On Bourdain
A personal essay about a man I never met
I just wrapped up a busy sprint for a freelance project I’ve been working on and as I sat down to begin writing again, I saw that today is the third anniversary of the death of Anthony Bourdain. I’ve mentioned Tony in two previous posts, so perhaps it’s clear, but despite never having met him, nobody has had a bigger impact on how I try to see the world.
In May of 2018, a few weeks prior to Tony’s passing, I went to Paris for the first time. I’m typically someone who likes to have a rough idea of where I want to eat, what I want to see, etc. Especially in a city like Paris. However, this trip, I decided not to plan at all. Partly because I figured I’d probably be back at some point, but also because the group was spread out (I was staying with a friend living on a different side of town). I also didn’t have a cell phone, which I actually highly recommend for a first visit to an international city.
I was living in San Francisco in 2018, but arrived back in New York on June 6th to work out of the Twitter NYC office for a week or so. My first day back in the office I was catching up with coworkers about my trip and told them the same general spiel as above: “I usually plan, I didn’t plan this time, it was nice, how are you, how’s your family, can we edit tweets yet?”
Two days later, Anthony Bourdain took his own life. I spent much of that weekend reading quotes of his, anecdotes from friends and fans, and watching popular clips. The man was truly loved by all – even Alice Waters, who he spent a handful of pages bashing in his 2010 book, Medium Raw, which I just learned was published on June 8th, the same date as his death.
Back in the office on Monday, I received an email from a coworker who had gotten my “Paris usually plan, no plan this time, Paris good” soliloquy.
Subject line: Bourdain on Paris
Body:
This quote reminded me of your Paris trip. Thought you’d enjoy.“Most of us are lucky to see Paris once in a lifetime. Please, make the most of it by doing as little as possible. Walk a little. Get lost a bit. Eat. Catch a breakfast buzz. Have a nap. Try and have sex if you can, just not with a mime. Eat again. Lounge around drinking coffee. Maybe read a book. Drink some wine. Eat. Repeat. See? It's easy.”
I remember the exact carpet square I was standing on in the office when I read that. I was a fan of Anthony Bourdain, but for his views on Vietnam, or Turkey, or Libya. But not Paris. In my mind, there is Hemingway for Paris and Bourdain is for Thailand. I was wrong. He even knew how to Paris. He had it all figured out. He knew that we have absolutely nothing figured out, and the world is big, and we are small, and unwise, and have a ways to go.
LeBron James’s Agent Is Transforming the Business of Basketball
A New Yorker profile just hits different. This is especially true when the topic covered is sports, as exemplified by this story on LeBron James’s agent, Rich Paul, in the magazine’s Money Issue. There has certainly been no shortage of coverage on Paul, but this story by Isaac Chotiner manages to both cover new ground and describe familiar ground in new ways. You’ll get something out of it regardless of whether you’re approaching it from a business or a sports angle. –Justin
Salomon XT-4
I am forever in search of “the one” sneaker, a shoe that can turn heads in the streets, that is comfortable, and that can perform in a workout if necessary. With a cross-country road trip planned for this summer, I knew that having that one sneaker was going to be especially necessary. I think I’ve found it with these Salomons. I’m undoubtedly not the first person to put you onto these, but after finally copping a pair, I can attest that the gorp hypebeast love is well deserved.
–Justin
Riders On the Storm – Yonderboi
Correct me if I’ve got this wrong, but this is neither a remix nor a cover, just a very generous sampling of a song that need not be remixed nor covered. It’s perfectly familiar and entirely new, despite being released in 2000. It is the quintessential track for my playlist, sleepy but still tryna vibe vibes, aptly named for a comedown or a late night of work.
–Andrew