The Hot Literati
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Essays, interviews, and dispatches from the community.
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The Hottest Literati
Who is Chris Jesu Lee
Welcome to The Hottest Literati Every month, we choose one cool artist from anywhere in the world to highlight and to support. The August 2026 Hottest Literati is... Chris Jesu Lee He is a... New York-based writer and lawyer, who is currently revising his first novel. He writes regularly on his…
Hotter Literati
hailo's rules for Dating in New York
1. When you move to New York, you are going to go insane and feel hyper-social and like everything is magical -- especially if it is your first time living in a walkable city. You should lean into that and make art while you do. 2. Then, you are probably going to have one insane situationship…
The City According to Hot Literati
Walk Literati
or, Why I'm going to make Wichita walkable When you are a Child ,in school they will show you videos of people like Martin Luther king jr and Albert Einstein and tell you that you can change the world. When you are an adult and you say that you want to change the world they will tell you that you…
The City According to Hot Literati
Kismet Launch Party
On July 30th, 2026 I, hailo, went to Church. I went to the big Church on Bowery for the launch of Kismet's latest issue. Photo by Chris Jesu Lee I had walked by the church and eyed it for a very long time. It is beautiful, the way big churches are. Kismet is a literary magazine that explores…
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Joe Literati
I'm Joe deLannoy I'm from Salt Lake City, Utah. I am 27 years old and I'm a first year Medical Student! I'd self identify as a fun person who is curious and loves to learn. I can be a bit stoic at times but that's something I'm working on. Musts YouTube Premium Hot tea in the morning (Mate usually…
The Hottest Literati
Who is Kim Kalesti
Welcome to The Hottest Literati Every month, we choose one cool artist from anywhere in the world to highlight and to support. The July 2026 Hottest Literati is... Kim Kalesti She is a... Singer, songwriter, and painter based in New York. What's coming this month This is the first edition of The…
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hailo Literati
Hello I am Hailey Denise Colborn, but a lot of people call me "hailo." I was born in Wichita, Kansas. I've been in New York for around four years, though long-term I'd like to split my time between Kansas, New York, and France. I'm a retired beauty queen and I identify as quiet. I like speaking…
Hotter Literati
Virginia Woolf Should have Done More Karaoke
Dear Hot Literatis, I hope you all had a beautiful weekend. I just ran seven miles, I love an evening summer run. At the end, I popped into AWOL on 25th street to sing exactly one karaoke song. I was thinking about how so much of life is keeping yourself entertained and moving toward a goal you can…
Hotter Literati
All Love All Pride
Dear Literatis, It’s been a while since I’ve been over on this side of the tracks, i.e. my home away from home. If you don’t know me, I’ve been a part of Hot Literati since 2024. That year I created a column called Wayward Wonderland through which I recorded my queer life and its queer quirks.…