Charlie's Delightfully Silly Slambook Entry!
Spicy Margarita, Bush Doof, Snail Goo – Curious Yet?
"Pretty Silly Slambook” - a profile series where we ask our favourite artists, scientists, musicians, and more. It's a bit of a cultural time capsule project.
The idea is to move away from the usual Spotify playlists and Netflix recommendations, and instead, let everyday people like us share their favourite discoveries without any fancy algorithms or influencer stuff.
Meet Charlie Hawks!
Charlie is a photographer with a sharp eye and a soft spot for the people around him, Charlie Hawks captures life as it unfolds—whether that’s quiet, everyday moments with friends or the energy of a big shoot. Originally from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, he now splits his time between Melbourne and wherever the next adventure takes him. When he’s not behind the camera, he’s out riding his bike, cooking with friends, dancing late into the night, or hunting down the perfect sweet treat. Lately, he’s been taking things slow—sorting through years of work, getting his gear in order, and preparing for his first show in a long time.
📲 Follow Charlie: @chawks | Charlie Hawks
ACT I
What’s a habit or trait you think you inherited from Wyoming?
I'd say Wyomingnites are known to be pretty individualistic but also a good neighbor, a trait of being in sparsely populated place. I would say I have a bit of both of those things in me. And a deep love and respect for nature.
What would your last meal on earth be?
An amazing green papaya salad, some kind of spicy fried chicken with the best fried rice ever, a caesar salad, papardelle with a spicy ragu and garlic bread, and a rich gooey salted brownie with vanilla ice cream and fudge. and a few spicy margaritas and a bunch of beautiful wine and fernet branca and affogatos at the end.
What’s your hot take?
vaping < smoking. neither are great and i can't believe I'm a cranky old man with an opinion on it but at least smoking looks cool.
You’re at a bar, what’s your drink of choice?
either a dry gin martini with a twist or a really over the top embarrassing but delicious frilly cocktail. depends on the day.
If you were a tour guide for a day in your city, what are the top three must-visit spots you would recommend?
For Melbourne I would say it's mandatory to start the day with a really good coffee at a local cafe, there are so many good ones its hard to pick a favorite but I'll say Standing Room because it's by my house and I go a lot and the crew there is soooo nice and it's a beautiful space. Amazing coffee and breakfast.
I usually will take a visitor on a biking tour of the city on the Capitol City trail which circumnavigates a large part of the north and CBD and along the Yarra which shows you a lot of the best parts of the city with a million great places to eat along the way.
For night with me you're probably being taken to a Thai or Vietnamese restaurant and then out for drinks probably at Bar Solace then dancing at Miscellania and then to a park party until late into the night!
ACT II
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Yikes, karaoke terrifies me and I rarely do it but the last one I sang was Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash.
What’s a piece of life advice you once got that actually stuck?
Ask more questions! I learned this later in life from my partner and conversations got a lot more fun.
What are you currently watching?
Gossip Girl hahaha, how embarassing. And Severance. And trying to watch more movies.What are 3 songs that are definitely on your road trip playlist.
The Turning Ground - Tara Clerkin Trio
Babylon - David Gray
I Don't Mind - The Shed
Normally I listen to dance music 99% of the time but road trip vibes call for mostly bandy music.What has been the highlight of this year (I know it’s only been a month)?
My new years day was incredible I was away at a bush doof with my partner and brother and friends from Melbourne and two friends visiting from the States just dancing like crazy people for three days it was so fun I got a lot of photos I quite like and had an all around really enjoyable time. I've also already eaten a lot of really delicious food this year and have been planning a lot of trips that I'm excited for.
ACT III
What's your favourite nostalgic TV show, song cartoon, or video game from your childhood.
I loved Rocket Power, a cartoon about these kids who did all kinds of extreme sports. Great gameboy game too.What’s your go-to “silly little treat” when you need cheering up?
a tray of chocolate chip cookies with so much maldon salt flakes and vanilla ice cream with sleepytime tea and the bon appetit youtube.
Be an influencer - give a shoutout to a product you genuinely adore.
Going full influencer I would say that I've started doing skincare, somebody told me your body stops producing collagen at 30 and i got scared haha, and I got on the Beauty of Joseon products from Korea and my skin looks genuinely better. and this crazy other product that is straight up snail goo that you put on your face and it is so pure and clean and dewy feeling. yuck sounding and totally trendy but I back it
If your personality had a signature scent, what would it smell like?
Floral and herbaceous, little sweet little spicy, but somehow also like a bakery but also clean like cold mountain air haha.What’s the tiniest, most specific thing your partner does that makes your heart melt?
Cora will make tiny origami paper cranes out of random scraps of paper, gum wrappers, receipts, when we are hanging around and just hand them to me or one of our friends when she finishes it. It's such a silly tiny act but it really encapsulates a lot of what I love about her, she's so thoughtful and generous and so herself and I just love her. I saw her hand a little paper crane to our friend Joe while we were just sitting around at a park the other day, you don't even notice her making them she does it in such a mellow way. I find them in pockets, on shelves, in bags.
Share a random picture from your gallery
Just realized it was 1 picture not 10 but it said up to 10 in the fine print so i went for it. i feel like these shots really cover a lot of how I shoot, who and what I like to shoot, and the things I like the spend my time doing!
P.S. Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! Give the gift of humour, and get credit for your sense of taste.