Founder and Artist Kai Avent-deLeon on Self-Love, Staying True, and Creating Community Spaces

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com - Kai Avent-DeLeon is the founder of the concept store Sincerely, Tommy and the restaurant Che–both beloved fixtures in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, the neighbourhood where Kai was born and raised. She also runs Sanctuary, a retreat programme in upstate New York. We spoke about Kai's spiritual and wellness practices, her approach to goal-setting and parenting, the power of real-life community, and so much more. -  @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary @kaiaventdeleon  

This special episode was recorded live at the Miu Miu Literary Club, which took place on 9th-10th April 2025 in Milan. Under the direction of Mrs Miuccia Prada, and now in its second iteration, the Literary Club is the latest in a series of cultural experiences devised by Miu Miu to promote the arts. - Naoise Dolan is an Irish author whose first book, ‘Exciting Times’, was published to widespread acclaim in 2020. Naoise followed this with the equally well-received ‘The Happy Couple’ in 2023. In both books, Naoise tackles the confusion of contemporary life with precision and wit: her characters grapple with sexuality, housing instability, social media malaise, and our growing class disparities. At the same time, Naoise brings a fresh, often unpredictable perspective to the timeless topics of education, girlhood, and desire that inform this year’s Literary Club curation. - Deep Reading Lists can be found at phoebe.substack.com - @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary @naoisedolan @miumiu

This special episode was recorded live at the Miu Miu Literary Club, which took place on 9th-10th April 2025 in Milan. Under the direction of Mrs Miuccia Prada, and now in its second iteration, the Literary Club is the latest in a series of cultural experiences devised by Miu Miu to promote the arts. - Lauren Elkin is the translator behind Simone de Beauvoir’s posthumously published book ‘The Inseparables’ - a focus text for this year’s Miu Miu Literary Club - and she is the author of multiple non-fiction books and novels. These include 2024’s ‘Scaffolding’, which explores the ethics of desire, the transition from girlhood to womanhood, and the impact that formative teachers can have on our lives. - Deep Reading Lists can be found at phoebe.substack.com - @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary @lauren_elkin_ @miumiu  

Deep Read #35 is with the artist and director, Martine Syms.  Martine is one of the most prominent names in the contemporary art world. Her work encompasses sculpture, digital art, video, publishing, and photography, and has been shown in dozens of galleries and iconic art institutions worldwide. In 2022, she made her directorial debut with 'The African Desperate', and she's currently working on her second feature. Martine is as fun as she is brilliant! We discussed shame, astrology, Sapphic poetry, badmind people, awkward stages, visibility, and so much more.  - Deep Reading lists for every episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com - @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary @martinesyms  

Camilla Blackett originally hails from Reading in the UK but is now based in Los Angeles. Camilla started her career as one of the “teenage consultants” writing for the original UK production of Skins before making the move to LA in 2012, where her screenwriting career quickly skyrocketed. Camilla and I have been friends for many years and I thought it would be interesting to share some insight into the life of a successful writer in LA. We discussed why the Hollywood trade union strikes of 2023 set an important precedent for the creative industries at large; how streaming changed the landscape of TV writing; why LA and London offer the ideal dual bases for a creative life, and the advice Camilla gives to anyone hoping for their big break in her industry. - @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary @thecamillard  

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com - Deep Read #33 is a conversation with the writer, editor, and organiser Haley Mlotek. Haley is the author of a new book titled, ‘No Fault: A Memoir of Romance and Divorce’, which is both a social and cultural history of divorce and a personal account of Haley’s own experiences. We discussed the cultural canon of 'divorce stories', being vulnerable on the page, 'abolishing the family', the social fabric of Montreal, and much more.  - @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary @haleymlotek    

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com - Nathalie Olah is a writer, cultural critic, and the author of 'Bad Taste: Or the Politics of Ugliness'. We discussed how complex hierarchies of taste shape our visually saturated era, the commercialisation of the professional class, and the search for beauty in a spiritually ugly world (plus much more). - @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary @nathalieolah

My guest today is the LA-based health coach Daphne Javitch, founder of the platform Doing Well. We talked about her definition of optimum health (and the people she thinks embody it), why wellness is essentially a time management issue, and how we can think about wellbeing communally as well as personally. Plus: simple tips for feeling better in 2025. Please note that this conversation was recorded before the LA wildfires broke out.  - Deep Reading lists for every episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com - @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary @doingwell

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com - Deep Read #30 is a conversation with Céline Semaan, a Lebanese-Canadian artist, designer, writer, and the founder of Slow Factor, the environmental and social justice non-profit. Céline recently published her first book, A Woman is A School. Part memoir, part cultural anthropology, A Woman Is a School tells Céline’s story as a war survivor and child refugee, and creates an archive for the powerful Indigenous knowledge and wisdom of the Global South. - @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary @theslowfactory @celinecelines

Deep Reading Lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com - Today's guest is renowned brand expert Ana Andjelic, author of the forthcoming book 'Hitmakers: How Brands Influence Culture'. Ana and I talked about personal branding, marketing in visual culture, and what she considers the biggest brand hits and misses of 2024. - @andjelicaaa @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary