Table of contents for November 2017 in OUT

EILEEN MYLES When revered gay poet John Ashbery passed away this fall, Myles, his friend, was honored to pay tribute to him (“In Memoriam: John Ashbery,” page 34). “John was the important poet and art critic of our time and a hero to so many of us,” she says. When Myles isn’t pouring herself into her own poetry, she performs and writes novels. Her latest, Afterglow (A Dog Memoir), was published in September. NINO MUÑOZ Shooting cover star Armie Hammer was one of two recent gigs that had Muñoz longing for a golden age of celebs. “Armie is full of charm and has Old Hollywood looks,” says the photographer, who also recently shot Jane Fonda for Bazaar. He adds, “She could teach young Hollywood how to pose.” Muñoz’s work has…

Dressing for the office can be a drag. Standard gray suit, button-down shirt, tie, oxfords. All. Week. Long. Luckily there are ways to punch up your nine-to-five without losing your cred or scandalizing HR. Our suggestion: the timeless yet newly revived double-breasted jacket, a current favorite among the likes of Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta, which have followed in the footsteps of classic labels such as Canali. Its overlapping design might not be radical, but this tastefully intricate blazer will help distinguish you from your two-buttoned colleagues and shake off some of that workplace monotony. So take the leap and make a literal style crossover. Just don’t get so carried away that you forget your pants.…

What is TRUVADA for PrEP? TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for…

“I didn’t allow Jackie to get down... I have given it a great deal of thought, and I would like to give the world a little more of [her].” JACKIE SHANE PUTS me on notice at the very top of our conversation. “I will say what I want to say or I won’t say anything,” the 77-year-old soul singer says. Her voice is clipped and precise, each letter perfectly enunciated. Despite a professional career that began at the age of 14, and which has included such highlights as performing with Etta James and sharing a bill with a young Jimi Hendrix, this is her first official interview. In 1967, a Canadian gossip columnist lobbed questions at her while she prepped for a show at the Palais Royale in Toronto—Are you…

Like an intrepid character from Game of Thrones, King Harald Gormsson vanquished his enemies to rule Denmark for the second half of the 10th century, united all of Scandinavia, and converted his loyal subjects to Christianity. He is known in the annals of history as Bluetooth because, according to legend, he had a prominently positioned dead tooth that may or may not have been a haunting shade of blue. If you’re wondering if he has anything to do with the wireless data exchange technology, he does. The sharing of information over radio waves was being simultaneously trialed by several companies; Ericsson, a Swedish telecom vendor, pushed the idea forward. The name for its technology was pitched as a placeholder by a senior staff member to promote cooperation among other communications…

Copenhagen is a city of cycling—in order to see the sights like a true Dane, you’ll need to do it on two wheels. With more bikes than people in Denmark’s capital, pedaling is clearly the preferred way to cruise from neighborhood to neighborhood, even when the legendary gloom and rain set in. Begin your ride at Frederiksberg Gardens, the romantic estate of former king Frederik VI. Within its gates are twisting canals and elaborate bridges, expansive lawns, a wild zoo, and the royal palace towering over the menagerie below. Pause to explore the sprawling gardens on a boat tour, the original way Frederik would entertain his guests. Pedal over to Jægersborggade, a buzzing street located in the satellite neighborhood of Nørrebro that’s earned a reputation for being one of the…

A strong political voice in government, 63-year-old Uffe Elbæk has worn many hats, including minister of culture and CEO of 2009’s World Outgames. In 2013, he founded Denmark’s Alternativet Party, which now has 10 members in parliament. Why does Denmark seem so far ahead of the curve when it comes to human rights? We’re a small country, and very well educated. We laid the groundwork for equality in the 1850s, and since then we’ve had plenty of practice placing value on the role of the civil society. We’re progressive in our art, design, and culture—it’s all part of the same story. Our history is not without its fights, of course, but to understand Denmark one must understand consensus. A desire for the common good is in our cultural DNA. How…

