The Tamesis
It’s not a plot twist that the writers display an unparalleled mastery of language. But can they spell it on demand? Tuesday night, at writer, actor, and director Cazzie David’s inaugural Substack Spelling Bee in Los Angeles, a group of creative talents penned novels on our nightstands, told jokes that made us giggle, and immortalized phrases we’ll remember forever. Fashion She is passionate about “bringing people together through shared activities.”
What must have been on David’s mind as she celebrates the launch of her Substack newsletter and the publication of her second collection of essays, Delusion: grandeur, romance, progress. And it’s not just the words in the warm-up, which include “bidet,” “collarbone,” and “moisturizer” — the latter a natural choice for comedian Jacqueline Novak, co-host of the skincare podcast POOG.
Taking the podium, David, wearing a polka dot mini dress by Rebecca Vallance, assured the crowd that the night was indeed “about winning.” She and Novak were joined by attendee Nicole Ritchie, stylist Jamie Mizrahi, writers Jedidiah Jenkins and Brontez Purnell, all with giant name IDs hanging around their necks. Fashion alum Carli Sciortino, podcaster Jason Stewart and comedians Alex Edelman and Drew Tarver.
Matt Starr, head of creative strategy and events at Substack, admits that he “watched hours and hours of the Scripps National Spelling Bee” in elementary school, which made him a master when it came to organizing the event and capturing the nostalgia of his childhood. The choice of venue—the historic Bob Baker Puppet Theater—was also perfect. The famous Scarlet Auditorium is located in Highland Park, a neighborhood that’s been making headlines lately not for its trendy developments but for its institutions. ICYMI: Kristen Stewart saves century-old Highland Theater, Bad Bunny spotlights Vera’s tacos during Super Bowl halftime.
The cozy and intimate space provides an ideal backdrop for David’s charm, silliness, and innate ability to make readers (or, rather, viewers) feel seen and heard. The atmosphere was lively and audience participation was encouraged, with guests eager to take the microphone in the spellers’ moments of need. When Nicole Richie rightly and confidently delivered the word “neurodivergent,” the room went wild, with attendees waving lollipops in the air to cheer her on. Earlier in the evening, Richie told Fashion She wishes for “the cat” to appear – and while she doesn’t get this particular wish, she completes several of the themed rounds with ease. (David even challenged Richie with “Steve Buscemi” in a quintessential Hollywood moment.)
Photography: Paris Mumpower
Alas, the deeper cuts to the Masters and City events proved difficult for many competitors, and by the time the night entered the brand categories, only three hopefuls remained: Edelman, Jenkins and Stewart. David remained inspiring, but stumped Jenkins and Stewart with “Bulgari” and “Louboutin.” In the end, Edelman won the first place trophy, a gold medal and the complete works of Shakespeare with his careful answer to “Lamborghini”.
As the contestants hugged and congratulated each other, something David had said earlier came to mind. Regarding the permanence of publishing her reflections, David has said: “I hope this book [Delusions] Evolve a little bit. “Speaking like a true writer, he acknowledges that learning never ends.
