Other Voices, Other Geniuses: Leigh Bardugo
OMG ITS LB
Usually this newsletter is a well of happy hyperbole, hyping up friends who are geniuses in my eyes but who maybe don’t qualify in the MacArthur Grant sense.
Not this week.
This week we have a straight-up genius, Leigh Bardugo, an author who invented a lil thing you might have heard of called the Grishaverse?
Translated into 50 languages. 20 million copies sold. And her house is so gorgeous I went on Instagram to find pictures of it. You know, like a creep!
My personal favorite work of hers (besides the answers below, which do count as literature) is Ninth House (which a guy I was dating kept calling Knife House; Leigh, free title idea) because ghosts.
Other Voices, Other Geniuses: Leigh Bardugo
What song are you especially into currently?
Nilüfer Yanya's cover of "Rid of Me" by PJ Harvey
What is your greatest pet peeve?
Hot takes.
What is the trait within yourself about which you feel the most ambivalent?
My desire to be liked.
How do you like to waste time?
I read advice columns.
What book is currently living by your toilet/bed and how are you liking it?
The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek by Howard Markel. My current novella takes place, in part, at a wellness retreat in the early 1900s. It's also just lively and weird and full of gross anecdotes.
Have you ever had an out of body experience?
Yes, when I was learning to meditate at a retreat in Upstate New York. I sat up and realized that in fact my body was still lying down.
What is your favorite outfit worn by any character in The Devil Wears Prada?
I've only seen that movie once and I didn't like it. I also remember the fashion being extremely iffy.
When have you been or felt the most FAMOUS in your life?
I took my publishing team out for drinks, and at the end of the night, the very nice server who had taken care of our table said, "I would be remiss if I didn't tell you how much I enjoyed Hell Bent." The courtly phrasing made me especially happy. Then in the elevator, we met two Irish women who were on vacation and one of them said, "I have you on my kindle!" And the other said, "That means a lot because she only reads smut." A perfect evening.
What is your current Lock Screen?
A photo of a rooftop of a house in Mexico where I stayed with friends. You can see a cluster of bronze lanterns and the pink spires of the cathedral in the background. It's been my lock screen for ten years.
How many tattoos do you have, and where on your body are they? If none, what would you get if you had to?
Two. Ankle and wrist. I'd like to get a big tattoo of the word "nemesis" across my back but I probably won't.
What line or moment from Mad Men do you think about the most?
"That's what the money's for."
What is the coolest object in your apartment/house/domicile?
There are a lot of cool objects in my house, but my husband bought me a little taxidermy mouse a few years back and she sleeps atop a high stack of tiny velvet pillows like a princess.
Who or what is your most problematic fave?
Patricia Highsmith
What is the name of your most active group chat and what do you typically message about?
Accurate Lobster and none of your damn business
Please recommend a product. Any product.
Tatcha Luminous Hydration sheet masks. They're very expensive but they actually work. I pack them for every tour.
What do you think Taylor Swift is doing AT THIS VERY SECOND?
Reading this newsletter.
What did your childhood smell like?
Van de Kamp's frozen enchiladas.
How did you meet your best friend?
She walked into our classroom when I was ten and had a big white bow in her hair and I thought, "I will be your friend." Then I made her read my poetry. Somehow we survived that and now we have matching tattoos.
Who or what gives you the ick?
I find monkeys repellent and I'm deeply afraid of blimps.
If you have a pet, put a picture here. If you don’t, a picture of your medicine cabinet. If you have more than one pet, pick the cutest:
What fictional universe would you choose to live in forever?
Elfhame from Holly Black's Folk of the Air series.
How is a raven like a writing desk?
They're both very beaky.
I came here from Leigh Bardugo's Instagram story. And OMG. She's been my absolute favorite author for YEARS, so this was a very fun read!! I thoroughly enjoyed it!!! Also, INSANEEE that you interviewed her for your newsletter— that is is SO COOL?!?! I literally love that for you, honestly.
I love Leigh so much!!!