Danish-born and London-based, Astrid Andersen’s eponymous luxury brand has given classic sportswear a subversive, street-ready edge—the perfect intersection of both of her worlds. This elevated and accessible mix has made her the go-to designer for the likes of Drake and A$AP Rocky, and she most recently collaborated with M.I.A. on an exclusive line of merch. Here, Andersen reflects on her background and its lasting impact on her label. How has Danish design inspired your brand? My heritage comes through in my dedication to detail and quality. It’s in our blood to be obsessed over perfection, and it provided me with a very humble nature. But I have always struggled with the Scandinavian obsession over good taste, which makes us less able to challenge conventions. London opened my eyes to having…

At the crossroads of Copenhagen and continental Europe, Fyn (pronounced FOON) is often referred to as the fairy-tale island, largely because it’s the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen. A trip around Fyn will, however, quickly reveal that it’s not just Andersen’s reputation that has earned the landmass its moniker. Furled into almost every bay and fjordlet is a charming harbor sprouting centuries-old manses that have been lovingly restored into quiet inns, cafés, and museums. And the swaths of wooded land in between are the realms of moated castles—some crumbling, others still occupied by royals. Often overlooked for wilder pastures, Fyn is the perfect escape from the capital or—dare we say—a worthy alternative to Copenhagen should your Denmark foray be short. DAY 1: SVENDBORG A big modern bridge shoots like a…

If Denmark looks like Germany’s cartographic crown, then Fanø (pronounced FAY-nuh) is its encrusted jewel. Linked to the mainland by a blustery 10-minute ferry ride, this green isle is largely protected under a national preserve mandate, save its two small towns: Nordby in the north and Sønderho in the south. Despite their proximity and shared isolation, the townships are bitter rivals, engaged in a centuries-long feud sparked by specific events that no one seems to remember anymore. Besides sounding like a piece of IKEA furniture, Nordby is a workaday port and the terminus of the ferry. It’s also home to Fanø Bryghus (FanoeBryghus.dk), which was recently voted one of the top 50 breweries in the world by RateBeer.com. A coterie of resident American brewmasters regularly rotate the selection of draughts…

Robin Hannibal One of Denmark’s busiest and most adventurous sound-smiths, Hannibal has written and produced for indie-pop darlings Chairlift and Little Dragon and been sampled by Kendrick Lamar. He’s also one half of the R&B duos Rhye and Quadron. Key Tracks: Rhye’s “The Fall,” Quadron’s “Hey Love” Iceage This sneering, snarling punk quartet formed in Copenhagen in 2008, when they were in their teens. Three explosive albums later, they’ve become the bratty, brooding embodiment of millennial angst. Key Tracks: “The Lord’s Favorite,” “Forever” First Hate On their 2017 debut album, A Prayer for the Unemployed, Anton Falck Gansted and Joakim Nørgaard wrap their feel-good lyrics in chilly synthesizers, rousing four-to-the-floor beats, and pitch-slapped vocal samples. The perfect soundtrack for winter bathing. Key Tracks: “The One,” “Copenhagen” Lowly With their first…

God Save the Queen Deciding which queer icon should help Out commemorate its 25th anniversary—and appear on the cover of the landmark issue—was really a no-brainer. As soon as RuPaul’s name was mentioned, a unanimous decision was made to have the queen of all queens, whose cultural impact now sits at an all-time high, help us ring in two and a half decades of LGBTQ pop culture. The issue had Just Jared calling Ru a “fierce glamazon” in an iconic 1992 photo by Herb Rittsone of two cover images that went to press. And the interview, which saw Ru in conversation with longtime collaborators (and World of Wonder founders) Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, had gay blog site Boy Culture gushing, “It seems like Ru really is everything: He’s every…

IT’S NO SECRET that gay men are particularly susceptible to the myth of the ideal body, which is further exacerbated by mass and social media. Who better, then, to speak about body-image issues than gay men whose very livelihood is dependent on perceptions of their physique? These five fitness experts may possess the markers we now use to define beauty (desirability, Instagram followers), but they’re still not immune to societal pressures or bouts of insecurity. Here, they discuss how exercise can build not only your body, but your confidence. Kevin Carnell, Model: At 19, I was newly out, trying to figure out who I was, and sleeping with guys in the hopes that their attention would fulfill me. I needed to find a way to love and embrace myself…

Throughout history, the hat has served as a ceremonial crown, a status symbol, and, above all, a protective shield. When bedhead attacks or the crisp winds of winter threaten to mess up our precious locks, a cap or beanie seems like the simplest solution. But hiding your hair (and keeping your dome warm) can also involve making a major statement—one that completely changes your outfit. With more and more designers offering up new spins on the fedora, the wide-brim, the newsboy, and the beret, what was once a quick fix is now a foolproof way to spruce up any look. At this rate, you may actually look forward to rushing out the door.…

