The Sunday Zeitgeist (Issue 4)
New York Magazine's Power Issue + The Movie List, Cozy Sweater Finds, Satirical Postcards, and Internship Opportunities.
Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds you well on this fine Sunday morning. Hopefully, you’re not plagued with the Sunday Scaries. And hopefully this mention did not trigger the Sunday Scaries.
Anyways, to start, I first have updates. I mentioned in the last newsletter that I will publish a new feature for my Conversation Series this week, but unfortunately, there are some delays and I apologize. I want to make sure it’s perfect before putting it out there. Look forward to it though, it’s an exciting one!
On the flip side, this means that you get a new issue of The Zeitgeist and therefore, a *free* postcard today, to anywhere in the world. If you’re interested, feel free to fill out this form! Once I meet quorum (that is, 1 person), the form will close.
And finally, this week in The Zeitgeist, we have much to discuss:
New York Magazine’s Latest Issue and Homage to Heritage
Clothing Finds This Week
The Movie List
…and a great selection of Field Notes, including internship opportunities!
(Disclaimer: None of the product linked are affiliate links.)
New York Magazine’s Latest Issue and Homage to Heritage
This week, New York Magazine published their Annual “Power Issue” under the theme of media elites—interviewing 57 media personalities—and among them, Substack’s co-founder, Hamish McKenzie. The black-and-white photography portfolio, by Dutch photographer Paul Kooiker is striking. Shot on the iPhone 16 in 10 cities, the camera gets uncomfortably close and snaps mid-conversation. As Hamish describes it in his newsletter, “The black-and-white photos printed with the spread are dark and striking, making all the subjects—plain in appearance, unalluring in visage—look like characters from a moody Martin Scorcese movie.” It depicts the topic’s exploration well, which was described as “an examination of the media industry in a time of enormous financial turmoil and record public distrust.”
This year’s cover pays homage to last year’s Power Issue cover. On Instagram, there’s a page called @oldnymag that documents past archives of NYMag covers and points out references made in newer issues. It really is interesting to observe these common themes and I do recommend you pay a visit to the account. The publication attracted me in the first place for its alluring visuals. Jody Quon, New York Mag’s Director of Photography since 2004, really does an amazing job in creating covers that stand out and evoke a feeling of some kind in viewers.
And also, how cool is this GIF on their store’s frontpage?
Clothing Finds This Week
This Museum of Peace and Quiet sweater is such a pretty piece. I like the overlapping serif lettering in a counter-clockwise direction on the sweater; it reminds me a lot of the Diptyque perfume labels and I love that style. Simple, but it has personality. Made with 100% cotton, by the way.
If you live down in the Southern Hemisphere and Summer is approaching, then you’d love the vintage-style graphic tees from Imogene + Willie. These tees are screen-printed in the USA and made with 100% cotton.
For nearly a year now, I’ve been wearing one hat. Baseball caps—which has a higher profile—isn’t made for me, but this Every Other Thursday (EOT) cap fits nicely. (Especially if you, to put it bluntly, have a larger head). It has a mid-low profile, so think of it as a shorter cap, in terms of height. I have the basic Namesake one in green, but there’s an updated version with script letters and a geese pattern. If I had to get another, I would get the one in brown (No. 2 above). EOT also just had their third FW drop, releasing denim and their cashmere knit sweater (No. 3 above). I will say, the items are on the more pricey side, but the material composition looks great; no acrylic or polyester. I think they’re built to last.
The Movie List
A while back, I wrote a note asking the community for their top three movies:
…and I received a lot! I thought it’d be nice to share the full list here. If you’re looking for something to watch, feel free to browse by year, genre, or pick one to watch at random. I’ve also linked the YouTube movie trailer to each film. Enjoy!
The Sacrifice 1 - 1986 • Drama/Mystery
La Chimera 1 - 2023 • Adventure/Comedy
In the Mood for Love 1 - 2000 • Romance/Drama
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World 2 - 2010 • Action/Comedy
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 2 - 1986 • Comedy/Drama
The Shawshank Redemption 2 - 1994 • Thriller/Crime
The Iron Giant 3 - 1999 • Family/Sci-fi • Animation
Heat 3 - 1995 • Thriller/Crime
La La Land 3 - 2016 • Musical/Romance
Moonlight 4 - 2016 • Romance/Drama
10 Things I Hate About You 4 - 1999 • Comedy/Romance
The Incredibles 4 - 2004 • Family/Action • Pixar Animation
Fanny and Alexander 5 - 1982 • Fantasy/Drama • 5 hours long
Addams Family Values 5 - 1993 • Comedy/Family
After Hours 5 - 1985 • Comedy/Thriller
Paris Blues 6 - 1961 • Romance/Musical
Life 6 - 2017 • Horror/Sci-fi
The Photograph 6 - 2020 • Romance/Drama
A special thanks to
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6 for sharing their favorite movies!Field Notes:
I’ve been regularly updating The Fall Playlist. Give it a listen!
Music is a universal language and that’s a beautiful thing. On my walks, my favorite song as of current is the Jazz-y, Bossa Nova-style ‘Carta Ao Tom 74’ by Brazilian musician—and poet, and diplomat, and writer—Vinicius de Moraes. Sung softy in Portuguese, it takes me to a sunny day on the sandy shores of Ipanema.
Jane Street’s summer internships for Quantitative Trading and Software Engineering are open. Base salary of $250K, but competition is fierce.
Also, while on the topic of internships, The Paris Review also has a post for a 6-month long Editorial Internship, with Spring-Summer applications open until November 15.
Every now and then, I have the impulse to buy this Sony Camcorder (CX405). Emma Chamberlain makes her video with this camera a few years ago and I think her recent videos too. I love the grainy home-footage visuals and the nostalgic feeling of it all.
The color palette for the upcoming Tekla and AURALEE collaboration is delicious.
There’s this guy @truewagmer, who has a Patreon where he sends a satirical postcard (or a “surprise thing”) every month for 6 bucks a month. This month’s send off is a gem. The subscription would be worth it if you need a good laugh or want to prank a friend who lives a distance away.
Beyoncé’s GQ October Cover Story - she talks about her new whiskey brand SirDavis, managing the various aspects of life and the importance of singing for her. Here are some highlights:
“I’ve learned that true success isn’t about leaning on a name; it’s about crafting something genuine, something that can hold its own. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being revolutionary.”
“I’m drawn to authenticity. I don’t waste my time on something unless I’m deeply passionate about it. If I don’t wake up thinking about it and I’m not going to sleep dreaming about it, it’s not for me.”
Do you remember the Internet Archive Machine?
If you’re looking for a good coffee table book that aren’t fashion house-focused, there’s a page on Instagram, @pagespread, which showcases and sells really cool graphic design books and ships free from Tokyo. Each ranges from as low as $30 to the high of a few hundreds.
“I have been sowing a lot of seeds for the past 4, 5 years. You can’t always be in the reaping stage or the harvest stage of life. Life has seasons.” Emma Watson in her Vogue ‘In The Bag’ video (2023).
It’s cold outside and I want (need) the BODE Lighthouse sweater…
I think these IKEA EKTANDVINGE Checkered Duvet and Pillowcase set ($39.99 USD, Double/Queen) are really cool.
Gift guides may or may not be coming soon!
I hope you found something new to enjoy in this newsletter! I bought new magazines earlier this week, so I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday reading through them, drinking Chai tea and cozying up in my apartment. This is the vision:
And of course, thank you for reading. I’ll see you next week!
-CS