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OUT|August 2018CONTRIBUTORSJANET MOCKIt was all in the family when Janet Mock interviewed Pose stars Mj Rodriguez, Indya Moore, and Dominique Jackson for our August cover story (page 74). “These three women are my everything!” says Mock, who works as a writer and director on the show. “My favorite moment was hearing that they felt safe and cared for by reading my words in the script, or knowing that I was there on set.” Mock is currently developing a pilot about a trans girl in college, and adapting her bestselling memoir, Redefining Realness, for the screen. She has also contributed to Marie Claire, Allure, and The Advocate.MANSUR MIROVALEV“The worse manifestation of hom*ophobia I’ve seen took place on June 11, 2013, when Russia was about to adopt the infamous ‘gay propaganda’ law,” says…1 min
OUT|August 2018WHAT WE LOVE1. Timothée Chalamet’s Next ChapterWith Hot Summer Nights, the Oscar nominee continues his fiery rise to superstardom.The beginning of Hot Summer Nights hints that Call Me by Your Name breakout Timothée Chalamet is embarking on another gay odyssey. After his outsider character, Daniel, lands in bougie Cape Cod circa 1991, he can’t stop staring into the sea-blue eyes of local rebel—and drug dealer—Hunter Strawberry (Alex Roe). And when Daniel takes his first bong hit, director Elijah Bynum frames his lips hitting the glass with a deliberate wink, in a shot that unmistakably suggests fellati*. But as the two find themselves slinging weed to every cardigan-wearing toker in town, Daniel and Hunter become more bros than bedfellows, and Hunter’s sister, McKayla (Maika Monroe), steps in as Daniel’s true conquest. Lifting themes…8 min
OUT|August 2018Keeping Your Summer Tan“IN THE DEPTH OF WINTER, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer,” the French philosopher Albert Camus once said. By which he really meant: “Damn, I look hot with a tan.”We all know that a little sun is a good thing. “When taken in moderately, an increase in vitamin D stimulates collagen production in the skin and can have a lasting effect on the way we look and feel,” says Joel Marriott, a makeup artist and groomer for Sisley. But how can you retain that luminous, summery aura as the days get shorter and cooler?Marriott recommends investing in products formulated for after you’ve soaked up the rays, like a tan extender or a restorative facial cream or serum that helps fight against the harmful effects of…2 min
OUT|August 2018Water Sports!“If you hate sweating while doing cardio,” Fonua adds, “aqua jogging is perfect because you won’t even notice how much you’re sweatingyou’re already in water.”IN THESE BURNING summer months, nothing salves like a dip in the pool. But next time you’re about to retire with a frozen daiquiri to a giant floating flamingo, take a look around and realize you’re in a chlorine-filled gym.If you find “aquarobics” springing to mind, or visions of lavender bathing caps with garish flowers, you’re not alone. Fitness entrepreneur Zackary Schares says, “So many people think doing workouts in the water is something your grandma would do—then you try it and realize that it’s actually difficult and can provide a full-body workout.”According to the Aquatic Exercise Association, water is low impact (therefore better on your…3 min
OUT|August 2018The Quiet—and Queer—American“I was interested in the idea of a Cold War spy and what secrets people were walking around with. purposes.”IN WHO IS VERA KELLY? , Rosalie Knecht performs the seemingly effortless sleight-of-hand you’d expect from any talented spy. The smart, politically deft Cold War caper, out now from Tin House, is masquerading as a fast, exciting page-turner right from the beginning, which depicts Vera’s teenage rebellions in the mid-1950s. But Vera’s no Sally Draper—she’s stubborn, resourceful, and not particularly invested in denying her own queerness, which she gamely explores in 1960s Greenwich Village while working as a radio engineer.Bored and restless, she is recruited by the CIA and accepts an assignment that takes her to Argentina on the cusp of a coup.I met Knecht at an East Village dive bar—exactly…7 min
OUT|August 2018Separate NowMost of the stemware has shattered, and the plates have chipped, of living together, never replacing anything we still had two of. Whatever is broken or worn I guess we kept for the having of only one of us, one day—so now that you’re leaving, you leave whatever is replaceable.Our suitcase is yours now, and mine you can have, too—now that I have your closet space, and all these drawers. (I’m keeping one drawer just for you—with bracelets from a Pride parade, our hotel soaps and small shampoos, a key to your old apartment, the corks from two bottles of Veuve, some ticket stubs, a metrocard, your extra checkbook. All of it remains, as if the heart were not a reliquary of its own.)But what will we do with the…1 min
