When jazz musician Allen Mezquida realized he needed to redefine his talents in a digital age, he turned to art and drew Smigly, YouTube’s lovable animated star. James Gavin interviews the creator.
James Gavin is the author of Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker and Intimate Nights: The Golden Age of New York Cabaret. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Time Out New York, among other publications. He lives in New York City.
The legendary singer, who died Sunday, was no wallflower when it came to defending herself against racial slurs. In an exclusive excerpt from Stormy Weather, James Gavin tells the story of when she attacked a racist man at a Beverly Hills restaurant.