The Pleasure Lists Q&A: Kate Guadagnino
Pleasures, Curated by writer Kate Guadagnino
We’re back with another installment of
: Pleasures, Curated.I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy getting to know members of the Pleasure Lists community and what makes their Pleasures tick.
Pleasures, Curated by
Kate Guadagnino is a writer and editor who focuses on style and the arts. A former staffer at T: The New York Times Style Magazine and Vogue, she’s giving freelancing a try and, yes, is thinking of starting a Substack.
Social: @k_guad
Location: St. Louis and sometimes New York
Pleasures
Certain instances of leopard print. (Or cheetah? I never know.) When they’re good, they’re good. Examples: The Green River Project couch in the Bode Women’s store, a vintage Fornasetti magazine rack that I wish would be reissued, a donut hat (I’ve been told the correct term is headpiece) from the old Marie Mercié shop in Paris that my friend and former boss Valerie Steiker gave to me in what was the best, most touching gift.
Finishing a book and immediately reading multiple reviews. This keeps you in the world of the book a little longer. I also simply enjoy criticism, whether it reinforces or remakes my ideas.
Licorice tea. My mom discovered this at a hotel breakfast and we've been fairly obsessed ever since. She orders it in bulk and, when I visit, sends me home with multiple boxes’ worth. We usually drink Stash but, as my fellow free-sample-loving mall-goers of the early aughts might know, Aveda weirdly sells a very good licorice and peppermint blend. No matter the brand, I drink it for its sweet-and-spicy taste, but it turns out to have anti-inflammatory properties, too, so great.
People cheering for their loved ones or strangers. I recently attended my sibling’s oddly timed graduation and got choked up hearing people’s boisterous applause and shouts. It’s the same when I watch people watching marathon runners, but the graduation scene came with the added pleasure of transgression, as we’d been instructed to hold our applause 'til the end.
Aretha Franklin. I’m going to brag and say Aretha Franklin was my first concert. As I remember it, she wore a sparkly dress with spaghetti straps that kept sliding down her shoulders, and every time she casually put one back into place I thought, that’s womanhood. Anyway, I would recommend the @arethafranklin Instagram account, the 2018 documentary Amazing Grace and, obviously, her songs, especially “Runnin’ Out of Fools,” the title track of her 1964 album. It’s a consummate breakup song, but good in all seasons. (Neko Case has an amazing cover of it, and when either of them gets to the line “even fools like me,” I die a little.)
A game of ping pong. If you like tennis but have back problems, try this instead. And all the better if you can play with someone like my boyfriend, Michael, who has a mean topspin forehand but is never smug about winning.
Any basement rec. room set-up will do, but here’s a luxe table by BDDW that’s nice to look at. Talking on the phone with a friend. An endangered pleasure, culturally speaking, but one I’d like to preserve.
What does Pleasure mean to you?
A warm, uplifting sensation that, however briefly, leaves you wanting for nothing.
Who do you want to see next? Send me suggestions for who to feature in the next Q&A!
What Is “Pleasures, Curated”?
Each week, a new Pleasure-seeker will document their personal Pleasures and ruminate a bit on what Pleasure means to them. True to
style, I keep the list-maker’s je ne sais quoi in as much as I can — only minor editorial changes are made when necessary. I do this intentionally so that the writer’s inner world really comes through. The style of the list says as much about the writer as the list itself.Read Previous Q&A’s:
Why submit a list?
Pleasure Lists are a summary of what you need, want, or have, or see at a particular moment in time. They are a survey, an overview, a summary of the crucial facts of the state of one aspect of your life. It’s a kind of blueprint that can be a guide to the future.
Mull it over and if you’re moved to, send me a list.
Questions? Comments? Send any recommendations or suggestions for what you’d like to see in these newsletters my way. I’d love to hear more about what you’re currently finding pleasure in.
Join the chat below to connect with other members of the Pleasure List community:
Please share this newsletter! The Pleasure Lists is meant to be a collaborative project that calls people from all over to write, read, and share their pleasures — a global community of artists, writers, and pondering minds alike.
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Hi Kate! 👋 The reading reviews after finishing a book is the MOST fun.