Go Fug Yourself — Stephanie Van Schilt, Online Editorial Assistant
Go Fug Yourself is an *the* irreverent celebrity fashion blog run by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, an erudite and witty pair who started this highly-successful venture after meeting as recappers at Television Without Pity.
Heather and Jessica provide a daily source of the sartorial train wrecks – and rare victories – of the rich and famous (as well as reality stars and the infamous). To be clear ‘fug’ is a portmanteau of ‘frightfully ugly’ (click here for a more in depth definition). In 1920s mobster terms, these two are some smart, sassy broads; whether reporting back from the chicest fashion shows or dissecting the trashiest of TV shows, their quippy assessments are as colourful and entertaining as the ‘fugly’ outfits on display.
As well as being the patron saints of cracked out couture, Heather and Jessica are avid YA fans (even throwing out the rare nod to Australian YA) and recently co-authored two YA books, Spoiled and Messy.
Each March, the Fug Girls playoff the worst fashion faux pas of the year with Fug Madness. Annually, Fug Nation vote to decide who was worst in show for the year. It runs until early April, so be sure to check it out.
I also recently read Alice Munro’s Runaway, for a book club I didn’t attend. I know that listing Munro here is like endorsing Meryl to the Academy, but (a) I desperately need to talk about the book and (b) underscore that if you are yet to read this short fiction classic, be sure to pick it up and hold onto your hearts – it’s lauded for a reason.
Anything written by Lorrie Moore — Emily Laidlaw, Marketing Co-ordinator
Whenever I tell people Lorrie Moore is my favourite author, nine times out of ten I’m met with blank stares, or to borrow one of her metaphors: ‘a face blank as a sheet of paper*.’
Despite her huge talent, Moore is publicity-shy, letting her writing speak for itself. Between books, her genius is meted out through the odd New Yorker piece or interview. Sadly, there’s no Twitter account or personal blog for me to stalk – and lord knows I’ve searched high and low on Google.
It’s a shame her profile isn’t higher as she is a masterful storyteller. She gets people, the way they relate, or more accurately, how they fail to relate to others. What’s more, her stories are really funny – not ‘ha ha’ funny but drily melancholic which makes them all the more humorous and all the more heartbreaking.
Moore’s love of language is evident throughout her short stories, novels and essays. Not only does Moore have a remarkable ear for dialogue but I’m yet to encounter an author who’s nailed the use of second-person quite like her. Most incredibly, she’s able to weave puns and Tom Swifties into her sentences without it sounding tacky. This is why Moore is referred to as a writers’ writer.
I will probably never be as good a writer as Moore. At best, I’ll probably fall into the ranks of what The Believer labels ‘Moore imitators,’ penning yet another tale of failed romance in the second person, much to the chagrin of Moore’s MFA teaching colleagues. But that’s okay: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
*Taken from the fantastic short story, How to Become a Writer, which brilliantly mocks the gut-wrenching masochism and loneliness of trying to make it as a writer.
