I genuinely run out of superlatives for your writing. You have encapsulated exactly what I feel about my country, not a place to die for, a home to live in. I live in London, where we rarely get bushfires anywhere near (although it has happened in the last five years) but I visit the south of France regularly where they have such fires, and my brother lives in LA, so I know the smell and the apprehension, waking up and checking where the fire has got to overnight. Honestly some of the best writing anywhere, let alone about perfume.
I recently found a small Scottish independent perfumer called Jorum Studio which made me think of your post about Quentin Bisch. Definitely a passion project and deeply rooted in Scotland, the sample set I had of their Mainline collection is wonderful, if you get the chance to try it, although I suspect you’d prefer some of their Progressive Botany or Scottish Odyssey scents. I hope you get the chance to try them.
Of all your delicious sentences, this one-- this punch thrown by a weakling, packed with focus and fury, was the one that finally prompted me to comment...
"The land speaks in voices we cannot translate."
You are my favorite writer.
And for what it's worth, I've been working on a brushfire scent-- the scent of my childhood in the Texas hill country, and this piece was greatly encouraging.
I have a dear friend who lives in Australia, and it has become my second 'home' as it were. The culture, the people, etc. It has always attracted me, and if I had to live anywhere else, it would be there. I would probably walk around in the same blue suit Sam Kekovick wore in the 2012 Austriala Day Barbie Girl video (https://youtu.be/C1cA2lBfYuc?si=ZcvZpb-MBtyb0VYg). :-)
I still watch that video every year.
I have never been, so I try to ignore the possibility that reality won't live up to my Aussie fantasy. However, your article captured me immediately with the tour of your life and surroundings. Thank you for that.
I grew up in a row home in a major US city. 30 homes connected on each side of the street with an alley in the rear that we shared with the row of homes on the next street over. When someone was getting a new roof, I would always wake up to the smell of the tar bucket heating up in the alley, and that smell of hot tar/pitch pervaded the neighborhood. Along with it was the 'hum' of the flames heating it.
I LOVE that smell. I am sure it is partly the petroleum, since I love the smell of gasoline as well. I went on to work in construction, and some of my favorite jobs were where I worked with road paving crews. The heat (both of the weather and being near 200+ degree F asphalt), the smell. It was a hellscape that I LOVED!
So, long story about how loving a generally unpopular smell is something I cherish, and how yet again, smell triggers memories.
I have sampled a few of Neomi Goodsir's fragrances early in my fragrance journey. You have inspired me to go back and try them again, as I was quite the novice at the time. This one will certainly be on the list!
I am wishing you all the luck to make it through fire season. I live in a place with frequent wildfires, and such dissonance is required to push the existential threat of a yellow sky and smoky air to continue on with your day. 😥
I’m in LA and I absolutely know the fear and the horrible, horrible smell. Awful during fire season when the sun rises and the sky is still ashen and dark. Lovely piece.
Yours is my favorite substack! I wish you could send a scratch-n-sniff of the perfumes you review. I spend $ on samples of them and would gladly send that money to you instead of scentsplit.
What you’ve captured here brought tears to my eyes. I came for the perfume, stayed for the writing. I want the collected works, printed and bound.
(OTOH, wonder where in NYC I can sniff Bois d’Ascèse?)
Try Scent Bar on Elizabeth Street or Aedes Perfumery on Orchard Street
I genuinely run out of superlatives for your writing. You have encapsulated exactly what I feel about my country, not a place to die for, a home to live in. I live in London, where we rarely get bushfires anywhere near (although it has happened in the last five years) but I visit the south of France regularly where they have such fires, and my brother lives in LA, so I know the smell and the apprehension, waking up and checking where the fire has got to overnight. Honestly some of the best writing anywhere, let alone about perfume.
I recently found a small Scottish independent perfumer called Jorum Studio which made me think of your post about Quentin Bisch. Definitely a passion project and deeply rooted in Scotland, the sample set I had of their Mainline collection is wonderful, if you get the chance to try it, although I suspect you’d prefer some of their Progressive Botany or Scottish Odyssey scents. I hope you get the chance to try them.
Of all your delicious sentences, this one-- this punch thrown by a weakling, packed with focus and fury, was the one that finally prompted me to comment...
"The land speaks in voices we cannot translate."
You are my favorite writer.
And for what it's worth, I've been working on a brushfire scent-- the scent of my childhood in the Texas hill country, and this piece was greatly encouraging.
Thank you.
I love your descriptions; I can taste them.
Another fantastic read.
I have a dear friend who lives in Australia, and it has become my second 'home' as it were. The culture, the people, etc. It has always attracted me, and if I had to live anywhere else, it would be there. I would probably walk around in the same blue suit Sam Kekovick wore in the 2012 Austriala Day Barbie Girl video (https://youtu.be/C1cA2lBfYuc?si=ZcvZpb-MBtyb0VYg). :-)
I still watch that video every year.
I have never been, so I try to ignore the possibility that reality won't live up to my Aussie fantasy. However, your article captured me immediately with the tour of your life and surroundings. Thank you for that.
I grew up in a row home in a major US city. 30 homes connected on each side of the street with an alley in the rear that we shared with the row of homes on the next street over. When someone was getting a new roof, I would always wake up to the smell of the tar bucket heating up in the alley, and that smell of hot tar/pitch pervaded the neighborhood. Along with it was the 'hum' of the flames heating it.
I LOVE that smell. I am sure it is partly the petroleum, since I love the smell of gasoline as well. I went on to work in construction, and some of my favorite jobs were where I worked with road paving crews. The heat (both of the weather and being near 200+ degree F asphalt), the smell. It was a hellscape that I LOVED!
So, long story about how loving a generally unpopular smell is something I cherish, and how yet again, smell triggers memories.
I have sampled a few of Neomi Goodsir's fragrances early in my fragrance journey. You have inspired me to go back and try them again, as I was quite the novice at the time. This one will certainly be on the list!
Thank you!
The physical and the emotions, so perfectly entwined. Great writing...you never fail to affect my mood.
S D
That was a great read.
I have a new favorite poem now
I am wishing you all the luck to make it through fire season. I live in a place with frequent wildfires, and such dissonance is required to push the existential threat of a yellow sky and smoky air to continue on with your day. 😥
Your writing hits the heart and soul. It makes me stop what I’m doing to sit and reread. Thank you
As someone from California, I felt this in my bones. I love so much reading a post from you, and remembering I have a fifth sense.
I’m in LA and I absolutely know the fear and the horrible, horrible smell. Awful during fire season when the sun rises and the sky is still ashen and dark. Lovely piece.
Yours is my favorite substack! I wish you could send a scratch-n-sniff of the perfumes you review. I spend $ on samples of them and would gladly send that money to you instead of scentsplit.
I can forgive the barbs at the Ashes when the writing is this good. Another win today!