OUT|August 2018HOW TO BE A MANLOVE IS NOT A CLEAN THING,” says actress Sheila Vand, whose mother character, simply called Ma, is the only female presence in We the Animals, the messy, masterful adaptation of Justin Torres’s acclaimed 2011 novel. “We’re not born with an instruction manual on how to love each other or love ourselves, and we’re all a little bit broken,” she says. In every sense, We the Animals thrives on this idea—the permission to be broken and not hide it. The film’s director, Jeremiah Zagar, says, “An amazing movie has to be pretty close to being horrible,” and that liberating dichotomy fires up each grainy frame of his vision of a Latino-American family in upstate New York. Of her part, Vand is fiercely protective, aware of Ma’s love for her children and…10 min
OUT|August 20184. NEIGHBOURS GETS GAY-MARRIEDRaised in Sydney in a mixed Australian household—half-Caucasian, half-Japanese—Takaya Honda cut his teeth as a professional actor starring in repertory productions of Shakespeare before tackling several gigs as a hosting personality. Now a household name in Oz, Honda joined the cast of Neighbours in 2016 playing Dr. David Tanaka, who, in early September, will make history by getting hitched to Aaron, his on-screen fiancé, in Australia’s first same-sex wedding on primetime television.Tell us a little bit about Neighbours and its obsessive fan base.The show is suburban semi-realism that sells an idyllic, always-sunny Australian lifestyle. It’s relatable; it’s an average slice of life. Right now we have a cast of 28, so we tackle a variety of domestic issues—some taboo. I think people respond to the show because everyone can find…2 min
OUT|August 201830. BERNADETTE’S BESTLooking for shade in the outback? No one throws it better than Terence Stamp’s fabulously feathered heroine in the 1994 Aussie classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Here, a ranking of her sauciest quips.3. “Don’t ‘darling,’ me, darling. Look at you. You’ve got a face like a cat’s arse.”2. “That’s just what this country needs: a co*ck in a frock on a rock.”1. “Now listen here, you mullet. Why don’t you just light your tampon and blow your box apart? Because it’s the only bang you’re ever gonna get, sweetheart! ”…1 min
OUT|August 201833. PARAMOUNT COFFEE PROJECTPerhaps the only café on the planet that’s so beloved it opened a hotel within its walls, this inspired collab between three of Australia’s coffee industry pros made a name for itself in the Sydney neighborhood of Surry Hills by presenting local and international roasts in an unbiased and educational format. All “cupping” by the lead baristas is done blind, ensuring only the most inspired flavors make it into customers' mugs. Paramount recently landed in America with a new coffee shop at the ROW DLTA development in Downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District.…1 min
OUT|August 201845. THE D’ARENBERG CUBELike a giant, swiveling Rubik’s Cube plopped in the middle of a vineyard, the tasting room slash museum slash restaurant at the d’Arenberg estate is Australia’s valiant effort to a create a new piece of striking sculpture architecture, complete with odd astroturf foliage, African masks, and rainbow cow-print furniture inside. Love it or hate it, it’s drummed up a significant amount of exposure for the McLaren Valley, and while you’re there be sure to try the d’Arenberg 2014 Derelict Vineyard Grenache, the head sommelier’s favorite bottle.…1 min
OUT|August 201853. RADHA MITCHELL’S QUEENSLAND“I like Byron but I’ve grown to love Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for its epic sea walk and its family-friendly ambience. For hiking, I love the area’s Glass House Mountains. Lamington National Park is magnificent, too. Think sunlight-dappled rainforests, ancient species of trees, and sweeping vistas of green mountains and valleys. There are plenty of kooky wood cabins for tree lovers, twitchers, and botanical geeks. Personally, I just love walking barefoot, and feeling the ancient soil underfoot.”…1 min
OUT|August 201857. JESSICA MAUBOYBORN IN DARWIN in Australia’s Northern Territory, Mauboy is of aboriginal descent and grew up with four sisters in what has often been described as the noisiest house on the block—singing has always been her “best friend.” She rose to notoriety after finishing as the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol. Two weeks later Sony gave her a record deal, and her star has been on the rise ever since. When Eurovision invited Australia, a loyal devotee from afar, to join the song contest in 2014, Mauboy was chosen as the nation’s delegate singer. In 2018 she made an unprecedented return to the Eurovision stage with the song “We Got Love” to vie for another win. She shares her thoughts on diversity in Australia, and the country’s love…3 min
