Check out some photos from the event below and come visit us on 424 Fairfax, LA—we'll be here for a while.
[Originally published in office magazine Issue 20. Get your copy here.]
“It’s storytelling with some of our favorite intellectual properties and characters, but in a totally new and incredible light,” Roif said. Special guests in the audience included internet personality Blizzy McGuire, and in a twist that was almost absurd enough to be natural — Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber.
The event saw readers pour their hearts out in the name of this decidedly playful strain of wordplay. The lineup included Mackenzie Thomas, Sophia Anne Caruso, Jon Burgerman, Starr himself, Greta Kline, and to top it off, RHONY star Leah McSweeney.
Starr and Roif, the duo behind the bright electricity of the Press’s operation, are hellbent on rewriting the ecosystem of public readings. Past events have unfolded at such venues as a FiDi boxing ring (complete with uproarious jeers and shouts), Peter Pan Donuts (a child was led out by an unprepared parent), and the hallowed ground of a Penn Station Sbarro (no explanation necessary).
From the clanks and shouts of normal dinner service downstairs, to the cheers and uncontrollable laughter on the third floor performance space, the night was marked by an interwoven symphony of sound. “I loved hearing the world of Burger King in the background — ‘Number Three!’ and all that being called out during the reading,” McGuire said.
Zack Roif, Matt Starr (left); Sophia Anne Caruso, Leah McSweeney (top right); Ivy Wolk, Mackenzie T (bottom right)
Fanfiction, Starr and Roif explained, is typically read in isolation, perhaps in one’s bed late at night or in a private setting. To take it completely out of place and into the lived environment completely changes the context – into one of humor and humanity. “We had a similar event at Tara Downs gallery, and it was so sweet. It felt like we were at camp, sitting around a fire listening to the horniest, funniest stories,” Starr said.
Both are seasoned veterans in major public performances and campaigns. Starr, serving as the gallery director at Trotter & Scholer in the Lower East Side, has an impressive portfolio. His projects include a senior-citizen-casted version of Annie Hall and a widely-lauded escapade over two summers as "Amazon Boy" — a uniformed delivery man with 50 Amazon boxes strapped to his chest. Meanwhile, Roif, an accomplished artist and creative director, has made a significant impact through campaigns for major brands such as Mattel, Mercedes-Benz, and Merch Aid — a COVID-era artist merchandise project. Additionally, he is the co-creator of "Hellvetica”, a deliciously tricky typeface designed with colleague Matthew Woodward, which has been provoking conversations among designers worldwide since its launch.
With a portfolio of whimsical projects firmly rooted in rigorous disciplines, the rise of Dream Baby Press unfolds as a thrilling yet natural narrative. It takes something historically formal, such as the literary reading, and reproduces it in a democratic manner that captivates sold-out audiences, sparks elated joy, and fosters continued conversation far beyond the night’s hijinks.
For the latest event, Starr and Roiff worked hand-in-hand with the Burger King team at the Tribeca location. “We were in a really incredible text thread with the managers, who kept sending us periodic decor updates. It was so sweet; they were all so proud and excited to host us.” Starr said.
“There’s nothing quite like being in a group chat with your local Burger King,” Roif added.
The Burger King team shared that this was the first event of its kind hosted on the premises. With the floodgates now open, they are willing to consider hosting any other events pitched their way.
“One of our goals is to put on a show, and make literature entertaining and exciting,” Starr said. “We want to be the WWE of literature.” With all eyes on Dream Baby, a match shrouded in drama and literary whimsy has certainly just begun. Let the starting bell ring.
Office pulled the night’s readers for a special edition of Dream Baby’s Love/Hate lists. See below:
Leah McSweeney
Loves: Cooking meatballs
Hates: Women cosplaying as Princess Di
Mackenzie Thomas
Loves: Dogs that look like me
Hates: The way pants feel
Sophia Anne Caruso
Loves: Thinking hard or not thinking at all
Hates: The pressure to be one palatable version of myself for the algorithm
Jon Burgerman
Loves: Painting and panting
Hates: Bugs in the bath
Matt Starr
Loves: Time Square after 10pm
Hates: The fact that there hasn’t been a good new rom com in years
Greta Kline / Frankie Cosmos
Loves: Dioramas
Hates: Diarrhea
Ivy Wolk
Loves: Diflucan
Hates: Men asking me if I’m a comic when we are at a comedy related event. Why else would I be there, I’m not the maid
[Originally published in office magazine Issue 20, Fall-Winter 2023. Order your copy here]
Whether you’re a long-time regular or a Fanelli’s newcomer, Mary’s warm demeanor makes every visitor feel like they own the place. Over the years, she has carved out her own indelible legacy, shining as brightly as the institution itself — a true star of the downtown scene.
What is your ideal office?
A space with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Hudson. The golden hour on that side of town is majestic and constant fuel for the imagination.
What was your favorite book growing up?
The Secret Garden. It's so precious.
Which weather phenomenon best embodies your personality?
The eye of a storm. I'm perfectly calm unless I step outside the center.
What is the last thing you learned from a piece of music?
That, depending on the phase of the moon, the same song can make me laugh or cry.
What is the strangest conversation you’ve overheard at Fanelli’s?
A group of young guys were talking about buttholes and one of them kept insisting he had a really small one. "In your dreams," his friend quipped loudly. The laughter was contagious.
Do you have a favorite word in the English language?
Abundance. It just sounds so damn nice.
What is the weirdest compliment you’ve ever received?
A man at the bar told me that I had a neck like a swan. I asked if that was a good thing. He shrugged and said, “If you like swans.”
Is there a question you don’t like being asked?
Any questions regarding my accent. It doesn't dictate where I’m from but rather it's a culmination of all my travels and everyone I've ever met. I'm like a sponge in that regard.
If you could have a dinner party with any three people, who would you invite and what would you talk about?
My three wisemen: John Cassavetes, Werner Herzog and Fassbinder. I would get them drunk on wine and trick them into helping me wrap up the documentary that I have been unable to finish.
Where, or how do you feel at home?
Wrapped between two big familiar hairy arms.
How do you deal with failure?
I don't accept it.
