Inside Manhattan’s Secret Library
By Wim Langedijk for HURS
Inside Manhattan’s Secret Library
HUR Reads is our definitive shortlist of the most prominent articles from around the web.
By HURS Team
1
A Chef Loved a Painter’s Work So Much, She Cooked a Meal Inspired by It
Paris-based chef Rose Chalalai Singh hosted a Georgian feast inspired by early 20th-century painter Niko Pirosmani, whose works depict rustic, joyful banquets. Held at the Tsinandali Estate in Georgia’s Kakheti region, the meal re-created elements from his paintings—long tables under trees, traditional dishes, and yellow flowers. Singh collaborated with chef Irakli Asatiani to prepare a blend of classic Georgian fare and Thai-inflected touches, including suckling pig with lemongrass. Guests included local creatives and friends, with food served family-style, accompanied by wine, folk music, and sunset views. The event celebrated cross-cultural hospitality, spontaneous joy, and a shared reverence for food, art, and place.
T MAGAZINE
After a chance reunion, former V magazine coworkers Nikki Igol and Steven Chaiken launched Library180, a nonprofit fashion and art magazine library on the 26th floor of 180 Maiden Lane in Manhattan. Based on Igol’s personal archive of 2,500+ print materials, the space invites visitors (by appointment) to browse rare magazines, books, and ephemera—including risqué and out-of-print titles—without restrictions. The library emphasizes spontaneous discovery over algorithm-driven searches and serves as a tribute to print culture. Next up: turning the library into a gathering ground for conversations about print, image-making, and creative culture.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Once sidelined, women’s football is moving into the center pitch. As Euro 2025 kicks off, Grace Cook spotlights a grassroots team in west London to illustrate how the women’s game is gaining serious ground. Across all levels, there's rising visibility, investment, and legitimacy. What was once a niche pursuit is now part of the mainstream sports landscape. This shift reflects a broader reckoning: women’s sports are no longer an afterthought but a vital, growing force in global culture.
HOW TO SPEND IT
Philippa Snow discusses her new memoir with AnOther, which pairs tragic and iconic women—like Anna Nicole Smith with Marilyn Monroe —to explore how fame turns identity into performance. Snow reflects on the public’s appetite for women who self-destruct onstage or in the tabloids, arguing that what’s seen as authenticity is often just another performance. She weaves pop culture critique with personal reflection, describing the book as a study of women who are often “looked at, but rarely seen.”
ANOTHER MAGAZINE
Jayne Mansfield arrived in Hollywood in the 1950s with serious artistic ambitions but found success embracing the role of the exaggerated blonde bombshell. Though she was a trained musician and a capable comic actress, Hollywood’s narrow expectations limited her to roles that emphasized her looks. Mansfield’s self-crafted image brought fame but ultimately boxed her in, especially as the industry shifted into the 1960s. A new HBO documentary, My Mom Jayne, directed by her daughter Mariska Hargitay, reconsiders Mansfield’s legacy—framing her not as a Monroe impostor, but as a talented performer navigating an unfair and changing system.