Is there a sexier book than Call Me by Your Name, André Aciman’s 2007 paean to eros awoken during a sultry, sensuous Italian summer? “This novel is hot,” wrote Stacey D’Erasmo in the first line of her review for The New York Times, echoing the sentiments of the book’s legions of fans for whom it quickly became a touchstone of adolescent gay longing with a satisfying twist—one often denied in our coming-out narratives: Desire is rewarded; hunger is sated. Boy gets boy. In the novel’s most famous scene, boy also gets peach—a kind of dry run for what the narrator, Elio Perlman, fantasizes about doing with Oliver, a research assistant staying at his family’s summer villa on the Italian Riviera. That scene, which plays out across several pages with potent…

Forget Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Check out these three TV series created by the DR (Denmark’s public-access channel). They perfectly encapsulate the pale November gloom cast across the Copenhagen sky. The Bridge When a dead body is discovered exactly halfway across a bridge linking Denmark and Sweden, who is responsible for investigating the crime? Detectives from both countries work together and quickly discover that the severed body is two halves of two different women—a Swedish politician and a Danish prostitute. Currently in its fourth season, the show has spawned several remakes, including in the U.S. and in Russia, and a French-British joint venture. The Killing A mouthful— Forbrydelsen (“the Crime”)—in Danish, The Killing’s forever-frowning protagonist is ready to pack her bags and move to Sweden but…

NABO Restaurants can wow with premium produce or perfectly executed dishes, but a true standout knows how to expand its diners’ vocabulary of deliciousness. Nabo does just that. It’s the newest brainchild of the Kadeau clan, who, in 2007, upped the ante on the already upwardly trending New Nordic movement by opening their eponymous establishment on the Danish island of Bornholm. A coveted location in Copenhagen came next, followed by a more decidedly downmarket venture. Nabo punches somewhere in between, bearing all of Kadeau’s trademark culinary finesse but with a more accessible price tag. And it’s sure as heck hyggelige (see page 64), with unvarnished wooden tables, cottage cabinetry, and soft candle glow. Memorable mains, like scallops and kale in savory oyster sauce, can be served à la carte, but…

Decidedly not hygge, a visit to the Michelin-starred restaurant inside Copenhagen’s “White Lady,” the Hôtel d’Angleterre, is theatrical from start to finish, and evokes the grandeur of the city’s golden age in the 18th century when the palace-like structure was completed. Carefully following the canon of French cuisine, the menu’s mains include chateaubriand, roasted pigeon, and a flambéed dessert. After dinner, retreat to Balthazar, the hotel’s bar, for creative champagne cocktails. DAngleterre.com…

Niels Bohr (1885–1962) In 1922, Bohr snatched the Nobel Prize in Physics for something about atoms and how they emanate radiation, blah, blah, etc. But more than being a real smarty, Bohr was a total mensch. During the Nazi occupation, he helped Jewish physicists escape to his institute in Copenhagen and eventually to the U.S. Tycho Brahe (1546–1601) Possessor of one of the greatest mustaches in history, Brahe (in a twist worthy of H.C. Andersen) was abducted by his wealthy, childless uncle. After being Gone Girl-ed, young Tycho was raised in the lap of luxury and given a first-class education. He would go on to make the most accurate measurements of the solar system before the advent of the telescope. Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) A philosopher, theologian, and cultural critic, Kierkegaard…

SINNERUP This home-goods heavyweight has one-upped IKEA for nearly 50 years with stylish curl-upand-watch-Netflix chairs. Sinerrup.dk DANSK A shrine to the Copenhagen lifestyle, Dansk’s pared-back interior is like a museum of good taste. Everything’s up for grabs, even the hangers. DanskShop.com SOULLAND With a forward-thinking approach to menswear, Soulland fills its flagship store with covetable cold-weather attire. We love its cuddly sweaters. Soulland.com STORM A combustion of design, art, and fashion, Storm sells everything from beauty products to books, and will dress you up Scandistyle from head to espadrille’ed toe. StormFashion.dk ARKET The new concept store from the same folks who brought us H&M wants to overhaul your life, starting with your morning routine—enter the Hario coffee kettle. Arket.com WOOD WOOD The subculture brand is at its best when it…

