Tavi Gevinson Reveals Details of Upcoming Project, Rookie, to Ira Glass

Esther Zuckerman

Glass and Gevinson

At last night's nostalgic The Talent Show Presents a Tribute to Sassy Magazine at Littlefield in Gowanus, 15-year-old fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson gave the audience some insights into her upcoming editorial project, Rookie, presented to the audience as "a website and occasional print magazine," which Gevinson reiterated is "not just going to be Sassy 2.0."

The production featured the music of Sassy band Chia Pet, the acting out of Sassy sections, appearances by Janeane Garofalo, Elizabeth Spiridakis, and our very own, very recently of Runnin' Scared, Joe Coscarelli. At the end, This American Life's Ira Glass interviewed Gevinson, focusing mostly on future work.

Sounding very much like a teenager and clad in black shoes with ruffled white socks, Gevinson told the audience that each month of the website will be like a different issue of a magazine. Prompted by Glass, she discussed the aim of the project, and whether or not it is geared toward girls pegged as alternative, saying, "We don't want to preach to the choir." She paused: "To the converted."

"It will be subversive just in its honesty and the tone," she said.

When encouraged by Glass to reveal some details about the mostly under wraps site -- Gevinson described it on her blog as her "top secret government project!" -- she noted that writer, filmmaker, performance artist and New York Times Magazine cover star Miranda July has written a piece.

And since the night was about Sassy, a magazine that met its untimely end, Glass asked Gevinson how she plans avoid that fate.

"I own everything," said Gevinson, suddenly revealing her business maturity. (Previously in the night, during an act mimicking Sassy's "Dear Boy" section, she'd asked a question about how to tell if a boy is being shy or if he likes her. But, after all, it's Tavi.)

In keeping with the '90s theme of the night, Glass asked, "Will there be clogs on the new site?"

"Maybe," Gevinson said. "I own clogs."

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