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letter editor ANA HOP 14 L et's discuss passion projects for a minute. The people who appear in this issue have me thinking about those hobbies, endeavors, and extracurriculars that enrich our lives, satisfy our souls, and often consume us in a gloriously obsessive manner. For me, it's cultivating my vibrant (albeit tiny) patio garden. Daffodil, tulip, and paperwhite bulbs were planted a few weeks ago, and a few beet sprouts are starting to emerge from the soil alongside a thriving rosemary plant. My irises are alive and well — the offspring of a plant my father started growing in his 20s. And when the weather warms a bit, I'll start planting produce and herbs for spring. There is something about getting my hands dirty and watching nature evolve from seed to plant that grounds me. For my birthday, my mentor, friend, and former PaperCity Dallas editor in chief, Rob Brinkley, gifted me a copy of First Garden: An Illustrated Garden Primer, socialite gardener C.Z. Guest's how-to on all things outdoors, from sowing seeds to planting bulbs, even a trusty planting schedule. With its illustrations by Cecil Beaton and introduction by Truman Capote, it's one of the most treasured (and most used) books in my collection — another passion project that we don't have time to chat about in this note, but let's just say you shouldn't be surprised if I one day open a small independent bookstore. Like my penchant for gardening (and books), the stories we tell this month all involve a special combination of joy, fascination, and commitment. We finally meet chef Anthony Dispensa, whose rebel- lious and refined take on the culinary arts has injected The French Room with a refreshing new air. Interior designer Emily Summers gives us a first look at her new book, a project 35 years in the making and a summation of the gorgeous interiors she's created for decades. After several years of construction, we finally go inside Highland Park Village's new private social club, Park House, with co-owners Deborah and John Scott and Megan and Brady Wood, whose obsession with hospitality, entertaining, and the London club scene led them to open their glamorous concept in Dallas. And, we dive deep into the arts, where passion is always the driving force, looking at everyone from gallery owner Brian Gibb and artist Sterling Ruby to curator Sarah Schleuning, the new head of decorative arts at Dallas Museum of Art. While the objects of their passion range from interiors to art, enter- taining to food, one thing unites this group: They have turned their passion projects into their life's work. Now, if only I could figure out how to turn my gardening habit into a lucrative side hustle. (Creating this magazine every month is, no doubt, my preferred full-time labor of love.) Perhaps I'll start with a column on seasonal planting — you know I'll do my best to channel C.Z. Christina Geyer Dallas Editor in Chief christina@papercitymag.com