The world’s greatest fairy tale writer was also a cultivator of enumerable eccentricities. Here, four things you probably didn’t know about this dandy: The Ugly Ducking was autobiographical. Before becoming a writer, Andersen tried his hand—or foot—at ballet but was rejected because of his lanky stature; acting and singing didn’t pan out either, due to his awkward appearance (think: Danish Abraham Lincoln). He was desperately afraid of fires. During his travels, Andersen always carried a thick rope in his trunks—long enough to throw out of a second-story window should his lodging be engulfed in flames. He was also a hypochondriac and a notoriously demanding houseguest who quite famously overstayed his welcome (by a month) when visiting Charles Dickens. He was an avid diarist—and champion masturbator. Andersen vigorously documented…

Siri gets really chatty when you search this restaurant in your phone—she guides you along a series of dusty backroads (mostly in mispronounced Danish) until you reach the doorstep of an old white manor house now preserved as a museum. While the grounds are of moderate interest to travelers, the basement features one of the best dining establishments in Denmark. Break up your backcountry drive with an exquisite multi-course meal served by chef Preben Madsen, who has a knack for allowing his fresh ingredients to sing rather than muddling them in too many sauces. Greens and herbs come from the castle garden, shrimp are plucked from the nearby shores, and Madsen even offers braised goat—a rarity in Denmark—all served on crisp white linen under hygge-fied wooden beams. Sonderskov.dk/Restaurant…

“I don’t wish to be the first Asian-American anything, but if it is to be the case, I will proudly step into it, and clear the path for everybody else behind me to follow.” THERE ARE BROADWAY debuts, and then there are Broadway debuts that merit their own reaction GIF. Enter Jin Ha. Two years ago, he was studying acting at NYU, and now he’s been chosen by Julie Taymor to star in her revival of M. Butterfly, one of the most anticipated shows of the year. “Trust me, it’s unbelievable,” says Ha, sitting at a French bistro in Manhattan’s theater district. “If I were to hear this third-person, I’d be like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ ” But the role is no joke. It has had the 27-year-old newcomer tied…

Long before the selfie there was Narcissus, a mythical figure so enamored with his beauty that he got lost in it forever. In 1971, filmmaker James Bidgood queered the legend with his cult classic Pink Narcissus, transforming him into a hustler in a story that has now bled its way into modern fashion. Bidgood’s lavish aesthetic (and his tale’s Greek roots) can be seen in gold laurel wreaths and jewels from Gucci and in the pastel-pink frescoes adorning Moschino’s latest shirts. Over the top? Yes, but these looks won’t make you lose yourself so much as find the you you’ve been looking for.…

Pascal doesn’t fit in with scruffy classmates in short pants, but that brilliant orb testifies to his longing, wonder, and fascination—the outsider status he cannot yet articulate. WHEN A QUEER YOUTH leaves behind childish things, from superheroes to video games, poetry is often the next step toward maturity. Gay poets Auden (“Lullaby”), Cavafy (“The Next Table”), and Frank O’Hara (“Having a Coke With You”) have helped us articulate queer emotional responses. And in movies, the greatest poetic introduction to queer sensibility is Albert Lamorisse’s children’s film The Red Balloon. Released in 1956 to wide acclaim—it won prizes at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Oscars—The Red Balloon codified the baby boomer consciousness into public school curricula. Like Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, which initiated children into the parts…

“I don’t think the world is ever ready for the proposal that the interior life of an art-loving gay person is political—as if politics doesn’t reflect the entire landscape, including the loud and the quiet, the overt and the steamingly subtle.” JOHN ASHBERY WAS born in 1927 and died this year. He was perfectly 90. His birthday was July 28. In honor of this big one, people recorded his long poem, “Flow Chart,” and sent it to him; we wrote paragraphs about who he was and what his work meant to us. He received all these encomiums, they made him happy, and then he died. John was a Leo. He leaves a husband, David Kermani, whom he lived with for more than 30 years. In his lifetime, John published more…

