blackbook

Amy Sacco's London Club: More Bathrooms, Little Else

Hamilton Nolan · 07/17/08 09:56AM

Amy Sacco, the former NYC nightlife queen whose reign on top is now (we believe) pretty much over, still has a bunch of fans at BlackBook magazine. In a new interview-one that describes Sacco in glowing terms that would have been more appropriate three years ago-she talks up her Bungalow 8 club in London. Sure, it had a rough start, and hasn't gotten the greatest reviews, but she points out that "we have a hundred more bathrooms than in New York, so, fabulous!" Ha, [cocaine joke]. But what do Sacco's customers in London have to say in their own reviews?

Two Types of Black Books

Sheila · 06/23/08 02:22PM

The Blackbook, a creative-talent publication, shares a similar name with "XXXBlackBook," an adult-dating site. Blackbook's poor phone girl has to occasionally field calls from porn enthusiasts needing their login info. Needless to say, "likeslongnipples," while it may be an appropriate username for www.xxxblackbook.com, is not going to help if you've actually phoned www.blackbook.com. [Dazzling Delta]

'BlackBook's' Minor Identity Crisis

Pareene · 05/22/08 04:20PM

So. BlackBook editor (and former Page Six Magazine editor) Steve Garbarino is leaving his post. He's off to Maxim, which recently ditched their EIC (he's now at Heavy.com). BlackBook is trying to "butch" up a bit. Which really only partly explains their odd and entertaining coverage of the Preakness Stakes (including video from Wonkette's own Liz Glover!). [BlackBook]

Despite Valiant Effort, George Gurley Doesn't Creep Out Christina Ricci

Pareene · 04/14/08 01:35PM

Over-sharey reporter George Gurley interviewed Christina Ricci for the upcoming issue of Black Book. They've got the SEXY PHOTOS of disconcertingly tiny Ms. Ricci up at their site, but you might be more interested in the Observer columnist embarrassing himself a bit, as would be his wont if he was capable of embarrassment. After the jump, Ricci, who is trying to promote some sort of movie about a speedy racer, makes the mistake of looking at Gurley's notepad.

Emily Gould · 12/14/07 02:15PM

BREAKING! Contrary to prior reports here today, now we hear that Patrick Moberg, who spotted flower-behind-the-ear-having Black Book intern Camille on the subway and later tracked her down via the internet, actually is less into her than she is into him. A lot less. Says someone in-the-know: "He did dump her...they're going to stay friends. It was amicable."

Patrick Moberg And Camille Hayton Go On 'GMA' To Viral-Market Love

Emily Gould · 11/09/07 12:20PM



This week has been totally "surreal" for flower-wearing Aussie intern Camille Hayton. First her apartment burned to the ground, forcing her to wear one of her mom's dresses to this morning's "Good Morning America" taping. Then Vimeo employee Patrick Moberg saw her on the subway and made a website about it, but though the site quickly became a "worldwide internet sensation," it didn't come to her attention, she said, until someone "that I work with at BlackBook" mentioned it to her. They met last night for coffee and "totally clicked," so, in spite of Patrick's online avowal that "you'll have to make up your own ending for this," they went on national TV this morning to... show the world that you should believe in flowers and rainbows and romance? Or: To raise the profiles of their employers, Vimeo and BlackBook—or their own brands? We'd like to posit that believing the latter theory doesn't make you a cold-hearted cynic so much as it makes you a sentient human being.

Emily Gould · 11/07/07 03:15PM

Patrick Moberg's braided, garlanded dream girl has not only been found, she's been identified: she's a BlackBook editorial intern. Of course. That august publication "can't in good conscience reveal the lady's name," but we hear it's Camille. They can in good conscience post this glamourshot of the little Aussie blushing violet, who's skipping work today to be an extra in the "Sex and The City" movie. Of course!

'Black Book' Editor's Hurricane Love Affair Ends In Wedding

Joshua Stein · 09/24/07 10:50AM

Steve Garbarino, the sorta Jeff Daniels look-a-like editor in chief of Black Book magazine, met his new wife when on "a snowy night in March 2005, at Hudson Bar and Books, in Manhattan, [he] was holding court with friends and drinking a dark and stormy." Garbarino, says the Times, "made some ridiculous drolleries, told some tales, bragged a bit about the HBO [show]—which did not come to fruition." Really, this sort of thing works? On some women apparently.

Mike Albo's Tips For Freelancers

Emily Gould · 04/17/07 09:54AM

Here's one of the ironies at the heart of the Mike Albo thing: His success makes other writer-types feel sorta... undermined! Reassuringly, though, the "Underminer" writer is still broke. But wait, is that actually reassuring? It might actually be incredibly depressing! After all, if Mike Albo can't get paid, what hope is there for everyone else? And it's completely true that Mike Albo can't get paid; he recently told genius blog Bazima that the hardest thing about being a writer is "getting fucking paid from magazines that owe me money like Blackbook (1400 dollars) and Mens Vogue (1715 dollars)." So what's Mike's plan? "[One of my current obsessions is] whether I should move to LA because I don't have any money and even though I have finally, after 15 years, made it to the point where I am writing for the Times and NY Mag and whatever. I can't live off writing for magazines. So I would rather write crap for TV and get fucked over for 30,000 dollars than 2,000." Gah. Are those really the choices an adult should have to make? —Emily

