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A TASTE OF TASTE WITH...

SOPHIE KEMP

The New York City-based writer stops by to tell us what she's been into.

June 20, 2025

SOPHIE KEMP
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Sophie Kemp is a New York City–based writer whose work has appeared in publications like The Baffler, The Paris Review, and The New York Times. Her debut novel, Paradise Logic, was released this year by Simon & Schuster – perhaps you caught the fabulous launch party at Funny Bar hosted by Forever Magazine. Critics are raving: it’s been widely hailed as one of the freshest and funniest debuts of the year. The Guardian called it “smart, jarring, and wickedly funny” on nearly every page, while author (and former PI guest) Megan Nolan described it as “a wild, roaming marvel of a debut.” You can get your copy here. Lucky for us, Sophie’s here to tell us what she’s been into.

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This is one of my favorite artists. I found out about Onfim because I was trying to learn a little bit about Old Church Slavonic. Onfim was a little boy who did his great works on birch bark c. 13th century. Location: Novgorod. Onfim drew awesome self portraits where he is on a horse, killing his teacher with a pitchfork. Onfim did most of his great works at age 7. His dream job was to be a famous warrior. I wish I could draw like him. He was so uninhibited. 
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I love the music of Annette Peacock. She is one of the true great freaks of music. She’s a poet! A composer! She also is one of the first people to ever run her vocals through a Moog synthesizer. I’m really into this live album she made with the pianist Paul Bley in 1969. It’s called the Bley-Peacock Synthesizer Show. It’s so insanely beautiful. My favorite song off of that record is “Mr. Joy,” which is basically pure romance to me. It sounds like what it feels like to be in love! Peacock’s vocals are distorted through the Moog, creating this cozy and weird level of dissonance. It’s perfect.
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Recently, I decided that after almost three years of being single, I was no longer interested in being an itinerant sex crystal. It was a pretty fun time, but I was ready for something more. This meant it was time to get a boyfriend! I met my boyfriend because we were set up on a blind date. It's awesome to be in a relationship. I would recommend getting a boyfriend. My boyfriend and I just went to Paris!
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I am not sure why every cool 22 year old girl having a martini in Chinatown on a Friday night does not have this book in her purse. It's one of my favorite short story collections. Jen George’s fiction is whip-smart, funny, sexy, and gross. This book is like Weetzie Bat meets Rabelais. Yum. 
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For a really long time, I thought I did not have hobbies. I don’t enjoy crafting. I cannot play team sports because I am very uncoordinated. I am a terrible baker. I am terrible at any tabletop games that involve strategy. Recently, I realized I actually do have a hobby! My hobby is practicing my French. I have been trying to master the French language since I was about 11 years old. There’s nothing I love more than having a few cocktails and finding a French person to practice with. That’s my hobby!
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