OUT|August 201889. FANCY FEATHERS“Australia is known for its unusual mammals but the birdlife is equally fascinating: a result of tens of millions of years of evolutionary isolation. Australian birds are intelligent, loud, and live in complex societies—and, mostly importantly, they’re so much fun. In Sydney we have flocks of sulphur crested co*ckatoos that have adapted to city living. They can be seen having breakfast by Mosman’s beaches, lunch in affluent Potts Point, and spending the afternoon talking to their mates on a balcony in Kirrabilly, just up the road from the Prime Minister’s Sydney residence.”COURTESY OF BRANDON PRESSER (FREMANTLE AND BRUNY). COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM (QUOKKA). COURTESY OF LEILA JEFFREYS (BIRDS)…1 min
OUT|August 201894-98. CHRIS HEMSWORTH’S FIVE FAVORITE BEACHESCape Woolamai, Phillip Island, VICI spent a lot of my childhood surfing here, and have great memories growing up with my brothers.Cape Shank, VICI love the raw and rugged coastline, paired with some of the most incredible bush walks you’ll ever experience.Julian Rocks, Byron Bay, NSWAs a protected marine park, there’s an abundance of sea life for divers to experience.Currumbin Alley, Gold Coast, QLDPerfect for families, it’s where a waist-deep crystal-clear coastal estuary meets the ocean.Mallacoota, VICMy family camped here every Christmas—it has everything: white sand, crystal water, great surf, and wildlife.…1 min
OUT|August 2018FEEDBACKThe Generational DivideIt was a meeting of the minds when perennial icon Elton John interviewed rising star Troye Sivan for our June/July cover story. The two bonded and bantered about coming out in the music industry and the nerves that always manage to creep up before a live performance. The parallels between these two musicians are uncanny, and we weren’t the only ones who noticed.“Many have compared Sivan’s career to that of pop icon Sir Elton John, the openly gay hit-making singer who captivated an entire generation with his music,” wrote Billboard. “So who better to understand Sivan’s positioning in modern pop music than the Rocket Man himself?” The music outlet drew attention to the difference in gravity of each pop star’s coming-out in their respective time periods, and how…2 min
OUT|August 2018The Original Smart WatchFamed French horologist Louis Moinet designed elaborate clocks for some of the most illustrious men of his day (Napoleon Bonaparte, Thomas Jefferson, King George IV), but his greatest creation was the chronograph—a.k.a. the stopwatch—which he invented in 1816 to help with his astronomical observations. The OG smart watch, Moinet’s chronograph tracked time to the 60th of a second and featured buttons for starting, stopping, and resetting, as well as 13 jewels, including six ruby bearings. Luckily, that opulence and brilliant thinking live on in sleek new interpretations from the likes of Hermès and Richard Mille. Each comes with all sorts of fitness-friendly bells and whistles, but unlike their digital counterparts, none require a password. Because who needs a fussy, futuristic timepiece when the future arrived 200 years ago?…1 min
OUT|August 2018Tan TricksSISLEY PARIS RESTORATIVE FACIAL CREAMA tan mug isn’t worth anything if it’s damaged. This cream helps heal and nourish skin so that it absorbs and seals in all that rich tan color. (1.6 oz., $190, Sisley-Paris.com )LAB SERIES BB TINTED MOISTURIZER BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 35A pre-tanning sesh is the perfect way to build an even foundation, and then you can deepen your skin tone from there. Reapply after swimming or every few hours. ( 1.7 oz., $44, LabSeries.com)DR. DENNIS GROSS ALPHA BETA GLOW PADWhat could be easier than wiping on a tan? Nothing, that’s what. (20 pads for $38, DrDennisGross.com)ST. TROPEZ SELF TAN CLASSIC BRONZING MOUSSENeed help keeping that tan looking as vibrant as it did on July 4? Try this mousse for a streak-free glow. (8.1 oz., $42, StTropezTan.com)TOM…1 min