Gossip Boy Spencer Morgan Talented Enough To Convey How It Feels To Drive Drunk

abalk2 · 02/16/07 09:45AM

We were paging through the March issue of Black Book (it's the Hollywood issue!) when we came across "Road to Perdition," a two-spread paean to the joys of driving drunk on the Pacific Coast Highway. We were taken by the verisimilitude of the whole thing. The writer really captures how enervating exhilarating it is to careen through Malibu while doped to the gills. We took a look at the byline, and damned if the thing wasn't written by the Observer's gossip reporter Spencer Morgan, last seen on this site micturating off of gossip columnist Ben Widdicombe's fire escape.

Hall of Shame, Part III: The Leading Offenders

Doree Shafrir · 01/04/07 12:50PM

Well then! Based on the overwhelming response to our inquiries about publications that pretend you don't exist after you've poured your blood, sweat and tears into their piddling assignments, we've come up with a preliminary list of publications that should be avoided at all costs, even when their editors woo you with promises of fame, glory and on-time checks. We're still soliciting tales of woe for subsequent rounds, which you can send to the usual place. In the meantime, enjoy our list of offenders, including more Observer woes, post-jump.

James Frey Can Still Buy and Sell You, You Know

Emily Gould · 11/22/06 03:05PM

We were trolling for pictures of hipsters standing in front of taxidermied animals this morning when we stumbled across an essay that intrigued us in the online version of this month's BlackBook magazine. Some kidder had decided to write an essay about cover photographer Alex Soth, imitating James Frey's signature tics his punctuationless prose and repetitition repetitition repetition for emphasis. Kind of untimely, we thought, but still funny. In fact, when we reached the end of the first sentence we chucked aloud at the parody's broadness:

Woe Unto You Who Wearest The Fedora

abalk2 · 09/26/06 01:50PM

According to Radar, disgraced former Page Sixer Jared Paul Stern has been hired by BlackBook as books editor. EIC Steve Garbarino rationalizes it for you:

James Frey Slowly Crawls Out of His Hole of Shame

Jessica · 08/18/06 08:50AM

It's a special time for Fake Writer James Frey. After admitting to fabricating several parts of his rehab memoir and getting flogged by national ringleader Oprah Winfrey, the faux-memoirist has been laying understandably low: hiding out in Europe, sulking around the East End, and cycling around lower Manhattan with a perma-scowl on his face. But perhaps things are looking up for our anti-hero: New York reported this week that Frey has a piece of (intentional) fiction published in the catalogue for photographer Malerie Marder's fall show at Greenberg Van Doren gallery, and today WWD reveals that BlackBook has commissioned Frey for a considerably more risky article in its November issue, a piece about photographer Alex Soth, who shot Maggie Gyllenhaal for the cover.

Actually, It Seems Mimi Valdes Won't Be Working at 'Vibe' Much Longer

Jesse · 06/30/06 03:00PM

Earlier today we skeptically noted what seemed to be an unfounded rumor, that Vibe editor-in-chief Mimi Valdes, along with much of her staff, was being canned from the urban music mag. We asked if anyone could provide any word on what was going on over there, and, obediently, Mediaweek's Stephanie Smith quickly complied. What's going on? The mag is being sold, and Valdes and president Kenard Gibbs are expected to go. "Additionally," Smith reports, "layoffs, primarily on the editorial side, are expected." So who's buying?

Media Bubble: Burkle!

Jesse · 06/28/06 02:40PM

• Ron Burkle wants to buy the L.A. Times, and the Chandlers are finally willing to talk to him. And we're sure he'll continue to care deeply about Radar if he buys a real — well, real enough — media outlet. [WSJ]
• Bushies hate the Times even more than usual these days. [WP]
• AMI might be holding on to Bonnie, but a different bigwig will hit the road at week's end. [Ad Age]
• New editor Steve Garbarino to add an advice column to BlackBook by Siberia owner Tracy Westmoreland? [NYO]

New 'BlackBook' Chief: Steve Garbarino!

abalk2 · 06/13/06 02:44PM

Remember a month ago when we told you that Steve Garbarino, graduate of several distinguished prose academies including Vanity Fair and Page Six: The Magazine, was rumored to be the next editor of BlackBook? Well, word on the street (just kidding - as if anyone "on the street" gives a shit) says it's a done deal, and will be announced internally tomorrow, since Steve has already "garbed" to the press about it! We're told that this will come as news to everyone over at BlackBook, so, uh, congratulations, kids - you've got a new editor!

New 'BlackBook' Chief: Steve Garbarino?

Jesse · 05/11/06 05:20PM

Today's juicy magland rumor? Allegedly Steve Garbarino, the gossipeuse associated at various times with such glossy journals as Vanity Fair and Page Six: The Magazine, is telling folks he has been offered the editorship of BlackBook, which is vacant due to Aaron Hicklin's move to Out. We're reasonably sure it's true he's telling people this; we have no idea if he's telling people the truth. Anyone know?