Cool people like cool things. That’s why we asked Madeline, Anika, and Nat to share a taste of their tastes on Perfectly Imperfect.

Madeline, Anika, and Nat are the girls behind one of the the hottest literary magazines, Forever. Their contributor list includes all of the most exciting voices in alt-lit such as Sean Thor Conroe, Honor Levy, Tao Lin, Brad Phillips, and Allie Rowbottom, to name a few, and they’ve been hosting release parties for highly anticipated books like Fuccboi and The Novelist with guest readings and live performances from artists like Blaketheman1000. Forever Mag is making their mark as the lit mag and breathing new life into the scene, and lucky for us, they’re here to share a taste of their taste with us.

Without further ado

Madeline Cash (instagram)

🍸✈️ The Jet Blue Lounge

Anika and Bryson went to the Jet Blue Lounge (bar) after missing their flight to LA. They had such a blast I thought, heck I wanna go! I’m always looking for my next local haunt. So I went down to LAX and parked my car in overnight parking which costs $150/hour and walked up to the Jet Blue help window and said, “I’d like to go to the Jet Blue Lounge (bar), please” and they said, “do you have a plane ticket?” And I said, “no, I just wanted to chill in the lounge” and they said, “ma’am, you can’t go past security without a boarding pass” so I asked them what the cheapest plane ticket was and they said that considering the price of fuel due to some international conflict, all tickets are very expensive so I asked, “well what is the *cheapest*” and they said, “Oaxaca or Boise” so I bought a ticket to Oaxaca. Then I waited 45 minutes at TSA where they threw away my Aesop deodorant because it was over 3.5 oz and went to the Jet Blue Lounge where I ordered a $27 martini and then I flew to Mexico.

💊🇲🇽 Blue Mexican Xanax

While in Oaxaca I went to a pharmacia and boy do they sell everything there! I took French in high school so I couldn’t read the labels but the pharmacist was very helpful in assuring me that I wanted these blue football-shaped pills and he was right! They are designed to cure anxiety and overall consciousness! I’ve never felt so at peace. 10/10 recommend. 

📲 Heads-Up

I’m a little shy at first 🙈 and sometimes need prompting to reveal my esoteric knowledge of history and culture. Heads-Up (game) for iPhones (and Androids) is a great way to break the ice, particularly in ride-shares with strangers. I am personally banned from Uber so when I say ride-shares, I am referring specifically to Lyft. To play Heads-Up (game) you simply put the iPhone (or Android!) to your forehead and your present company must assist you in guessing what name or phrase is displayed on screen. So, for example, let’s say my head says “Alec Baldwin,” my new friends might say, “that actor from 30 Rock who shot someone recently.” Nominally, if you get the answer right, you put your head UP and go again in low-stakes Russian roulette style speed rounds. The funny thing about Heads-Up (game) is that it’s owned by Warner Games which is owned by Halliburton which is owned by Exxonmobile. I guess it’s not “ha ha” funny…

Anika Levy (instagram)

🤪 🐎 Horse Crazy — Gary Indiana

This is the best book about “downtown New York” I’ve ever read. s/o to my friend Stephanie who encouraged me to buy Gary’s book instead of the new Moshfegh hardcover.

📿📲 irosary

I grew up in a secular household and learned to pray the rosary using this app on my iPhone.

🎤 Temple City — Blaketheman1000

This is an insanely beautiful song by our friend blake about his great uncle (“he worked at the post office / he was gay / had a house in silver lake”) it’s not released yet, but if you DM blake on Instagram, he’ll probably send you an audio file. 

💒 The Cathedral of Saint John The Divine

This is the biggest Gothic Cathedral in America.  Even though it’s in a semi-permanent state of construction, it’s very beautiful and peaceful. Whether or not you’re religious, it’s a nice place to sit on the steps and read a book. 

⚓️ The New York City Ferry

For $2.75, you can ride the ferry from the financial district to Williamsburg, or all the way to Rockaway Beach like the Ramones Song. also they have booze for sale. 

 ⚧ 📕 Introduction to Sexual Personae

If you saw that NYT headline “the future isn’t female anymore” and you’re wondering what the fuck is going on with women, this book is a good place to start. the cool thing about theory is that you actually only have to read the introduction.

Nat Ruiz (instagram)

🐟💊 Provigil & fish oil

If you're looking to boost your brain power, you may want to consider taking Provigil and fish oil. Provigil is a medication used to treat narcolepsy and fish oil can help to improve memory, focus, and concentration. Together, these two ingredients make a potent cocktail that can tame dyslexia and clear brain fog. This duo keeps me awake for days while designing Forever Mags. 

💿 Linklater

If you need a good film, watch the ‘Before’ trilogy & ‘Boyhood’ by Linklater. 

After I watch these films, I usually take long, silent walks for a few days and question my life choices. These have triggered the end of a friendship, quitting a job, and my recent trip to Turkey (where I’m writing this from).

🎽 Sweater Vests

If you’re looking to add a touch of prep to your look whilst maintaining your tomboyishness, sweater vests are the way to go. They are unisex AND they reference academia. So no matter how stupid you actually are, the sweater vest will help disguise it.

👖 Big Bud Press Pants

If you're looking to go out without a handbag, try wearing Big Bud Press's workwear pants! They have so many pockets that you’ll be able to fit all of your belongings in them. Plus, if you're a klutz like me and tend to fall down or get dirty easily, you can just throw them in the washing machine and they will come out looking like new.

💻 Open Ai

If you're looking for a way to boost your productivity and creativity, then you should definitely check out Open AI Playground. This powerful tool can help you with everything from writing a perfectly imperfect list to answering emails and applying for jobs. I learned about it after we published Honor Levy’s Playground poems and became a little bit addicted to using it for a while.

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Attend their upcoming reading.

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