OUT|August 2018Make Me Believe in You“We’re completely free,” says protagonist Malone, “and that’s the horror.”DONNA SUMMER started to coo, signaling, as she’s done for decades, the end of the party. A collective wail arose from the crowd. Five minutes in—the DJ was playing the only acceptable version of “Last Dance,” the no-holds-barred, eight minute-plus, 12-inch mix—I’m sitting on one of the giant speakers flanking the dancefloor, fan in hand, lip-syncing for my life: “I need you by me, beside me, to guide me.” The elder gays cheered as my 24-year-old self was discovering the transcendent joys of a summer in Provincetown. As the song kicked in for the final sprint, I jumped off the speaker, twirling into the crowd, our arms waving madly in the shared freedom of being gay, being in paradise, listening to…10 min
OUT|August 2018DECEMBER 1959. GREENWICH VILLAGE, NEW YORK CITYIT WAS AROUND the time I quit my job as a typist with Con Edison that I finally worked up the courage to go into the Bracken. The Bracken was a piano bar in the Village that I had heard of, by reputation, from other girls at the boardinghouse; they were making fun of a new arrival from Texas, who had been going down there to cadge drinks and plates of spaghetti from the dykes who worked for the transit authority. Like many things at the boardinghouse, the Bracken was at once a place that everybody knew about and that nobody would admit to having been to. Twice I walked past the narrow door without going in, and once I hesitated for a few minutes at the end of the…4 min
OUT|August 2018“They followed a Stalinist principle: No man, no problem.”Mul’s brother beat up Polina when she moved in with Natalya, and her mother wept, fainted, and mourned the grandchildren her “dyke” daughter would never have.POLINA MUL WAS BORN in Yakutsk, a Siberian town built on permafrost less than 300 miles south of the Arctic Circle, where average winter temperatures stand at minus 29 degrees, and decent libraries and theaters are nearly as scarce as sunlight.Dreamy, dove-eyed, and stately, she was attracted to women, but could not find support even within her own family. Her brother Yevgeny, a fierce supporter of President Vladimir Putin, beat her up more than once, and her mother, Larisa, “still hopes I will marry a man,” says Mul.When the Muls moved to St. Petersburg in 2008, she expected more than just warmer climes. Dubbed Russia’s…5 min
OUT|August 20182. THE DREAMINGTo understand the great cultures of Aboriginal Australia is to fathom that they’ll never be properly understood. What has become known as The Dreaming is the great formless anthem of life as it relates to the world—a tradition that knows not the bounds of time or paper, but provides rules for how we must interact with the natural environment and its sacred geography, and how we must interact with one another. The term “Dreaming” approximately describes an act of creation by ancestral beings, who traveled the continent designing all the things we see and feel today—topography, animals, and the laws of kinship. These events, however, are not viewed as taking place long ago, as the stories of the Bible, Torah, or Koran, but are lived every day as maps to…1 min
OUT|August 20185. PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK“It’s an atmosphere of place,” Joan Lindsay once said of her novel Picnic at Hanging Rock, a seminal piece of Australian literature published in 1967. Set in 1900, the plot details the disappearance of several young women at a rural finishing school during a Valentine’s Day excursion in the mystical Macedon Ranges outside of Melbourne. According to Lindsay, the idea came to her in a dream, and she feverishly scrawled out the details, turning in a manuscript only a couple of weeks later. At the suggestion of her editor, the final chapter of the book was removed before publishing, giving the story an even greater sense of mystery by refusing to tie up the loose ends (spoiler alert: the girls are never found).In 1975, Peter Weir directed a movie version…2 min
OUT|August 201821-24. SYDNEY’S QUEER REBELSLast year, The Midnight Shift—Sydney’s oldest gay bar—closed after 37 years in business. It’s one of many casualties of Sydney’s draconian lockout laws, which have heavily restricted bars’ and nightclubs’ opening hours since 2014. The city’s own lord mayor Clover Moore (a wildly popular queer ally who famously introduced the bill allowing same-sex couples to adopt) called the laws a “sledgehammer” to Sydney’s nightlife. Protest marches of up to 15,000 people have called for the government to “Keep Sydney Open,” and that plea has become the moniker of a movement so popular, it’s a legitimate political party. So, what’s a queen without a scene? Pissed off, proactive, and ready as ever to party.Peter ShopovskiOwner of queer hot spot House of Mince“Sydney’s queer community has become unified in our opposition and…1 min