Nordkraft In 2003, Jakob Ejersbo novelized Denmark’s trademark Nordic noir by showing his audience an un-hygge world of spiraling drug addiction. Ejersbo, who was claimed by cancer at the age of 40, also had a deep connection to Africa, and penned a trilogy of novels inspired by his adolescence in Tanzania. Out of Africa In 1937, Karen Blixen published a memoir of her 17 years in Kenya after leaving her native Denmark to marry her Swedish second cousin and start a coffee plantation on the outskirts of Nairobi. Sydney Pollack’s 1985 film of the same name was inspired by this and Blixen’s other Africa-centric works. Smilla’s Sense of Snow Most would argue that Peter Høeg’s 1992 novel is more of an exercise in magical realism—like many of his other works—than…

When chef Henrik Yde-Andersen welcomes a new employee into the fold, he asks them three questions in front of the rest of the kitchen: Have you ever gone to prison? Have you ever done drugs? And are you gay? “Oh, the unions would kill me if they knew I was asking those things,” Yde-Andersen jokes. He doesn’t care about the answers—“I’m just trying to create an atmosphere of openness. We all work better together that way.” “Recently,” he adds, “we had a new staff member answer ‘yes’ to all three—that was pretty unexpected, and really exciting.” Yde-Andersen, who is also gay, has a decidedly unconventional approach to how he runs his kitchens. None of his cooks have an official title or rank, and no one ever yells. Yde-Andersen’s point of…

Saunagus (derived from the German word meaning “pouring on the oven”) is Denmark’s own brand of steamy wellness. Tina Andersen, the “gus master” at the Kurhotel Skodsborg, explains that participants start by sitting perfectly still as oil-infused steam is swirled throughout the chamber by a swinging towel. Three short sessions of increasing heat are interspersed with brief breaks outside, culminating in a tingling dip in the sea. If that sounds too hot, try winter bathing. Sea swimming in winter has become a growing trend all over Denmark. According to the country’s Council for Greater Water Safety, more than 25,000 Danes regularly crack holes in the subarctic ice for a chilly but refreshing dip. The shocking temperatures are known to have plenty of health benefits, stimulating the secretion of endorphins and…

In 2015, Eddie Redmayne starred in the film version of David Ebershoff’s novel The Danish Girl, about Lili Elbe, an ex-painter and one of the first recipients of a gender-confirmation surgery. But the book and film took several liberties with Elbe’s life and her marriage to fellow artist Gerda Gottlieb—including Gottlieb’s lesbian erotica paintings, the dissolution of their marriage, and the details surrounding Elbe’s death. Between 1930 and 1931, Elbe underwent a series of experimental surgeries, dying after the last at the age of 48. However, by this time she’d successfully transitioned and legally changed her name.…

Hans Christian Andersen’s original version has very little in common with Disney’s underwater princess. Let’s set the record straight: After saving her Prince Charming from drowning in a storm, the mermaid trades her beautiful voice for a Sea Witch’s potion to grow legs. Each step on land feels like walking on glass, but she persists and mesmerizes the prince with her dancing. However, he marries another woman, believing her to be the girl who saved him from the swells. The mute mermaid is offered the opportunity to murder the prince to regain her fish tail, but she reneges, dies, and turns into sea foam. So much for “happily ever after.”…

“It hass been a long journey for me to figure out how to marry the pop world with my instinctively alternative backbone, but I soon realized you don’t have to be either/or.” In English, the Danish word mø translates to “maiden,” and is laced with cultural connotations of virginity, innocence, and purity. Karen Marie Ørsted, who’s adopted the term as her pop moniker, has found personal power in its meaning. For her, it’s a declaration of youthful independence, and a statement of purpose that has come to define her career as she’s ascended from the underground fringe to international stardom. “I’m still a childish person,” she says. “But that’s what making music is all about—creativity doesn’t have an age.” MØ is known globally for her breakout single, “Lean On,” produced…

With fake news leaving most Americans confused about even the basic facts, magazine media keeps it real. Whether in print, online, on mobile or video, people trust it to be expertly researched, written and fact-checked. No wonder magazine readers are more engaged and more likely to recommend advertised products. Being real matters. That’s a fact. #BelieveMagMedia | BelieveMagMedia.com MAGAZINE MEDIA Better. Believe It. Sources: 2016 Survey, Pew Research Center; GfK MRI, Spring 2016.…

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