To Market We Go

What kind of person shops for “cigs,” “Scruples by Judi Krantz,” avocado and vodka? The hell if we know, but Hillary Carlip has a clear idea. In her hilarious photo book À la Cart: The Secret Lives of Grocery Shoppers (out March 18), the author and performance artist transforms herself into 26 colorful characters she imagines once carried the real grocery lists she found on the supermarket floor.

Taking cues from the listed items (misspellings, ink color, paper type), Carlip constructs the peculiar personalities – and poses as them in supermarket aisles. Who scrawled “coors” and “oreos” on a matchbook? Woody, a blue-collar smoker with a Fu Manchu. Whose pink–inked curly cursive called for Fresca and Nair? Blond, big-breasted porn producer Pammy.

While the photos are extraordinary, Carlip’s imaginative written histories are the true highlight. Conflicted fitness nut Deb (protein bars and soy milk are on her list, alongside Chips Ahoy) is in a bad relationship with Bruno, who’s “always telling her how fat she is and watching over everything she eats.” Oh, and the vodka–Scruples shopper? That’s Vera. She’s drowning her sorrows in dry martinis since her husband cheated with the Feng Shui expert. Bastard.

À la Cart: The Secret Lives of Grocery Shoppers is available March 18 from Virgin Books.