OUT|August 201831. KAREN FROM FINANCEShe may be the self-described “premiere corporate Queen of Melbourne” but Karen From Finance is fast on her way to taking on clients worldwide. Now, if she could only learn how to BCC…Why isn't Karen From Finance on LinkedIn?I got banned for trolling Amanda From Reception. I kept sending her fake emails pretending to be other employers to get her out of my office.What’s your policy on office romances?I’ve never had one! And until I do have one, I feel like they should be forbidden to all! Especially Amanda.You’ve been featured at RuPaul's Drag Con and Drag Fest tours. Which contestants did you love?I have a soft spot for Tammie Brown, Detox, and Naomi Smalls. All those girls love a glass or two of champagne, and so do I!Do you…1 min
OUT|August 201834-39. AUSTRALIA’S TOP CAFÉSREUBEN HILLS Sydney, NSWThis micro-roastery and café is where Beard showcases the fruit of his international findings. He imports beans directly from farmers, and is constantly introducing new, small-batch produce.ETHEL FOOD STORE Brunswick Heads, QLDA one-stop shop associated with its sister restaurant Fleet, Ethel spins take-home meals, cakes, pastries, and salads.CORNERSMITH Sydney, NSWLocated in Sydney’s innerwest, this café has an on-site picklery and sources seasonal produce for thoughtful breakfasts and lunches.SEVEN SEEDS Melbourne, VICDundon owns this Melbourne mainstay, which features weekly public cuppings that introduce coffee enthusiasts to new beans plucked from small farms and cooperatives.EVERYDAY COFFEE Melbourne, VICFound within Australia’s first shared coffee roasting workspace, Bureaux Collective, Everyday makes beans with a lighter profile to showcase their provenance.BARRIO COLLECTIVE COFFEE , Canberra, ACTBarrio’s menu mixes traditional and contemporary brew…1 min
OUT|August 201846-51. OZ'S BEST WINESBK WINES REMY PINOT NOIR, ADELAIDE HILLS, SA 2015An ex-pro snowboarder and DJ from New Zealand, Brendan Keys, or “BK”, is one of the coolest wine makers around. His wife, Kristian, picks the single best barrel of Pinot Noir to make into Remy, which bears notes of juicy bright rhubarb and strawberry.YALUMBA VIRGILIUS VIOGNIER EDEN VALLEY, SA 2015Yalumba is one of Australia’s biggest wine brands, and it’s still family-owned.The Eden Valley region is further northeast of the famous Barossa; its higher altitude adds a different flavor profile. Riesling is king, but Viognier continues to etch a name here.DOMAINE SIMHA CABERNET FRANC TAMAR VALLEY 2014Simha is owned and operated by renowned sommelier Louisa Radmen and her husband, winemaker Nav Singh, who has experience working at Domain Chandon. Cabernet Franc is a…1 min
OUT|August 201858. G FLIPAussie artist G Flip put everything on pause—even her beloved nights out on Melbourne’s queer scene—to start producing her own music.. “It’s always rowdy,” she says of her favorite party, “Thursgay.” “And I wanted to focus. I’m someone that always goes 100% with sh*t.” G Flip, aka 24-year-old Georgia Flipo, has always been as obsessed with polished pop as with scruffed-up rock. A tattoo on her left arm pays tribute to Michael Jackson, and she previously drummed for EMPRA, a four-piece who toured with Fall Out Boy. “But I was secretly writing music on the side,” she says. “I just never showed anyone.” She shut herself away for the whole of 2017 to work on her solo project, emerging with more than 50 tracks, including her debut single, “About You,”…1 min
OUT|August 201885. 24 HOURS IN FREMANTLEAMIf Perth is like Los Angeles, with its immense sprawl between the desert and the water, then little “Freo” is its Venice Beach—an oceanside nook bubbling over with gritty bohemian charm. Instead of driving from central Perth, opt for the hour-long boat ride along the scenic Swan River. Fuel up with a flat white along Cappuccino Row, named for the preponderance of Italian storefronts along the main drag, before following High Street down to the crumbling Round House, Western Australia’s oldest structure—a prison, natch. From the ruins you can see one of the most ambitious public art stunts, Arc d’Éllipses—ribbons of yellow paint scrawled along the historic facades that look like a contiguous swirl.PMPause for lunch at one of the local artisanal restaurants, like Bread in Common (BreadInCommon.com.au), Strange Company…1 min
OUT|August 2018The Legendary House of MurphyWith his latest high-profile series, Pose, Ryan Murphy has brought to glittering life the world of 1980s ball culture and New York City queer life. But he hasn’t done it alone. For the project, the award-winning mega-mogul enlisted the help of the largest cast and crew of LGBTQ people in television history.Each Sunday night on FX, Blanca (Mj Rodriguez), Angel (Indya Moore), and Elektra (Dominique Jackson) walk the ballroom floor to one of the greatest soundtracks on TV, serve epic looks and even more epic face, embody the joys and struggles of trans women of color, and solidify the bonds of their unconventional family in what has become a triumph for queer diversity and representation.Here, Rodriguez, Moore, and Jackson chat with Janet Mock—who serves as a writer, producer, and director…14 min
