The new literary magazine is available now and features work by Roxane Gay, Lance Henson, Mila Haugová, and more.
I’ll age myself briefly: The Chelsea Hotel was always under construction. My friend, who lives on eighth floor, has been floating through the opaque tarps and plywood doors for at least ten years. His apartment is among a handful that remain preserved. But another well preserved apartment is that of the Tony Notarberardino (The Erotic Dreams of the Chelsea Hotel), where guests mingled with the rich archives of Tony’s life and each other to celebrate the launch of the Continental Literary Magazine, currently edited by Sándor Jászberényi (The Devil is a Black Dog).
The space is precarious in its arrangement- completely delicate and broken at once, but clearly well-loved. Its organization is emotional and apparently intentional- with sculptures, stuffed items, giant Buddha, gentle music. Every inch laden in photography, paintings (sometimes directly on the wall), and even two bathrooms. People sat where they could: on beds, in settees, upon sofas; even the floor. It felt deeply organic and a return to form for New York City, after two years of pandemic-induced distance. Like fashion week, guest lists have become heavily edited: interesting people only.
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 20: George Wayne attends Continental Literary Magazine Launch Party at The Chelsea Hotel on February 20, 2022 in New York. (Photo by Sean Zanni/PMC/PMC)
Further, like the writing found in Continental Literary Magazine, personalities arrived ready to enjoy a lavish evening of performance and exchange. Editor in Chief, Sándor Jászberényi, flew in from Kiev where he was reporting on the Ukrainian conflict. He was joined by visiting editorial staff and contributing writers including Judith Newman, as well as guests Lauren Ezersky (fashion critic and television host) who perched on the demi-lune sofa for much of the night, columnist George Wayne (Anyone Who’s Anyone), the new Gossip Girl’s Emily Alyn Lind, groundbreaking artist Colette Lumiere (who I quickly trained in perfecting iPhone photography in just 15 minutes), producer and artist Dean Dempsey (with whom I bonded over the charms of Arizona and driving), “Dove Mother” Elliott Brakebill who at once played greeter and delightful 80s export; photographer Kristin Gallegos, and critic and writer Anthony Hayden-Guest (I refilled that glass a few times).
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 20: Anthony Haden-Guest attends Continental Literary Magazine Launch Party at The Chelsea Hotel on February 20, 2022 in New York. (Photo by Sean Zanni/PMC/PMC)
As the evening wore on, the party continued into a new atmosphere with entertainment by burlesque dancers Veronica Viper, Gin Minsky and Tansy, sideshow entertainers Anna Monoxide and Sage Sovereign, and atmospheric kink performers Haley Grace and Kim Kerotika. The entire evening, from the atmosphere to the performances, felt like a remarkable step back in time, while contending with the modern issues presented in the magazine. It felt instantly historic by location, by association, by time.
NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 20: Kim Kerotika, Sandor Jaszberenyi and Haley Grace attend Continental Literary Magazine Launch Party at The Chelsea Hotel on February 20, 2022 in New York. (Photo by Sean Zanni/PMC/PMC)
The Continental Literary Magazine is a quarterly English-language literary magazine launched by the Petőfi Cultural Agency. The magazine focuses on the literature of Central Europe with the aim of creating a platform for contemporary Hungarian and Central European fiction writers to stake out their place in the English-reading world and, in particular, the North American literary market.
The first issue of the magazine is available online now for $19.99 here and at many shops where magazines and books are sold. Learn more about The Continental Literary Magazine here.
