1 In “Our Lesser Islands” (August 19–September 1), photographer Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao and writer Robert Sullivan explored the overlooked islands of New York Harbor. Many readers were intrigued to learn more about our urban archipelago, with Whitney Hurst tweeting, “I had a view of U Thant Island [which was featured on the cover] for years and never knew the whole story behind it.” Gregg D. Merksamer called the feature “a truly fascinating window into city places most 21st-century Gothamites never see or even think about unless they’re seafarers.” Others added their own New York–island knowledge: @antisocialite wrote, “Hart Island was also part of Season 2 of @poseonfx. Many who passed during the AIDS epidemic were buried there when their bio families wouldn’t claim them and their chosen families couldn’t. Another sad chapter of our country’s LGBTQIA history.” And Stuart Miller and Sharon Seitz, authors of The Other Islands of New York City, wrote, “If you were trying to shine a spotlight on these islands, it seems a mistake to neglect Broad Channel, one of only three residential islands and home to the vital Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. You failed to identify the community on your map and gave it less than a full sentence even as you devoted two full paragraphs to the far less significant White Island. Broad Channel residents have often felt like outsiders in the city, and this won’t make them feel more at home.”
2 For the cover of the Cut’s “Fall Fashion” issue, Anna Silman wrote about Hollywood’s latest golden girl, actress Lucy Boynton (“Acting Blonde,” August 19–September 1). After Boynton’s boyfriend, Rami Malek, was featured on GQ’s September cover, Fashionista declared the two had officially cemented “Fashion Power Couple status.” Also in the “Fall Fashion” issue, Allison P. Davis wrote about the return of Kimora Lee Simmons and the early-aughts streetwear brand Baby Phat (“Lady Kimora,” August 19–September 1). @RakheeSapra tweeted, “Did not see 2019 as the year my deep obsession with Kimora Lee Simmons would be reignited, but here we are,” and Kat Eschner wrote of Simmons, “I have no idea who this person is and have repressed all firsthand memories of Baby Phat, but the writing in this profile has more than carried me through.” Matthew Schneier investigated Gen Z’s addiction to thrifting on Depop (“Got It on Depop,” August 19–September 1). Matthew Hertz tweeted, “What an impressive business and incredible success. I remember visiting their office in Brooklyn in 2016 while handling their fulfillment at Shyp.” Jason Nark said, “Since I’m also a @depop seller, saying no to swap offers and being ghosted after answering countless questions and lowball offers, this … hit a nerve.” In response to Marisa Meltzer’s essay on “The Unfluencers” (August 19–September 1), Sarah Solomon wrote, “This resonates so much — I refuse to shop at J.Crew Factory because this blogger I detest shills for them.” And in the London Evening Standard, Samuel Fishwick added, “Newton’s third law applies to social media, too: For every influencer, there is an equal and opposite unfluencer with 200,000 followers who love to hate them.”
3 In the Strategist’s “Look Book” (August 19–September 1), photographer Kyle Dorosz visited Zitomer, a nearly 70-year-old pharmacy and department store on the Upper East Side. The story featured photos and quotes from the store’s many “women of taste,” and readers had plenty to say about the well-dressed ladies. Rumaan Alam tweeted, “I want to be in a book club with every single one of these women.” @blgtylr tweeted, “Edith Wharton willed this into existence, and we should thank her.” Lainey Gossip wrote, “You know who would shop at Zitomer? Aunt March, from Little Women … As my friend Lorella pointed out, they all wear sensible shoes. They’re also all goddesses — one actually is a goddess. That would be Lynn B. Goddess; she is a ‘woman of taste.’ ” Others pondered which of the women they identified with the most. Guy Branum asked, “Could I get away with being Lynn B. Goddess for Halloween?” @maritadachsel tweeted, “I have Shirley Sacks aspirations, but we all know that I’m Rory Shanley-Brown. Other than the shoes (I don’t wear open-toe sandals), I’d wear her outfit today if I owned it.” @ahoysamantha commented, “Sure, BuzzFeed quizzes are good, but have you ever read an article and immediately pegged your aspirations for old age to one or more of the women in it?” @GabiTalisman wrote, “Every woman in this article is an icon.”
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*This article appears in the September 2, 2019, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!