Artifacts is a series that explores the items carried by some of my favorite creative people. It's not just about the what but also the why.
Jamelle Bouie is a staff writer for The Daily Beast, where he writes primarily about politics and race (with a little pop culture thrown in for good measure). Some of his work has appeared in The Nation, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The Magazine.
He's also a phenomenal photographer and has an excellent sense of style, which is why I wanted to invite him to talk about his artifacts.
Enter Jamelle:
Timbuk2 Messenger (Medium): My everyday bag. I also use a camera insert, both for—you know— a camera, and to carry other stuff. On weekends, when I don't have lunches or electronics to carry, I have a smaller shoulder bag.
Pentax K-5 II DSLR Camera I almost always carry this. I don't always use it—especially on days when I'm commuting by bike—but it's nice to have when I see something that catches my eye, like racist protests or creepy birds. This particular camera was a Christmas gift, and replaces my much-loved Pentax K-x. I also carry three lenses, all part of Pentax's "Limited" series of primes: A 15mm, a 40mm, and a 70mm.
Olloclip iPhone Lens: Or at least, the fish-eye and macro lenses. I lost the wide-angle lens while having a picnic with my partner last year. I only use the macro anyway, so it's not a big deal.
USB SD card reader: Because the MacBook Air doesn't have a separate slot for it, and I don't feel like bringing a USB cable along with me, everywhere.
Small bottle of lotion: Because I have dry skin. You know how it is—life is hard out here on those streets.
Field Notes and Pilot G-2 .38mm pens: For note-taking and such.
Sol Republic Tracks Headphones: These aren't the greatest in the world, but for my purposes—listening to bass-heavy music and podcasts—they're more than adequate.
iPad mini with Retina Display
iPhone 5s
2012 11-inch MacBook Air
You can follow Jamelle in lots of places at the handle 'jbouie': Twitter, App.net, Flickr, and Instagram.