OUT|August 2018Hang FiveThe Endless Summer, 1966Australia is one of the literal hot spots conquered by the surfer duo in this seminal doc, which sees both men chasing the sun up and down the world, riding waves through the hemispheres.Point Break, 1991Before she was breaking glass ceilings at the Oscars, director Kathryn Bigelow was quickening pulses with this classic, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze as wetsuit-clad frenemies.Psycho Beach Party, 2000Lauren Ambrose is the plucky lead in this slasher-cum-send-up of ’60s beach movies (based on writer Charles Busch's own play), but look closer, and you'll see another acclaimed redhead: Amy Adams.Blue Crush, 2002It was sandblasted fluff, but Blue Crush was a hit, and a salve to female surfers worldwide, who'd never seen stars like Kate Bosworth and queer Michelle Rodriguez catching waves in…1 min
OUT|August 2018LESSONS UNLEARNED“I was very unhappy and a loner for years, but I think it built a lot of my identity. I developed a voice, and a bullsh*t detector I’m very proud of.”DESIREE AKHAVAN treads where many wouldn’t dare. That was clear from the opening scene of the Iranian-American director and actress’s taboo-busting first film, Appropriate Behavior, in which her character rescues an ex-girlfriend’s strap-on from the trash.Its follow-up, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, is set in a gay conversion therapy camp, but finds space for empathy, humor, and light within its toxic environment. “People feel this pressure that anything about a marginalized group must be like taking your medicine,” says the New York native, stabbing her fork into a piece of cake on a blissful spring day in her adopted home…4 min
OUT|August 2018Guys in Nice SatinWhen it comes to sexy bedroom attire, our dirty minds often wander to leather, jockstraps, or good old-fashioned Calvin Kleins. But if you really want to shake things up in the boudoir—or just experience the thrill of knowing you’re rocking something risqué under that staid plaid suit—why not consider something daring and super comfy? Los Angeles–based brand Menagerié is leading the way with a focus on intimate apparel that uses fabrics generally associated with the fairer sex, and now other designers, from Kenzo to 2(x)ist, are getting in on the satiny action. Not only will a sheer crop top or pair of lacy boxer briefs leave you feeling cool this summer, it’ll also make your snug tighty-whities seem downright chaste. Sure, it might be a while before we see dudes…1 min
OUT|August 2018Sake Steps OutTHE JAPANESE HAVE been fermenting rice into sake for more than a thousand years. It wasn’t until the past decade, however, that the drink’s co*cktail capabilities have come into full view. Its gentle aromatics—exuding everything from lavender to aloe to ripened stone fruit—require a subtle touch to steady it against heavier liquors, but as lower-alcohol drinks become increasingly relevant, sake (with an ABV typically hovering around 15%) is making itself a key player behind the bar.Miami’s ZUMA offers 15 styles of rice wine on its menu, each with a distinct mixing potential. Sake sommelier Michel-Ange Lafleur steers sippers towards the variety most aligned with their individual palates, asking them to consider a flavor matrix: savory versus creamy, dry versus sweet, fruity versus earthy, neutral/ clean versus rich/complex. “The sake is…2 min
OUT|August 2018Luring Them In“Even though my agent and my editor at the time were both straight women, they both said at the publication party, ‘Either this book takes off or you don’t have a career under your name anymore,’ ”A DELICIOUSLY LURID tale of a serial killer stalking the gay nightclubs of New York City, 1979’s The Lure—published hard on the heels of fa*ggots, Dancer From the Dance, and Edmund White’s Nocturnes for the King of Naples—was the first queer novel to make the popular Book of the Month Club, and its success may have rattled the NYPD. While writing it, Felice Picano had solicited the help of a mole in the city police force to corroborate his suspicions and conjectures. Unsurprisingly, the cops do not come out of it well. Picano believed…3 min
