the duo's shared love for beauty has culminated in timeless clothing, style is just one part of their story. For Laura and Starr, community-building anchors everything at Apiece Apart, and this notion has become even more vital as the world continues to change at warp speed. And though they may not always know what's ahead, Laura and Starr are still looking forward, moving slower, and are sure of one thing: Their best work is yet to come.

In this interview, Laura and Starr shared more about their enduring friendship, what it means to tell slow stories, and what they've learned about building support systems in business—and life. This episode also opens with a story by Arlena Armstrong-Petock of Marvin Ruby.

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Episode Transcript: https://slowstoriespodcast.com/laura-cramer-and-starr-hout 

Learn more about Apiece Apart: https://www.apieceapart.com/ 

Follow Apiece Apart: https://www.instagram.com/apieceapart 

Follow Marvin Ruby: https://www.instagram.com/shopmarvinruby/?hl=en 

Katie Kitamura — ”There’s also incredible power in grief.”

What does it mean to belong? And what responsibilities come with belonging? These questions were top of mind while reading Katie Kitamura's stunning novel, Intimacies. 

In Intimacies, readers are presented with a rich examination of language, power, and identity seen through the lens of an unnamed narrator who has arrived in The Hague to interpret at the international court. As the narrator's story unfolds, readers witness the manipulation of language—and self—as the narrator tries to reconcile her role as an interpreter—and participant—in the stories shaping the spaces around her.

For Katie, distance and perspective are often top of mind in her writing process. But in the case of Intimacies, Katie's work also provokes deeper reflection about the relationship between time and choices—and how the decisions we make ultimately inform how we interpret and navigate the complicated landscapes of our personal, professional, and romantic lives.

In this interview, Katie shared more about the research and writing process behind Intimacies, her thoughts on the relationship between grief and power, and how pace has evolved in her creative practice. This episode also opens with a story by Sara Harowitz.

Grace Miceli — ”Slowing down is about trusting myself more.”

The art of life requires empathy, resilience, and a laugh or two—especially now. But after all that we've been through over the last few years, one question endures: How do we deal? This idea is at the core of artist Grace Miceli's book, How to Deal. 

Billed as “a weird but honest roadmap from a friend who wants to make it just that much easier for us to navigate our own journey,” How to Deal provides a creative respite from the "daily dreads" that pervade modern life. With thoughtful prose and a collection of original comic strips, illustrated lists, and diary entries, Grace renders a compassionate exploration of what it means to deal with—and embrace—the messier parts of life, both online and off.

In this interview, Grace shared more about the evolution of her creative practice, the process of working on How to Deal in a period of isolation, and what she's learned about slowing down—and trusting herself. This episode also opens with a story by Emily Freidenrich.

Matthew Herman — ”I hope we’re all realizing that we can live by our own rules.”

Rituals transform how we live, work, and create—but closer to home, they can do something much greater: encourage self-love. For conscious creators like Matthew Herman, this idea is especially prevalent. Enter Boy Smells.

Co-founded in late 2015 with his partner David Kien, Matthew and the team have worked diligently to create a gender-inclusive lifestyle brand that, in their words, encourages people to “make loving your identity a daily ritual.” With products ranging from candles to fragrances to intimates, Boy Smells aptly puts the personal back in personal care routine. 

While much of Boy Smells’ journey is reminiscent of Matthew’s personal experiences, the brand has embraced its community every step of the way. In this interview, Matthew shared more about his journey from fashion to fragrance, the ins and outs of building a genderful brand, and what he’s learned about slowing down—and living an abundant life. This episode also opens with a story by Julianne Fraser.

Meredith Westgate — ”Being a writer can often be empathy overload.”

What do we remember about our stories? In her stunning debut novel, The Shimmering State, Meredith Westgate explores the convergence of memory, art, and grief through the lens of two artists: Lucien, a grieving photographer who moves to Los Angeles to care for his grandmother, and Sophie, a dancer with the Los Angeles Ballet Company who has landed a coveted lead role in an upcoming production. On the periphery of their stories is an experimental drug called Memoroxin that "targets and delivers patients' own memories" and is intended for medical treatment. But when Lucien and Sophie meet as patients at the Center—a Memoroxin rehabilitation clinic founded by the mysterious Dr. Sloane—readers are taken on a journey between past and present to understand Lucien and Sophie's connection to one another—and the world around them.

