Last night was the C.J Leede Panel with Grady Hendrix and it fucking rocked.
The event was at the Powerhouse in Brooklyn, and I have to say the venue was perfect for this panel. I arrived early (like I always do) and wandered the bookstore and saw C.J, her team, and family members setting up a Tiki bar panel theme mentioned throughout the book. Reading synopsis and hearing snippets of conversations, you can hear the clear excitement her vision matched the artist’s mind.
The Tiki bar was amazing! Little matchbox scattered around the bar, among, disfigured dolls (made by her mom, which I love and WANT the TREX BABY!!). The cookies matching her book aesthetic, candy eyeballs, Halloween loopy straws, and a game to guess how many TEETH were in a jar. Also, the book has an updated version of Pretty-Pretty Princess and crowns were available throughout the venue. ALSO, tiki drinks–Pina Coladas and Zombies! I think C.J is also secretly a party planner, too! I was hearing Billie Holiday and Halloween chants in my head; it was perfect.
The panel was fantastic with Grady Hendrix. It was not fun and not your typical questions from the audience, which made the gears of the panelists the primary focus. There was also trivia, and I won neat graphic books due to probability and statistic skills.
C.J used the opportunity to meet everyone who attended, and she was incredibly thankful for attending and asked follow-up questions to attendees, and the space was just tranquil, book readers who don’t mind dismemberment, females who don’t take shit, and in my case, eggs.
After dinner with some friends, I met up at a bar and had another opportunity to hang out with C.J and I have to say, she’s awesome. She reminds me of some of my closest friends. We talked about eggs, skincare, and writing.
As the world opens, slowly, I feel the return of source energy and I do believe it is going to take time for us to feel it. But last night we were in the element of delightful, book-reading, creative individuals who don’t mind a little body dismemberment, princesses, and bad ass grandmothers.
I dedicate this post to my own personal bad ass, Grandmother, Mary. She also inspired me to be myself but will be the first one to whip my ass if I get out of line. My #1 Skincare goddess badass.
“You’re alive in my head” – T.S
Always be Kind,
Niko

















