Guest Algorithm-Free Reco List, No. 4
Veronika Kelemen endorses living your Tumblr fantasy, keeping lists, and a machine that transports you to the '80s
Hello!
Welcome to the fourth edition of ~*GUEST*~ Algorithm-Free Reco Lists.
Each month, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a brilliant person and the things they can’t shut up about. If you’d like to write one, please feel free to respond to this newsletter (or email me directly).
My guest today is Veronika Kelemen!
Veronika is a New York and Los Angeles-based writer. Her chapbook, As Above So Below, was published in 2020 by Choo Choo Press, and her novel Good Thing is out for submission with publishers. She has lived in Budapest, London, New York, and Los Angeles, and is currently working on a book of essays centered around addiction, as well as hosting the reading series Dear Diary and co-hosting the No Matter podcast with Lillian Feygin.
Here are Veronika’s recos—straight from her:
Living your Tumblr fantasy, or doing things because your depressed and repressed teenage self wanted to
When I was in high school, I spent hours a week curating my dream life on Tumblr. It turns out that me reblogging Richard Siken quotes and pictures of Nicole Richie balancing a City bag in the crook of her arm served as some kind of cosmic manifestation tool because I’m typing this in Los Angeles with that very bag resting at the foot of my bed, and two poems I wrote will be featured in a Richard Siken-themed anthology to be published next month. Yay! Some of the things I thought I wanted back then were kind of stupid, but I try to honor my teenage self in the way I live my life, and I think she would be really proud of who I am now.
On that note: the Charli xcx wedding. Charli conveniently got married at a time where my political and existential anxiety had reached a fever pitch and her wedding was a nice way to remember that when all else fails, there’s always looking glamorous and dancing while smoking cigarettes with your sexy friends to take away the pain (did this just last night and it was awesome).
Having a personal creative project that isn’t directly tied to your income
Outside of my job in <3 tech <3, and my work on my writing, I also have two personal projects that I find to be some of the most fulfilling and inspiring parts of my life, even though they don’t make me any money at all (although THEY SHOULD). I have the utmost respect for people who rely on their creative projects as their sole sources of income, but it seems torturous to me and I find that I can enjoy my writing and creative lives much, much more if I am evaluating the projects I work on based on their emotional rewards rather than their financial ones. There’s my themed reading series, Dear Diary, which your host Olivia Crandall has performed at, and which you should come to, if you haven’t yet! And there’s my podcast, No Matter, which I co-host with my smart and funny friend Lillian Feygin. So much of #the #writing #life is spent sitting in my room and staring at my laptop, so I’m really grateful to have two additional creative outlets that aren’t completely antisocial in nature.
Keeping lists
Here are some lists I keep in my phone:
Addresses of homes I’ve lived in (24 so far! Wowee)
Books I’ve read
Places I’ve been published
Readings I’ve done
Cities I’ve traveled to
Tattoos I’ve gotten
Things I’ve done that make me proud (ranging from “Going camping with friends” to “Signing with my agent,” lol)
It’s difficult to notice small improvements and milestones when you’re present for every millisecond of your life. Cataloguing things like this helps me see tangibly how my life has progressed and moved forward, even if it’s difficult for me to observe it happening in real-time. Bonus and less sexy list ideas: favorite Pilates teachers; PMS symptoms; and favorite It Girls.
A movement practice that lowers your cortisol rather than spikes it
I used to be a personal trainer, so I’m no stranger to using exercise to improve your health. What I was a stranger to for most of my life was the idea that calmer and non-intensity-based modes of exercise were actually better for my health (this may not be the case for you! But it was for me). After years of long-distance running and otherwise intense training, a series of injuries and a knee surgery (I could’ve gone pro…) led me to classical Pilates, which the 24-year-old CrossFitter in me would have scoffed at. Incidentally, it’s revolutionized all aspects of my health and I will tout its benefits to anyone who will listen. Bicoastal white girl who says Pilates changed her life… groundbreaking. BUT SERIOUSLY! Try Body Evolutions and Core Burn if you’re in NYC or Avenir and l.a. springs if you’re in LA.
Not being too proud to go on meds
If you are suffering from a mental (or physical!) health symptom that just won’t go away, no matter how hard you’ve tried to alleviate it with things like diet, exercise, sleep, and therapy, this is your sign to consider medication. It’s not necessary or right for everyone, but if you feel that nothing else is working, there is no shame or harm in trying it. (Typing this mostly for myself 18 months ago, and for anyone else who might need to hear it.)
My Chi Machine!!!!!
The less I tell you about the Chi Machine, the better: if it’s meant to find you, it will. Suffice it to say that the time I spend on this somewhat silly and yet entirely impactful device is sometimes my favorite part of my day. It’s like boarding a spaceship to the 1980s, and has proven to be surprisingly effective for my mental, physical, and spiritual health.
Spending spiritual time with your ancestors
If you have difficult relationships with your living family, or even if you don’t, you might forget that there’s an entire bloodline of people you’ve never met who truly have your best interests at heart and are doing their best to keep you safe, every moment of every day. When I think of all of the women who have lived in order for me to be exactly what and where and who I am today, I feel quite overcome! In moments of intensity I find it very useful to close my eyes and tap into their love and energy, but if you have a hard time picturing your ancestors, perhaps you can try something that has existed for a long time before you ever did, and which planted firm roots in the ground for you. Maybe a tree or a cloud, or a building in a city you love.
Huge thank you to Veronika for sharing her recos!
If you were influenced, perhaps subscribe to Vera Weekly, listen to an episode of No Matter, check out her poetry forthcoming in Tell Me About the Dream, and/or attend the next installment of Dear Diary if you’re in NYC or LA!
This newsletter brought to you by:
The app, Freedom, which might be changing my life. TBD, more to come.
An absolutely disgusting Chameleon bottled cold brew. Do not recommend!
Trader Joe’s frozen waffles.
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