Hello Reader, from your friend Nick, author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party.

I'm in North Carolina right now to spend the weekend at Wake Forest University.

In this issue: 2 new videos on YouTube, my legit favorite things to do in NYC, the sorta-secret people behind The Met Museum, a new survival book, the negative effects of marijuana, and a bunch more.

NICK GRAY FRIENDS NEWSLETTER

Why you’re getting this: I'm Nick Gray and this is my Friends Newsletter. I send this every month to interesting people I’ve connected with and friends I want to keep in touch with. We met [HOWWEMET GOES HERE]. You can un-subscríbe any time and I won't be mad. I won't even be notified!

My YouTube Channel

I've added 17 new videos to my YouTube channel. You can see A Day in My Life, How to Host a Meetup, listen to the first 5 chapters of my audiobook for free, or even my secret life as a cruise ship influencer.

How to Host a Book Launch Party

Last night I attended and helped host my friend Noah Kagan's book launch for Million Dollar Weekend.

​Check out the book or watch my behind-the-scenes vide​o for fun or to learn how you can host your own book launch party.

Watch the behind-the-scene video

Random Links

🗣️ Good conversations have lots of doorknobs​

Wow. One of the best articles I’ve read in a long time. An exploration of why some conversations between friends and strangers go very well, and others fall flat. Thanks again to Trevor McKendrick for sending. Sets up the idea of Givers and Takers and made my think about my own habits. Includes gems like:

• ⁠“What’s up?” is one of the most dreadful texts to get; it’s short for “Hello, I’d like you to entertain me now.”
• Some questions have doorknobs (“Why do you think you and your brother turned out so different?”) and some don’t (“How many of your grandparents are still living?”)
• The best improvisers, like the best conversation partners, have very sharp hearing; they can echolocate a door slightly left ajar, waiting for a gentle push from the outside.

✏️ 52 things I learned in 2023​

An interesting list of random facts, tech progress, etc from Tom Whitwell. His 2022 list of things is a also good, via Trevor McKendrick.

🎩 The Men Behind The Me​tropolitan Museum of Art​

"Winifred Howe, in her admirable A History of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, furnishes us with memoranda from the museum’s first organizational meetings. Hunt contributed a distinctive vision. “It is our aim,” he declared, “to have, at no very future period, a museum similar to the Kensington Museum in London.”

🍁 More Teens Who Use Marijuana Are Suffering From Psychosis​

"More potent cannabis and more frequent use are contributing to higher rates of psychosis, especially in young people." No paywall link.

📘 How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler​

As suggested by Atalanta- “a good book that your newsletter readers might enjoy."

💡 Extreme brainstorming questions to trigger new, better ideas​

“This is very, very good” via Sam Parr

My Favorite Things To Do in New York City (2024)

​New article on my blog. I will tell you the best things to do in New York City. I lived in New York City for 13 years. These are the recommendations that I tell my best friends when they visit.

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Sheep Meadow in Central Park
• How to get cheap Broadway tickets
• My favorite casual restaurants, and more.

This is a list of NYC things meant for tourists. They are gems and truths that many locals know.

Read my best NYC tips and tricks

Want to read more of my work?

Awww. I'm blushing. Well, if you've made this far, perhaps you'd be interested in my other writing and resources:

The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings
​Amazon | Kindle | Audible | Kobo | Apple Books​

@NickGrayNews on all the social media
​Instagram | See my Instagram Reels | Twitter/X | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn​

The End

Thanks for reading my Friends Newsletter. I'm going to speak to some college classes today, then an alumni reunion all weekend for my undergraduate comedy troupe.

I kind of took January off: I didn't host any big events, I lounged around a lot, and have been thinking about where this year will take me. My book continues to sell well and I keep hearing from my readers. We're almost to 500 verified hosts now! And just passed 500 reviews on Amazon.

Now that I think about it, I've eaten a lot of sushi this past month. One weekend I tracked every single thing that I ate using a calorie counter - that was an eye-opening experience.

OK! That's all I have for now. Happy Friday and have a great weekend.

🤠 Nick Gray

p.s. Here's the About Me on my website if you forgot who I am.