A Novel Cause: Julia Fox’s Hyper-Femme Literary Carnival
Julia Fox and Nora Fried’s Rosebuds Reading Collective teamed up with Nolita’s most-fought-over green space for a “literary carnival.”
The Shift highlights women’s stories through the lens of impact. It hopes to contextualize history and inspire action.
On Thursday, October 8th, Elizabeth Street Garden hosted “Garden Variety” billed as a ‘literary carnival x hyper-femme secret garden party.’
The night was a joint benefit for the garden and Rosebuds Reading Collective, the nonprofit Julia Fox co-founded with comedian Nora Fried.
“It’s our first ever event. And you know what? It’s not that bad,” Fox joked to the crowd. Under the carnival trappings, the evening brought together two causes with a lot in common. While Rosebuds Reading Collective is creating space for incarcerated women to find their voices through literature and storytelling, Elizabeth Street Garden has spent years fighting to preserve a space for New Yorkers to gather and create. Both are reminders of what can happen when communities are given room to flourish and judging by the evening, Fox and Fried are off to a pretty good start.
We stepped into a hidden Manhattan carnival. Every corner held something new. After sidestepping a woman cradling a live snake and the Bon Bon candy booth, we grabbed our popcorn and headed to where Julia was signing copies of her New York Times bestselling memoir, Down the Drain.
A few steps away was Julia’s closet sale, where guests could dig through pieces of her own wardrobe. Julia’s brat merch became the chatter of the night. Naturally, we couldn’t resist a little shopping and barely an hour in, our hands were full with signed books and graphic tees sticky from our cotton candy.
The surprises kept coming. The G Strings performed their way from one end of the garden to the other, while the DJs Griffin Maxwell Brooks and VTSS kept the music going. Guests could get their tarot cards read, sit for a poem written on the spot or watch a magician between rounds of carnival games.
New York staples Van Leeuwen, Upside Pizza and Greenberg’s Bagels kept everyone fed, while Jägermeister and Great Jones Distilling Co handled the cocktails. A silent auction with contributions from Susan Alexandra, Shiffon Co, Only NY, Betsey Johnson and Eclectic Inventory gave guests another excuse to shop for a good cause. Spotted among the exotic dancers and hydrangeas: Addison Rae, Nicky Hilton, Saad Amer, Richie Shazam, Simon Huck and New York City Council member Chi Osse.
By the time the last of the popcorn was gone, it was easy to forget the rest of the city was still out there. For a first-ever event, “not that bad” was an understatement. Trading the usual gala for a carnival where exotic dancers mingled with city council members and everyday New Yorkers felt exactly right for a cause built around incarcerated women, whose stories are often overlooked. Their stories are not only being heard but growing, as they find a creative outlet and a growing community through the collective. Rosebuds and Elizabeth Street Garden are both, at heart, about uplifting the people they serve, and for one night in Nolita, that spirit flourished.
Photography by Jason Sanders for The Shift
Rosebuds Reading Collective Founders Nora Fried and Julia Fox
The most rebellious corner of the garden
The G-Strings take the stage
MetaphysicalMaria writes Activist Saad Amer a poem about cherry blossoms falling on mother earth
Addison Rae and Austin DeWitt embrace
Julia Fox and Angela Winston, a former participant in Rosebuds’ programming who was honored and celebrated as part of the community
Jazelle takes the phrase “key look” quite literally
Just another ordinary night in Manhattan with Julia and DD Fuego
Lamar Johnson giving a little less carnival, and a little more downtown cool
Who said gardens were just for flowers?