Read An Anthropologist on Mars: I’ve recently been obsessed with reading about psychiatric and neurological disorders as a means of understanding what mental illness reveals about the human mind. The best book I read last year was Projections by clinical psychiatrist and professor of bioengineering Karl Deisseroth, a series of case studies that illustrates the origin of human emotions and the biological nature of our inner worlds. Oliver Sacks’s An Anthropologist on Mars—subtitled “seven paradoxical tales of neurological disorder and creativity”—explores the shifting and subjective nature of how we engage with the world at large by similarly evolving the medical case study into a literary art form. Two of the most fascinating stories tell of a fine artist who develops cerebral achromatopsia, a form of colorblindness, as the result of an accident, and a man who regains his sight after four decades of blindness by having his cataracts surgically removed. These “broken” ways of seeing the world—in black-and-white or not at all—cause us to question whether the “unbroken” way is equally if not more distorted and disturbing, proving color and time perception are nothing more than neurological constructs, and allow you to enter a captivating state of psychological torment just by sitting around looking at stuff. Are bananas, in fact, blue? Who knows, but you’ll be haunted by them forever.
—Hannah Ongley, Editorial Director

Watched MILF Manor: The Learning Channel finally has me learning again, challenging my conceptions of what’s moral and what’s good, and why sometimes those things are incompatible. Reality television should be provocative, allowing me to revel in its elicit entertainment like the god of ethics that I am.
—Megan Hullander, Print Managing Editor

Listened to Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips: I had this album on repeat this month. A blend of human-meets-machine psyche, journeying through space on uplifting melodies. They’re performing in London in April, with me swaying at the front.
—Alexandra Bickerdike, Junior Fashion Editor

Ate at Noz Market: The poor man’s ultimate omakase destination, if by “poor” you mean really glamorous, and still fairly rich. Noz Market is the less-formal extension of Sushi Noz next door, Michelin Starred since 2018; to many, it’s the best of its class in New York. You eat right off the counter (built in Japan, shipped over in pieces, reassembled in the Upper East Side)—handrolls, nigiri, and chilled sake. Since 2020, they’ve been doing takeout, selling fish by the pound. This month celebrates their completed renovation and first round of seatings. Noz is shockingly good; I thought that, essentially, nice sushi was hard to tell apart—at least for a layperson like me. Not so!
—Morgan Becker, Digital Managing Editor

Watched Corsage: Enviable fit inspo and fabric porn (was the late-19th century fashion’s peak?), horse rides with live piano accompaniment, bathtub masturbation, and harp renditions of “As Tears Go By”—Marie Kreutzer’s new historical drama Corsage has it all, baby. Starring Vicky Krieps, the film is an impressionistic portrait of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (based on the real Empress who was also known as Sissi), as she revolts, in the small ways she can, against the appearances and mores that have been foisted upon her—but which are, decidedly, not her. So if you’re stuck in a rut, and thinking of chopping off your hair and tossing your diet to the side now that January is over, Sissi may be the inspiration you need to finally say fuck it and let loose.
—Phil Backes, Social Media Director & Digital Partnerships Manager

Read Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking: This book has followed me around several apartments since it was given to me over 10 years ago. It gives clear instructions not to quit until you’ve gone through the whole book, so it’s been sitting on my bedside table half-read for the past year. (It’s just under 250 pages, shouldn’t take that long!) I’m now nearly through, so that’s it—it’s happening!
—Alice Lefons, Fashion & Market Editor

Ate at Bagel Bunny: Sakura Smith’s bagel company. Trust. They really are that good. Great for those on the train of, “Everything I eat hurts my tummy,” i.e. me. These don’t. Sold at Dimes Market and Salter House. Or enjoy them at Betty on Henry Street. @bagel.bunny on the internet.
—Syd Walker, Assistant Photo & Design Editor