Editor’s Letter: Very Cheeky!

"Hey, I’ve got an ass!” exclaimed Amy Adams at our cover shoot, sashaying in a chic but somewhat risqué number that showed off her curves. “If Kate Winslet can show hers in a magazine, so can I!” The endearing star of Junebug, Enchanted, Doubt and this month’s Sunshine Cleaning showed us another side of her saucy self while modeling a selection of the season’s sexiest designs. Those perceptions of her as a faux-naïve? Right out the door. Those perceptions of her as a kind, humble, lovely soul, I’m happy to report, stayed perfectly intact.

We got quite an eyeful when BlackBook decamped to the West Coast for our annual Hollywood issue. In our celebration of the other movie industry, Sasha Grey and a few adult male film stars showed up to model luxury sleepwear for a “Porn Star Pajama Party” which quickly turned into a naked pool party shoot before the day was over.

Flesh and fantasy are two big sellers in the Hollywood dream factory, and we had plenty of both. But we also found a lot of heart and soul out West. Yes, it’s a town that’s all about making the right connections, where who you know can seem more important than the talent you have to offer. But Hollywood is also full of people who genuinely want to connect—artists, actors, filmmakers all longing to reach audiences (and viewers all over the country craving work that merits their attention).

We took this opportunity to check in with some of our favorite talents, from budding powerhouses (Emily Blunt) and new stars of film and music (Luke Grimes, No Age) to artists like Daniel Johnston, who work far from the spotlight’s glare.

Of course, Hollywood means many different things to different people. We asked a handful of celebrated artists to give us their take on Tinseltown in our “Hollywood Art” portfolio. The results are as varied as the topography of the place itself. “I’ve always looked at Hollywood with horror, humor and amazement” said Exene Cervenka, when describing the blood-stained heroines of the artwork she created specially for the issue. True to form, the frontwoman for L.A.’s legendary punk band X gave us equal parts grit and wit.

On the flipside of that, Mischa Barton exudes classic Hollywood glamour in our “day-in-the-life of a starlet” fashion story.

BlackBook itself, you may have noticed, has a sharp new look, courtesy of our new Creative Director, Jason Daniels. Also new this issue is our former intern-for-a-day, Ryan Adams, who joins us as Staff Writer.

Check out the BlackBook application on your iPhone or BlackBerry to make connections of your own with our new perks on-the-go program—help yourself to a discount or get a friend a drink at select venues.