The Monday Media Diet with Avery Trufelman

Avery Trufelman (AT) is perpetually interesting. Her new podcast is really worth a listen: Articles of Interest. We’re happy to have her on the page today. -Colin (CJN) 

Tell us about yourself.

I'm a podcaster- which is a word that means a lot of things these days. But I currently write and produce a documentary show about clothing called Articles of Interest. I like to think of it as a fashion podcast for people who think they don't care about fashion. It's about the sociology, politics, and history of clothing, and ultimately it's about why we like what we like. In the past, I've mostly worked as a staff reporter for the design podcast 99% Invisible, and I've hosted the podcasts Nice Try! from Curbed and The Cut from New York Magazine. I am currently in the process of learning how to drive. 

Describe your media diet. 

I read a lot for work- so there are a lot of history books in my life. And typically when I'm about to interview someone, I listen to other podcasts that they've been on. So my podcast line up tends to be a lot of random interviews across many random shows. But daily I turn on WNYC on the radio every morning and listen to the BBC global news podcast. As hard as I try, I know I will never make a podcast as good as the BBC Global News podcast. 

What’s the last great book you read?

Can I brag? I was lucky to get a galley copy of Catherine Lacey's next novel (Biography of X) and it's so freaking brilliant and strange and weird. I'm excited for it to come out so more people will talk about it with me. 

What are you reading now?

I'm reading A Girl's Story because I'm in an Annie Ernaux reading group (I am among the people who did not know who she was until she won the Nobel) and I'm also reading a manuscript of a book that's about to come out about the history of pockets. It's going to be so good.

What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication?

I always have to read with a pen. Which is awful, it makes me terrible at using the library- but I find I have to underline my favorite parts or else I worry I'll lose them. And I love to read on the subway or in waiting rooms or in in-between spaces. I think it's overrated to have the "perfect" reading setup with the comfy armchair.

Who should everyone be reading that they’re not?

Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us by Evan Mandery. It's this really devastatingly succinct theory of how elite colleges ruin everything. College admissions play into the proliferation of the suburbs and home ownership and institutional racism... ultimately elite colleges don't just reflect American inequity, they create it. It's a hard read, but Mandery actually provides some interesting arguments for how to start to fix things (like get rid of early decision admissions).

What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone? 

I started doing Transcendental Meditation this year and the TM app is nice! It's basically a very beautiful timer. But I suppose it's the non-famous app I use the most.

Plane or train?

Ok, trains are obviously the most beautiful and best way to travel. I love trains. Which brings me to my next point...

What is one place everyone should visit? 

The New York Transit Museum! Go go go. It's so fun. Bring children, bring a date, whatever, everyone will love it. It's a bunch of old trains (with old advertisements!) in an old subway station, and you can trounce around from car to car. (Also my boyfriend works in film and he's shot movies there before- apparently it's the place to go for old subway cars.)

Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into.

Well. I make a podcast about fashion. And usually I make one-off episodes that stand alone as little audio documentaries. And I was going to make one about preppy fashion- thinking I would focus on Abercrombie & Fitch and more recent 2000s nostalgia. But I quickly realized the story was way deeper and more interesting than I could have ever imagined. It started with Brooks Brothers (the oldest clothing company in the United States!) and spread all the way to Japan and now. I feel like we are all wearing some version of preppy clothes. Or a version of what preppy clothes became. I really cannot summarize it. But basically what I thought would be one 30-minute episode ballooned out into a 7-part series that's all about the culture, politics, and meaning of preppy clothes. It's a really rich topic with a ton of baggage. And truly it's the story of 20th-century fashion. The series is called American Ivy and it's by far the weirdest rabbit hole I've ever been down. (AT)

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Thanks for reading,

Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN)

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