Meet Carrie Schaff

“A native Seattleite who moved to NYC three years ago while working for the esoteric non-fiction publisher Feral House. Carrie has since gone freelance in publishing, and does what she can to help subversive art and music book publishers do their thing. She currently works with Sacred Bones Books, Dark Chart, Hesse Press and First Third Books. Carrie kills her time and life playing drums, reading conspiracies, and collecting records.
”

♫ Listen to Carrie's Playlist

ON HER MORNING ROUTINE

Some mornings I am up early drinking some health elixir and meditating and some mornings I sleep late either shamefully or unabashedly and am shoving some weird food in my mouth on my way out the door. I try not to look at my electronics for the first hour if I can help it and about a third of my mornings I drink tea instead of coffee. I usually put coconut oil in the first thing I drink. I have a stretching routine and if I’m being really on I will practice a few drum rudiments before grabbing my computer and heading to the cafe or library to work.

on her first publishing job

My first publishing job was with Feral House and I actually got that job from just talking to the editor at a book fair about the Germs book he put out. I work almost exclusively with non-fiction books and I have worked with a ton of political and historical books but I think some natural gravity has pulled me to the music and art book publishers and pulled them to me.

on drumming

I have been drumming for about 13 years but I have a complicated and off and on relationship with it. I have played in bands and am starting a new summer punk band this week but between collaborative projects I really like to read music and teach myself interesting jazz or classical or afro-cuban rhythms.

on her mom's knee-high socks

I noticed my mom’s knee-high socks, and asked her where she got them from, turns out they are Medipeds. Not only do they look good, but they are good for circulation.

Trench, Yang Li Men ; T-Shirt, Vintage ; Choker, Vintage YSL ; Pants, Sonia Rykiel

“I buy a lot of stuff from my friends who make clothes or make art. My aesthetic is definitely a combination of stuff I got for free, inspiring stuff that my friends create and Long Island thrift store scores.
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— on her aesthetic

on her skincare and beauty routine

I prefer products to have as few ingredients as possible or smell like an actual flower or be made on a solstice by a far out friend. But I also choose things based on specific needs like Lush No Drought dry shampoo for my limp hair or purple mascara for my green eyes or super basic Cetaphil for my sensitive skin. I also use Kiehls Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer, Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Cheek & Lip Stain, Benefit Cosmetics Benebalm Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm, Home Health Almond Glow Lotion, and Kiehls Musk Essence Oil. I definitely love dolling up but it is less routine and more whimsical. Number one beauty must: drink water.

on her favorite books

I am a real sucker for sensationalist non-fiction conspiracy leaning pop history books or anything about esoteric culture. That Process Church book showcases zines from an old British cult that inspired so much of contemporary industrial and gothic culture. I love the sensation of finding some weird old piece of subversive history and being able to link it to your life and friends and taste. The Process Church was a huge influence on Psychick TV who in turn have influenced so much of my life and its beautiful to connect the dots of elements of my taste back to these old British freaks. I also read of lot of poetry by inconvenient women. Gotta give a shoutout to the inconvenient women.

on the prefab sport record

That Prefab Sprout record I originally got in a dollar bin. They are one of those bands that for those who don’t care they are a dollar-bin corny 80s band and for those who do care they are the brilliant subversive royalty of sophistipop.