OUT|August 2018Against ConfusionAFTERMATH, THE DEBUT collection from New York poet Thomas March, offers a stimulating, if sober, tonic for our times. In conversation, March is verbose and intricately intellectual, which belies the labor and craft behind the diamond-sharp lyricism of his work. Citing Robert Frost, March describes poetry as a “momentary stay against confusion,” qualifying the quote with the disclaimer that poetry may be an articulation of that confusion, or, more finely still, a case for why the confusion matters in the first place.March references his own (very early) work to point out that an exuberant childhood piece about the approach of Halloween almost instantly turned toward the holiday’s dreaded departure. “Is that a sad little boy, or is he figuring out that because things end, you need to appreciate them while…2 min
OUT|August 2018Subtle GraceIF YOUR IDEA of LGBTQ photography is shirtless Instagram boys at the beach, then close your apps, holster your phones, and get yourself to New York’s Leslie Lohman Gallery before summer ends. The site’s refreshing exhibit Daybreak: New Affirmations in Queer Photography eschews thirst traps for a far more varied and modern view of what it means to be queer. Curators Matthew Jensen and Ka-Man Tse have gathered the work of 12 highly diverse artists—including Groana Melendez, Elliott Jerome Brown, Jr., Ryan James Caruthers, and Mikaela Lungulov-Klotz—and their abstract and figurative images show a cooler, less clichéd vision than oiled abs. Collectively, what they provide is an intimate window, through which we see something rare for any gallery’s walls: intersections of age, race, class, gender, and body type.…1 min
OUT|August 20183 KEIYNAN LONSDALE ISN’T MASC.“When an Australian guy is put on TV, he’s always represented in a hyper-masculine way.”It was a long trip to the top of the Ferris wheel—9,280 miles, to be exact. And now that Keiynan Lonsdale is on his way down, he can finally start to take it in.The 26-year-old Sydney-born actor was still grappling with his sexual orientation when he shot the historic climax of Love, Simon in Atlanta last year. In the first rom-com about a gay teen to debut with a studio release, Lonsdale played the secret penpal crush to Nick Robinson’s Simon, giving young gay and questioning audiences the kind of first-kiss spectacle—between two teenage boys at the top of a carnival Ferris wheel—reserved for hetero couples since the dawn of cinema.For Lonsdale, it sparked a personal…4 min
OUT|August 20186-10. OUT IN THE OUTBACKCate Blanchett in Carol (2015)Decked out in dazzling ‘50s-era garb, Blanchett literally wooed the pants off Rooney Mara.Guy Pearce in Factory Girl (2006)Muse Edie Sedgwick (Sienna Miller) was the film’s star, but Pearce stole the show as icon Andy Warhol.Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain (2005)He got a posthumous Oscar for playing The Joker, but we’ll always remember Ledger as the lovelorn Gyllenhaalic.Nicole Kidman in The Hours (2002)Kidman slapped on a prosthetic nose, and won an Oscar, when she turned Virginia Woolf’s sadness into riveting drama.Naomi Watts in Mulholland Dr. (2001)It’s all acting Olympics for Watts, who bumps uglies with Laura Harring in this twisted fantasy.…1 min
OUT|August 201827. HEAD OVER HEELS FOR TONI COLLETTEToni Collette has held a firm place in our hearts—and given us karaoke goals—since her debut as gawky ABBA fangirl Muriel in 1994’s Muriel’s Wedding. This summer, The Aussie actress returned to horror (The Sixth Sense, anyone?) with Hereditary and got tuneful again in the queer-themed indie Hearts Beat Loud. Here, Collette dishes on music, her homeland, and Muriel’s lasting appeal.What are your thoughts on 1994’s Australian film explosion, with Muriel’s Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert?Those two films and Strictly Ballroom came flying out of the country in a very short period of time. It was exciting. I think those things are determined by the filmmakers. That’s what creates the wave. I don’t know if it’s happened since.What do you remember about the reception of Muriel’s Wedding in…2 min
OUT|August 201832. THE FLAT WHITEConceived as a method to end the rampant drunkenness in the convict colonies, coffee was the cornerstone of Australia’s early Temperance Movement. The nation’s deep relationship with its cuppa has contributed to its present-day café culture and reverence for the almighty bean. The most famous Australian twist on the drink is the flat white. Often bastardized in other countries, the original creation was a froth-less cappuccino founded in the 1980s at the now-defunct Moors Espresso Bar in Sydney. Be a real Aussie and the next time you order ask for a “three-quarters flat white,” which has slightly less milk, allowing the aromatics of the coffee to shine through.…1 min