The consumption and curation of memory fuels so much of how we live, work, and create in our digital age. Yet as The Shimmering State comes out during a time of recalibration—both online and off—Meredith's work reminds us of the delicate threshold between the memories that make us who we are and the stories we tell ourselves.

In this interview, Meredith shared more about the origins of The Shimmering State, her thoughts on the curation and commodification of memory, and why writing fiction slows her down. This episode also opens with a reading by Kayla Maiuri.

Larissa Pham — ”I think everyone woke up to just how impossible it is to survive.”

Art creates space for understanding, introspection, and intimacy. These themes are especially at play in the work of artist and writer Larissa Pham. You may recognize Larissa’s work from her bylines in esteemed publications, including The Paris Review Daily, or in the case of this episode, from her brilliant work of creative nonfiction, Pop Song, which is described as “a book about distances, near and far. The miles we travel to get away from ourselves, or those who hurt us, and the impossible gaps that can exist between two people sharing a bed.”

In this vibrant essay collection—at once vulnerable and incisive—Larissa examines modern intimacy through analysis and personal reflection against the backdrop of an increasingly digital-first world. With a critic’s eye and an artist’s heart, Larissa also draws connections between works of art and acts of life as she navigates heartbreak and searches for meaning.

During a time when connection has taken on a whole new level of importance, Larissa’s genre-defying work reminds us to honor the power of art, intimacy, and self. In this interview, she shared more about the role of pace and paying attention in her writing practice, her thoughts on consumption in our digital age, and the distances she’s overcome creatively—and beyond. This episode opens with a reading by poet Devon Walker-Figueroa.

Jen Spyra — ”How much doubt attends every stage of your writing?”

While some stories remain in your heart, others simply make you laugh out loud. Jen Spyra's storytelling oscillates between the two. You may recognize Jen's work from her roles at revered comedic havens like The Onion and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert or from her bylines in publications like The New Yorker and McSweeney's. Most recently, Jen has channeled her editorial expertise into her debut book. Enter Big Time, Jen's comedic story collection, which has received praise from industry giants like Tina Fey, Jack Handey, and Mindy Kaling. 

In Big Time, Jen lends her sharp—sometimes irreverent—comedic voice to fourteen jaw-dropping short stories. While these works may be fictitious in nature, Jen doesn't shy away from using humor to examine the facts of contemporary culture—and in turn, her own life. For Jen, comedy often stems from a place of empathy and paying attention. In this interview, Jen shared more about these ideas, along with the role of pace in her writing process, how she's defined her distinct comedic sensibility, and what instincts she had to unlearn to write Big Time.

Melissa Febos and Forsyth Harmon — ”Writing is the very solitary room where I practice articulating things that feel unspeakable.”

“A lasting, conscientious change in the self is similar to one in society: it requires consistent tending. It is sometimes painful and often tedious. We must choose it over and over.” This is one of the many resonant passages readers will come across from writer Melissa Febos in her latest book, Girlhood.

In this stunning essay collection, Melissa deftly examines (and interrogates) the stories we're told as girls, how these narratives inform who we become as adults, and the ways we can transcend them to be in service of the self. Alongside Melissa's writing, each piece features a stunning illustration by Forsyth Harmon, who is also the author and artist of the novel Justine (a devastating story that also tackles the complexities of girlhood). At the beginning of each essay, Forsyth lends her signature illustration style—simple, sharp, and effortless line drawings—to create a portal inside. While these visuals are black and white on the page, Girlhood as a whole reminds us to traverse the grey area that often makes up adolescence; that liminal space between who we're told to be and ultimately owning who we really are. 

Together, Melissa and Forsyth's work renders a nuanced portrait of how our girlhoods shape us, challenge us, and stay with us. In this interview, Melissa and Forsyth shared more about how these themes informed their books, what led them to collaborate on Girlhood, and the role of pace in their creative lives.