Elianna Lev is the type of girl that you can bring along on a visit to your family's island cabin to meet your parents. She'll be texting a boy non-stop for most of it, but she's too adorable for you to try and stop her. She is a freelance writer (her column "I'm a Good Story" on Vancouver Observer is not to be missed), podcast host (Peoples' Program Project, look it up!), new dog parent and recently put on the second installment of the insanely successful Rain City Chronicles. Also, she loves to share a good pomelo. – Abby Campbell
The Proof
1. I call this my chachka corner. My useless but cute collection used to be scattered around my apartment but I decided to condense it into one area to appear more mature or something.
2. My boudoir. The weeping willow painting was my first piece of investment art. It’s by my friend Sonja Ahlers. If art could talk, this painting would be the go-to place for gossip on both of us. I love art with good stories.
3. More art. This is what I wake up to every morning. My dad got me the bear on the left when he was covering an election in Moscow, the middle picture I took in New York at a turning point in my life, and my friend Andrew Pommier gave me the bunny on the right after I did a small favour for him. Lucky for me, I’m a huge fan of his work.
4. My dog and animal soul mate, Duchess “Dutchie” Fancydance. I recently bought her the fake Burberry bed at Kitchen Corner. I love the sweet woman who works there.
5. The dog park, where I spend a lot of time. Here are two of my closest friends, Chris and Abby. Dutchie’s still figuring out park etiquette and mostly just barks a lot.
6. My work equipment. I use a different notebook for each project I’ve got on the go. I tend to use the notebooks with cute cartoons on the cover for my creative projects, and the plain notebooks for my serious work. Also, my Edirol, which was named Nezbit by Ange Beckum of the Amazing Alphabet People’s Coalition.
7. My wipe board. I finally figured out a system that works for me. It’s basically written in my version of DaVinci Code.
8. I asked David Sedaris to sign my book “To my straight, younger, prettier successor.” I like his message way better.
The Questions
What neighborhood do you live in?
Mount Pleasant.
What do you do and where?
I do a lot of things. Every week is completely different. I basically get paid to interview people and tell their stories in a certain voice. Sometimes it’s my voice, a lot of the time it’s not. Regardless, it’s always fun. The core of my work is done in my apartment office, but a lot of it is getting out, experiencing things and meeting people.
What are you working on?
A whole lot. I’m working on an amazing travel project that focuses on Vancouver – I basically get to experience some of the best things this city has to offer and write about it. I’m just starting the second part of an on-going multimedia storytelling contract I have with a social services agency. I write one column a week for the Vancouver Observer. I’m working on a semi-fictional graphic novel, with artist Amanda McCuaig. I put out my podcast when I have time. I also freelance a bunch. Some articles to look forward to include an interview with some local filmmakers for a London-based magazine and something dog-related for the Canadian Press.
Where can we find your work?
My website: www.eliannalev.com, is the one-stop-shop for all things me.