OUT|August 201840-44. UMAMI? OOH DADDY!TIM TAMSAddiction knows no bounds with these chocolate cookies dunked in a gooey, melty coating. You’ll find notes of heath bar and honeycomb buried within, and we challenge you not to eat a an entire sleeve in one go.LAMINGTONSThe popular dessert is a square sponge cake coated in chocolate and left to partially harden before it’s rolled in desiccated coconut.MILOInvented by an Australian chemist in the 1930s, this proprietary blend of cocoa and malt is a childhood fave when stirred with hot water or—even better—warm milk.VEGEMITEA byproduct of brewer’s yeast, this thick spread is salty, malty, and perfect when slathered on toast and crackers. Australians fervently avow it’s better than the British version, Marmite.WATTLESEEDGrown from a native acacia then roasted in a drum like coffee, wattleseed has high levels of…1 min
OUT|August 201852 . LEONARDO NAMA few days before the second season finale of Westworld, Leonardo Nam is playing coy about his character’s fate. “I am just as interested as you to find out,” he says with a laugh. Like fans, the 38-year-old actor has had to embrace a measure of confusion when it comes to the multiple timelines and puzzle-box narratives of HBO’s sci-fi western.Thanks to Westworld, Nam’s star is on the rise. Born in Argentina to Korean parents, he moved with his family to Australia as a child. There he performed in church plays with his brother and sister, but it was studying Shakespeare in high school that really piqued his interest in acting. When he was 19, he moved to New York with almost no money—even spending a few nights sleeping in…3 min
OUT|August 201856. UNDER DOWN UNDERWild, rugged, and remote even by Australian standards, Tasmania feels very different from the red sands of the Outback and turquoise waters of the mainland beaches. The island state is primordial with old-growth forests, wispy overcast clouds, and vertiginous cliffs. A trip along the coast of the Great Eastern Drive brings a constellation of sacred sites to light, connecting the island’s two major towns.DAY 1: HOBARTCure your jet lag with a caffeinated visit to Hobart’s historic downtown (it’s Australia’s second oldest state capital after Sydney); Hobart Walking Tours (HobartWalkingTours.com.au ) specializes in coffee-themed excursions that offer compelling insight into the importance of café culture in Oz. Outside the city limits, the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA; Mona.net.au) is home to David Walsh’s world-famous collection of art that’s not…4 min
OUT|August 201859.COURTNEY BARNETT’S MELBOURNEPOISON CITY RECORDS is a little record store on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. It’s also a record label that produces some of the greatest bands around, like Camp Cope, Mod Con, Cable Ties, TV Haze, Batpiss, and Harmony. They get 100 points for passion, enthusiasm, community spirit, and good taste. If you’re looking for the perfect bar, go to Joe’s Shoe Store on High Street in Northcote. You’ll find drinks that are fancy but not too fancy, local people spinning good records, and lights that are too dim for taking selfies. You can order dinner from Pizza Meine Liebe next door: one Margherita with olives and one Greenpeace (mozzarella, taleggio, silverbeet, broccoli, lemon, and parmesan).”Barnett’s latest album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, is out now.…1 min
OUT|August 201887. BRUNY ISLANDBruny, a short ferry ride from Tasmania, offers the best of the island state. Enjoy a picnic made up of fresh bread and cheese from Bruny Island Cheese Co. (BrunyIslandCheese.com.au), oysters from Get Shucked (GetShucked.com.au), and wine from Bruny Island Premium Wines (BrunyIslandWine.com) on the quiet beach at Adventure Bay. At night, stay at one of the properties managed by Bruny Island Coastal Retreats (BrunyIsland.com.au), a development company dedicated to preserving the island’s natural vibe by buying the southern part and leaving it completely untouched save a few luxury houses.…1 min
OUT|August 201893. THE CORAL COASTSHARK BAYOne of the two World Heritage sites in the region, Gutharraguda —as it’s called in the local aboriginal dialect—is a trove of natural anomalies, including a beach made entirely of scallop shells, one of the world’s largest underwater kelp forests, and a lagoon system of stromatolitesthe primordial ooze that formed the crux of life on Earth.Guests staying at Monkey Mia’s no-frills resort (ParksAndResorts.RAC.com.au/Monkey-Mia) can sip their morning lattes while watching habituated dolphins swim to shore to say hi and eat a couple of fresh fish fed by volunteer marine biologists.FRANCOIS PERON NATIONAL PARKEvidence suggests that the Malgana people have been living along the rugged Peron peninsula—Wulybidi in the local language—for at least 25,000 years.And the only way to unlock the mysticism of this faraway preserve is on a day…3 min
