MY STUDIO: MARK RONSON

VANITIES

The Oscar-winning songwriter and producer documents a bygone era of New York in his new memoir

Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, Ronson says, is "the best book ever about working in New York at night." His reading diet while working on his own book also included Mary Karr's The Art of Memoir and Stephen King's On Writing.

"Soul II Soul, brilliant British R&B, have a song called 'Back to Life' that was such a club classic when I started DJ'ing."

"I've started playing vinyl again as a result of the book," he says. "This new era of DJ'ing has been me hunting down old treasures." Above his Ojas custom record player hangs a 2020 Wilhelm Sasnal portrait of saxophonist Ornette Coleman.

Arting his Steinway upright: A 2015 George Condo portrait of Ronson from his mother, Ann Dexter-Jones; a drawing of the blues group James Brown and the Famous Flames from his manager, Brandon Creed; and "Uptown Funk" icon drafts by Brian Roettinger.

"I wrote most of the Barbie score on that piano," he says. "I also meditate here."

THE GENESIS OF the book really came to life here," says Mark Ronson, towering over his collection of VMAs, Grammys, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar in his sun-drenched West Village home office. In Night People (Grand Central), Ronson offers a snapshot of'90s New York City, reflecting on a time before he was halfway to an EGOT, hustling and spinning vinyl in clubs. These days, his evenings sound a little different. "She likes to bang on the piano," he says of his toddler. "Or I'll play piano while she's on the floor with her TOYS."

DANIELA TIJERINA